Eagles 7s Rosters Named for Hong Kong and Tokyo

USA Rugby named the rosters for Hong Kong and Tokyo 7s later this month and, as has been constant this entire iRB 7s series, change is the name of the game. Between overseas signings, the Pacific Rugby Premiership, and the Eagles 15s World Cup Qualifying matches against Uruguay, the pool isn't as deep as it has been for previous tour stops. This is a bit of a shame as the Eagles 7s team has but 4 tournaments left to secure some major points and ensure their core status for the 2014/2015 Olympic Qualifying series. Plus it was this time last year that the team truly gelled and put forth their best effort with three straight Plate championship appearances and notched an impressive win over Canada along the way. 

This isn't entirely a bad thing as the Eagles will get more players more game experience and have many options for the final UK leg of the iRB tour. I can't see having more players challenge for the rosters then, and over summer building into Gold Coast 7s 2014, as a bad thing. The RugbyMag article below breaks down the current team and I find Matt Hawkins's mention of developing U-20 players and bringing in more athletes to the OTC encouraging. Solidifying the pathways with Alex Magelby involved again - whether through regional development academies, programs like Tiger, Atlantis and the Stars, or via Serevi High Performance camps - will only help strengthen this squad in coming years.

Hopefully if the men contract 30 athletes in Chula Vista the women will be able to do the same. It is often stated that the women have the same operating budget, so as go the men, should go the women. Our women's Eagles need to qualify for Rio 2016 as well - albeit with a far easier pathway than the men - and also will get a 6th iRB 7s leg in next year's series. 

Player Selections From USA Rugby:

Eagles Selected for Next Two Series Stops

Chad Wise // Photo Ian Muir

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

"At the end of the day, you can’t buy experience."

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – Men’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach Matt Hawkins has announced the 12-man squad to travel to Japan and China for the next two legs of the 2013-14 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series: Tokyo Sevens and Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

The sixth and seventh legs of the Series coincide with the Men’s Eagles’ Rugby World Cup 2015 Qualifier playoff against Uruguay March 22 and March 29, respectively, though Hawkins said he was not missing any players due to qualifying duties.

“There was no one we had any conflict over,” he said. “I’m happy to support Mike in qualifying for the World Cup.”

With Carlin Isles and Folau Niua having signed for RaboDirect Pro 12’s Glasgow Warriors, two spots opened from the squad that traveled to New Zealand for Wellington Sevens in February.
Marcus Satavu, in Residency as part of the World-Class Athlete Program, and Mike Te’o will suit up for the Eagles for the first time this season, while veteran Eagle Mike Palefau will rejoin the team after a good showing at the Las Vegas Invitational.

“Satavu is coming in more as a utility player,” Hawkins said. “He can play in the forwards as well as the backs. We didn’t really have a utility player in Wellington.

“Te’o has been working really hard and he’s still a young guy with a lot of positives. He’s still just learning to be more consistent with his play, but he’s been consistent in the last couple of months and is being rewarded with that with this opportunity to go on tour again.

“Palefau has always been on our radar. He’s someone who isn’t currently with us but I had the opportunity to watch him at the Coral Coast and the Las Vegas Invitational. He’s someone I’d like to get in and see how he does with the program now. He’s training with the guys this week before we head out.”

Palefau was a member of the Eagles for the final four legs of the 2012-13 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series, during which the team maintained core status for this year’s Series with three Plate Final appearances (Tokyo, Glasgow and London). He stayed with the team during its IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 campaign.

“At the end of the day, you can’t buy experience,” Hawkins said. “A guy like Mikey brings that and it’s fantastic to have it. The more you have it the better off you should be. We’re hoping that the experience he brings to the table is going to be really important, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Remaining a core team for this year’s Series was not a guarantee last season, as the Eagles were battling with Scotland for the final spot without having to go through a separate qualifying tournament.

The Eagles defeated Scotland in the Tokyo Sevens Plate Final and Argentina in the Glasgow Sevens Plate Final to avoid the second tournament at London Sevens. In London, the Eagles fell to Fiji in the Plate Final.
This year, the Eagles will not have to worry about losing their place on the circuit for the 2014-15 IRB HSBC Sevens World Series unless they finish last out of the 15 current core teams. After five rounds, the Eagles are in 14th ahead of Spain.

The Eagles are in Pool C with Fiji, France and Samoa, ranked third, 10th, and sixth, respectively. The first match for Hawkins’ men, against Samoa, will kick off from Tokyo Friday, March 21, at 9:22 P.M. ET. Watch live on Universal Sports and follow @USARugby on Twitter for match updates.

Pools for the Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will be announced following the conclusion of Tokyo Sevens.

Men's Eagles Sevens | Tokyo Sevens/Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens Roster
Danny Barrett
Garrett Bender
Andrew Durutalo
Nick Edwards
Pono Haitsuka
Madison Hughes
Ryan Matyas
Mike Palefau
Marcus Satavu
Mike Te'o
Zack Test
Brett Thompson
Men's Eagles Sevens | Tokyo Sevens
v Samoa - Friday, March 21 - 9:22 P.M. ET
v Fiji - Saturday, March 22 - 12:18 A.M. ET
v France - Saturday, March 22 - 4:30 A.M. ET

And a bit of analysis from Rugby Magazine:

Building Depth, Hawkins Deals with Player Questions

Sevens - USA Sevens Men

It's not a surprise, but USA 7s Head Coach Matt Hawkins will struggle to find players for the upcoming Tokyo 7s and Hong Kong 7s. With Shalom Suniula and Andrew Durutalo suiting up for 15s teams (Seattle-OPSB and OMBAC, respectively), one wonders if they are looking at 15s World Cup prospects - certainly Suniula will be in the USA camp upcoming, and Mike Tolkin has said he is interested in Suniula as a scrumhalf/flyhalf hybrid much like Tolkin himself used to win the 2008 Super League title at NYAC. Add to that the fact that Folau Niua and Carlin Isles are  playing in Glasgow (Isles is reportedly going to be available for 7s, but, as we've seen, plans change), and you've got a recipe for change. The USA won the Plate in Tokyo in 2013, but more than half of thise team won't be back a year later. In fact, of the 12 men who won the Plate at the Tokyo 7s in 2013, only four - Nick Edwards, Zack Test, Durutalo, and Brett Thompson, are highly likely to be on the trip this year. Hawkins is not panicking - this is why he expanded the list of players, and why Alex Magleby is working on the team pathway. "From my perspective it's a continual pattern - players going to play professionally in 15s," Hawkins told RUGBYMag.com. "It's a good thing for our program. I hope a lot of kids see that they can use the 7s team to further their rugby career; see that guys have come here, done well, and signed contracts. I think that's fantastic. That's also why we've got 25 players in residency." Hawkins actually wants more. He wants some of the U20s in residency and to get the numbers up to 30 or so. "Then with those guys and the Development Academies we will have a real support structure," the coach said. "When you bring players into camp and you've got only 14, you can't play against each other. The numbers just aren't there. We have to develop these numbers." Adding to the numbers issue for Hawkins is the fact that the USA 15s team is in assembly starting now. There's been a little back-and-forth between Tolkin and Hawkins, but both coaches say it's good communication. From those discussions it was decided that Danny Barrett would have more opportunity for playing time with the 7s team, given how stacked the USA team is with veteran loose forwards. Nu'u Punimata and Stephen Tomasin are carrying injuries, opening up spots. It's possible Hawkins will take something of a flyer with Thretton Palamo. The former Eagle has been playing football at the University of Utah, and certainly in doing so developed different habits and a different type of fitness. But he is also a special athlete, and could be an impact sub. Rookie Madison Hughes looked in Wellington as if he's been there all along. The highly-poised Dartmouth star has some schooling to finish, so that's a question, also. But several players have emerged through this weird season when Hawkins has blooded a number of athletes. Pono Haitsuka has grown from a small, fast guy who seemed a little confused to a confident, and physically stronger man who is still plenty speedy. Garrett Bender is another guy who has matured. He struggled in his first time with the USA team under Alex Magleby. But time away to learn some things and let the hunger develop has helped him enormously. Both of those players found themselves starting on Day Two in Wellington, and that's no coincidence. Central to the team remains Zack Test and Nick Edwards. Edwards has been the captain, and is close to Hawkins. He has also found himself on and off the starting lineup. When he is playing with confidence and distributing as well as attacking, he can create victories. Test can be almost anything he wants to be on the 7s field - a power forward, a wing, a kicker, a defensive specialist. When he brings all of those to the fore, he is one of the best. But he is also someone who takes a while to fully trust those around him. If he trusts he (relatively) new teammates, and those teammates earn that trust, that will bode well for the Eagles. What does seem clear, though, is that the USA squad will have another new player on the plane to Asia. It could be Palamo, or Ben Leaatigaga, or Will Holder, Mike Ziegler, or Nese Malifa. There are all sorts of options for Hawkins. Maybe he didn't want to have to make such decisions now, but seems to have expected it all along. The Tokyo 7s kicks off Friday, March 21 for USA fans. The Eagles' first game is against Samoa at 10:22am local time, which is 9:22pm EDT, 6:22pm PDT. They play Fiji three hours later, and France at 4:30am Saturday March 22 EDT, which is 1:22am PDT.

USA Men's 15s Camp and Scrimmage

Yes, the Stars started out as women's program. And yes, we are a touring rugby 7s team. But that does not mean that 15s isn't a big part of our lives as it's still the main form of action in the US. Now that we are introducing a men's Stars program, we should devote some coverage to the men's game as well.

While the Buffalo women hit the pitch at the Winterfest 7s tournament in the snow this weekend, our Florida and Louisiana Stars saw time on the 15s pitch as a part of Fort Lauderdale's Ruggerfest. Both FAU and FIU played with and against Ft Miami women, while coach Eyal stepped in as a flyhalf and outside center with The Willing touring side. Star Jessica saw action in the Mardi Gras tournament in NOLA too. We'll have plenty of Eyal's photos to share and reports from players later this week!

In the meantime, the USA Men's 15s side held a four day domestic player camp at Life University just outside Atlanta, in Marietta, GA. Life is one of the top overall programs in the country offering rugby scholarships to undergraduate men and women as well as fielding men's post-collegiate D1 and an Elite Cup/Super League side. The chiropractic school also offers psychology, business, and nutrition degrees amongst others; and it boasts one of the most beautiful training facilities and playing grounds I have seen in North America. With a coaching staff with former Eagles flanker and Men's 15s coach Dan Payne as the Director of Rugby and the talented Rosalind Chou guiding the new women's team.

I followed the game via Life's Twitter feed. Early on it seemed they were in clear control of the match as they jumped out to a first half lead. The 2nd half was a different story as the Eagles found their stride and dotted down several tries. It is worth noting that Eagles standouts like Todd Clever, Samu Manoa, Cam Dolan, Chris Wyles, Scott LaValla, Toby L'Estrange and Blaine Scully were absent from the scrimmage due to their professional contracts abroad.

Rugby Magainze put together a gallery of the camp here and  This is American Rugby put together a recap of the match:

Eagles Close Out Camp With Scrimmage Win Over Life

The Eagles closed out their domestic camp with a 43-20 win over Life earlier today. Head coach Mike Tolkin used the opportunity to not only give new players a chance to show what they have in a game environment but also to give players that haven't played much rugby since last November the chance to get their legs under them once again. For Life it was an opportunity to play a solid opponent prior to the start of their spring season.

Life were the aggressive team early on and even took a lead into the break. AJ MacGinty scored first for Life before Danny Barrett leveled to make it 7-7 12 minutes in. As expected due to rust and being a makeshift side the Eagles committed a number of penalties. MacGinty was quick to convert those chances making it 13-7 at halftime.

In the second half the Eagles turned it on and scored a number of tries. The first of those tries came just 10 minutes into the half  followed by a Tim Maupin try a few minutes later to make it 24-13. The Eagles would then run in two more tries to put the score at 36-13 with ten minutes left. Both teams then traded tries to end the match to make the final 43-20.

The Eagles will next assemble in March ahead of their World Cup qualifying series against Uruguay. That assembly will also be in Atlanta, which will host the return leg of that series. It is expected that they will once again scrimmage but this time the South Panthers. The next camp will primarily be domestic players once again at the start with the same goal of getting them matches. Overseas based players will join them after their club's matches. Although only 26-30 players will be called on for the World Cup qualifiers and many of those players are already set, Tolkin is keeping his eye on this summer when the Eagles will have three matches as well as next fall's Americas Rugby Championship.
Another brief write-up from Rugby Magazine:

USA and Life Players Enjoy Big Game

National Teams - USA Men

The USA domestic players faced off with Life University this past weekend to cap off the USA domestic camp. Forty-seven players took part in the scrimmage, and here's a photo of all of them. It's interesting to note, that the Life team was no team of patsies. At least ten of the Life players have been in the USA system either in age-grade, All Americans, USA Selects, or full Eagles. Others are very close to gaining that status. Here's the post-game photo. Back Row, left to right: Miles Craigwell, Brodie Orth, Demecus Beach, Garrett Lambert, Cathal Doyle, Chris Sullivan, Tim Maupin, non-player, Chris Chapman, Lou Stanfill, non-player, Matt Trouville, TC Elliott, Kyle Strohman, Dean Gericke, Tom Katzfey, Joe Cowley, Graham Harriman, Jason Davila, Dave Gannon, Zach Walker, Jake Anderson, Cornelius Dirksen, Jack Tracy, Kris Headlee, Zach Simkins, non-player, Adam Siddall, Danny Barrett, AJ McGinty Front Row, left to right: Olive Kilifi, Aaron Young, Mike Petri, Chad London, Zach Fenoglio, Shaun Davies, Derek Asbun, Kelly Kolberg, Tom Coolican, Calvin Nell, Glenn Maricelli, Kyle Sumsion, John Cullen seated in front of Paris Hollis, Harley Davidson, Benji Goff, Blaine McIlroy, Nick Wallace, Aaron McMaster, Shalom Suniula. Dennis D. Hawk photo.   Another Rugby Magazine piece: Scrimmage Caps off USA Domestic Camp (With Photos) National Teams - USA Men The USA Domestic Camp finished off with a scrimmage Sunday between the USA players and Life University. The unofficial score was somewhere in the neighborhood of 46-20 in favor of the domestic Eagles, but it was much closer in the first 40 minutes. Not surprisingly, the Life team was more together and more polished as a unit. As the USA campers go into the swing of things, they began to open up the game. And in case you are thinking that the players took it easy on each other because this was just a practice game, don't The Life players had plenty to prove on their side, and the USA hopefuls were the same. This was a pretty physical clash. Several players for Life were also under the scrutiny of USA Head Coach Mike Tolkin, including Shaun Davies, who was in the USA camp but started for his club side in the scrimmage, as well as flyhalf AJ McGinty, who becomes USA eligible in 2015. Lou Stanfill wins a lineout ball. Dennis D. Hawk photo. Halfback combos. Shaun Davies passes out to AJ McGinty while Mike Petri pesters him  and Adam Siddall watches. Flanker Benji Goff at right. Dennis D. Hawk photo. Kelly Kolberg on the charge. Dennis D. Hawk photo. Ollie Kilifi powers ahead. Dennis D. Hawk photo. Tim Maupin touches down for the USA players. Dennis D. Hawk photo. Assuming this is a ruck, we count as many as four infractions.  How about you?. Dennis D. Hawk photo. And finally, Curtis of This is American Rugby's contributed a piece to RugbyRugby.com with his post-camp picks to make the Rugby World Cup Qualifier team for their home and away series against Uruguay in March: 30 Tickets: Eagles RWCQ Edition With less than month to go before the Eagles World Cup qualifying series against Uruguay we thought it was a good time to share our latest 30 tickets. While the series normally targets the 30 players that will likely make the Eagles next roster this one is going to take a bit of a turn due to the Eagles only taking a squad of 26 next month. Prop: Eric Fry, Shawn Pittman, Nick Wallace, Titi Lamositele Over the last year the prop situation has essentially sorted itself out with Fry, Pittman, Wallace, and Lamositele being the main group. Each of their strengths and weaknesses but as a whole are the best available to the team. The biggest concern among the group is the health of Shawn Pittman but assurances have been made that he will be able to recover from his concussion symptoms in time. If Pittman can’t go then it’s likely that Oliver Kilifi will step in. Blake Burdette and Patrick Latu are considerations but Kilifi is the favorite at the moment. Hooker: Phil Thiel, Zach Fenoglio Thiel will be the starter against Uruguay barring something unforeseen. Fenoglio offers a lot of good qualities as a back-up but with a squad of only 26 there have to be cuts somewhere and Fenoglio may be it, especially if a player like Derek Asbun, who has played hooker in the past, makes the team as a back-row player. That said, he still makes our list. Lock: Samu Manoa, Tai Tuisamoa, Lou Stanfill A year ago lock was a position of deep concern for the Eagles and now it is one of their strengths. The emergence of Cam Dolan has allowed Manoa to play down in the second row. He was outstanding when paired with Tai Tuisamoa this last fall. Smith’s return complicates things. He is just getting back in the swing of rugby but brings a lot of skill and athleticism. The same goes for Stanfill who is now healthy. We think that only three locks will be on the side and it will be Manoa, Tuisamoa, and Stanfill. Smith would normally be there but this gives him time to readjust to rugby while with Saracens. Plus, he’ll have more time to adjust back to Eagles play during the summer. This means that Brian Doyle, Nick Civetta, and Graham Harriman will all be on the outside looking in after some strong player over the past year for the Eagles or their club. Back-row: Todd Clever, Scott LaValla, Cam Dolan, Peter Dahl, Derek Asbun This is another position which is fairly stacked. By our count there are five players all very capable of playing significant minutes for the team that won’t be on the roster. The starting three is evident with Clever, LaValla, and Dolan expected to get the nod after playing so well last fall. Who will play back-up is a better question. Peter Dahl was phenomenal against the Maori All Blacks but Danny Barrett and Derek Asbun have played well at times too. Then there are players like Matt Trouville, John Quill, and Inaki Basauri. It’s a tough call but we think that Asbun brings a lot of positive traits to the team in terms of leadership, work-rate, and his ability to play emergency hooker if needed. Dahl also gets the nod from us based on his recent form. The next closest would be Quill but he’s left off in a numbers game. Scrumhalf: Mike Petri, Robbie Shaw This is a position that head coach Mike Tolkin feels like there is room for improvement and that no one has nailed down the starting spot. Petri and Shaw have split time before but Shaw is the only one playing regularly at the moment. Shaun Davies has been the number three for awhile and could get his chance. We think that Petri and Shaw will have one more go together. Fly-half: Adam Siddall, Toby L’Estrange After L’Estrange went down with an injury against the Maori All-Blacks Siddall seized the position and looked strong. His kicking game in particular has been what the Eagles have needed for a long time. He will be one of the first names Tolkin puts on the team sheet. L’Estrange is back healthy and playing with London Welsh. He can play fly-half, center, and fullback, versatility that is valuable. Center: Folau Niua, Seamus Kelly, Andrew Suniula Andrew Suniula has been the constant on the team. When he’s been paired with either Niua or Kelly he has looked solid. Both Niua and Kelly have proven themselves over the past year and will make the team. Wing: Blaine Scully, Luke Hume, Tim Maupin, Brett Thompson Scully is an automatic selection. He has proved over this last year with the Eagles and with Leicester that he is an extremely valuable player. Maupin was one of the surprise players from last fall and has seemed to cement a place in the starting line-up at the expense of Luke Hume, who will still make the team but more as a reserve. Brett Thompson is our surprise selection. He has all the tools to be a successful international wing and has been known to be a target of Tolkin. This will be the perfect time to bring him in despite conflicts with the 7s team. Those on the outside looking in include James Paterson, who is dealing with injury, Miles Craigwell, and Taku Ngwenya, who is dealing with Biarritz’s poor position in the Top 14. Fullback: Chris Wyles Wyles is a no-brainer at this position. Back-ups will likely come from elsewhere on the field.

 

The Road to Rio Explained

Rugby Magazine's e-newsletter hit my inbox yesterday and one of the features is an article about the Road to Rio 2016. The pathway to the Olympics was recently announced in which teams need to qualify - the hosts Brazil have an automatic bid - and several nations look to be left out of the 12 team tournament

The top 4 men's and women's teams from the 7s World Series in 2014/2015 each get guaranteed spots. That cycle starts with Gold Coast 7s in October 2014 for the men and Dubai 7s in November 2014 for the women. The remaining teams from around the world battle it out via 6 regional qualifiers with the losing teams funneled into a "repechage" series (a last chance playoff system) for the final spot.

The men's side has a lot more intrigue and hypotheticals with some big losers in the process. Though it could be interesting to see what other North American women's team might punch a ticket to Rio in addition to Canada and the USA should both teams finish in next year's top 4 in the WSWS. Also worth noting is that Great Britain gets to compete as one team so get to pick from England, Scotland and Wales to put together a bit of a super side.

Pat Clifton explains this in depth with a breakdown of the likely outcomes:

Cliff Notes: How the Eagles Get to Rio

Columns - Cliff Notes

Count the women in for Rio. Ian Muir photo Now that the Olympic Qualification process is set in stone, why not take a look at the Eagles' chances of getting to Rio? For the women, the road doesn't have many speed bumps. They should be looking to qualify by finishing in the top four of the 2014/2015 World Series. They finished in the top four in the inaugural campaign and that is a minimum mark they should be shooting for every season. Canada, too, should be looking to finish in the top four, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where both the Eagles and the Canadians miss out. So even if the American women don't finish in the top four next season and Canada does, the North American qualifier should be a cake walk. For the men, it's a little more complex. Top four teams in 14/15 World Series advance It's safe to say the Eagles and Canadians don't finish in the top four, because neither ever have. In fact, neither Canada nor the USA have finished in the top 10 in the last decade. To be fair, they haven't been core members of the Series all that time, either, but Canada is having a great little stretch right now and currently still sits in 9th, and the USA had its best second half of the season in history last spring and finished 11th. New Zealand and Fiji have never finished outside the top four in IRB World Series final standings, so let’s pencil them in. Averaging final standings from the previous five seasons and current ranking this season, we’ll say England (average standing: 4) and South Africa (average standing: 2.8) also finish in the top four next season and secure early bids. Six Regional Qualifiers That leaves Samoa (which had a slightly lower average than England) and Australia as the only other core teams vying for qualification at the Oceania regional. Whichever doesn’t win will be the favorite to take the repechage bid. I think it’s safe to assume Kenya wins Africa, Argentina takes South America and Japan tops Asia. In North America it’s between Canada and the United States, and in Europe you have to look at France, Portugal and Spain as the favorites, with Russia perhaps making a push. Who knows, maybe Ireland decides it wants to compete. Let’s say the current IRB standings are some indication, and give the higher ranking teams the nod in the competitive regions. That gives us the following teams in with one bid left to be won. Brazil - Automatic bid New Zealand - Top 4 Fiji - Top 4 South Africa - Top 4 Great Britain - Top 4 via England Kenya - Africa champ Argentina - South America champ Japan - Asia champ Canada - North America champ France -  Europe champ Samoa - Oceania champ Repechage Non-qualifying teams who finish highest at their regional qualifiers move to the repechage, or last chance, competition. So, using traditional competitiveness as our guide, these are the guesses for who’s in the repechage: Africa – Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Uganda Asia – Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka Europe – Portugal, Spain, Russia, Romania North America – United States, Guyana Oceania – Australia, Tonga South America – Uruguay, Chile Obviously, Australia would be the heavy favorite. Portugal, Spain, Russia and Hong Kong wouldn’t hate their chances, but neither would the United States. Every team minus Australia, and maybe Portugal, the Eagles would be favored to beat. So the repechage isn’t death, but it does have far more competitive teams than the North America qualifier will. In that event, the USA can be on cruise control to the final, and all it takes is one win against Canada, and the defending Olympic champs are back in the big dance. The Eagles have an astoundingly poor recent and overall record against Canada in 7s, but occasionally they knock the Maple Leafs off or even blow them out. The United States’ best shot at Olympic qualification is beating Canada in the North American qualifier.

Open Bracket Review with More Coverage by Rugby Mag

One of the most rewarding aspects of our inaugural Stars assembly was how our Open side came together and really elevated their play. As the only team entered where players hadn't met before and were literally learning new names with each match, we took a 1-2 pool play record on Thursday.

We converted that momentum into 2 wins Friday over the Black Mambas and Combined Services team to reach the Plate Final. We ultimately lost to the Michigan Mutts - a team with Midwest players most notably from Detroit Women, Chicago North Shore, and the Milwaukee Scylla which all have extensive 7s experience. Placing 6th out of 24 teams with only one practice session under their belts was a testament to our Stars ethos of team building, camaraderie, and seeking those players who aspire to a higher level and back it up with their performances. It also stands to note that our pool featured several current/former age-grade and senior Eagles on both the Youngbloodz and Team Lola - not the easiest draw! A special Stars shout out to flyhalf Kim Semiglia who took home the Open MVP award as our leading try scorer with amazing kick returns.

Here's the Rugby Mag Open Recap from Day 1:

Women's Open Crown in The Royals' Future?

Tournaments - LVI

Half of the fun of the Women’s Open 7s division at the Las Vegas Invitational is deciphering all of the team names, learning their back stories, and finding notable players in different uniforms. For instance, Team Lola is essentially D.C. Furies’ Jeanna Beard’s bachelorette party; Rock is a group of 17- to 21-year-olds from Newfoundland; and Dark & Stormy is representing – you guessed it – Bermuda. Oh look, there’s Joanna Kitlinski playing for the Michigan Mutts; the Jackson sisters are back playing with BYU; and RUGBYMag 2013 College 7s Player of the Year, Rose Bernheim, is anchoring the U.S. Combined Services. The match we want to see tomorrow? The Royals v Japan 2 (pictured). (Dobson Images) There was little background knowledge on The Royals as well, until the team lined up for its opening kickoff. The most stacked team in the competition (except Japan Select 2), the motley side paired five Berkeley players (including RUGBYMag 2013 Women’s Club 7s Player of the Year Irene Gardner and sister Elaine) with Evan Hoese and Emily Malkin out of Boston, Jess Wooden from Atlanta, and a couple of players from Los Angeles. “Originally I wanted an All Blues team, but it was tough to gather interest in the off-season,” Gardner said of her Club 7s Championship home team. “I wanted to get more 7s play in because we don’t get that much at the club level.” The Royals didn’t encounter too much resistance today, as the team shut out its three pool opponents: Minnesota Tundra 68-0, Kalihi Raiders 46-0 and the Raptors 39-0. A pretty big accomplishment considering Gardner had not met two of her teammates before today, and others were competing in their first 7s tournament. The expectation is that The Royals will face Japan in the final. The developmental side displayed all of the traits of its senior team – devastatingly tricky feet, fearless in contact, and very well drilled. “Their fundamentals are strong, and you can tell that they play together, so they’ll have that up on us,” Gardner said of Japan. “But we’re looking forward to it. It’s tough to know what your competition is going to be like in the Open division, so we’re excited to play some good 7s tomorrow.” The Royals and Japan were playing in a different tier today, although Team LOLA (Jess Shipley, Cynthia Wright, Meredith McAlister), Youngbloodz (Michelle Wong, Debbie Stenoien) and BYU (Jordan Gray, Jackson sisters) also had good days. Gardner assured that The Royals were gunning for the title and wouldn’t let LVI evening festivities affect tomorrow’s 9 a.m. Cup Quarterfinal. Safe to say Japan’s thinking the same thing. Stay tuned … And on the Open Day 2 Final: The Royals Triumph Over Japan Tournaments - LVI As predicted, The Royals and Japan Select 2 met in the Women’s Open 7s final. The two proved quite convincingly that they were the best teams at the Las Vegas Invitational during day one, and the title bout was the highlight of the tournament. Jess Wooden accounted for 23 of The Royals' points in the final. (Dobson Images) Japan showcased some nice speed, but it wasn't enough to get around The Royals' defense. (Dobson Images) The motley showcased players from the Bay Area, L.A., Atlanta and Boston. (Dobson Images) Although The Royals triumphed 42-17, the game was much closer than the point differential indicated. There were no signs of handicapping fatigue or any drop in physicality. Japan was stunning one on one, showcasing the freezing footwork for which the team is known. They were crisp and relentless. The Royals were not outmatched and had an edge in size, but they could also put away their biggest player for the breakaway try. In fact, most of The Royals’ tries were breakaways, evolving after a feisty midfield battle with both sides punishing one another for slow support to the tackle. Japan had one big player, a Fijian nicknamed Raite, who could bend the defensive line; however, Evan Hoese was particularly effective in subduing ballcarriers who tested the gainline. Although the motley team performed cohesively, one player did stand out: Jess Wooden. The Atlanta fullback, who is in the Eagle 15s pool, hasn’t played much 7s, but she scored three of The Royals’ six tries, and proved to have the best straightaway speed on the field. Her first score came after first leaping over a would-be tackler. “I can’t remember if it came off a turnover, but the referee was in the middle of the field, and that was like a nice pick for me,” Wooden said. “Some of the defenders ran into him.” Modest, but Wooden did well to exploit half-gaps and chase down some Japanese breaks. “They were difficult, fast, and worked well as a team,” Wooden said of her opponent. “They were technically sound and could move the ball really well, and they all have a good step, too. It was a lot different than some of our earlier games.” There was one exception, of course: Team Lola during the playoffs. “They were fun,” Wooden said. “They’re a mix of a bunch of players too and had some really great players – the ones you hear about all the time and think: God, we have to play them? But it’s nice to play people who know what they’re doing. They give you a good game and that’s what you want.” In the final, The Royals worked the sidelines and the holes opened up as the ball recycled back across the field. In addition to Wooden, Hoese, Lucy Croy and Sarah Davis scored the tries. Hoese added two conversions, and Wooden tackled on four. The Women’s Open was the only other 7s division for women besides the Elite. The Royals certainly could have competed at that level, and maybe they will next year now that the team name has some notoriety. Wooden was necessarily so concerned about that, just enjoying the Las Vegas experience and making an already good weekend better. “I’m usually injured during the 7s season, so this was a lot of fun,” Wooden said. “I was just excited to be invited to the team, and playing with all these girls – they’re all really good and come from different teams. We just sort of put it together and meshed really well. This [the trophy] just makes it that much sweeter.”

More Action Shots and the Rugby Mag Live Blog

Rugby Magazine put up some galleries from our Elite team games. Check out the Stars in action against Atlantis here as well as the Maple Leafs vs Aptoella (in their pool play match-up that was repeated in the stadium final!) and more. The Open division gallery is here for perusal too with Stars v BYU Too! featured as well as some shots of the Elite scrimmage vs Japan - note the Stars reversed our jerseys to the white side to avoid confusion vs Japan.

The first night of action in the stadium was a thrilling experience for many of our Stars who had never seen 7s of such a caliber before. The atmosphere differed from Saturday and Sunday's sold out crowds with fancy dress as our Open and Elite both had games earlier in the day. The Elite side played early Saturday morning as well so quite a few of us left after the 2nd Canada match up - it was hard to give up our first row seats though!

Here's the live blog recap from Rugby Magazine:

USA 7s Day One Live Blog

Tournaments - USA Sevens Tournament

OK so we're underway at the 2014 USA 7s in Las Vegas. And the first two teams to come out are Life University and Life University. OK, joke. Both South Africa and Wales come out wearing neon green mixed with some forest green bits. A wonder the ref can tell them apart. A wonder the coaches can ... The clue is, South Africa has gold trim on their collar, and they scored the first three tries. This is a picture from my phone, so not the best quality but I wanted you to see the shirts. Dobson Images. SEE? Well that was humbling. South Africa destroy Wales in the battle of the wearin' o' the green. Now what the early arrivers are here for, Kenya, dressed like Arsenal, and an injury-hit Canada team, who look like Manchester United. We open, then, with a classic soccer cross kick from Nanyak Dala to set up a beautiful Canada try. Ian Muir photo Canada scored a few more and seemed on top of everything. But Billy Odhiamo rambled in for Kenya to make it 17-15 with just the kick to come. Kick didn't come ... Canada wins for their many, many fans. So next up is New Zealand against Australia. Both have got to feel hard-done by that they are in such a tough pool. Gordon Tietjens revealed Wednesday night that he has been battling nasty injuries in his team. So no Tomasi Cama ... and still 31-7. So tough start for the Aussies. One of the things I love about rugby. Scotland is losing 17-0. Fiji has an attack down the sideline, and the Scots do everything they could to stop another try? Sure it might matter in points difference, but it's about not giving up and it's about pride. Ian Muir photo So it's like a home gamer for Samoa as they run on and as usual they do not disappoint. But England bounces back to make it 17-15 at halftime. And now we have the first appearance of ... the Rug-Bee. Yes it s a rugby ball mascot that kind of (and I stress kind of) looks like a bee. I thought he had really bushy eyebrows but it turns out those are antennae. 2nd half starts as the Rugby-Bee lumbers off the field. Pick up the pace Bee! Anyway, 19-17 for England with time winding down. The massive Samoa-supprting crowd gives on more surge, and wouldn't you know it ... they score in the corner. Awesome. USA v Argentina coming up at 6:12PM local time. This would be a clash of two some-time co-workers, as USA Coach Matt Hawkins and Argentina Coach Santiago Gonez Cora both worked for Serevi. Danny Barrett gets his first start. The lineup is Barrett, Thompson, Durutalo, Edwards, Test, Niua, and Haitsuka as the scrumhalf. Looks like Zack Test is probably in at center. Portugal beats Uruguay. Actually Uruguay looks pretty good ... smoother than usual. Carlin Isles happy after his try. Ian Muir photo. Now it's USA vs.  a bunch of creamsicles. Bright orange and white jerseys for Argentina. Who's idea was that?Starts very well for USA. They are offloading from the ground and hitting gaps. Keep the ball for a long time and then Danny Barrett gets a try on his debut. Looking for more of the same, USA give up the ball at a ruck and somehow can't stop Argentina going all the way. Eagles almost score under the posts, but pass adjudged forward. I am sure it was. So it ended badly ... sorry was away getting interviews. Isles scored, but a knock on gave Argentina the last laugh. Isles was upset. Zack Test looked REALLY upset. But they have to pick themselves up and get ready for Spain. Have a look at what Matt Hawkins says here. There's a guy from The Voice singing (Matthew Schuler) ... does a good National Anthem ... Canada comes out after their big win to face South Africa and ... get pummeled. Great fan support though. This guy doesn't look happy. Ian Muir photo. Funniest moment of the evening has to be when they put the fan in a blindfold and make him or her find a prize of some sort by following the crowd noise. This time it was a young woman in a Wonder Woman outfit. She couldn't discern between Yahh! meaning you're going the wrong way and Yaahh! meaning you're going the right way. Poor thing tripped over a field sign as she tried to find the Rug-Bee. Yes, I am certain the Rug-Bee will be behind some more nefarious doings. Such as ... Uruguay almost beating Samoa. Yes, I said that right. Uruguay led Samoa 12-5 with 5 minutes to go and had a shot at wining it. Samoa did not look sharp, but they are 2-0, so what do I know? The other big late game was Fiji against Australia, wherein the Aussies gave up a try in the first 4.75 seconds,  but clawed back to make it 21-19. Then with no time left, Cameron Clark kicked a penalty from out on the left to win the game 22-21. Wow. So with a few games to go, it's South Africa, New Zealand, Samoa all at 2-0, with France, Portugal, and Argentina still hoping to be the same. Well that didn't last long for Portugal. 1-0 and they run into an England buzzsaw. 54-0. That takes some doing.

Some Stars Love From RugbyMag

This feature was released while the team was in transit for Las Vegas but still worth sharing. Thanks to our social media efforts and the great rugby community support, the Stars enjoyed a good following in Vegas! Jackie Finlan of Rugby Magazine conducted an interview the Tuesday before our adventures began:

"A Different Look for LVI's Women's Elite

Tournaments - LVI

In years past, the Women’s Elite 7s division was an opportunity for thousands of Las Vegas Invitational-goers to, essentially, watch the USA and Canada face off. With the North Americans saving their top sides for the Atlanta 7s, the competition is different, and interesting, this year. Canada 7s star Bianca Farella will play for the Maple Leafs. (Ian Muir photo) There will certainly be familiar faces peppered throughout the eight-team field – several on the Maple Leafs, like Bianca Farella (pictured), Magali Harvey, Brittany Waters and Arielle Dubissette-Borrice; capped 7s and 15s Canadians Amanda Thornborough, Andrea Burk, Barbara Mervin, Julianne Zussman and Kayla Mack on Aptoella; Japan, especially if the Cherry Blossoms bring the same team traveling to Atlanta, where nine of 12 players from the Rugby World Cup Sevens will return to U.S. soil; and of course, Atlantis, which always showcases past, present and future Eagles. One might also recognize some names on another roster, the Stars, a USA-based team playing in its first international tournament and pooling players from around the world. Two Australian sister duos – Cheyenne and Saxon Campbell, and Elizabeth and Krystie Gemmell – have joined the team after their original squad, the Redlands, dropped out. A capped 7s and 15s back, Cheyenne is one of the highest profile players in the tournament. Canada U20 player Fedelia Omoghan and Toronto Saracens teammate Kat Stanley represent the north-of-the-border influence, which permeates every LVI division. But the Stars aren’t just about assembling international players for the sake of winning a title, although winning is definitely high on the list. The organization, which is the brainchild of Liz Entwhistle and coached by Eyal Hakim, focuses on educating the rugby-underserved at home. “We are looking to expose players to a higher level of rugby 7s than they receive with their home clubs,” Entwhistle said of the Stars’ Elite and Open teams already in Las Vegas. “Several of our women play for D2 university sides in the South and West, which tend to be under-represented when it comes to reaching nationals or performing well at NASCs. We also have a lot of women's club D2 players who are capable of higher level play but have no outlets for such opportunities, whether it be due to geography, money, or a lack of coaching and player development in their region. The chances to go on rugby tours aren't as available for a lot of the country as compared to California, the Northeast, or the Midwest.” So players like scholarship athlete Amanda Martin (Sebastian River, Fla., native and captain of Lindenwood University) and Eagle hopeful Christina Swift (Florida Atlantic University) are examples of those whom the Stars target. It’ll be tough to form a cohesive team considering the experience gap and time together, but tomorrow the Stars will play another well known travel squad, Dog River Howlers, and attempt to figure each other out. The Elite side will play Atlantis, French Missfits (another Canadian all-star team) and Trinidad & Tobago during pool play. But Las Vegas is just the beginning for the Stars, and Entwhistle is already looking toward the Stampede 7s in Calgary, Central Coast 7s in Australia, and Tobago 7s as future fixtures. Select games from the Women’s Elite division will be recorded and posted on RugbyMag.com. Stay tuned for details."