This is great news, but it is on the same weekend as the CC. Instead of going head to head 7s and 15s really need to work together. I am sure NBC pushed for the tournament to take place in the summer. I have always thought that rugby should have 15s in the Spring to Summer and 7s late summer to fall. After all some of the same players might want to play both 15s and Sevens. http://rugbyamerica.net/2010/03/06/collegiate-sevens-championship-announced/
Details Grow on Collegiate Sevens Championship (NBC) Details Grow on Collegiate Sevens Championship (NBC) http://rugbyamerica.net/2010/03/30/details-grow-on-collegiate-7s-championship/
Where is BYU!!! http://rugbyamerica.net/2010/04/06/...ased-for-collegiate-7s-championship/#more-856 Broadcast and Match Schedule Released for Collegiate 7’s Championship The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational has released their broadcast and match schedule. Set to play June 4-6 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio the Championship is the first ever sevens championship at the collegiate level. The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational will be broadcast live on NBC on Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 from 4-6 p.m. EST and Universal Sports on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. EST. “We’ve brought together the best-of-the-best for the inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational,” said Dan Lyle, Tournament Director USA 7’s Rugby. “It’s a great opportunity to expose the sport to a mass audience in anticipation of inclusion in the Olympics.” Here are the Pools for the Collegiate 7’s Championship. Pool A: Cal, Dartmouth, Harvard, Notre Dame Pool B: San Diego State, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana Pool C: Army, Arizona, Navy, Arizona State Pool D: Utah, Penn State, Ohio State, Bowling Green As expected, traditional rivalries were kept in tact for the Pool play rounds. Each of the four pools boasts their own rivalry. Rivalry matchups include Dartmouth and Harvard in Pool A, Tennessee and Florida in Pool B, Army and Navy in Pool C, and Penn State and Ohio State in Pool D. The pools have been evenly balanced and present high hopes for the upcoming tournament. Cal obviously comes into the tournament as early favorites, but that’s the great part about sevens. If this were a 15’s tournament… forget about it. But anything can happen in sevens and I expect the inaugural Collegiate Sevens Championship to have some surprises in store for all of us. “Rugby Sevens is such a fast-paced sport that once you watch it you get to appreciate how much endurance and skill it takes to play the game,” said Ohio State head coach Tom Rooney. “Creating a tournament to match up the best of the best on the university level is a great way to showcase the sport to a growing fan base.” Broadcast Schedule: NBC Sports live coverage from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6 Universal Sports live coverage from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6 NBC Mobile live simulcast from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6 Hulu.com full event coverage available on-demand in HD quality video If the first ever Championship wasn’t a monumental enough event for you, the broadcast is the most comprehensive coverage of any rugby event in the history of American rugby. The Olympic inclusion of sevens has been a watershed moment for the sport in America. Broadcasters are finally beginning to take notice of the fine qualities of the sport that we know about already. Forget that the exposure is coming via sevens. It is exposure that we need to grow the game at all levels (sevens, 15’s, youth, high school, college… whatever). Celebrate it… support the Collegiate Sevens Championship and let’s make sure that this isn’t a one-time event.
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/columbus---a-rugby-town.aspx Columbus - a Rugby Town Columbus, Ohio may not be thought of as a rugby town, but even before the USA Sevens College Championship Invitational (CCI) decided to use Crew Stadium as its venue, Columbus was a place that took its rugby seriously. Consider that Ohio State University has been playing rugby since the 1960s, and has routinely been among the best college programs in the Midwest, or that Westerville were national high school finalists three times. Scioto Valley, the local men's club, hasn't had the same level of success, but has a long an honorable history in rugby. This is a rugby town. And it's more than that. "Columbus is a 'yes' city," said Kurt Weaver, who heads up Rugby Ohio, with offices in the Columbus area. "Whatever it is, the people of Columbus get behind it. You can see that from the Mayor being here [at the launch press conference] and the sports commission being behind it. We have a big golf tournament the same weekend as the CCI. I don't think that will have any effect on attendance, because the people of Columbus will want both to succeed." "Our role is to roll out the red carpet," added Greater Columbus Sports Commission Executive Director Linda Logan. "We want this tournament here for the long-term, and for it to be successful. We'll be working hard to educate hotels and other businesses about rugby and what sort of rugby teams are coming to town. With USA 7s as a partner we're going to make sure we all put our best foot forward." Logan was actually on the organization committee of the Ohio Rugby Classic 15 years ago and was active in trying to get other sports to come to Columbus. It's been a dream, too, of Crew Stadium, the first of the string of mid-sized soccer stadiums built in the USA, to get a major rugby event there. "We're really excited to have rugby here," said Columbus Crew director of community relations David Stephany. So can Columbus be a rugby town? It has been already. Now, with the CCI slated for June 4-6 and featuring 16 of the best rugby programs in the country participating, they get a chance to prove it.
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/collegiate-7s-tournament-aims-high.aspx Collegiate 7s Tournament Aims High With the national college playoffs done for another year, many college players are now looking ahead to the USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational. This event, to be held at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio June 4-6, will pit 16 of the top collegiate programs in the national in the first ever all-college 7s tournament. NBC will broadcast the event live on NBC Universal and the NBC national network. RUGBYMag.com spoke with USA 7s Tournament Director Dan Lyle about the event. RUGBYMag.com: How did you pick the 16 teams for the CCI? Lyle: The main focus and goal to this event is a vision to grow the game strategically using a platform that the American public know, understand and have a major interest in – so the choice of known college brands with great rugby was where we and NBC are focused. The teams this year were picked on the value and history of their rugby brand, but only as a starting point for this first year. Next year and moving forward we hope to have a national competition in place with USA Rugby that all universities and enter and compete in. RUGBYMag.com: How can a team get consideration for next year? Lyle: We are sponsoring a 7s rugby tournament being run by Rugby Ohio called the Rugby Ohio Classic 7s – named for the highly successful Ohio Rugby Classic held every April in Ohio. The divisions will be boys and girls youth, high school, and men and women club and college. Those colleges that want to put their hand up for next year as we work with USA Rugby and NBC on qualifications and dates, etc. should attend and show the quality of their school and team. Sevens is new to the college game and we want to see who should be there for the future. The better the competition and motivation here this year, the more certain a team can place itself to be in the main event next year! RUGBYMag.com: Do you think there should be qualification tournaments, such as in the NCAA basketball championships? Lyle: Yes! When and how many depends on a lot of factors which still need to discussed – but regional or tournament winners coming to play in a national championship is exactly what we all want I believe. USA Sevens will be working closely with the new collegiate committee for USA Rugby on the when and how moving forward. RUGBYMag.com: Given that most college teams aren't concentrating on 7s, what will the event be like as a rugby 7s spectacle? Lyle: Now that the national qualifiers are over only two teams (Cal and Army) were still playing XVs through last weekend. The rest were being supported and armed with training programs by us and to be honest most have either great 7s experience on their staffs or are bringing in someone with that skill set. We are encouraged that the best minds in US 7s are lending a hand from the technical and coaching perspective and we are making those people available today through the event to the teams. So it promises to be a very exciting rugby weekend for all. You have to be there for the first one, it is not to be missed. RUGBYMag.com: Why go big so quickly? From no tournament at all to a major event on network TV in a huge stadium? What's the plan behind such an approach? Lyle: With the positive Olympic vote last year for rugby, we believe that now is the time to set in place the national sevens initiative that we can begin to develop and grow over the next 6 years, so we have a great sevens infrastructure in place by the time 2016 rolls around. We are aiming high – we were presented an opportunity and are running with it. As a business we make choices between the love of the game, commercial capacity and a needs assessment. We have been pushing the rugby commercial envelop through the USA Sevens in San Diego and now Las Vegas. What I know is one event, no matter how great it is, cannot sustain itself as a solo entity. More events working together to offer value to players, fans, sponsors and stakeholders is what is needed. We are running with it with the full knowledge of doing it right on a nationwide scale RUGBYMag.com: Can you get a good crowd for this? Why? Lyle: MLS stadiums are a good fit for rugby because the field is the right size and the stadium is generally bench seating – you can make 10k look like 15k. Our mission is to fill the stadium from 2-6pm Eastern on Saturday the 5th of June and Sunday the 6th of June so the national TV event looks great. Each team will have a fan and alumni base. The more local teams we will rely on more heavily, but let me make and appeal to the American rugby community: If you are within driving distance of Columbus or if rugby is your passion, we need you to come out. The collegiate game is our future. We need to prove we can support an event like this so partners like NBC will build on this event and add more to their schedule. I know if we support them, they will support us. This is a new phenomena and not a permanent one yet, so please gather together behind your school or behind the sport of rugby, bring a friend and have a great time! Columbus is in the middle of the country, is a great place to visit for a weekend and is very accessible to a large number of our rugby fraternity, the sport of rugby has to use this great opportunity to show the nation how great it really is. RUGBGYMag.com: What has been the response from NBC? From City of Columbus? From the Crew? From colleges? Lyle: You will see unprecedented promotions and promotional support from NBC which started April 25. They will run rugby education ads nationally across their platforms to build value and viewership “the seven rules of sevens rugby.” The City of Columbus and the Columbus Sports Commission are right behind this from the mayor at our press conference to direct access to city leaders. The colleges are excited, national TV offers them a platform for alumni support, recruiting and most important to bring and athletic director or decision maker to the table and separate themselves from baseball, lacrosse and other sports on campus. This is the event for us all to make our case for our sport with the people that need to be persuaded RUGBYMag: Can you envision a series of tournaments, all in stadiums, all with decent crowds, leading to a championship? Lyle: Yes – as mentioned above we look forward to working with the new collegiate committee at USA Rugby to be part of a long term solution where 7s coexists with XVs and compliments the season for the teams, their student athletes and their universities. This is the start but we want the entire rugby family to use this event as the starting point for a greater rugby model through the nation.
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Looks like with 7s taking off the cross over athletes are coming in thick and fast. http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/college-teams-taking-cci-7s-seriously.aspx College Teams Taking CCI 7s Seriously The big news is that Colin Hawley has passed up a chance to assemble with the USA squad to get one last run with Cal before he graduates. That gives the Bears two plays fresh off the IRB 7s tour – Hawley and Blaine Scully. Dustin Muhn has been at USA 7s camps, and don’t forget Danny Barrett. Army has as loaded a team as anyone, with all of their best players in the squad. Several teams have succeeded in getting some crossover athletes – most from football. The one turning heads perhaps is Nate Ebner, who left rugby to play football for Ohio State, and is back with the OSU 7s team. Ebner has brought a football teammate, with JJ Emmenecker also stepping on for the Buckeyes. Brett Thompson at Arizona is another example of a rugby player now playing football and back to 7s. Dartmouth has recruited Peter Pidermann is a free safety on the Dartmouth football team, while Harvard brought in former 400-meter runner George Eggars and former judo specialist Dan Oshima. Oshima played in a warmup tournament and was a huge surprise. The teams are loaded with former USA age-grade players (Tim Moxness Arizona, Stephen Johnston Arizona State, Nick Viviani, Bowling Green, Don Pati, Utah) and with players who have been in the USA 7s program either on the team or in camp (Alex Ross and Duncan Kelm of San Diego State, Thretton palamo, Utah, Hawley, Scully, Muhn, Benji Goff of Tennessee). Florida, Indiana and Bowling Green, among others, have been playing warmup matches. Florida looked very impressive in their last warmup tournament, beating a series of men’s clubs. Indiana and Bowling Green scrimmaged with the Indianapolis men’s club last weekend (see pictures, Joan Shepherd thank you). The message is that teams are taking this competition very seriously. Exactly what organizers and observers hoped for – players are responding, some teams have been able to recruit some new athletes to play, and the teams not on top of their 7s are getting there.
http://www.thelantern.com/sports/oh...y-club-in-preparation-for-nationals-1.1486988 Ohio State defensive back leads rugby club in preparation for nationals Ohio State rugby will play in the U.S. collegiate rugby championships hosted at the Columbus Crew Stadium Friday through Sunday. The first-ever USA Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational will consist of 16 teams from across the country, including fellow Big Ten schools Michigan and Penn State. “Nobody has played an event like this in this country at the collegiate level ever,” OSU rugby coach Tom Rooney said. “We know a lot about the athletes that are coming in, but we don’t know what kind of system they’re going to play. We don’t know what their style is going to look like, they don’t know what ours is going to look like, so this is interesting.” Rooney is optimistic about how the Buckeyes will perform in the championships, but said the team is facing a few obstacles. “The biggest thing that we’re struggling with currently is that we had a large graduation coming out of the fall, so we’ve got a lot of the younger players stepping up right now,” he said. “Unfortunately those players’ skills — their passing, catching, their recognizing the opposition’s weaknesses and attacking them — aren’t as highly progressed as we’d like them to be, and that’s holding us back a bit.” Rooney said they’ve been working hard to build up those skills, but that they’re things that really take the whole season to “polish off.” Rooney said another difficulty will be tackling because the team’s size is comparatively small this season. Their goal during play will be to stay out of contact with bigger opponents, though it will surely be forced upon them. Beyond the team’s struggles, the rugby team has welcomed Nate Ebner, an OSU football defensive back, to play with them in the championships. Though Ebner walked on as a football player in college, he grew up playing rugby and went as far as playing for the U.S. National U19 and U20 teams. Rooney said that while Ebner will be a great asset to the team, everyone on the field will need to play hard to be successful. “Nate’s going to be a big part of what we do, but he’s not going to be able to do it by himself,” Rooney said. Ebner said that he is excited to be playing again and feels that his previous experience playing teams with high skill levels will help him do well in the competition since there won’t be anything on the field he “hasn’t physically seen before.” Ebner, an athlete obviously talented in both football and rugby, said his struggle switching between the two sports is tackling: head-in-front in football versus head-behind in rugby. He said he isn’t worried about his performance in the tournament despite the switch. “I think we play a different style of sevens that these other teams aren’t going to play,” Ebner said. “They’re going to try and smash into us a little more since we’re a small team, but our style’s going to throw teams off and I think it’s going to work out.” The tournament plans originally arose after it was announced that rugby sevens would be a new event in the 2016 Olympics. Ebner, who made the decision to switch to football in order to focus on his education rather than constantly traveling for rugby, doesn’t have plans for after graduation but hasn’t ruled out getting involved with the new Olympic sport. Ebner and Rooney hope the collegiate championships being held in Columbus will catch a lot of attention for the sport and have a positive impact on both OSU’s program and the sport as a whole, but are now focused solely on the games ahead of them. “I think if the kids come in with the plan that we’ve given them and the mentality that we’re expecting them to come into the game with, we stand a good chance of making it into the final,” Rooney said. “I think that if they come in and they don’t play like we’re trying to prepare them, they’re going to struggle. Either way, it’s going to be a fantastic thing. This is an opportunity this country’s never seen before.”
http://www.usasevenscci.com/scholarship/ MARK CUBAN TO MAKE $25,000 CHARITABLE DONATION TO THE USA 7’S RUGBY COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP INVITATIONAL Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and chairman of HD Net, announced today that he will make a $25,000 program contribution to the inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship taking place at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio from June 4-6, 2010. This first-ever tournament will feature 16 historically significant collegiate rugby teams in a preview of the talent pool for the 2016 U.S. Olympic team. “I played rugby at Indiana and it has always been one of my passions,” said Mark Cuban. “Between the inception of this USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational and the reintroduction of Rugby 7’s as an Olympic sport for the first time in over 85 years, it’s an important time for us Rugby supporters to help build on the momentum and I’m honored to do it.” Cuban’s program contribution will include $20,000 to the winning team of the USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational and $5,000 will go towards supporting the Ohio Classic Sevens, which features high-school-aged competitors who are the future of the sport. The money is intended to support the operations of the rugby teams and their student athletes. “Mark Cuban is a great friend to the sport of rugby and his support has helped us get to where we are,” said Dan Lyle, Tournament Director USA 7’s Rugby. “We are so thrilled to have Mark in our corner as we to take Rugby 7’s to the next level.” “James Naismith invented basketball to give him something to do in between rugby seasons and with the similar focuses on teamwork, speed and strategy between rugby and basketball, it’s no surprise I am similarly passionate about the two sports,” Cuban continued. Rugby Sevens features seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a 15’s match and offers non-stop action where speed, high scoring and athleticism rule the day. The Invitational will be broadcast live on NBC on Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 from 4-6 p.m. ET and Universal Sports on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET. The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational features 16 Division I collegiate traditional powers, including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Army, Bowling Green, University of California at Berkeley, Dartmouth, University of Florida, Harvard, Indiana University, Navy, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, San Diego State, University of Tennessee, and the University of Utah.
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/players-thrilled-for-college-7s-chance.aspx Players Thrilled for College 7s Chance While some college rugby teams have been licking their wounds, or looking ahead to next season, 16 groups of players have been gearing up for the USA 7s College Championship Invitational at Crew Stadium June 4-6. The event will feature 16 college teams (see pools and schedule here) and will be broadcast live on NBC Universal and NBC on Saturday and Sunday. The prestige of the event – NBC has brought in an impressive number of sponsors to support the broadcast, including Subway, Geico, Toyota and Anheuser Busch – certainly isn’t lost on the players. “It’s going to be a phenomenal event and we’re talking about it a lot,” said Bolwiong Green’s Rocco Mauer. “It will be on TV, at a great stadium. We’re starting something new. It’s good for us to be out there on that field in that kind of event, and it’s that and the caliber of teams we’re playing is what’s motivating us.” But of course that’s not all. Many of the players are learning a new approach to the game. XVs is about welcoming contact. Sevens is usually about avoiding it. In XVs playing hot potato with the ball will give your poor coach an aneurism. Doing so in 7s isn’t always desirable, but can lead to a lot of good things, too. A XVs game is 80 minutes, a 7s game is 14 – a marathon versus a sprint. Both are good, and compelling, but different. Very different. “It’s been a different mind-set for the players,” said San Diego State’s Duncan Kelm. “But the key is to work at it and get it down. The players really want to learn and are doing a good job.” “Yeah XVs is more of a power game and 7s more of a speed game so we’re adjusting to that,” said Mauer. “So for us the biggest thing is we’re working on is our fitness. We need to keep our feet under us to help us.” “It’s been a challenge switching from XVs,” added Utah’s Danny James. “We have a lot of good players used to playing 7s - obviously Thretton [Palamo].We have really good coaches, so we’re surrounded by a lot of good 7s minds.” While some teams are trying to adjust their way of playing to fit 7s, James said Utah is making big changes. “We’re trying to avoid contact and control the game our way,” he said. “For us when we go into contact it’s the last resort.” Several teams - Harvard, Dartmouth, Ohio State – have been able to bring in crossover athletes. Others have simply opened the team up to their rugby players and waited to see what cream rises to the top. Kelm said wings Chris Bredesen and Michael Hicks have surprise some with how well they have embraced the sport of 7s. That helps the Aztecs, who will welcome USA 7s player Alex Ross back into the fold this week (Ross and Kelm are roommates, and have been in constant contact discussing the progress of the team). “Alex will have no problem getting up to speed,” said Kelm. James, too, said his team has unearthed some gems. “We have so much speed and talent on our team – Naki [Angilau], Thretton, Don [Pati] - but a bunch of other guys will surprise you. We have a lot of physicality too, and it was a big surprise to me to see which guys came out and which guys did well.” It’s a bit of a crap shoot for some of the teams involved – can they bring the athletes, the 7s understanding, and the team play to the CCI? But it does seem like the teams that perhaps had the most work to become competitive, have done that work. They’ve brought in specialist coaches; they’ve recruited athletes; they’ve played warmup matches. Everyone, it seems, will be ready to compete. “This is a really exciting time for college rugby and for 7s,” said James. “It’s great what they’re doing with this event. It brings the game to a national level and will expose 7s to more young athletes. I think we’re going to see a lot more kids turn out to play.”
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=20868368 Collegiate 7s - Who Do You Like? By Alex Goff How can you handicap a college 7s competition before most of the teams have played 7s in any major competition? Well, you can't but we at RUGBYMag.com will try. For an in-depth look at the preparation and philosphy of every team at the USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational (Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, June 4-6), see the latest issue of Rugby Magazine. Here, we take what we've learned since writing those words, and tell you what we think: (See all pools ans schedule here) Pool A It's unwise to automatically think Cal will be heavy favorites simply because they are the best at XVs. But in this case it's true. Two national team 7s players, two more who were invited to camps, and others who are really tuned in. They are going to win this pool. Who will be second? Really tough to tell. Dartmouth and Notre Dame have some hgih-profile 7s coaches. Harvard has some impressive crossover athletes. We think it will be very close for 2nd, and you might see three teams go 1-2 or two go 1-1-1. Force us to choose, we think Harvard. Maybe. Pool B San Diego State has a USA 7s payer in Alex Ross and a player in Duncan Kelm who could become one. It's a nifty outfit and one we think will win the pool. Who will chase them? Again it seems hard to tell. Indiana and Florida will be dark horses here, and both could beat Tennessee, but we're picking Tennessee. Pool C No guarantees who wins this pool, but we'll take Army and than maybe Navy ... or not. It's be nice to have both Army and Navy shooting for the big trophy, but maybe it'll be the Wildcats. Overall Army has spent the most time training for 7s and has the best mixture of athletes. Having said that, Arizona and Arizona State probably have more 7s experience than the service academies. Pool D This pool could see three teams go 2-1. The question is, which three? The athleticism of the Pacific Coast RFU teams will out here, we think. Led by Thretton Palamo, Don Pati, Danny James and Naki Angilau, Utah has a ton of talent, and some smart 7s people behind them. We have to have them favored, but they could be upset. Ohio State is bringing a very impressive squad to the event, and Penn State and Bowling Green can run, too. It's a toss-up for this pool in many ways, but a toss-up that will likely have the Utes on top. So with the aggressive disclaimer that we really haven't seen these teams, and in many cases only seen a few of the players in a 7s environment we have this: Pool A Cal Harvard Dartmouth Notre Dame Pool B San Diego State Tennessee Indiana Florida Pool C Army Arizona Navy Arizona State Pool D Utah Ohio State Penn State Bowling Green That's pretty harsh. Bowling Green, Florida, Arizona State and Notre Dame should all be good. But in a four-team pool, someone has to be fourth.
http://www.rugbymag.com/features/opinions/goff-on-rugby-why-college-7s-is-important.aspx Goff on Rugby: Why College 7s is Important How much better would athletes like USA 7s captain Kevin Swiryn perform if they had four years of college 7s experience? By Alex Goff The United States Olympic Committee is not, contrary to popular belief, a fairy godmother who will fly down from the lofty heights of Colorado Springs, tap her wand on a sporting body, and Presto! We’re showered in gold medals. Now that it is an Olympic sport, 7s means more to the mainstream press and casual fans. And it will eventually mean more to the USOC. But it also means rugby as a sport in the USA has some work to do. We can’t sit back and wait for a great team to be created in time for 2016. We need to take action, and the USOC needs to see us take action. That’s why the USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational is so important. While the USA men’s and women’s 7s teams have recorded important successes in recent years (the women were 3rd in the 2009 7s World Cup, the men reached the final of the Adelaide 7s in March), much of that was due to the huge amount of work done by those specific coaches and players. Do we have the infrastructure to reload and do it again? If I were on the USOC I would be asking USA Rugby, “Your club and all-star structure is confusing but, I guess, fine; but what are you doing for 7s on the college and high school levels?” The old answer was a sheepish “not much.” Now the answer is: Look to Columbus, Ohio this June. Here, 16 of the best college programs in the country will play 7s in a stadium, on network television. We make no promises to the quality of the 7s. Some teams will be great, some will need work. Many players will find it hard to break XVs habits. That’s OK. We will see the first important step in creating a system of 7s play specifically for college players. From there we can expand tournaments for women and high schoolers. “It would have been great to play 7s when I was younger,” USA 7s captain Kevin Swiryn told me. An All American at St. Mary’s, Swiryn didn’t play 7s seriously until he was invited to a USA camp after he graduated. “A college-specific 7s season makes so much sense. There are a lot of good athletes who, like me, haven’t been exposed to 7s in college, and can perhaps break into the national team.” College athletic conferences lend themselves brilliantly to this sort of format. Who wouldn’t want to see a Pac-10, Big 10 or Big XII 7s championship? The opportunity for a combination of huge fan interest within and outside of rugby, huge TV interest, and some high-quality play is there. And it’s not a bad thing that this has been instigated outside of USA Rugby. USA 7s LLC (which also owns Rugby Magazine) and NBC created the CCI, and it’s that company’s clout that got the event on television, featuring 16 of our best college teams. This isn’t new. The National All-Star Championships, National High School Championships (boys and girls), and Super League all started as competitions outside of USA Rugby’s purview. Sometimes it’s that entrepreneurial spirit that makes things happen. NBC’s presence has been crucial in this venture. The network is not only covering the tournament with eight hours of live programming, but has put its full force into producing and promoting the coverage. NBC Executive VP Jon Miller pointed out that NBC helped create events like the Winter Classic (where NHL teams play in a major outdoor stadium), and NBC Universal has helped with the popularity of skiing, track and other Olympic sports. So it all fits. A college 7s championship means something to fans, because they recognize those college brands, and some of rivalries turn heads in any sport. Developing players for the next Olympic team must start now with young players, and sometimes you just gotta go big.
http://rugbyamerica.net/2010/06/03/some-thoughts-on-collegiate-7s-before-i-head-off-for-vacation/ Some Thoughts on Collegiate 7′s Before I Head Off for Vacation Arguably one of the busiest weeks on the rugby calendar and I’m headed off for vacation. This is really nothing new. My family vacations have always fallen right in the Churchill Cup window, but it’s never really bothered me. Now, I am disappointed to miss the Collegiate 7′s Championship. It is absolutely something that I would have attended and enjoyed immensely. Instead, I’ll have to settle for watching it while relaxing on vacation. In the past, I’ve gone on vacation expecting to still write and cover events from the road. No promises this year, because vacation is not about sitting in front of a laptop. No worries, I’ll be back refreshed and ready. With that out of the way, let’s talk about the CCI or Collegiate Championship Invitational. If you’re in driving distance to Columbus, Ohio, I sure hope you’re going. This tournament is going to be massive for the sport on all fronts. “But, it’s a 7′s tournament and that’s not rugby,” some say as if they’re against the immense exposure that the sport is going to get this weekend. As if that is a bad thing? Get used to it, as far as the general population goes, sevens is what they will know as rugby. Once they’re hooked, and they will, it’s our job as a rugby community to expose them to all aspects of rugby. All the good aspects that is. An underlying feeling that I am getting is that the wall between the niche rugby community and the American sporting machine is beginning to crumble. With that, the people who hold the less savory rugby practices in high regard are seeing their worst fears starting to come true. The little niche sport is on the verge of going mainstream. God forbid anything great happen for the sport. Anyways, back to the tournament. Sixteen big college names on tap for a weekend of great rugby. Who’s going to win? Cal, of course, comes in as a favorite to pull off the first double (15′s & 7′s) championship in collegiate history. Colin Hawley and Blaine Scully are fresh of national team duties to compete against college players. Cal’s depth doesn’t stop there either. Expect them to take Pool A in fine fashion. The real battle in Pool A is for the second spot, which still gets a team in the Championship round. Dartmouth and Harvard will be an Ivy League battle, but with an uncertain outcome. Dartmouth may have the upper hand in 15′s, but Harvard won’t go easily. Notre Dame rounds out Pool A and should prove competitive. Pool A Prediction: Cal, Dartmouth, Harvard, Notre Dame Things aren’t as clear-cut in Pool B, but San Diego State comes into the tournament as the favorite in the pool. They’ll get plenty of challenge from Tennessee, Florida, and Indiana, making this an incredibly fun pool to follow. Keep your eye on this pool folks, it should produce some really good games. Pool B Prediction: San Diego State, Tennessee, Indiana, Florida Pool C is another great pool with four teams that could all challenge for top rights in the pool. The service academies, Navy and Army, both have plenty of history in 15′s and expect them to bring the same sort of intense rivalry to the field of 7′s. Both teams have a lot of support and will come into the tournament fit and ready. Arizona and Arizona State could also surprise in the pool, as they both have some good players and solid coaching. Pool C Prediction: Navy, Army, Arizona, Arizona State The final pool, Pool D, may end up as a battle for second place, but this is 7′s so you never know. Utah comes in with some serious firepower and certainly may challenge for the championship. But, Penn State, Ohio State, and Bowling Green all may give Utah a run for their money. The Ohio State/Penn State battle will be the one to watch in this pool as the two Big Ten rivals go at it with hopes of advancing to the Championship round. Bowling Green may not get much attention, but they could be a surprise team. Pool D Prediction: Utah, Ohio State, Penn State, Bowling Green The selection committee did a great job putting the pools together. Each pool has a traditional rivalry to anchor the pool while at the same time the pools are all very evenly balanced. One of the tag lines from the IRB Sevens World Series is that no pool is easy and the same hold true here. Aside from a couple of favorites, there are 12-14 other teams that will challenge for a spot in the Championship round. Now, if the CCI can mirror the IRB Series and produce a few upsets, then we’ll be onto something. The one thing that can’t help but make me happy is the potential for this tournament in the future. Imagine a field of 64 of the best college 7′s teams whittled down to just 16 remaining teams. Now, imagine how difficult those pools would be to predict. Get out this weekend, if you can’t be there in person, watch it on TV or record it. The rugby community needs all of us (even those on vacation) to support this tournament and show the sporting world that rugby can be mainstream in the United States. Don’t forget to enjoy it in the process. Beautiful venue, great teams, and on National TV with all of the backing of NBC’ sports. This could just be the tip of the iceberg.
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/clubsevens/cci-7s-on-the-eve-of-history.aspx CCI 7s: On the Eve of History By Jackie Finlan "I wish I could say I know how you feel," USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational (CCI) tournament director Dan Lyle said to the players, "but I don't. ... Even after 10 years as an Eagle playing for my country, having the hair stand on my neck as the National Anthem is played - it pales in comparison to the opportunity before you. You're going to blossom and Americanize the sport." The evening before the first-ever CCI 7s kicked off, Lyle, NBC VP Jon Miller and American International Lifestyles president and CEO Jon Prusmack addressed the 16 schools during the Players Reception, ensuring that all the players understood they were creating history. "The same people who produce the National Football League and Notre Dame football are working on this event," Miller said. "And 30 years from now, whether this is a one-and-done or just the beginning, you'll be able to say you were part of it." The sentiment wasn't lost on the players. "You get a lot of respect from your peers and family when you tell them you're going to be playing on NBC," Harvard's Jonny Miller said. Although Massachusetts doesn't receive NBC Universal, according to the players, the team has circulated a number of correspondence ensuring that fans will be watching them online and elsewhere. "It would be amazing," Harvard's TJ Brennan reflected on the first-ever CCI win over rival Dartmouth in pool play. "It's been back and forth in the past, but they've been dominating lately." "The great thing about sevens," Harvard captain Teddy Barron added, "is that you can score from anywhere. There are so many variables; a missed tackle is a score." Or in other words, be wary of odds in 7s. Battling against the odds is Notre Dame, which is currently ranked last due to the program's recent revivication. Under the guidance of Chicago Lions coach Andrew Manheimer and former Eagle Phillip Eloff, who were recruited due to Sean O'Leary's lack of 7s knowledge, the players received a crash course in sevens. "It's great," Manheimer said. "This is my fourth year coaching and when I began, I was with my teammates. So we were all on the same page. I had to start from scratch - show them how to kick-off. But I've learned so much. And they listen! When I tell them to correct something at the half, they do it. This is the environment they want to be in." Notre Dame is getting back on its feet and the CCI will do wonders for alumni support and player recruitment. The prestige of the event has already brought a number of alumni back into fold, including University of Arizona class of 2000 Eagle Chris Kron. With XVs coach Dave Sitton manning the microphone, Kron has stepped up to the plate. Alongside him is 7s legend Emil Signes, who while looking around the multi-colored sea of polos, picked out 12 of 16 coaches whom he's coached. Kron is based in Menlo Park near San Francisco, so while he held daily communication with the team through www.athleon.com (a site that holds training regimens, game footage, and all kinds of feedback for players and coaches), it was up to the team to lead itself through the early stages of preparation. Kron made fitness a priority and began two-a-day sessions last week and experienced a big jump in improvement this week. "That's the beauty of Emil's influence," Kron explained. "There are so many different ways you can reach a player, get him to understand, and Emil does that. We have to work out some team defense issues, but we're progressing at the same rate now." Signes, who stood in the backdrop alongside various rugby fixtures - Jack Clark, Dave Sitton - took in the swarm of multi-colored polos sporting the 16 teams' school colors. Signes smiled as he revealed that he had coached 12 of the 16 schools' 7s coaches at some point in their career. "The ancestor of sevens," Signes laughed. And if he's lucky - if we're all lucky - we can count tomorrow's kickoff as another seminal date in rugby's history.
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/cci-7s-splits-thompson-family.aspx CCI 7s Splits Thompson Family By RUGBYMag.com Staff Well dinner with the whole family must be fun. Former USA U20 head coach Salty Thompson is helping coach Arizona State, where his son Ryan is a key performer. On the other side, Brett Thompson, son to Salty and brother to Ryan, is on the team. Brett is a freshman linebacker at Arizona, and has been given permission to participate in the USA 7s Collegiate Championship Invitational by the football staff. “This may be one of the all-time great Sun Devil/Wildcat stories,” said Arizona head coach Dave Sitton. “I don’t recall a family divided by the ASU and UA colors like this since the Zendejas’ kickers were involved decades ago.” And who will mom, Beth Thompson, root for? "You'll have to ask her that, but we met at Arizona State, and she's now become a big Arizona football fan," said Salty Thompson. Both Ryan and Brett grew up with rugby as well as other sports, and Salty said it won't be a tough transition for Brett. "I did some work with the Arizona team and they've got some tremendous players," the elder Thompson said. "And so does Arizona State. I think they and we both want to just give a good show. We certainly want to put together a good game against Arizona. It's tough being a parent because one kid will come out disappointed, but that's the way it is." "We're just going to enjoy it," Salty continued. "I didn't learn how to enjoy things while they're happening until later in my playing career. Brett, looks on rugby as something of a release, and that's a good way to look at it. But as soon as they step on the pitch, it's a game. Take into consideration the [sibling] rivalry, in-state rivalry, the opportunity to be a 'first ever' [champion] and being in front of the camera." Anyone who has seen the diminutive Salty Thompson will wonder how he has a kid playing linebacker on a DI school and another kid playing high-level collegiate rugby, but apparently Salty is an anomaly. "There are a lot of big guys in my family," he said. "Just not me. So I guess it skipped a generation."
http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/cci-7s-version-of-the-game.aspx CCI 7s' Version of "The Game" By Jackie Finlan When you think college rivalry, what is the first pairing that comes to mind? Many sports fans, especially collegiate football fans, would say Michigan v Ohio State. The USA Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational is capitalizing on these timeless match-ups, as it tries to create a little history of its own. The Wolverines were unavailable for the CCI, but Bowling Green (Mich.) gladly stepped up, and brought its contentious history with OSU to boot. "We have a huge rivalry with Ohio State," Bowling Green captain Nick Viviani said in advance of the teams' meeting Saturday. "We've won the Midwest Cup over Ohio State the last three years, but the last time we played them on their home pitch, we lost. So, there is some home-field advantage for OSU." Bowling Green is only two hours from Columbus, so the team hopes to balance the OSU-heavy crowd with fans of its own. Buckeye Robert Rhodes didn't give home-field advantage too much influence. "The game's going to be won or lost on the field," he said. "We've gone 1-1 recently, so this is the rubber match." Bowling Green entered and won two local 7s tournaments the previous two weekends, facing fellow CCI participants like Indiana and Notre Dame. The team capped off its preparation with a scrimmage against University of Arizona yesterday. "It didn't go as planned," Viviani said, "but the style of half-touch didn't really suit our brand of play. We were hoping to work out the kinks." So is BGSU nervous? "No," Viviani assured. "We're ready." Many of the OSU players, though they hadn't played organized 7s in the past, are already approaching the decade mark in rugby experience. A random sampling of players - Rhodes, Andrew Little and Gareth Willatt - had all played high school rugby either in Ohio or Washington, D.C. Scrumhalf and captain Micky Franco, who has a couple of Super League and summer 7s seasons with the Chicago Lions under his belt, will be anchoring the squad. Franco graduated in March (and still has eligibility) and also played for the Lions team that advanced to the Championship Cup Series final against Belmont Shore during the USA 7s in Las Vegas. The stage is set for an intense game - hometown fans, professional stadium, national exposure - and now that the cameras are watching, the country will be able to share in one of rugby's long-established rivalries.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/olympicsrugby/nbcsports/prweb4092674.htm BIN15 Productions To Provide Vintage 1924 Olympic Footage to NBC Sports For USA Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational BIN15 Productions, producers of the documentary "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby," is providing vintage 1924 Olympic footage to NBC Sports for the USA Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational which will be broadcast this Saturday and Sunday on NBC Sports from 4-6 p.m. ET and on Universal Sports from 2-4 p.m. ET. This footage captures one of the biggest upsets in sports history and provides the rally cry for USA to defend the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. From a media perpsective, this rarely seen vintage film from the 1924 Olympics is the Holy Grail of American Rugby. Sausalito, CA (PRWEB) June 4, 2010 -- BIN15 Productions, producers of "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby," will provide high definition video and photos, including vintage Olympic footage from 1924, to NBC Sports for its broadcast of the USA Sevens collegiate Championship Invitational this weekend. BIN15 Productions helped locate this footage in France in the spring of 2009. 1924 USA Olympic Rugby Gold Medal Team The 1924 USA Olympic rugby team, mostly made up of collegiate amateurs from the University of California (Berkeley), Stanford University, and Santa Clara University, defeated the heavily favored European champions, France in the Olympic gold medal match in Paris in 1924. The USA Sevens Collegiate Championship Invitational will be broadcast this Saturday and Sunday on NBC Sports from 4-6 p.m. ET and on Universal Sports from 2-4 p.m. ET. “From a media perspective, this rarely seen vintage film from the 1924 Olympics is the Holy Grail of American rugby,” claimed Sylvain Doreau, Director & Executive Producer of "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby." “It’s very rare to find high quality film from the 1920’s. Helping uncover vintage gold medal Olympic footage for one of sports most incredible upsets significantly changed the scope and direction of this project. Having the opportunity to work with NBC Sports in conjunction with a high caliber event from USA Sevens, is a dream come true.” “USA Sevens is pleased that this great American rugby footage was made available for the Inaugural Collegiate Championship by BIN15 Productions”, said Dan Lyle, Tournament Director, USA Sevens Rugby. “Collegiate athletics are the root of American sport and the ties between 1924 and today are now complete with Rugby’s re-inclusion to the Olympic Games – NBC are the leaders in the industry and the viewers will see the best of our past and present.” Background "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby" (www.agiantawakens.com) explores the majestic history of American rugby and captures the essence, spirit, and challenges of the game in America today. This film showcases all levels of American rugby from youth to the USA national teams in this inspiring 60-minute high definition sports documentary by BIN15 Productions. Directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Sylvain Doreau, the journey begins in the late 1800's and runs through Olympic glory in the 1920's, including the separation from gridiron American football. The journey continues after rugby's 50-year near hibernation and participation in the Rugby World Cups. The finale addresses the new Olympic opportunity for rugby in 2016. This documentary contains the details of one of the biggest upsets in sports history and provides the rally cry for USA to defend the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Uncovering Olympic History Sylvain found a French rugby blogger and historian, Frederic Humbert, who has one of the most complete collections of rugby memorabilia (www.rugbypionneers.com). Sylvain sent Frederic an email requesting anything related to US rugby history. Frederic uncovered more than a dozen rare photos prints from the early days of American rugby. This fantastic collection included pre-WW1 photos of the collegiate finals with 35,000 American spectators at the game. Frederic also had a large collection of photos from the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and connected Sylvain with an Olympic historian, Pierre Vitalien, who wrote a book about Olympic rugby. While the photos are amazing, "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby" is a film and not a slide show. Somewhere, there had to be film from the 1924 Olympics. Frederic mentioned to Sylvain that he recently bought some old 8mm newsreels from 1924 at an auction that possibly included footage of the Olympic final. Sylvain immediately jumped on the opportunity and Frederic graciously printed and digitized the newsreels in a specialized lab in Paris. About BIN 15 Productions BIN15 Productions, producers of "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby," is a production company that specializes in sports marketing and documentaries for film, television and digital distribution. Rugby is our passion and our goal is to become the "NFL Films of Rugby". In addition to creating and distributing rugby related programming, BIN15 provides consulting, sports marketing, and production services for broadcasters and the entertainment industry worldwide. About USA Sevens USA Sevens owns and operates America’s premier rugby event, the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament. Held annually, the event is one of the eight international stops in the IRB Sevens World Series. With an attendance of over 50,000 during the two day event, it is the largest annual rugby event in North America and one of the fastest growing rugby events in the world.
http://rugbysevens.nbcsports.com/ Game 1: It looks like Rugby Sevens! San Diego State 19 Florida 7 Fri Jun 04,2010 5:52 PM ET By Buzz McClain Game 1: It took until 4:30 in the first half for San Diego State to get on the board for the first try of the tournament, with a Jamie Klem touch down in the right corner against Florida. Half time: 5-0. First impressions: It looks like Rugby Sevens, after all. What a relief. Second half: Florida gets on the board with a 60 yard break downfield by Ian Foster, who offloaded to Fernando Carlo who dished to Matais Groetaers, who also converted to take the lead 7-5. It was not to last. San Diego State came back with two more hard-fought tries to win 19-7. Game 2: Indiana 10 vs. Tennessee 24 Fri Jun 04,2010 5:56 PM ET By Buzz McClain Mudsharks wing Evan Kaufman scored in the first few seconds with a mad burst to the left corner to put up the first score, 5-0. The Vols' defense stiffened and held Indiana off; Samuel Anderson scored on a sneaky break at the half, and his conversion made the score 7-5 to Tennessee at the half. No wait: Benji Goff scored AFTER the hooter to make it 12-5, Tenn. Second half: A.J. Hollingsworth, certainly the classiest name of any player, scored at the 4:50 mark for Indiana to make it 12-10. A few minutes later Tennessee's Anderson scurried around a scrummage to score making it 19-1. A very close forward pass brought back a IU certain try. Jonathan Brown took off from close to his own goal line to touch it down in the Indiana in-goal. final score, 24-10, Volunteers. Not a bad game. Game 3: Army 5 vs. Arizona 5 Fri Jun 04,2010 6:15 PM ET By Buzz McClain Army looks like the vaunted New Zealand All-Blacks in their all-black uniforms. But their backs were to the wall for the first two minutes until Arizona's Brett Moore dotted the try from about five yards out. 5-0. In one of the great runs we've seen so far, Army's Uiki Ben Leatigaga put on the jets and did a bit of dancing a full pace to score from beyond the half. 5-5. Does he have enough rocket fuel to do that again? The half ends with a bone-rattling tackle at midfield. Man it's muggy. Cloudy sky with intermittent blinding sunshine. Second half: With two minutes to play it's the Wildcats who are pinned inside their 22. Army's fitness seems to be more than a fable. But Arizona works the ball all the way to the Army 10 with no time left and it looks like . . . can it be? . . . but no, the ball goes dead and so does the game. 5-5 tie. Game 4: Navy 12 vs. Arizona State 10 Fri Jun 04,2010 6:37 PM ET By Buzz McClain We've had four minutes of feeling each other out, and by that I mean, with their shoulders. It hurts to watch some of this. 0-0 at the half. Hammer and tongs, not much shake and bake. Second half: After the kick off Navy's Seamus Siefring steals a Sun Devil pass and scores; Blake Taylor's kick is good. 7-0, Navy. Charles Esterhuysen scores off a good stiff arm and a shaken tackle but he's dotted it wide right and Stevie Johnson's kick is no good. 7-5, Navy. A trio of minutes to play. Johnson kicks a wide angle chip and somehow catches it hisself and dishes to Rashgad Sleem who scores ASU's second try, with a minute to play. 10-7, Arizona State. But wait. Navy's Elliot Joses caps a terrific series of passes with a try just off left with no time on the clock. Navy 12-10, great second half. Game 5: Cal 42 vs. Harvard 0 Fri Jun 04,2010 7:00 PM ET By Buzz McClain The top seeded Golden Bears took 35 seconds to score first, off a lineout at the 5-meter line as Anthony Lombardo dotted it down. Conversion is good. 7-0. With 2:30 left Lombardo screams down the center, breaking a tackle or two and streaking in for his scond try. Conversion is good, 14-0. Xavier's Seamus Kelly easily ran it in from about the 40 and Keegan Englelbrecht's third conversion kick was good. 21-0 at the half to Cal. This, by the way, is the first time these two schools have met in rugby since the 1981 National Championship held in Dayton. It didn't go well for Harvard then either -- they lost. Second half: Coach David Gonzales had better have some pepper in his half time speech, or Harvard is going to get embarrassed. It takes a minute and a half but Danny Barrett muscles his way in for Cal's fourth try; Englebrecht's kick is, guess what?, dead on, and it's now 28-0. No. 4 Dustin Muhn breaks all kinds of tackles to take it in to the far right, then gives a nifty juke in the in-goal to dot it in the middle, right in Englebrecht's kicking wheelhouse. 35-0. Cal replacement Connor Ring scores on his first touch; the kick is good and this is getting old hat. 42-0 with 2 long minutes to go for Harvard fans. Harvard finally gets it deep into Cal territory with a minute left; Cal's linout at the 15 goes nowhere, and doesn't have to. Mercifully the clock runs out. Game 6: Dartmouth 19 vs. Notre Dame 5 Fri Jun 04,2010 7:23 PM ET By Buzz McClain Dartmouth's No. 7 Nick Downer set up the first try with not one but two passes, the second one after bouncing up from a hard tackle so that his trailer could put it in. The kick was good and with a minute to play in the half it's 7-0. A long scirmish at the Big Green goal line leads to an identical pileup on the other side of the posts. ND scores with no time remaining, finally. Sean Mitchell's kick is comically inept. 7-5, Dartmouth. Second half: 1.5 minutes into the period and Dartmouth's Derek Fish plunks it down for a try after much exertion. 14-5, Big Green. Seems to be a fitness factor here as the Irish slow to get to loose ball and non-existent in support. But wait, Chris Pesigan shakes off a tackle to gain ground well into Dartmouth territory but . . . ah, the ball is turned over. Rally stops. 1.26 minutes to play. Our Lady needs two scores. Make that three scores: Downer scores again off a nifty pop pass around the end. Fish's kick hits the upright. Final score, 19-5, Big Green. Game 7: Penn State 12 vs. Bowling Green State University 22 Fri Jun 04,2010 7:46 PM ET By Buzz McClain I'm anticipating one of the better games of the evening. We'll see. Wow! Winger Rocco Mauer scores on his first touch for BGSU on the fastest run of the day, a blistering dash down the sideline. 5-0, BGSU and it's only been 30 seconds. Mauer picks up a loose ball and does it again, out running Penn State defenders for 50 yards to score easily between the posts. Nick Viviani's kick is good. 12-0, Falcons. With a minute and a half to play in the period, the Nittany Lions penetrate the Falcons' 40. While they manage to keep the ball alive despite an injury timeout and a reset scrummage for a knocked-down referee, they lose the ball and the advantage on a penalty. The first half is all Rocco. Can he keep it up? Second half: Well, yes he can. Two knock-ons inside their own 22 are costly mistakes for Penn State as the ball eventually is whipped into Rocco's hands again. And yes, three touches, three tries as he sets the ball down in the corner. 17-0, BGSU. Joe Baker finally provides a bright spot for the Nittany Lions with a long, long run through opposition to score Penn State's first try. 17-5 with 3 minutes to go. How about that? Rocco doesn't score on his fourth touch. But he does on his fifth, on the opposite side of the field from where I swear he just was. Seems like every BGSU player had a hand in that until it reached Mauer. Rocco 22, Penn State 5. Penn State wins a foot race in goal for the final score of the game, but it's too little too late. 22-12, Bowling Green. Game 8: Utah Utes 19 vs. The Ohio State 10 Fri Jun 04,2010 8:10 PM ET By Buzz McClain Utah is second seeded, behind Cal. Let's see how they do against the Buckeyes. Rugby 15s World Cup veteran Thretton Palamo gets a big break that sets up the Ute's first score, a looks-easy give and go with Danny James capping. 5-0, Utes. OSU's Josh Holland dives in with a Ute on his back and Nate Ebner's kick misses, so it's 5-5. Nate Ebner nailed Palamo who successfully off-loaded anyway, and the Utes score again after the buzzer, 12-5 at the break. Second half: A costly mistake: A Buckeye pass is thrown right to a Ute who gives it to Naki Angilau who pops it to Don Pati and suddenly it's 19-5. Ebner knocks it on in-goal, just missing a try by a yard, with 3.30 to play. A dicey obstruction call inside the Ute 22 leads to an OSU try in the right corner as the clock runs down. Final score, a respectable 19-10 to Utah. More tomorrow.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/37475933/ns/sports-rugby_sevens/ Rugby Sevens television schedule Dates and times for the live coverage on NBC and Universal Sports Rugby Sevens Talk Check Rugby Sevens Talk with Buzz McClain for updates on the 16-team, round-robin USA 7's Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational. Rugby 7's Collegiate Championship NBC Sports Saturday, June 5 Universal Sports (LIVE) 2:00 p.m. - Florida vs. Indiana 2:30 p.m. - Arizona vs. Arizona State 3:00 p.m. - Harvard vs. Notre Dame 3:30 p.m. - Utah vs. Bowling Green NBC (LIVE) 4:00 p.m. - San Diego State vs. Tennessee 4:30 p.m. - Army vs. Navy 5:00 p.m. - California vs. Dartmouth 5:30 p.m. - Ohio State vs. Penn State Sunday, June 6 Universal Sports (LIVE) 2:00 p.m. - Challenger semifinals 3:00 p.m. - Championship semifinals NBC (LIVE) 4:00 p.m. - Challenger final 5:15 p.m. - Championship final Complete Rugby Sevens schedule