Schools join USC, Stanford University and Santa Clara University as Part of Largest West Coast Sevens Rugby Event This Fall
NEW YORK, October 23, 2017 (Newswire.com) - United World Sports, the owner and operator of the largest annual rugby events in the United States, today announced that the University of Arizona, Central Washington, San Diego State, Cal Poly, and UC Davis will round out the field for the Penn Mutual Collegiate Fall Rugby Classic, which will be part of Silicon Valley International 7s rugby weekend at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5. The college field will serve as a great compliment to the elite international matchups which will be featured throughout the weekend.
“We are proud to be able to have a great mix of national powers and rising programs in this first year event,” said Tournament Director Jon Hinkin. “The schools participating represent some of the best rugby playing institutions not just in the state but across the country, and fans will be treated to seeing some of the games rising athletes alongside the international stars who are part of Silicon Valley 7s.”
Founded in the fall of 1969, the University of Arizona Rugby program has been one of the more productive in the United States in both Fifteens and Sevens, and has produced numerous All-Americans and US Eagles in both forms of the game. As a current member of the PAC conference and a D1A independent, Arizona has the best of both worlds in competing against its traditional PAC-12 peers while also striving for a national championship. Arizona has been one of the most successful teams in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship history, reaching the final four three times, including the final in 2012.
Central Washington Rugby operated as a university club sport from 1972 until 2013; the university announced in early 2014 that CWU Rugby would be a varsity sport within the CWU Department of Athletics. Of the variety of sports offered by Central, the men's rugby union team has been particularly successful.
In rugby sevens, The Wildcats won the 2011 Las Vegas Invitational to qualify for the 2011 Collegiate Rugby Championship, finishing fourth. Central Washington won the 2012 Northwest 7s tournament to qualify for the 2012 USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships and also played in the 2013 USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships, reaching the semifinals. They are one of a growing number of colleges to field a squad fully funded by the athletic department.
SDSU Aztec Rugby was founded in 1958 and their winning tradition has continued and flourished to include numerous conference titles as well as the Collegiate National Championship in 1987 while winning eight conference championships (2 co-championships) in the past two decades.
Cal Davis is one of the west’s fastest rising clubs, entering D1A this season for the first time. Cal Poly Pomona has a history with the sport that dates back to 1991 and they have steadily built a reputation as one of the most proficient and engaging programs in the state.
They join The University of Southern California, Stanford University and Santa Clara University who were the first three schools admitted into the field.
The international field for the weekend will mark the first time that squads from the Island nations of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, will be in the same event since the 2007 USA Sevens. It is also the first time the Irish National Sevens squad will play in the United States and will be the last international tune-up for rising nations Canada and the United States, as well as traditional powers like New Zealand, Japan and Australia, as they ready for the 2017-18 HSBC World Sevens Series. The Silicon Valley International 7s will also mark the first time the Chinese National team will appear in the United States. England and Chile will round out the field.
In addition to 34 international men's matches, and 20 collegiate matches, an international cultural festival, along with an Island concert series will be held to celebrate the weekend.
Silicon Valley International 7s adds another international tournament to United World Sports' growing portfolio that includes the annual USA Sevens Rugby tournament in Las Vegas, which is the largest professional rugby event in North America and the annual Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship in Philadelphia, the premier collegiate Rugby 7s championship.
Avaya Stadium, which opened in February 2015, has a capacity of approximately 18,000 and is the home field for Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes. United World Sports has also partnered with the City of San Jose, the San Jose Sports Authority and the Fairmont Hotel, which will serve as the official partner and team hotel.
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster or SevensRugby.com or call Avaya Stadium at 408-556-7700.
About Rugby Sevens:
Rugby sevens is the faster, higher scoring, more action-packed version of the traditional form of rugby. Instead of 15 players on a side with 40-minute halves, sevens has exactly that; seven players playing seven-minute halves, and it is played on the same size pitch as 15s rugby with virtually the same rules. Sevens has also drawn a growing number of players from other contact sports like football and soccer. The sevens game was accepted into the Olympic programme for the Rio 2016 Games and will be part of the Olympics through at least Paris in 2024. Sevens is also the fastest growing team sport in the United States, especially at the collegiate level for both men and women. The University of California is the five-time defending champion in rugby sevens and there are plans to formally launch a sevens league in the United States after the 2018 World Cup, which will be played in San Francisco. Fiji is the defending Olympic Champion.
About United World Sports:
United World Sports (UWS) is the largest commercial rugby entity in the United States, and the owner and operator of a growing portfolio of dynamic sports, media and apparel brands including, the USA Sevens Rugby international tournament, the largest professional rugby event in North America; the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, the premier college 7s rugby championship; and the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup Championship, the 15s-national rugby championship. Through its apparel division, UWS owns the exclusive North and South American license for Rhino Rugby, one of the world's leading rugby apparel and equipment brands. UWS also owns and operates RugbyToday.com, the largest and most widely read media destination dedicated to American rugby. Additional information is available at http://www.unitedworldsports.com.
About Penn Mutual:
Since 1847, Penn Mutual has been committed to helping people live life with confidence. At the heart of this purpose is the belief that life insurance is central to a sound financial plan. Through our network of trusted advisers, we are dedicated to helping individuals, families and businesses achieve their dreams. Penn Mutual supports its advisers with retirement and investment services through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. Registered Investment Advisor and wholly owned subsidiary. Member FINRA/SIPC. We are proud to work together in a values-driven and relationship-based culture. Visit Penn Mutual at www.pennmutual.com.
About Avaya Stadium
Avaya Stadium, home to Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes, is an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located on Coleman Avenue adjacent to the San Jose International Airport. The European-inspired building is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS and is among the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. The stadium features a canopy roof and the steepest-raked seating in MLS to provide the best possible fan experience. Additionally, the north end zone houses the largest outdoor bar in North America, a two-acre fan zone and a double-sided video scoreboard. The suites and club seats are located at field level, giving fans a premium experience unlike any other in professional sports. The stadium has hosted numerous non-Major League Soccer events since its inaugural season in 2015, including the International Champions Cup, a pair of United States Women's National Team friendlies, the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup, the 2016 Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Arsenal FC and a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier for the U.S. Men's National Team. For more information about Avaya Stadium, visit www.sjearthquakes.com.
Contact For UWS:
Joe Favorito
917-566-8345
joefavorito2@gmail.com
Anne Warner Cribbs
415-264-2067
acribbs@basoc.org
Source: United World Sports
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