For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011
COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICANS SEVENS TEAM FORMED
BOULDER, Colo. — The first ever Men’s Collegiate All-American Sevens (CAA7s) team will assemble this August and plans to compete in the National All-Star Sevens Championships.
The formation of the CAA7s mirrors the creation of the High School All-American Sevens this February. There is now a rugby sevens pathway from high school to college to Team USA. Sevens will feature in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games so these athletes will be well versed in the seven-a-side game when that time comes.
USA Rugby All-American Program Director, Matt Sherman acknowledges the importance of giving elite student-athletes an opportunity to compete in high level sevens competitions. “It’s imperative that we create a competitive environment to develop international sevens players. The Olympic movement as well as the rapid growth of collegiate sevens rugby have created a need for an All-American Sevens program,” said Sherman.
The All-American Sevens team will be led by current All-American fifteens coach, Alex Magleby, who also acknowledges the need for an elite squad as well. “In order to pump better prepared, more highly-skilled athletes into our national sevens team, we need to have a competitive test environment for would-be international sevens players as we do for fifteens,” said Magleby.
Magleby himself was a mainstay of the USA Men’s Sevens team, is a former USA captain and former national team assistant coach. Sherman recognizes that Magleby has done great things with the All-Americans, and is looking forward to him taking the helm of the CAA7s. Under [Magleby’s] guidance, many players have developed into full internationals, evidenced by our current national sevens and fifteens teams being made up of consistently heavy contingents of current and former All-Americans. We look forward to Alex’s final assembly with the fifteens team, and even more so to him taking over the sevens program,” said Sherman.
Magleby’s experience and expertise with sevens will be an asset to the Men’s All-Americans program, developing skills that sometimes suffer from neglect in the fifteen-a-side game. “Whether it’s sevens developing for fifteens, or vice-versa, there is plenty of skill complementation: defensive line speed control, footwork through the tackle; evasive running skill and ball management; leg-drive, upper-body combat and efficiency in the tackle contest, to name a few. An athlete has to do these skills well, at velocity and under pressure, either way.”
The CAA7s are slated to compete in the National All-Star Sevens Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. and possibly in the North American Caribbean Rugby Association 7s this fall.
Magleby will coach the Men’s Collegiate All-Americans fifteens team through the summer and the three-match series with a New Zealand Universities in July. He will then take the reins of the sevens team in August.
The application process for the Men’s Collegiate All-Americans fifteens team will begin in the fall of 2011.
Further Information:
Jarrod Beckstrom | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | jbeckstrom@usarugby.org
ABOUT THE ALL-AMERICAN PROGRAM
The All-American program selects the best rugby players in the country based on performance in domestic rugby competitions. Selected players attend high performance training camps throughout the year and, unlike other sports in which All-Americans are named but never compete as a team, rugby All-Americans compete in domestic and international matches.
In addition to recognizing outstanding rugby players, the All-American program is a development pathway to international honors. The program identifies and develops talent and character in order to prepare athletes for higher levels of rugby and life outside of the game. Beginning with the High School All-Americans, a player may progress to the U20-Junior All-Americans, and finally reach the pinnacle of the All-American program and become a Collegiate All-American.
All-American rugby has been in existence for more than a century in the United States. The original Collegiate All-American team, originally titled an “American Universities” team, traveled to New Zealand and Australia in 1910, marking the first ever American rugby tour. The All-American crest, adorned with 13 stars and stripes is the same one those athletes wore on the inaugural All-American tour and the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, a nod to America’s rugby and national heritage.
The All-Americans wouldn’t be able to continue the proud tradition without the support of their sponsors. Royall Lyme’s brand of fragrances has had close ties to the beloved sport of rugby, and is currently involved in the sponsorship of several teams and events at the collegiate level. Royall Lyme also aims to recognize exemplary performances. A “Royall Man” is a winner, yes, but more importantly, Royall Men are, by their very nature, role models and natural leaders. They demonstrate exemplary character.