College 7s National Championship

USA College 7s: 2015 College 7s Preview: Men’s Division I

2015 College 7s Preview: Men’s Division I

Photo: Carlos J Morales

DENVER – There will be at least two new champions at the 2015 USA Rugby College 7s National Championships this weekend, with the Thunder Chickens of Principia College the only returning title holders from the 2013 tournament.

In all, 52 men’s and women’s teams will grace the three fields at University of Denver to play a combined 141 matches of the Olympic-formatted Rugby Sevens. Action will kick off on Ciber Field, Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, and Diane Wendt Fields simultaneously at 8:40 a.m. MT Saturday, May 23. The event will culminate with the Men’s Division I Cup Final at 5:25 p.m. MT Sunday, May 24.

Matches played on Ciber Field and Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium will be streamed live on USA Rugby TV, while ESPN3 will provide coverage of the three Cup Finals on Ciber Field from 4-6 p.m. MT.

Men’s Division I Pool Previews

Pool A
Central Washington, Nevada, North Texas, San Diego State

Central Washington brings a ton of national-team-level talent to College 7s, with capped Eagles Sevens player Aladdin Schirmer leading the way. With AIG Men’s Collegiate All-American Sevens Head Coach Tony Pacheco in charge of the Wildcats, Central Washington earned qualification way back in October at Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference 7s in Ellensburg, Wash.

North Texas qualified through Southwest Conference 7s the first week of May and will be looking to build on its 2013 Bowl Quarterfinal exit. San Diego State finished its California Conference season in D1A Rugby 2-2, just missing out on the Playoffs, and will be fresh once College 7s kicks off Saturday.

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Pool B
Colorado State, Saint Mary’s, Texas State, West Virginia

The Rams will be glad to not have to travel across the country for College 7s as they did in 2013 when they lost the Shield to South Carolina, but will rue being without AIG Men’s Junior All-American and Eagle pool player Ben Pinkelman this weekend. Colorado State is tasked with facing back-to-back D1A Rugby National Champion and 2013 College 7s runner-up Saint Mary’s in pool play.

Saint Mary’s had one of the busiest schedules in collegiate rugby this season, with nonconference 15s matches against Brigham Young, Army, Cal, and Utah highlighting the Gaels’ intention to be the best in the country. Though they have not really focused on sevens this spring, All-Americans like Cooper Maloney and Kingsley McGowan will help bring the best out of the Gaels, as will coach and former player Joey Reavey.

Pool C
American International, Bowling Green, Mississippi State, Wisconsin

Wisconsin did well to make the D1A Rugby Playoffs in the 15s game this season, but a first-round exit to Penn State ended its championship hopes. Bowling Green’s sevens season began successfully with a NDC Falcons 7s tournament win in April for a berth at College 7s before a second-place performance at Mid America 7s a week later.

American International could be one of the more impressive teams on display at University of Denver, having played in five sevens tournaments this spring. The Yellow Jackets finished the season with a 25-3 record, with all three losses coming in Cup Finals (Las Vegas Invitational, Kutztown 7s, ACRC 7s). AIC won its own Armory Collegiate 7s to qualify for College 7s.

Pool D
Arizona State, Cal Poly, Iowa, Texas A&M

Cal Poly will hang its hat on a successful D1A Rugby season, in which the Mustangs finished California Conference play 3-1 before a close loss to Utah in the first round of the Playoffs. A defeat of Saint Mary’s helped the Mustangs place third at Battle in the Bay, where the team went 5-1. Cal Poly also finished third at West Coast 7s behind tournament champion UCLA and Cal.

Arizona State fell to Cal in the Cup Finals of both Battle in the Bay and PAC Sevens and earned an at-large bid to College 7s to follow on its 2013 Bowl Final victory, while Texas A&M beat Texas to qualify from Red River Conference 7s less than a month ago. The Aggies hoped for more competitive sevens time this season, but coach Clayton Hayes said his players “have trained tirelessly and taken advantage of extra training time to hone their skills and should surprise some teams at [College 7s].”

Iowa qualified for College 7s as an at-large, but compiled a 12-5 record in five tournaments, winning the Hawkeye Collegiate Indoor 7s and finishing as runner-up at Big 10 West 7s.

Pool E
Arkansas, Central Florida, Lindenwood, Stony Brook

Lindenwood’s Semifinal appearance in the D1A Rugby Playoffs did enough to keep the Lions’ season going through April, though the team’s sevens season was interspersed. The Lions won two matches apiece against New Orleans Rugby Football Club and Louisiana State in the same weekend and went 3-2 at Las Vegas Invitational to earn an at-large bid.

“We are [a] fit, smart, and well-drilled side who can transition between sevens and 15s with relative ease,” Lindenwood Director of Rugby Operations JD Stephenson said.

Central Florida will be looking for redemption after failing to protect its Division 1AA title at the 2015 USA Rugby College 15s National Championships earlier this month. A big, physical squad, the Knights will use their strengths to wear out opponents on day one as they did on their way to a Cup Final victory at South Independent Rugby Conference 7s.

Arkansas beat Missouri to earn qualification from Heart of America 7s last month, but the Razorbacks will have to play better than they did in 2013 if they want to compete for something more than the Shield.

Pool F
Davenport, Miami (OH), Sacramento State, Utah

Utah’s foray into D1A Rugby as an independent was relatively successful as the team beat Saint Mary’s during the season before a reverse decision in Moraga, Calif., in the competition’s Quarterfinals. The Utes fared well in three sevens tournaments in the fall and competed at the Las Vegas Invitational in the middle of their 15s season.

Davenport swept Notre Dame in a three-match series and planned on participating in the Arkansas State and ACRL tournaments before they were cancelled.

“Our coaching staff has a rich background in the format and enjoys teaching the sevens game to the players,” Davenport Head Coach James Wood said. “We practice sevens specifically at various points each year with these athletes we feel project well to competing in sevens events at a high level.”

Sacramento State lost to San Diego State at California State 7s in September and came up short in the Pacific Western 7s Cup Final against Nevada in November, but earned an at-large bid to College 7s. The team predominantly plays its sevens in the summer months and sends players to Serevi Rugby camps to improve. Last summer, student-athletes representing Sacramento State made up the majority of a local club team that finished fourth in the Nor Cal Division I men’s sevens series ahead of perennial club powerhouses Olympic Club and Sacramento Lions.


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2 thoughts on “2015 College 7s Preview: Men’s Division I

    • Yes, this is 7s, the games are only 14 minutes long. As opposed to the normal version of Rugby Union which has 15 players per team.

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