The USA Sevens is a rugby sevens tournament held annually during March in the United States. The USA Sevens is the largest annual rugby competition in North America, drawing over 60,000 fans, and is broadcast live in the United States by ESPN. The USA Sevens was introduced in 2004, originally in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The event moved to San Diego in 2007, and from there moved to Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas in 2010. It then spent the entire decade of the 2010s in Las Vegas before returning to Carson in 2020. The USA Sevens tournament features 16 teams representing countries from every inhabited continent, including the host, the U.S. national team.
Louis Stanfill is an American former rugby union player who last played for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for the United States national team. He played at flanker or No. 8, and could also play lock.
Dan Palmer is an Australian rugby union coach and retired professional player. He was the lineout coach for the Australia national team at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and most recently was the Leicester Tigers scrum coach. He played for the New South Wales Waratahs and ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, before a short stint with French club Grenoble. He also earned one cap for Australia in 2012. His usual position was tighthead prop.
Anthony Purpura is a professional American rugby union player who plays prop for the USA Eagles XV side. He currently plays for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Eric Fry is an American international rugby union player who plays prop. Fry last played for RC Vannes of the Pro D2 in France, and previously played in the English Premiership for Newcastle Falcons and London Scottish in the RFU Championship. He can play either tighthead prop or loosehead prop, and is considered a strong scrummager with a high work rate.
Sports in San Diego includes major professional league teams, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. San Diego hosts two teams of the major professional leagues, the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) and San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The city is home to several universities whose teams compete in various NCAA Division I sports, most notably the San Diego State Aztecs. The Farmers Insurance Open, a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, is played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Paddy Ryan is an Australian rugby union player who plays as a tight-head prop. Ryan played eight seasons for the New South Wales Waratahs, where he surpassed one hundred caps in Super Rugby. He was also capped for the Australian national team.
Chris Eves is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a prop for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Sunwolves in the international Super Rugby competition.
Ollie Hoskins is an Australian rugby union international player who started his career as a prop for the Western Force in Super Rugby and signed with London Irish in March 2016. When the club folded, Hoskins was signed by Saracens in June 2023.
Matthew Sandell is an Australian rugby union football player. He is currently contracted with the San Diego Legion team in the United States. Sandell previously played for the Sydney Rays and Sydney Stars and was a squad member of the New South Wales Waratahs. His usual position is tighthead prop.
Major League Rugby (MLR) is a professional rugby union competition for clubs in North America. In the 2023 season it was contested by twelve teams: eleven from the United States and one from Canada. While operating outside of the governance and oversight of the national governing body, the league is officially sanctioned by USA Rugby—a member union of Rugby Americas North (RAN)—and is consequently part of World Rugby. The league was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The San Diego Legion are an American professional rugby union team based in San Diego, California, that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team plays its home games at Torero Stadium. The Legion began play in the league's inaugural 2018 season.
Paul Mullen is an Irish-American rugby union player who plays prop for the Utah Warriors of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team. Mullen previously played for the Houston SaberCats, the San Diego Legion and the Newcastle Falcons.
Kapeli Pifeleti is a rugby union player who plays as a hooker and prop for Saracens in Premiership Rugby and the United States national team. Born in Tonga, Pifeleti has also represented the United States with the USA Selects and England with the England national under-18 team.
San Diego State Aztecs Rugby Club is the rugby union club that represents San Diego State University (SDSU). The men's team competes in Division 1-A in the California Conference and the women's team competes in Division II in the Pacific Desert Conference. The team plays its home games at ENS 700 Field.
Christopher Lippert is an American retired rugby union player who played at prop for the United States national rugby union team and the Barbarian F.C.
Fakaʻosi Pifeleti is a United States rugby union player, currently playing for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States national team. His preferred position is prop.
Nathan Sylvia is an American rugby union player who plays at prop for the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby (MLR).
