The United States national rugby sevens team competes in international rugby sevens competitions. The national sevens team is organized by USA Rugby, and the team has been led by Head Coach Mike Friday since 2014.
The main competition the team plays in every year is the World Rugby Sevens Series, a series of ten tournaments played around the globe from December to June that includes the USA Sevens tournament every spring. The Eagles have been a core team in the World Series and finished in the top twelve each season since 2008–09. The Eagles' best season in the Sevens Series has been a second-place finish in the 2018–19 Series. The best result in a single Sevens tournament was first place, which they have accomplished three times — winning the 2015 London Sevens and the 2018 and 2019 USA Sevens.
The United States had traditionally used the sevens team to prepare players for the XV-side. Since January 2012, due to increased attention generated by rugby's return to the Olympics in 2016, the national sevens team has turned professional, with the team extending paid full-time contracts to its players. The national sevens team has drawn a number of crossover athletes from other sports, the most prominent examples being Perry Baker (American football) and Carlin Isles (track). The U.S. also sometimes fields a developmental team, the USA Falcons, in several tournaments.
History
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The earliest records of an American national rugby sevens team are from the 1986 and 1988 Hong Kong Sevens, where a team named the American Eagles won the Plate Final.[1] The team competed as the United States national rugby sevens team at the inaugural 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The U.S. competed in nine of the ten tournaments in the inaugural 1999–2000 World Sevens Series.
The World Rugby Sevens Series, which is played every year from December through June, is the primary annual competition for the U.S. national sevens team.
Early years (1999–2011)
The U.S. has competed in the World Series every year since the event's inaugural 1999–2000 season. The U.S. had some initial success during the early years of the tournament led by Jovesa Naivalu, who held the record for most tries scored until broken by Zack Test. However, the U.S. struggled in the five seasons from 2002–03 through 2006–07.
The 2007–08 season was a turning point for the US team, qualifying for 6 of the 8 series tournaments, and defeating France and Samoa en route to placing sixth at the 2007 South Africa Sevens. The team was led by Chris Wyles who scored 26 tries on the season. The IRB rewarded the Eagles' success by promoting the U.S. to "core" team status for the 2008–09 season, meaning that the U.S. automatically plays in all 8 tournaments without having to go through qualifying rounds.[2]
The 2008–09 season was a breakout season for the U.S., finishing 11th on the season. The high point of the team's season was the home tournament, the 2009 USA Sevens. Nese Malifa's 30 points in that tournament helped the U.S. reach the semi-finals, their best result to that time on home soil.
The 2009–10 season saw continued improvement, with the team finishing the season in 10th place. Led by Matt Hawkins and Nese Malifa, the team finished ninth to win the Bowl in the 2010 USA Sevens. The U.S. then advanced to their first ever Cup final at the 2010 Adelaide Sevens, scoring upset wins against England, Wales and Argentina.
During the 2010–11 season the team took a small step back with a 12th-place finish. A number of key players were unavailable for most or all of the season, including the previous season's leading try scorer Nick Edwards and leading point scorer Nese Malifa. Additionally, a number of competing teams had moved to professional status, leaving the mostly amateur U.S. team struggling to keep pace.
The 2011–12 season saw significant changes for the U.S. The team turned professional in January 2012, with contracts for up to 15 players.[3] The change to professional status did not bring immediate improvement. Head coach Al Caravelli resigned, and Alex Magleby was selected as the new head coach. The US finished the 2011–12 season in 11th, a slight improvement over the previous season, even though the team did not reach the quarterfinals of any of the 9 tournaments. Bright spots for the season included the emerging leadership of Shalom Suniula (captain), Zack Test (team leading 21 tries) and Colin Hawley.[4]
The 2012–13 Series saw a slightly different format, with 15 core teams instead of 12, but with the possibility of relegation for the teams that finished in the bottom three. The U.S. got off to a slow start, ranked last among the 15 core teams after the first two legs. The U.S. saw improvement, however, reaching the quarterfinals in five of the last seven tournaments, and finishing in the top 6 during the last three tournaments. The U.S. finished fifth to win the Plate Final at the 2013 Japan Sevens, the first time the U.S. had won a plate since 2001,[5] and followed that feat by again finishing fifth to win the Plate Final at the 2013 Scotland Sevens,[6] with Nick Edwards the leading try-scorer in the tournament with 8 tries. The U.S. finished the season in 11th place, and had two players among the season's top try-scorers: Nick Edwards (20) and Zack Test (18). Coach Alex Magleby stepped down after the season.[7]
The U.S. team fared poorly during the 2013–14 Series under new coach Matt Hawkins, finishing the season in 13th place. Once again, Zack Test led the team with 23 tries and 119 points on the season; other leading scorers included Carlin Isles with 17 tries, including six at the 2014 Wellington Sevens, and newcomer Madison Hughes with 34 goals scored.[8] Hawkins was blamed for the exodus of several veteran players, such as Colin Hawley and Shalom Suniula, and was asked to step down at the end of the season.[9]
Top 6 finishes (2014–present)
USA Rugby sevens team in 2014
The U.S. had its best season ever in the 2014–15 Series under head coach Mike Friday, who was hired in summer 2014.[10] The U.S. finished sixth in the series, its best finish to date. The team capped off the season by winning the 2015 London Sevens after defeating Australia in the cup final, the first time the U.S. has won a World Series tournament.[11] Carlin Isles set a U.S. record with 32 tries for the season and Madison Hughes set a record with 296 points.
The U.S. began the 2015–16 Series by "shocking the world" when it defeated New Zealand for the first time at 2015 Dubai Sevens.[12] The team beat the 12-time World Series champion in pool play and again in the tournament's third-place match[13] before a third victory in as many matches in the 2015 South Africa Sevens Plate Semifinal.[14] The U.S. once again finished the season in sixth, tying its best ever finish. The previous season's scoring records were broken again, as Perry Baker notched 48 tries and Madison Hughes scored 331 points.
The U.S. began the 2016-17 World Series slowly, sitting in 11th place after the first three rounds. The U.S. was missing certain key players from the previous season. The U.S. turned things around mid-season. In the second half of the season, the team for the first time reached four consecutive semifinals: first at the USA Sevens where the U.S. finished third; then at the Canada Sevens where Perry Baker scored 9 tries including his 100th career try; followed by Hong Kong and Singapore. The U.S. finished the season in fifth place overall, a record high for the team. Perry Baker was the season's leading try scorer (57) and points scorer (285) on the Series, whereas Madison Hughes ranked third in points (279). Perry Baker and Danny Barrett were both selected to the 2016-17 Dream Team, and Baker was selected as the 2017 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.
The 2017–18 season began badly for the U.S. In the first tournament in Dubai, Baker suffered a concussion, and the rest of the team limped to a last place finish. The U.S. improved from that point on, reaching the semifinals of the Australia Sevens. The team then won the 2018 USA Sevens, the first time the U.S. won their home tournament, boosted in large part by Perry Baker, who led all scorers with 8 tries; Baker, along with forwards Ben Pinkelman and Danny Barrett all made the tournament Dream Team.[15][16] Overall the team displayed inconsistent performances, reaching the Cup semifinals three times, but also failing to qualify for the cup quarterfinals three times. Despite the inconsistent play, the U.S. finished sixth overall.
The U.S. got off to a strong start in the 2018–19 season. The team reached the finals in Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, the first time the U.S. had reached four consecutive finals and was ranked joint first in the overall Series after the first four legs. In the fifth leg, the U.S. won beating Samoa 27–0.[17] This was the U.S.’s second straight USA Sevens win, giving them sole possession of first place in the Sevens World Series. The U.S. remained in first place for several more tournaments, but consecutive semifinal losses to Fiji in the last two tournaments in London and Paris meant that Fiji won the Series with the U.S. finishing second. The U.S. overall had its best season ever — the second place finish beating their previous best of fifth. Additionally, qualifying for five consecutive tournament finals as well as reaching the semifinals in all ten tournaments were U.S. records.[18] Carlin Isles scored 52 tries, ranked first overall among all players.
The U.S. started slowly in the 2019–20 season; with the team resting some players who had played at the October 2019 Rugby World Cup, the team sat in eighth place after the first two events.
*At the start of the 2016–17 season, the plate and shield awards were abandoned, with the bowl replaced by the Challenge Trophy. Updated as of 8 June 2023[20]
A pool of American full-time professional rugby players train year round at the Olympic Training Center in San Diego.[3][22] The twelve players selected for tournament rosters are generally drawn from this training squad. For particularly high-profile tournaments such as the Olympics, the U.S. sometimes draws from American players who are playing rugby professionally abroad.
USA Rugby has since January 2012 provided full-time salaried contracts to players. Previously, players had been part-time semi-pro players paid a stipend for their participation. USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville stated that a full-time sevens team is a crucial step as USA Rugby prepares for rugby's return to the Olympics in 2016.
The inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympics had greatly expanded funding available to the sport in the U.S.[23] The large pool of American football players who may be unable to earn professional contracts in the NFL meant there may be athletes with skills that could transfer to rugby union.[23]
Although the fifteens version of rugby union had last appeared in the Olympics at the 1924 Games, rugby sevens made its debut at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. qualified for the 2016 Olympics by defeating Canada 21–5 in the final of the 2015 NACRA Sevens.[25] At the 2016 Olympics, the U.S. went 1–2 in pool play, narrowly missing the quarterfinals due to a 14–17 loss to Argentina. The U.S. finished in ninth place, with Carlin Isles scoring six tries and Danny Barrett scoring four tries.
The U.S. has participated in every Rugby World Cup Sevens since the tournament's inception in 1993. The team's best performance to date has been its sixth-place finish at the 2018 tournament, which was held on home soil.
The U.S. has played rugby sevens at every Pan Am Games since the sport was introduced at the 2011 Games. At the 2011 Games, the U.S. lost 19–21 to Canada in the semifinals before defeating Uruguay 19–17 for the bronze. At the 2015 Games, the U.S. again lost to Canada 19–26 in the semifinals and defeated Uruguay 40–12 to capture their second consecutive bronze.[28] At the 2019 Games, a weakened U.S. side that left its regular starters at home defeated Brazil 24–19 to take the bronze medal.
The following tables show the U.S. career leaders in major statistical categories in the World Rugby Sevens Series.[40] These figures include only the World Rugby Sevens Series and do not include other events such as the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Up to date as of May 15, 2023
The World Rugby Men's Sevens Series is an annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments run by World Rugby featuring national sevens teams. Organised for the first time in the 1999–2000 season as the IRB World Sevens Series, the competition was formed to promote an elite-level of international rugby sevens and develop the game into a viable commercial product. The competition has been sponsored by banking group HSBC since 2014.
The England national rugby sevens team competes in the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games. They have once won the Rugby World Cup Sevens — the inaugural tournament in 1993. Historically the team also competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series finishing in second place four times, most recently in the 2016-17 season. The team has been replaced by a combined Great Britain team in this competition.
The 2005–06 World Sevens Series was the seventh edition of the global circuit for men's national rugby sevens teams, run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. The series was won by Fiji in the last event of the competition, ending New Zealand's 6-year run as series champions. Fiji needed to finish in fifth place or higher at the London Sevens to ensure that they would win the series ahead of England, but won the tournament handily with 54–14 victory over Samoa in the final.
The Samoa national rugby sevens team, referred to as Samoa Sevens or Manu Samoa 7s, competes in the annual World Rugby Sevens Series. Representing the polynesian country of Samoa, with a population of about 202,000, the team competes against some of the wealthiest countries in the world. The Samoa sevens team is overseen by the Samoa Rugby Football Union, which oversees all of rugby union in Samoa.
The 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series was the tenth of an annual IRB Sevens World Series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999–2000.
The Ireland national rugby sevens team competes in several international rugby sevens competitions. The team is governed by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU).
The United States national rugby union team has played in all but one Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. The USA is the second strongest national rugby side in North America, and the third strongest in the Americas after Argentina and Canada.
The 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series was the eleventh of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999–2000. Samoa won the IRB Sevens World Series crown for their first time.
Valenese Malifa is an American rugby union former fly-half. He has now turned his career to professional coaching in the US for Major League Rugby. He assisted Atlanta’s team, Rugby ATL, from 2018-2020 and has since moved to Dallas to coach the Dallas Jackals in their inaugural year. As a professional player, he was a member of the United States national rugby union team from 2007 until 2012, and competed in three Rugby World Cups including participating with the squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
Kisi Keomaka "Maka" Unufe is an American rugby union player. He played for a decade with the United States national rugby sevens team, and now plays for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR) as a center.
The United States women's national rugby sevens team competes in international rugby sevens competitions. The team finished second at the 2015 USA Women's Sevens, after defeating Russia in the semifinals. They competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Carlin Isles is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States national rugby sevens team. With 202 tries, Isles is second for the United States in career tries scored, behind teammate Perry Baker. Isles has been touted as the fastest rugby player.
Perry Baker is an American rugby sevens player for the United States national rugby sevens team. With over 250 tries, Baker currently ranks first among Americans and third among all players in career tries scored in the World Series.
The United States national rugby sevens team had its best season to date in the Sevens World Series during the 2014–15 season under head coach Mike Friday. The U.S. finished sixth in the series.
The United States national rugby sevens team season began the 2015–16 World Rugby Sevens Series by "shocking the world" when it defeated New Zealand for the first time at 2015 Dubai Sevens. The United States team beat the 12-time World Series champion in pool play and again in the tournament's third-place match before a third victory in as many matches in the 2015 South Africa Sevens Plate Semifinal. The U.S. once again finished the season in sixth, tying its best ever finish. The previous season's scoring records were broken again, as Perry Baker notched 48 tries and Madison Hughes scored 331 points.
Jordan Conroy is an Irish rugby union player. He is a specialist sevens player who plays for the Ireland national rugby sevens team, and has represented Ireland in the 2020 Summer Olympics and plays his XV's club rugby with the Buccaneers RFC as a wing.
The United States national rugby sevens team began the 2016-17 World Rugby Sevens Series slowly, sitting in 11th place after the first three rounds. The U.S. was missing certain key players from the previous season. The U.S. turned things around mid-season. In the second half of the season, the team for the first time reached four consecutive semifinals: first at the USA Sevens where the U.S. finished third; then at the Canada Sevens where Perry Baker scored 9 tries including his 100th career try; followed by Hong Kong and Singapore. The U.S. finished the season in fifth place overall, a record high for the team.
The 2017–18 United States national rugby sevens team season included both the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The season began badly. In the first tournament of the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai, 2017 World Rugby Player of the Year Perry Baker suffered a concussion, and the United States team limped to a last place finish. The U.S. improved from that point on, reaching the semifinals of the Australia Sevens. The team then won the 2018 USA Sevens, the first time the U.S. won their home tournament, boosted in large part by Perry Baker, who led all scorers with 8 tries. Baker, along with forwards Ben Pinkelman and Danny Barrett all made the tournament Dream Team. Overall the team displayed inconsistent performances, reaching the Cup semifinals three times, but also failing to qualify for the cup quarterfinals three times. Despite the inconsistent play, the U.S. finished sixth overall.
The 2019 Hong Kong Sevens was a rugby sevens tournament that took place at the Hong Kong Stadium between the 5–7 April 2019. It was the 44th edition of the Hong Kong Sevens, and the seventh tournament of the 2018–19 World Rugby Sevens Series. Sixteen teams competed in the main tournament, while a further twelve competed in a qualifier tournament with the winner getting core team status for the 2019–20 World Rugby Sevens Series.
The United States national rugby sevens team got off to a strong start in the 2018–19 World Rugby Sevens Series. The team reached the finals in Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, the first time the U.S. had reached four consecutive finals and was ranked joint first in the overall Series after the first four legs. In the fifth leg, the U.S. won beating Samoa 27–0. This was the U.S.’s second straight USA Sevens win, giving them sole possession of first place in the Sevens World Series. The U.S. remained in first place for several more tournaments, but consecutive semifinal losses to Fiji in the last two tournaments in London and Paris meant that Fiji won the Series with the U.S. finishing second. The U.S. overall had its best season ever — the second-place finish beating their previous best of fifth. Additionally, qualifying for five consecutive tournament finals as well as reaching the semifinals in all ten tournaments were U.S. records. Carlin Isles scored 52 tries, ranked first overall among all players.
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