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Robin Heymann

The US Sevens juggernaut steams into Colorado this weekend at the Denver Summer Sevens. It’s the latest instalment of what’s already been an intriguing season with plenty of twists and turns with plenty more in the pipeline no doubt.

Colorado is a relatively bristling rugby area at the moment, riding a bit of a crest of a wave with the buzz still very much in evidence following the first staging of the Churchill Cup in Denve, with one of the venues being Glendale - the only rugby specific stadium in the country. Rugby seems to have made a real impact in Colorado over recent years, illustrated by the fact that it is now home to the official HQ to USA Rugby in Bolder CO.

Good enough for Championship Series

But as far as Denver is concerned 7s has been a regular on the calendar for the last 40 odd years with the Summer Seven’s inception back in 1968. As far as history goes it’s got to be up there with one of the oldest around in the States, whilst also turning itself into the largest event of its ilk in the State. Tradionally finding itself sandwiched at the midway point of a busy US season, acting as a WRFU qualifier, the event will also incorporate the third stage of the newly found Championship Series.

The make-up of the series sees some of the very best Las Vegas Midnight (June 20th) Cape Fear (July 4th-5th), Kansas (July 24th-25th), New York (28th) and of course here in Denver this weekend with a total prize fund of $1500 for each tournament.

The top two from each tournament will attend the Championship tournament to be held around the USA 7s February 13-14, 2010. Along with the 10 sides on show in California the field will be expanded to 12 with two Ryder Cup-esque wild card selections chosen on the basis of a team’s performance and the number of tournaments they enter.

The concept is administered by USA 7s LLC but each tournament is run independently. It’s been very much a case of so far so good with two crackerjacks events thus far.

The official line from USA Sevens is that they “are providing support that will allow each tournament to elevate the elite division of the tournament over time to ultimately create a quality of play that will be enticing to television and to promote the game of Sevens among our youth.”

With USA Sevens providing access to sponsors, media attention and entertainment as well as a donation of individual event prize money it all looked pretty good on paper before the action got under the way and to be fair it has been backed up with two corking tournaments thus far.

First it was Belmont Shore putting a sumptuous marker down at the in the Nevada desert going about their business in workmanlike manor in the pool stages. In the final they stunned OMBAC with an eight try salvo in the final thanks to the likes of US stars of present and past in Alex Ross and Dellon Stanford all coming to the party.

And what about last weekend in North Carolina, with Nova and Super League’s Life University all tied up at 12-12 it really was squidgy bum stuff at Ogden Park, before Life delivered the knockout blow courtesy of pretty fortunate bounce from a hoof ahead.

The high quality of play is supported by that of the refereeing at the tournaments. With referees being provided by USA rugby through their local and territorial societies. Patrick Mcnally; the USA Rugby National Sevens Referee Manager spoke of their support for the Championship Series.

"We fully support the CCS and have a very good working relationship with USA Sevens LLC, and look forward to contuing to work with USA Sevens and each of the CCS Tournaments to improve and grow Sevens rugby in the US"

The Denver story

The tournament was initially a joint venture of Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union the Colorado School of Mines, and was held in Golden. The School of Mines discontinued it’s sponsorship after 1969, leaving the 1970 7s an exclusive ERRFU event.

Beginning in 1971, the Denver Barbarians Rugby Club offered to take over the tournament as its host team. In the early 1970’s the tournament became known as the National Western Seven-A-Side Tournament. A major change in focus was made in 1978 when the event was dedicated to the Memory of Michael Sneath

Over the preceding years the names of Denver Highlanders, Denver Barbarians, and the Gentlemen of Aspen featured each taking the major honours on numerous occasions. A brief four year hiatus was forced upon the event back in1996-2000, blamed party on the encroachment of the 15s game and a lack of interest.

But with 7s seen as the way forward combined with the hard work of a small group of committed individuals it made its comeback in 01. Since it’s reintroduction it’s very much been the Barbarian’s show, clocking up an incredible 7 successive wins only to have their run curtailed by those Gentlemen of Aspen last year.

Home side hungry for title

Out to get their mitts back on the familiar looking Sneath Memorial trophy the Barbarian’s have entered two sides with tournament director Howard Kent saying their B-team “is more like an A- team; it’s very strong.”
Not that the rest of the sides in the top bracket will roll over without a whimper.

The Gentlemen of Aspen will probably still seething at losing out to the BaaBaas 15-7 at final in Dallas a couple weeks back, and will see taking the home side down in front of their own fans a perfect remedy. Despite some late pullouts (expected but always infuriating for any TD), the rest of the main division appears solid with 2007 Club 7s champs Chicago Lions always a handful supported by Kansas Rogues, Austin Elite, Glendale, Ecilios Selectos of New Mexico, the Kansas City Blues, and the Dallas Harlequins.

In the Men’s Social Division, the field is headed by Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and the delightfully-named Softball was Full, a team of alumni of Colorado University and East High School, whilst In the U19 boys division Aurora and East head an impressive six-team bracket.

Imperious setting

‘The Denver 7s Tourney has an excellent setting at Dicks Sporting Goods Park with top class amenities adjacent to the pitches. The setup is as professional as may be found in US Rugby. The focus of the tourney is competitive rugby. We are one of 3 WRFU Super Regional 7s qualifiers that lead to the USRugby National Club 7s Championship,’ said Howard Kents.

As far cool locations to come and play some rugby Colorado has to be up there with that little bit of everything for everyone. The rather ungainly named Dicks Sporting Goods Park has been touted as the newest jewel of Denver’s sports & entertainment landscape with a bumper stadium and manicured 24 floodlit field complex that would be the envy of any tournament organiser.

And when the rugby’s done and dusted, there are worst places to be stuck in to be fair. With the Rockies on your doorstep, there are activities galore for the outdoorsy types whilst for the chic and sophisticated a jaunt into town to catch the vast array of galleries that supposedly make Denver the ‘Arts Capital of the West’.

‘The Mountains and all the great outdoor activities, the Native American and Western Historical sites. Whilst if you come out here the entertainment district in Lower Downtown is pretty happening, which the ruggers here definitely enjoy,’ added Kents.

Although the tournament are undoubtably proud of their history, Kent pictures a bright future for the event is keen for continued evolution and improvement in 7s here. I know the ‘Olympic factor’ might start to get boring, but for many tournaments it really is a huge deal and will go a long way shaping what direction their event can go in.

‘The Olympics will have the immediate impact of making Rugby 7s professional in the US. The rest of the rugby community will greatly benefit from this. Within 5 years the US 7s side will consistently be in the top 5 in the world.’

Ambitious stuff, but let’s be honest who would bet against him?