GLENDALE, CO. - Following a tough four opening games, the Men’s Collegiate All-American 7s finished fifth in Pool D which concluded their run at 2019 RugbyTown Sevens.
The All-Americans battled against some of the top domestic and international competition in rugby sevens, falling 17-19 to CCIG Life West, 31-14 to Lomaiviti, 26-12 to pool winners Marlborough Compeed and finishing with a 14-12 victory over NOLA Gold.
Several All-American players stood out in every game, including try scorers Harley Wheeler (3) Cian Barry (2), Sam Cusano (2) Wesley White, Cristian Rodriguez and Cole Zarcone. However the group had a difficult time defensively, with a number of missed tackles and open gaps allowing an experienced opposition to create space and score tries.
Nevertheless and as is the case with every age-grade assembly, the added opportunity for competitive playing time was invaluable for the nations top collegiate athletes.
“It was important to finish with a win in what was a challenging group. But that’s why our players are here, to develop their game and learn, said Steve Lewis, Head Coach of the Men’s Collegiate All-Americans. “Sometimes, you learn more from adversity.”
The Men’s Collegiate All-American 7s will now break for the rest of the year. With national team coaches and staff on-site through the RugbyTown 7s weekend, all players have an opportunity to be called up for upcoming developmental Falcons or senior Eagles competitions.
For more information on how to be selected for a Men’s Collegiate All-American assembly, contact USA Rugby’s National High Performance Development Manager JD Stephenson at jstephenson@usa.rugby.
Selection to All-American assembly has long been an honor for up-and-coming players, as well as an important talent identification vehicle for the senior national teams. In order for players to train and compete in assemblies, monetary support from the community is critical to reduce or sometimes fully cover the costs of assembly. To make a gift to the All-American program, contact Chris Reed at creed@usa.rugby.
