Team captains stand with their countries flag during the opening ceremonies for the 2011 USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas.
Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.
Rugby Sevens
KSNV coverage of the opening of the annual USA Rugby Sevens Tournament, Feb. 10, 2011.
If You Go
- What: USA Sevens Rugby Tournament
- When: Saturday, February 12, all day; Sunday, February 13, all day
- Where: Sam Boyd Stadium.
- Tickets: $45 to $275 Purchase Tickets
There’s always a moment at the annual USA Rugby Sevens Tournament that overwhelms American coach Al Caravelli with emotion.
It usually happens when the United States team takes the field for its first game of the weekend to a flood of support from the crowd. It’s a moment Caravelli can’t wait to take in Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium as Team USA kicks off the 2011 tournament against South Africa.
“It almost puts me at a loss for words,” Caravelli said. “You don’t realize what it’s going to mean to you until you get out there. Our guys have been around the world in venues, but it really is special to hear the crowd cheer for you and have your friends and family watching.”
Team USA hopes to give the home country fans plenty to be vocal about this weekend when the event is held in Las Vegas for the second consecutive year. Caravelli and his players feel the American team is greatly improved.
The standings would agree. USA is in ninth place in the HBSC World Series, a spot above the 10th it finished in last year. Team USA has moved up at least one spot in the rankings in each of the last five years.
“It’s really the hard work and dedication of our guys,” Caravelli said. “If we continue progressing the way we know we can, I think we’ll go up more.”
Out of the 16 teams competing this weekend, America is the only one that isn’t composed of full-time professionals. Most of the players are forced to still hold other jobs while they chase their rugby dreams.
Tournament director Dan Lyle said the plan is to change that by this time next year.
“Once we start putting some money into it so guys can train full time, it’s going to become better for us,” said 31-year old USA veteran Paul Emerick. “We’re going to get some guys who will come away from football or basketball and get them into rugby.”
Emerick was a former collegiate football player at a small school in Iowa. Every year, the USA rugby team has a couple of former notable football players.
Miles Craigwell, who played college football at Brown and spent time with the Miami Dolphins, is on this year’s roster.
“The sport speaks for itself once people see it,” Lyle said. “That’s the key.”
People are getting a better chance to see sevens rugby every year. Sevens will be an Olympic sport starting in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NBC will broadcast the championship round live from Sam Boyd for the first time ever Sunday. With the promise of television coverage and a rowdy crowd, it’s no wonder Caravelli and his team are looking forward to this weekend’s tournament more than any other one on the calendar.
“Every year they’ve had it in the states, it’s grown,” Emerick said. “I don’t think there’s any added pressure. You just want to perform well. If you perform well and hit your marks, the results will speak for themselves.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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