PRO Rugby San Francisco Names Squad for League Opener
By Grant FeeleyThe San Francisco squad of PRO Rugby broke camp today and announced the squad for the first match of the inaugural season, to be played against Sacramento at Bonney Field on Sunday April 17 at 4pm Pacific.
It’s fitting that San Francisco features in the first ever professional rugby match in the US; it has been the capital of North American rugby for more than a century. SF has a storied history rooted in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, and the Bay Area has produced many international players and national champions at the club, collegiate and high school level.
The match day 23 (15 starters, 8 subs) for San Francisco features some of the best local talent mixed with early forerunners with promise to be the stars of the league; including Super Rugby veteran Orene Aii, former US u20 captain and Bay Area native Patrick Latu, and Canadian International Nick Blevins.
PRO Rugby San Francisco Starting XV: 1. Maka Tameilau 2. Tom Coolican 3. Patrick Latu 4. Nick Grass 5. Siaosi Mahoni 6. Sam Finau 7. Alec Gletzer 8. Siupeli Sakalia 9. Michael Reid 10. Volney Rouse 11. Jack O’Hara 12. Martini Talapusi 13. Nick Blevins 14. Michael Haley 15. Jake Anderson Replacements: 16. Jay Finau 17. Niko Lolohea 18. Fancy Namulau’uluu 19. Issac Helu 20. Junior Helu 21. Devereaux Ferris 22. Orene Ai’i 23. Charles Mateo
US Eagle and Bay Area native David Tameilau is resting an injury this weekend. Mils Muliaina, one of the most successful All Blacks in history, joins the team midway through the season.
Tickets for San Francisco vs Sacramento at Bonney Field are available now from Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.com/sacramento-v-san-francisco-sacramento-california-04-17-2016/event/1C00506F79421241?artistid=2225028&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=205
San Francisco’s first home game comes April 24, 2016 against Denver at Balboa Park’s Boxer Stadium. Kick off is 3pm Pacific and tickets are on sale now from TicketsWest (http://ev8.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS%3aTWC%3aEPRO16:EBXS0424%3a&linkID=twcorp&_ga=1.3296688.1021357330.1459534994).
For info on group rates for youth organization please contact: Tickets @prorugby.org
Full League schedule can be find on the league’s site: http://www.prorugby.org/