November 21, 2016
USA Rugby Men’s Eagles Sevens Pre-Dubai Camp
Doug Coil
The Men’s Eagles Sevens High Performance Camp has convened in Vhula Vista, California with 16 invited athletes joining six Residents of the Olympic Training Center for a spot at Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens Dec. 2-3.
Eagles Assistant Coach Chris Brown is overseeing Camp as Head Coach Mike Friday was on tour with the Men’s Eagles, a squad that included four Residents. Selections for the first round of the 2016-17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will be made post-Camp.
Danny Barrett and Folau Niua played with the XVs team in Chicago, but did not join the tour to Europe. The other residents include Perry Baker, Carlson Isles, Brett Thompson and Maka Unufe. The other 16 invited players are all uncapped in sevens.
The 16 invited players include Collegians Alex Faison-Donahoe, Jihad Khabir, Cameron Marek, Bailey Stringer, and Zach Webber and two high school athletes in Naima Fualaau of Peninsula Green Rugby Club and Ryan James of Aztec Warriors Youth Rugby.
Senior club athletes include Aaron ‘Spike’ Davis, Don Pati, Joey Sok and Chris Turori, Paul Eteaki, Alec Gletzer, Junior Helu, Cody Jerabek and Connor Wallace-Sims.
“The few new guys have helped bring a little energy and we look forward to getting into Camp this week, where the additional playing numbers will allow us to sharpen up on some of the finer details in better gameplay situations,” Brown said. “It’s also key we identify and bring in players who have the potential to compete in one to three years’ time to develop understanding and the required physicality of the international sevens circuit.”
Selections for the first round of the 2016-17 Series, which commences in the United Arab Emirates Friday, Dec. 2, will be announced following the end Camp.
Men’s Eagles Sevens High Performance Camp | Nov. 20 – 26
Perry Baker
Danny Barrett
Aaron ‘Spike’ Davis – Columbus Rugby Club
Paul Eteaki – Euless Texans Rugby Club
Alex Faison-Donahoe – Kutztown University
Naima Fualaau – Peninsula Green Rugby Club
Alec Gletzer – Olympic Club
Junior Helu – Life West
Carlin Isles
Ryan James – Aztec Warriors Youth Rugby
Cody Jerabek
Jihad Khabir – American International College
Cameron Marek – Central Washington University
Folau Niua
Don Pati – Park City Haggis Rugby Football Club
Joey Sok – Columbus Rugby Club
Bailey Stringer – Arizona State University
Brett Thompson
Chris Turori
Maka Unufe
Connor Wallace-Sims – Old Blue of New York
Zach Webber – Brigham Young University
Men’s Eagles Sevens | 2016-17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series Schedule
Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens – Dec. 2-3
HSBC Cape Town Sevens – Dec. 10-11
HSBC Wellington Sevens – Jan. 28-29
HSBC Sydney 7s – Feb. 6-7
HSBC USA Sevens – March 3-5
HSBC Canada Sevens – March 11-12
Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – April 7-9
HSBC Singapore Sevens – April 15-16
HSBC Paris 7s – May 13-14
HSBC London Sevens – May 20-21
