December 12, 2016
Eagles Face Uruguay in San Antonio to Open Americas Rugby Championship 2017
Doug Coil
Article modified from USA Rugby Release by Nick Sero
The USA Rugby Eagles will play Uruguay and make their first-ever start in San Antonio for Americas Rugby Championship 2017 on February 4 at Toyota Field.
Last year the Eagles traveled to Uruguay narrowly losing 29-25. In their second year in the competition, and second under Head Coach John Mitchell, the Eagles will hope that the support of the home crowd will favor the Eagles.
Alex Magleby, USA Rugby’s General Manager of National Teams & High Performance said “Texas has shown a real uptick in participation and growth over the last few years, so we know the fans in the are going to enjoy seeing two rugby nations compete for higher rankings and ARC spoils. We’re excited to bring our great game to a new batch of youth in San Antonio, and hopefully plant the seed for the next generation of great American rugby players.”
Pre-sale tickets for the game at Toyota Field will be made available Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. CT, before general on-sale begins Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 am CT. Fans are encouraged to sign up for the USA Rugby Ticket Pre-Sale Email list if they have not done so already to receive relevant pre-sale information. Upon release, tickets can be purchased via TIcketMaster.
Uruguay open the ARC against the Eagles in San Antonio in the city’s international rugby debut on the TifSport Bermuda grass surface of Toyota Field. Toyota Field is home to professional soccer teams since its opening in 2013 and seats 8000 spectators. It has recently been acquired by the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. United Soccer Leagues franchise San Antonio FC began its inaugural season at the stadium earlier this year.
Russ Bookbinder, President and CEO of San Antonio Sports said “We’re excited to bring international rugby to San Antonio. We know there is a passionate and growing rugby community here, and we expect they will enthusiastically embrace this match.”
Tickets for the U.S.-hosted matches of the Americas Rugby Championship will be released to the general public in due course. Each of the five Eagles fixtures during the Americas Rugby Championship competition will be broadcast live on The Rugby Channel (subscription required).
To apply for media credentials, visit usarugby.org/media-credential
About USA Rugby
Established in 1975, USA Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby in America and a Full Sport Member of the United States Olympic Committee. Currently headquartered in Lafayette, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game on all levels and has more than 120,000 active members, with more than 40,000 playing collegiate rugby and 35,000 playing senior club rugby. USA Rugby oversees four national teams, multiple collegiate and high school All-American sides, and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes. It also hosts more than 30 national playoff and championship events each year as a service to its members. In October 2009, the International Olympic Committee announced Rugby Sevens (the seven-a-side version of the game) would appear in the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, in which both the men and women qualified. Visit www.usarugby.org for more information.
