Modified USA Rugby Release
Men’s Collegiate All-American Sevens’ (MCAA 7s) Head Coach Steve Lewis and Men’s Falcons’ Head Coach JD Stephenson have named their squads for the annual RugbyTown Sevens tournament at Infinity Park on August 24-26 in Glendale, Colorado.
The Men’s Collegiate All-Americans 7s team hope to improve upon last year’s fifth-place finish. The team has athletes from 11 different programs. The Men’s Falcons appear for the first time since 2014 and include three senior Men’s Sevens players and five athletes named to the U.S. Youth Olympic Men’s Rugby team. Men’s Sevens’ Ben Pinkelman will serve as an Assistant Coach for the Falcons, as well. Tickets to see both the All-Americans and the Falcons may be purchased at rugbytown7s.com with a live stream available at rugbytown.us/stream.
Fourteen Collegiate All-Americans were selected with Jihad Khabir, Christian Rodriguez, and Zach Young returning from last year’s 25-7 Bowl victory over the Atavus All-Stars. Two players that played for the team last year were unavailable with Lorenzo Thomas injured and Jake Lachina having service obligations.
“Coach Macy and I cast a very wide net, watched a great deal of film, and had multiple conversations with both the national team and collegiate coaches before selecting this group,” said Men’s Collegiate All-American Sevens’ Head Coach Steve Lewis. “We are looking forward to working with this squad and seeing who’s got the talent and desire to step up to the next level.”
The Falcons side includes Chris Mattina, Nick Boyer, and Naima Fualaau, who have played in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Junior Waqavesi, Johnny Mahe, Alex Cleary, Tyren Al-Jiboori and Lauina Falatea will also be part of the team along with being selected to the U.S. men’s team for the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. The 13-man crew will give the Falcons their first RugbyTown Sevens appearance since their 2014 Cup victory.
“We have a great combination of experience and youth selected for RugbyTown Sevens,” said Head Coach JD Stephenson, “with a collective team age of under-21, it’s an exciting opportunity for the playing group. The coaching staff is excited to get on the ground and get to work with these players.”
The MCAA 7s are drawn in Pool B, facing Sacramento Eagles, Washington Athletic, Denver Sevens Selects and Bermuda Sevens. The Falcons, drawn in Pool D, will take on the 2017 runner-up Ramblin Jesters, N.A. Tsunami Barbarians, British Army, and the Cayman Islands. Pool play will begin on Day One with knockout rounds commencing on Day Two. A champion will be crowned on Day Three.
Tickets to see the Men’s Collegiate All-American Sevens and the Men’s Falcons at RugbyTown Sevens start at only $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-12. Pool play matches begin on Friday, Aug. 24 with a live stream available at rugbytown.us/stream.
MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICAN SEVENS ROSTER
| PLAYER NAME | SCHOOL |
|---|---|
| Philip Dalke | United States Naval Academy |
| Nick Feakes | Lindenwood University |
| Justin Johnson | Life University |
| Jihad Khabir | American International College |
| Aaron Matthews | St. Mary’s College of California |
| Deion Mikesell | Lindenwood University |
| D’Montae Noble | Kutztown University |
| Thomas Robles | University of California, Berkeley |
| Cristian Rodriguez | Lindenwood University |
| Kyle Rogers | University of Arizona |
| Cameron Troxler | Louisiana State University |
| Marcus Tupuola | Notre Dame College |
| Harley Wheeler | Life University |
| Zach Young | Arkansas State University |
MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICAN SEVENS STAFF
Head Coach | Steve Lewis
Asst Coach | Josh Macy
Manager | Ethan Pougnet
MEN’S COLLEGIATE ALL-AMERICAN SEVENS’ SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 24
vs Sacramento Eagles
11:40 AM MT
vs Washington Athletic
3:00 PM MT
vs Denver Sevens
8:20 PM MT
Saturday, Aug. 25
vs Bermuda Sevens
11:40 AM MT
MEN’S FALCONS ROSTER
| Player | School/Club |
|---|---|
| Tyren Al-Jiboori | Union Rugby |
| Nick Boyer | USA Men’s Sevens |
| Ben Broselle | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Maceo Brown | Grand Canyon University |
| Alex Cleary | Chuckanut Bay Rugby |
| Lauina Falatea | Kahuku Rugby |
| Chris Frazier | Mystic River Rugby |
| Naima Fualaau | USA Men’s Sevens |
| Vili Helu | St Mary’s College |
| Johnny Mahe | Kahuku Rugby |
| Chris Mattina | USA Men’s Sevens |
| Devin Short | San Diego Legion |
| Inoke Waqavesi | C.K. McClatchy Lions |
MEN’S FALCONS STAFF
Head Coach | JD Stephenson
Assistant Coach | Adriaan Ferris
Assistant Coach | Ben Pinkelman
Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison
Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng
Team Manager | Frank Palumbo
MEN’S FALCONS SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 24
vs. Ramblin Jesters
1:10 PM MT
vs N.A. Tsunami Barbarians
4:30 PM MT
vs British Army
9:00 PM MT
Saturday, Aug. 25
vs Cayman Islands
1:10 PM MT
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