LAS VEGAS (USA 7s Release) – For the seventh consecutive year, USA Sevens Rugby has partnered with the Clark County School District (CCSD) for the USA Sevens HSBC Adopt A Country Program, which builds a curriculum centered around the international cultures of the participating teams in the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament returning to Sam Boyd Stadium March 3 – 5. With the addition of the women’s rugby teams during the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series during the three-day tournament, more CCSD schools have been added into the program this year.

For the second year, USA Sevens Rugby has partnered with HSBC to further incorporate World Rugby’s core values Integrity, Passion, Solidarity, Discipline and Respect, into each participating school’s curriculum. Twenty-six CCSD schools who serve between 14,000 to 19,000 students are participating in the program this year, “adopting” one of the countries competing in the tournament while integrating hands-on lessons and values surrounding their individual countries into an all-encompassing education.

“We’re thrilled to see how much the program has grown and that we have been able to pass on the love of rugby onto over 40,000 students over the last seven years,” said Rob Cornelius, United World Sports vice president of business development. “More importantly, we are proud to see how the students are utilizing the comprehensive curriculum to gain appreciation for other cultures while using that knowledge to connect their home town with different cultures around the world.”

Throughout the school year, each of the participating schools fully delves into their adopted country and incorporates lessons to provide a broad education on international cultures, traditions, history, customs and geography. Leading up to the tournament, students will learn about the adopted nations with interactive lesson plans utilizing art, physical education, music and language. In addition, the program holds various rugby clinics and tournaments between participating schools, teaching students the rules of the game and offering students a first-hand opportunity to learn the sport.

In addition, the Adopt A Country program promotes further learning about the adopted country through a series of creative contests for the students to participate in, which includes a T-shirt design contest and critical thinking essay competition. Each school will select one T-shirt design created by a student that best captures the essence of the Adopt A Country program by connecting the school, the nation, rugby and Las Vegas. USA Sevens will select the top three submissions and create T-shirts for each student in the three schools from the winning design. The essay contest asks students to contrast their typical day with that of someone their age in the adopted country, challenging students to relate to their adopted country on a personal level. One essay winner from each school will be selected to lead their team down the red carpet during the2017 USA Sevens Parade of Nations Ceremony on the Fremont Street Experience, which will be held Thursday, March 2 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

During Rugby Week, the students will be visited by their adopted country’s team and coaches for a special pep rally and celebration, complete with a meet-and-greet with the team, autograph signings, rugby drills and more. On Saturday, March 4, students from the participating schools will have the opportunity to travel to Sam Boyd Stadium and cheer on Team USA and their adopted country’s team.

2016 – 2017 CCSD and Country Pairings for Men’s Teams:

·         Antonello Elementary School / Kenya

·         Brown Junior High School / Samoa

·         Connors Elementary School / Russia

·         Dailey Elementary School / South Africa

·         Elise Wolff Elementary School / Scotland

·         Fitzgerald Elementary School / Argentina

·         Gibson Middle School / Wales

·         Leavitt Middle School / USA

·         Long Elementary School / France

·         Monaco Middle School / Japan

·         Nate Mack Elementary School / Chile

·         Paradise Professional Development School / Fiji

·         Roundy Elementary School / England

·         Rowe Elementary School / Australia

·         Squires Elementary School / New Zealand

·         Treem Elementary School / Canada

 

2016 – 2017 CCSD and Country Pairings for Women’s Teams:

·         Booker Elementary School / Spain

·         Bridger Middle School / **TBD

·         Doris Reed Elementary School / USA

·         Elise Wolff Elementary School / Ireland

·         Gibson Elementary School / Russia

·         Kay Carl Elementary School / New Zealand

·         Myrtle Tate Elementary School / Australia

·         Paradise Professional Development School / Fiji

·         Roundy Elementary School / England

·         Tanaka Elementary School / France

·         Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts Middle School / Canada

·         Williams Elementary School / Brazil