Growth for LA Sevens, a Good Finish. More to Come?

Pool Play:
USA 21 France 5
The Eagles got past France's physicality to win in convincing fashion.

Sam Sullivan scored early and Ariana Ramsey blazed through for two as the Eagles never trailed. Kayla Cannett converted Sullivan's try and Ramsey's first, while newer player Ashley Cowdrey (Davenport) got the last conversion.

Sarah Levy looks for a chance against New Zealand. David Barpal photo.

Australia 33 USA 12
A much more experienced Australia team won this game and they struck quickly with tries from Teagan Levi and Maddison Levi. When the USA was sucked into the middle the Levis were too fast and powerful. Kristi Kirshe answered but Maddison Levi's second made it Levis 19 (Teagan kicked the conversions) and USA 7. Ramsey scored right after the restart to close the score to 19-12. But Australia blew the game apart with two converted tries to win 33-12.

USA 31 Fiji 19
The Eagles needed this game to make the semis and they dominated. It was a while before anyone scored, but Ramsey cut through on a bit of a broken play and went in from long range, buoyed by a loud crowd. Nia Toliver scored on an inside-out move. Ramsey blasted Fijiana again, and by halftime it was 19-0.

Toliver scored again and only then did Fiji start to score tries. Sue Adegoke iced it late.

That put the USA into the semifinals. And, again, the experience of a team matters. New Zealand is an experienced team, and they won big, 34-7.

Canada is very experienced, and they won the Bronze Medal game 27-7. So it was a humbling end, but an inspiring one, too, considering the fan support for this team.

Right before the LA Sevens, World Rugby announced that the Play-Off tournament was not going to be a re-qualifier for the World Series. Instead, this Play-Off would confirm who would be in an expanded Tier 2 circuit.

That kind of took some of the luster out of the event. However, the USA men needed to show they can win rugby games, and that they did.

Playing in the Track Stadium, they found their fans were pretty loud, and they responded.

Fans embraced going to the track stadium as well as the main stadium. Photo David Barpal.

Lucas Lacamp scored in the opening minute of their first game; Ben Broselle scored two tries in quick succession, and they dominated the early going in a 26-15 win over Portugal. 

Then they took on Samoa, and didn't kick a single conversion! Once again the Eagles showed how much they have learned and they took control early. Broselle and Lacamp once again scored early. And they kept scoring, taking a 25-12 lead into the last quarter if the game, and winning 25-19.

So that put them at the final match on Sunday, against Kenya.

This game was rocking with the crowd. We talk about experience, and the USA put out a young team. Porter Goodrum, still a newish player to the team, started as the chief playmaker and goalkicker. 

Kenya struck first with Lacamp in the sin bin. and then a bad turnover with the yellow card expired but Lacamp not yet back on the field, led to Kenya taking a 12-0 lead. But just before halftime Goodrum showcased some nifty footwork to score and make it 12-7.

Photo David Barpal.

In the second half, with Kenya on a yellow card, Lacamp sent a perfect wide pass to Jacob Broselle to tie the game 12-12 with time close to expiring.

Overtime, and in sudden death, Tomasin made a key grab, Jack Wendling took the ball on, and Goodrum sold a little dummy and dove over to win the game 17-12.

That meant they won their pool, and secured a place in the new SVNS Division Two. The old expectation had been for a place in the regular SVNS World Series. But that has been cut back to eight teams, so no promotion. Instead, the bottom four (and the USA was part of that) were playing for a spot in the Division Two. Winning your pool got you in, which is what the USA and Uruguay did, as did winning a Play-Off final, which Kenya did 24-5 over Canada and Germany did 31-0 over Samoa.

Division 2 will have six teams in it for both the men and the women, so two more teams will be put in there after a D3 qualification process.

Ultimately, then, a successful LAX for the USA men, women, and the tournament, all with caveats.

The USA men won all three games, but their reward is muted.

The USA women made the semis, beating France along the way, but are clearly short of the standard set by New Zealand, Australia, and Canada ... for now.

The LA Sevens crowd grew. The return of a smaller LAI was a success, and the return of the Fan Festival was a huge plus. Dignity Health Sports Park showed that it can success in a two-field format and the fans seemed to embrace it.

Action from the LA Invitational. Photos David Barpal.

Is that enough to make this the destination for the championship event? Well, sure, but how about World Rugby not change the rules at the last minute?

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson who was in attendance in Los Angeles said: “LA delivered a finale to savour in what has been a season to remember. The HSBC SVNS World Championship demonstrated sport at its enthralling, brilliant and emotional best with teams and fans experiencing the highs and lows of play-off rugby. Congratulations to our worthy champions New Zealand and South Africa, and to all the teams, match officials and event teams who have made this season so special.

“We now look ahead to a new era for Sevens and a new competition model that provides certainty and opportunity on the road to what promises to be a spectacular LA 2028 Olympic Games.”