Hugely Successful Global Youth 7s for USA U18s

For the Boys, they went one step better, winning all but one game in a grueling seven-game weekend. They beat Cook Islands and Waterboys on Day one, and on Day Two defeated TBR 24-19 and NZ Cavaliers 24-21. That set them up to play the Australian Cavs team, who took that game 19-14.

It was the USA’s only loss as they beat the NX Fijians 19-12 and North Harbour 26-19 to finish 6-1 and winning the Plate.

Gavin Holder, who played his schoolboy rugby in New Zealand, led the entire tournament with 11 tries and with 89 points scored. Each game sees votes for “Best and Fairest” which sort of emulates hockey’s three stars system.

Holder accumulated the most votes of any player for that award, also. And yet, he was not named to the all-tournament team.

Still, this was a successful trip in part because, while the USA teams ended up 11-3, it was the manner of victories, with several of them being very close. USA Girls biggest victory may well have been their 14-12 loss to Matatu, showing massive improvement from their first meeting.

The Boys played in five games decided by a try or less, winning four of them.