NAI 7s Boys Elite Bracket Promises an Intense Weekend

The NAI 7s is a huge tournament that continues to grow, and it's not all about the brackets at the top but ... here we are looking at the brackets at the top.

The U18 Boys Elite bracket remains highly competitive. Rebel Rugby returns to try to take this tournament for the third time in a row, but they have some serious challengers, including some stand-alone club teams with the intrasquad familiarity to garner an advantage over the teams that draw players from all over.

Boys U18 Elite Pools:

Pool A has what is probably the more experienced Rebel team in Rebel White, and it is the Rebel White team that has won the last two NAI 7s in this bracket. They take on Caveman, Rock Rugby, and San Mateo Wolverines. All are good teams but it's worth noting that the Wolverines are HS Rugby National Championships Tier II winners, and they won that tournament with an wide-open, quick-offload game plan. Their style of 15s translates very nicely into 7s. These are players who know how to work together, and they are all able to, as the saying goes, beat a defender in a phone booth.

"Both Elite teams have a core of players that have been together for years," said Rebel Program Director Ethan Piugnet. "I think familiarity is one of our biggest strengths. The guys have been in the system and know what’s expected of them. Defense is always our focus regardless of the age group." 

Colorado has always been our main hub. Once again it’s just time and repetition with these kids since they are in our home state.  This year we have a massive amount of kids coming for Iowa. We have had a partnership with Iowa youth rugby for 4 years now and are starting to see those kids come up through the ranks. 

Pool B sees Rebel Black and they are a bit less experienced but still formidable. The top seed, however, is Next Phase Rugby. Sponsored by the self-same sponsor of GRR, the Next Phase Rugby 7s team played its inaugural tournament at NAI 7s last year and they made the final, losing a close one to Rebel White. But they were under the gun in almost every game. This is a different lineup from the 2023 team with three exceptions (Jason Champagne, Julian Niulala, and Matt Cleland) and they have added some impressive talents, notable Great Northwest Challenge MVP Meli Serevi, previous USA U18 player Masi Koi (Granite Bay) and both are part of a strong Californian influence on a team that draws from regions throughout the country. This will be a very explosive and elusive team. They would do well, however, not to look past Washington Academy of Rugby and Gorilla Rugby.

"We're excited to see our team in action," said Next Phase Head Coach Greg Stelluti. "Our players bring a good amount of 7s experience, which will be essential against the top-tier competition at this tournament. Our strength lies in our defense, team speed and the ability of our dynamic players to make big plays. Like most of these select side tournaments, it will all come down to playing as a team and trusting each other and the system we have put in place."

Pool C sees a very tight battle between EIRA and the USA South Panthers, as both will field quite impressive lineups. Highland is a stand-alone team that could cause both of those teams problems, and Try Time has seen success at the Youth level at the Youth National Champion, so this could well be thought of as the Pool of Death.

"EIRA is in the same boat as we are but you look at Highland and they train together every week for the entire year, so that is something we have to deal with," said USA South Panthers program head Mike Orefice, who will be coaching the team with Tom May. The Panthers program just won the RAN U19 15s, representing the USA in that competition, and they might looked at more players from that squad but for injuries. Still they have been building a strong 7s-specific program.

"We want to give players opportunities in 15s and in 7s and this is a tournament where we really work hard to develop our 7s," said Orefice. "Just assembling a team and turning up doesn't work anymore. You have to provide the coaching."  

Pool D ... and if Pool C isn't, maybe it's Pool D. Atlantis Teal has expanded its reach for players, finding some intriguing talents out of Texas (Kaikane Napoleon) but their bread-and-butter pool is from the Pennsylvania-Tri-State-MDV area. The power and leadership of Caius Michlitsch is something to keep an eye on. Pushing Atlantis is LCA, which, like San Mateo, plays 15s in a way that makes the club's transition to 7s fairly easy. They have a deep squad of players who can burn you if you give them a tiny bit of space. LCA has come very close to winning this tournament the last two years.

And right with them is Belmont Shore. They are very much like LCA in a number of ways, and this program won the U18 open division in 2023 and the U16 division as well. So this is a lineup that has experience playing at the NAI 7s and, crucially, performing well on Day Two. 

"After a rollercoaster 15s season, especially at Nationals, the boys are ready to let loose and have some fun including," said Head Coach Johnny Pua, who also pointed to his team's "wild and fun" looking summer 7s kit as an indication of their attitude. "Expect a fast and freestyle play from the boys," he added.