NAI 7s Set to Kick Off with Over 100 Teams

The NAI 7s is set for this coming week in Salt Lake City with 75 men's and boys' teams, and 44 girls teams in eight brackets.

This tournament, having taken 2020 off because of COVID, is back with a vengeance even with the Canadian teams unable to come.

Here's a look at the brackets, with the schedule below:

Men U23

The NAI 7s expanded in men's U20 in 2019 and this has now morphed into a U23 event. Given that there is no men's collegiate all-star 7s, this seems like a workable idea and indeed with 14 teams involved it's pretty popular. The teams are mostly affiliated with academy or select side programs, but most have a regional affiliation. Rock Rugby and Gorilla come out of Texas—Gorilla won the Freetail 7s on New Year's Eve 2019 in Austin, Texas. Arizona Old Cats are players who formerly played for the Arizona Bobcats age-grade select program (not former U. of Arizona players as we erroneously said earlier). 

It's an interesting development that these select or academy programs have found that players supposedly aged out of the program, want to come back and play for them again—5785 is another example. 

East, Herriman, Genesis, Roothogs, and Toa are all from Utah, and generally are alumni of their high school programs. So they might be college players, they might not.

Gentlemen of Aspen and 5785 are both out of Colorado with the same mix of college and non-college, Oasis is not Californian but mostly Penn State, Kutztown, and Dartmouth students. Silicon Valley are out of California. All are giving young players a chance to play some high-level 7s.

Boys U18 Invitational

In another year this would be the NAHS bracket, but because not all NAHS teams can travel, this has been opened up. it's still an elite-level bracket, with Eagle Impact Rugby Academy fielding two teams, as are Panthers Rugby Academy out of the South. Badger Selects come out of Wisconsin, Rock and Gorilla, again, out of Texas, Loggers out of Washington, while the host state of Utah brings in the Utah Warriors Academy, and Utah Lions. Rhinos (California), Rebel Rugby (Colorado), and Northeast Academy round out the list.

This is a wide open bracket, and the key is that most players are here to see how they match up and enjoy high-level competition. With the availability of players in question, handicapping this bracket is difficult. But it's worth noting that Gorilla, Rebel Rugby Academy, and Panthers all won their pools in the Tropical 7s. EIRA didn't compete there, and neither did Rhinos or Utah, but they will push as well.

Girls U18 Invitational

This bracket also would, in another year, be the NAHS bracket. With only seven teams involved it's going to be tight. Charlotte Tigress will be a team to watch because they play together well and have done all season. ARPTC, Arkansas-based but drawing players from all over, also have had time together.We've got some Hawaii talent coming in with the Maui Wahine Warriors, and they certainly will be a wild card, but likely it's the home side, the Utah Lions, that are the favorite going in.

U18 Girls Open

A hugely talented group of 15 teams are in this bracket with state champions Bitterroot (Montana) and United (Utah), along with a very skilled Belmont Shore side, Majestics (Utah) and Rocky Mountain ((Idaho) which could be as good as the best in their league, the Panthers, and a select side from New Mexico. There will be a surprise team here.  

U18 Boys Open

Sixteen teams populate this bracket from ten states. We've got HS club programs and select sides and single-school teams. It's a mishmash, and as a result, could bring any number results. Herriman might be good, but they could also be just young. Maui should be imposing, as they were in Los Angeles, but this is over a year late. Berks has plenty of talent, but Utah or Arizona could unseat them.

U16 Girls

EIRA will bring in a team here and that'll be interesting, but we're leaning toward Belmont Shore, Panther, Lionesses (Utah) ... teams like that. Rocky Mountain or Maui or Kahuku (another Hawaiian team) could be interesting.

U16 Boys

We've got 16 teams here also and many of the programs in the U18 bracket, but here you wonder if Rhinos might explode here. This is where they do their most effective work, at the younger end of the spectrum. 

U14 Girls

Ten teams from six states (or more) with Rhinos fielding two, Panthers, Celtic, Belmont Shore, Arizona, Sac PAL, South Davis (Utah), Rocky Mountain, and Majestics all in competition. Shore and Rhinos might be favored here but this really is an excellent proving ground for tomorrow's stars. Belmont Shore won the National Youth 7s girls bracket so you've got to figure they can do well here.

U14 Boys

This bracket has, and you've got to love this, 16 teams, including one from Guam. How great is that. Most of these teams come from California and Utah but Charlotte, NC has a team, 5785 out of Colorado, Celtic again, Maui ... they are form all over. Once again we like Belmont Shore and Rhinos because we've seen those teams do well at this, and it was the Rhinos who won the National tournament in Cleveland. 

 

 

 

 

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Day One Schedule for NAI 7s