ORLANDO, Fla. – The Tropical 7s has announced a partnership with the prestigious NAHS7s series to become a stop on its annual elite youth rugby championship beginning in 2019. North America’s top elite youth teams for both boys and girls are now set to enter and compete in the Tropical 7s U18 Elite Division as part of the series.

The Tropical 7s -- an annual international youth rugby tournament -- will structure its U18 elite boys and girls divisions with eight of NAHS7s teams mixed alongside eight international teams to form a truly unique competition. The 2019 Tropical 7s will take place on 19/20 April in Orlando, Florida, USA.

 “We are excited to partner with the NAHS7s as a series stop for this amazing championship,” said Tropical 7s Executive Director John Siner. “There is a clearly a growing demand for elite competition at the youth level, and it will be fantastic to welcome the best boys and girls teams from across North America. This also represents a great opportunity for top international teams to come play against these teams and be assured of the highest competitive standard.”

The NAHS7s – the North American High School 7s Championship Series -- is a 7s-focused series of competitions that provides high school age players the opportunity to compete amongst high performance teams for an annual championship. Teams of the NAHS7s series collect points from each of the recognized series stops during the year, which culminates with an overall champion determined at the NAI7s tournament in Utah each August. 

“Taking the NAHS7s series to the Tropical 7s in Orlando makes perfect sense for our competition,” said NAHS7s President Michael Cressler. “The event takes place at the right time of year and the weather and playing conditions are ideal. The Tropical 7s has established itself as an excellent tournament in a short period of time, so our series teams know they will have a top experience and are already looking forward to the competition that it will provide.”

The second edition of the TROPICAL 7s was held in March 2018 and hosted 50 teams from 5 different countries. Demand is expected to be high for an expanded 2019 edition that will once again take place over the Easter holiday week. Registration is scheduled to open on 15 August and spots in each age group will be limited so teams are encouraged to sign up early. Teams looking to reserve their spot early can pre-register by emailing info@tropical7s.com.  

The Tropical 7s is open for teams from around the globe for boys and girls at U18, U16, U14 and University/U23 age brackets, and welcomes clubs, schools and select sides to compete in both open and elite divisions of Olympic rugby sevens. Tropical 7s is an official USA Rugby sanctioned event.

The tournament takes place at the stunning Omni Championsgate Resort, which features an on-site sport facility with professionally maintained fields that ensures perfect playing conditions along with guaranteed warm weather -- all located in the heart of Florida’s world-class tourist attractions. 

“Once again we invite teams to arrive early and take advantage of our facilities to set up training camp, organise sessions with our international coaches, and participate in the athlete combine,” said Siner. “We will also have social activities alongside the normal top-notch Omni resort offerings to make sure everyone has a great overall experience. And of course there are the many world-renowned tourist attractions nearby.”

College and university coaches are invited to attend the Tropical 7s and take advantage of the benefits and services offered to teams (accommodation, social activities, etc.). There will be an athlete combine on Thursday afternoon before the two days of competition.

More information about the event including registration information can be found on the event website at www.tropical7s.com.