The National 7s Youth Rugby Championships kicks off Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio with two days of action, and we've got a look at some teams to really watch out for.

The great thing about this event is that it pits teams that have not seen each other against each other. You think you're good? Test yourself against the best. We've got teams that bring players from all over (Celtic Barbarians, Eagle Impact, USA South Panthers), teams from California, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, North Carolina, and Virginia. This is truly a national event.

Who do we like in each group. If we were smart we'd say "anyone" because this is such a new tournament there are bound to be surprises. But ... here goes. Our potential favorites. 

Boys Tier 1 Pool A

Eagle Impact Rugby Academy is actually a bit of a wild card because it’s a true select side, assembled for this tournament rather than playing together all spring. What EIRA does very well is get the culture right quickly and find the types of players who can switch on, even when they’re young. 

But 7s is an unpredictable business and most of EIRA’s work for younger players has been in 15s. 

Rhinos Rugby didn’t play in the SoCal Youth Rugby’s U14 competition, but they have produced a series of good showings in the youth and HS 7s arena. This, perhaps, is where they could really shine.

Boys Tier 1 Pool B

You know in these pages that we are very impressed overall with Belmont Shore’s youth program. Their players are athletic, intelligent, and execute the basic skills of catch, pass, tackle, and kick very well. So, yes, we think Belmont Shore should be favored.

Remember that the Panther Rugby Academy won the Tropical 7s in the U14 bracket, and they can produce talent. The Panthers have dealt with the select-side problem of assembling and playing quickly by running a series of camps and sessions through the year. As a result, players come into tournament time understanding the basics of what is required of them.

See All Our National Sevens Youth Rugby Championships News Here>>

Girls 

This is a packed field of teams. Every single team involved is very good, and has proved that they are good. The big issue for these teams is playing too much amoeba-ball. If the defenders get sucked into hovering around the breakdown, teams that understand space, have speed, and can move the ball quickly will punish that.

That’s how the Medina Bees won the Cleveland City Championship. That’s what the Cleveland Rugby Academy has been working on for some time. If you wanted us to pick one team that can attack and win by always playing wide — especially seeing as their defenders can get the job done one-on-one— it’s Khalea Pahulu and her Belmont Shore team. 

Boys Tier 2

What’s great about this bracket is it’s nine teams that come from seven different regions. This is definitely a clash of unknowns. All of these teams know how to play, and it could be that athleticism wins out—who’s more powerful and who’s faster?

We like Panther Rugby Academy very much here even if it’s a relatively young group. The team to really watch out for has to be the Charlotte Tigers, a program that is rapidly becoming a behemoth in the arena.