Why It Matters, A Lot; Olympic Qualifiers
Why It Matters, A Lot; Olympic Qualifiers
As the RAN 7s Olympic qualifier gets set to kick off on Saturday, the gravity of the situation is something the USA team has to appreciate … and forget about.
“For us, it means the world,” said USA captain Kevon Williams. “We know we’re supposed to be here. We know qualifying is really important.”
“From a business perspective, too, it’s huge,” added Head Coach Mike Friday. “From a USOPC and philanthropy perspective it’s really important. We need World Rugby to recognize that 7s is the way to grow the game both forms.”
Funding for the game in both 7s and 15s depends a lot on the US Olympic Committee and the Golden Eagles. The USOPC funding for the next cycle is decided in November, and if a team doesn’t qualify for the upcoming Games, that can impact funding. If the USOPC funding drops, then the slack has to be picked up by USA Rugby, which would have a ripple effect throughout the other programs they fund. Meanwhile, with the Golden Eagles it’s the same story.
“And yes we’re hosting the Rugby World Cup in 15s in a few years, but we’ve got LA 2028 before then,” added Friday. “All of this is a chance to capture fans with high-octane moments. So yes, it matters.”
For the current players, this weekend in Langford is a chance to put their stamp on the program.
“There was a lot of talk about the team that qualified for Tokyo because they were so good,” said Williams. “For us, we want to say we’re supposed to be here. This is something we’ve done.”
It all starts on Saturday and it live on The Rugby Network>>
