Big Names Helping Out

While the 33 players were in camp in Chula Vista, they were coached not only by Fee and his long-term staff but also USA 7s team players who were not going to make the trip to Dubai or Cape Town. Perry Baker, Kevon Williams, Joe Schroeder, and Stephen Tomasin all stepped in to coach the players, and Williams will travel with the team to New Zealand.

In addition, other players helped and met with the players. Will Chevalier, before he left for Dubai with the USA 7s team, told the players how he was left off the World Schools 7s team, left off the Youth Olympics team, and left off other teams in his quest to be an Eagle. Just because your time might not come now doesn't mean it will never come, he said. They were, one hopes, comforting words for the players not chosen.

All of this is a function in part of a growing approach within the national teams at many levels of maintaining a cross-generational connection of pride and camaraderie within national team players. Why not have current internationals share with young hopefuls what it's like at the top level? Why not get them out there to develop their coaching, and give players some contemporary, real-world experience? 

The Team

As for the team itself, it is 13 players from programs in nine states. Four now play their rugby in college, while the rest are high-schoolers (the rules of the tournament allow for recent grads). Arnaud Agasse was the central player for the Rebel Rugby Academy that won the NAI 7s the last two years. He is now at Central Washington. Kade Cunningham is an American who got his rugby experience in high school in Singapore. Ben Saunders is a multi-skilled interior back from West Houston, and Demetrius Taiape is now at AIC but played his high school rugby for the Rainier Plateau Highlanders in Washington state.

Another player central to a select-side's success was Matt Cleland. Helping the new Next Phase Rugby team take 2nd in the NAI 7s, Cleland showed his consistently excellent skilled execution and his ability to make his teammates better.

"We didn't know much about Matt but you need a player who is that glue within a team and his collective body of work was very impressive," said Fee. "Demetrius came somewhat out of nowhere and we're really lucky to have found him. I played with Max Paga's dad, Shaun, and Max looks to me like a young Danny Barrett. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on him but he has that potential. We have a really good mix. We have power players and speed and playmakers and players who are versatility."

The Global Youth 7s will be played Dec 9-10 in Gold Coast, Quld., Australia. British Columbia is sending their BC Bears to that tournament. The next week, December 15-17, King's College in Auckland, NZ will host the second leg. Attending that tournament are Belmont Shore out of Southern California, the USA U18s, Barhaven Scottish from Canada, and teams from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Tonga, and Samoa.

The USA team will play Asian Dragons, on December 15, and Iron Armour Academy and Pakarunga on December 16. The knockout rounds are held after that.

Belmont Shore will have New Edition, Rangataua (the team that won the Tropical 7s this past spring), and Samoa's Aleipata College.