The Pan-Am Games Opening Ceremonies start Friday night, and while the USA Men’s 7s team won’t be in attendance because they play the next day, being in the athletes village and part of a multi-sport event is still an exciting thing.

“It’s really cool,” USA captain Madison Hughes told Goff Rugby Report. “All of us have been looking ahead to the Olympics and talking about the Olympics. Well this is an Olympic-style event, and to be around all of these athletes is really exciting.”

Right after the USA won the NACRA 7s and garnered a spot in Rio 2016, Head Coach Mike Friday acknowledged that getting to the Olympics was job done, but only Job #1. There are other steps to take.

“We had a good season,” said Hughes, who captained the Eagles to a 6th place on the Sevens World Series and the aforementioned NACRA won. “This is the next step. When we got qualification to the Olympics we had that feeling of jubilation, and relief. It’s a reward for all the hard work you put in. But now we’ve got another task ahead of us.”

One of the six players on the Pan-Am Games roster that saw regular time on the World Series circuit, Hughes was not rested after a long season. The captain said that’s just fine with him.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Hughes. “I’ve been pretty lucky and I’m feeling healthy. We’ve got some guys who are not with us because of the 15s Eagles, so it’s a really good opportunity for guys who have just missed out. We’ve got these guys who were the 13th man on a regular basis. It’s been tough for them, but this is a huge opportunity.”

And that, perhaps, is the operative word. Being in an Olympic-style multi-sport event, getting a taste of the Olympic vibe, and playing for a gold medal, is an opportunity. We hear nothing from Hughes about pressure, or worry - it’s a chance to play.