The Southern California Youth Rugby has embraced the LA Invitational and the LA Sevens, and the tournament weekend, February 28-March 1, and the organization leadership thinks the value is more than just being available to play a few rugby games.

“We have multiple areas we are teaming together on,” said SCYR CEO Giovanni Vaglietti. “It seemed to us that working together with the LA 7s was a no-brainer.”

Youth and HS rugby in Southern California is working with the tournament in four specific ways:

1. Ticketing

The LA 7s is producing packages for youth players in Southern California participating in the LA Invitational.

“We are committed to getting as many youth rugby players as possible to be in the stands,” said Vaglietti. 

Tickets for HSBC LA SEVENS are on sale at www.LAsevensrugby.com or by calling 1-888-9AXS-TIX.

2. LA Invitational

“The LAI is going to be big for us,” said Vaglietti. “We have a strong youth season from U8 to U14, and we’ve opened up the weekend for those teams on the LAI weekend and we’re pushing as many teams as possible to be there.”

LA Invitational Registration Open

The difference between where the USA Sevens World Series stop has been held previously, and where it is now, is youth rugby. Even when the tournament was in Los Angeles in 2004-2006, there wasn’t a lot of youth rugby at the time. Now there is, and it’s growing.

“We’re so strong in youth groups here that we know this will be a great opportunity for them,” said Vaglietti.

LAI Tournament Director Steve Albrecht has added to this: "The goal is to have every club in SoCal playing in the LAI, and we want to give every kid the chance to play, then see the stars."

3. Reaching Out To Schools

The Adopt-a-School program that was so successful in Las Vegas is being launched in Los Angeles. SCYR is working with the LA 7s to find 16 elementary and middle schools to adopt a competing country as a study project. The schools will learn about that country’s culture and history, and also a little about rugby.

4. Legacy

“Rugby is a tight community,” said Vaglietti. “So it’s good to show young players that there is a community. Having youth games at the LAI go on next to higher-age games, and then have them go on to see the players they’ll see in the Olympics, shows a viable pathway. They can see that you can play in high school, and college, and club or maybe even the MLR or the Olympics.”

The LAI and the LA 7s, then, isn’t just about one event, but using that event to light the fire within the young players and their parents.

“Working together we can continue to grow,” said Vaglietti. “It’s going to be awesome.”