The Glendale Raptors Seven’s team will be traveling to Las Vegas to compete in the USA Sevens Championship Series Final and a $10,000 purse.  The winner will receive $8,500.00 and the runner up $1,500.00.  The team qualified for the Championship Final by placing second at the Kansas City Tournament in July.

The Championship will be played on Friday and Saturday  February 12-13 prior to the start of the USA International Sevens, featuring national teams from the USA, England, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and others. The international sevens is part of the world wide International Rugby Board (IRB) tournament that takes place through out the year in places such as Dubai, Wellington, London, Hong Long, etc.  The USA Eagles national team competes in this rugby circuit and placed in the top four at the USA Seven’s in 2009.
Seven’s Rugby has just been included in the Olympic Summer Games and will début in the 2016 games.  Seven’s is a mini version of rugby, but played with seven players instead of the usual fifteen.  It is an extremely fast game played in seven minute halves and speed is of the essence.

The Raptors will travel with a squad of 13 players who have been training for the tournament since January.  The squad consists of players based on speed and the ability to play a wide open expansive game.  The squad consists of: Dustin Gordon, Justin Howley, Tim Muraguri, Rati Nutsubidze, Juan Obergon, Mike Papp, Mike Pettes, Casey Rock, Christian Sarmento, Jordan Schmitz, Nick Tipton, Spencer wells and Bradley Winbush.

Glendale opens New York Athletic Club (NYAC) on Friday morning and follows with Belmont Shore.