THE RUGBY SEVENS INVADE SAN DIEGO
Written by Joe "Nixon" Hammond, Monday February 23 2009
The USA Rugby Sevens, held every year in San Diego, is an annual must for anyone who believes that if the whole world got together and just partied, a rugby tournament would break out.
HE RUGBY SEVENS INVADE SAN DIEGO
By Joe Hammond
The USA Rugby Sevens, held every year in San Diego, is an annual must for anyone who believes that if the whole world got together and just partied, a rugby tournament would break out.
Fans from around the world (Yes, even Uruguay) came out in full effect to support 16 national teams.
The fan favorite was the Kenyan team who won over half the stadium with their 33-0 destruction of France on the first day. The French players will never forget the phrase “Runs like a Kenyan” because the Kenyan side simply outpaced. This game also featured the most exciting play in Rugby Sevens: an interception scored for a try. With elegant style and quickness on both sides of the ball it is no wonder the Kenyans are so well favored.
Other favorites include the New Zealand All Blacks who, along with South Africa’s Springboks, are considered the best in World Rugby. While Rugby teams like CSULB are usually field teams of 15, Rugby Sevens plays the game with only seven players. This cuts the play down so the whole game lasts half an hour and makes other rule changes as well to keep the event full of action. Oh, and usually Rugby is not played in a Baseball Stadium like Petco Park.
One of the beautiful things about this tournament is that when the action gets boring or a snooze fest erupts on the Rugby pitch (Wales: 57, Mexico: 0) the event provides other amusing distractions that even the friend who came along because he/she thought they were going to see David Beckham could enjoy.
On a side: next time you’re down in San Diego take the opportunity to eat at Lolita’s, a San Diego culinary landmark. Lolita’s new location is just across from Petco Park. Lolita’s is famous (or infamous depending who you ask) for their carne asada fries—steak cut French fries with carne asada meat, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream on top. Carne Asada fries are to San Diego what deep-dish pizza is to Chicago: delightful calorie-infused gluttony in every bite. Lolita’s takes it one step further by creating the California burrito. That is to say they simply place Carne Asada fries in a flour tortilla. Stay classy San Diego.
If you prefer to not use the re-admission ability of your ticket, there is plenty of food in the stadium. In a small Rugby Festival, one can find Southern Hemisphere delights like Polynesian food and South American, rarely seen this side of the Tropic of Cancer. For novelty alone, I looked for Aussie Vegemite and was only slightly disappointed when I did not find one.
Other tents offered rugby and associated products with plenty of giveaways: mini-pink rugby balls, USA rugby team temporary tattoos, and the ubiquitous National Guard recruiting stand which had really cool rugby balls that were disappointingly not available.
Turning my attention back to the field I realized the USA Eagles (playing with home field advantage) were guarding their nation to the best of their ability, and scoring some big wins. The next day they surprised many by besting the Kenyans in the next round and defeating them before falling to the Argentine Pumas in the semi-finals.
Argentina’s final match was a win against their most hated rival: the English. The Pumas were down at the half and were able to bounce back in the second half with two tries and stiff defense. The Argentinians ended up winning the match 19-14. If you had a moment to check the record book you see that the win was only Argentina’s second USA Rugby Sevens championship win ever, by then though most fans were halfway home or going for a second California burrito at Lolita’s.
Photo Credt: Derrick Tuskan/Icon SMI
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3 comments
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The tournament is is vegas this year! should be amazing. I ownder if the temp will effect the players?
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Rugby is the best sport in the world. It is such a shame it is not more popular in the United States as it is elsewhere. Watching even the worst college rugby club is more entertaining than 98-percent of wide world of sports. Sevens doesn't do it as much for me, but half a rugby game (player-wise) is better than no game at all. Go All-Blacks, who are my team.
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Yeaah! Go Pumas! Go Argentina!