On October 4, 2012, the International Rugby Board, now known as World Rugby, announced the launch of a circuit now known as the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, the women's counterpart to the World Rugby Sevens Series for men. The inaugural 2012–13 season featured four events, with the USA Women's Sevens taking place at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston as the second event in February 2013.[1]
The following are details of all official regional women's international championship played in the USA since the first tournament in 2006, listed chronologically with the earliest first, with all result details, where known.
Rugby sevens background
Rugby sevens - a short form of the sport of rugby union - was first played in 1883, with the first (men's) internationals taking place in 1973. As women's rugby union developed in the 1960s and 1970s the format became very popular as it allowed games, and entire leagues, to be developed in countries even when player numbers were small, and it remains the main form the women's game is played in most parts of the world.
However, although the first Women's international rugby union 15-a-side test match took place in 1982, it was not until 1997 before the first Women's International Rugby Union Sevens tournaments were played, when the Hong Kong Sevens included a women's tournament for the first time.[citation needed] Over the next decade the number of tournaments grew, with almost every region developing regular championship. This reached its zenith with 2009's inaugural women's tournament for the Rugby World Cup Sevens, shortly followed by the announcement that women's rugby sevens will be included in the Olympics from 2016.
Results
Summary of results in the United States leg of the World Rugby Women's Sevens series:
Note: Believed to be as an exhibition match. It is also possible that the teams played a second time, before the final of the men's competition.
USA Tournament 2007
Played at San Diego, USA, on 9 and 10 February 2007(Source USA Rugby)
Known Participants: USA A, USA B, Canada A, Canada B, China
China bt Canada A
Canada B bt China
USA A bt China
USA B bt China
Final
Canada B bt USA A
China 4th
USA Sevens 2008
Venue/Date: San Diego, 9–10 February 2008
Initially Kazakhstan, China, New Zealand and Australia were expected
Pool 1
Canada, USA A, Canada Collegiate
Pool 2
USA, Canada A, South Africa
Plus exhibition match USA vs South Africa
Group stages Although in groups of three, four teams played three games whilst the two A teams only played 2 each. The results are presented as one table.
Nation
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
USA
3
0
0
60
7
Canada
3
0
0
74
25
USA A
1
0
1
25
26
Canada A
0
0
2
5
45
South Africa
1
0
2
38
45
Canada Collegiate
0
0
3
5
59
Canada A 5-21 South Africa
Canada Collegiate 0-15 USA A
USA 21-7 South Africa
Canada 29-5 Canada Collegiate
USA 24-0 Canada A
Canada 26-10 USA A
Canada 19-10 South Africa
USA 15-0 Canada Collegiate
Classification matches
5th Place
Canada Collegiate 10-24 South Africa
3rd Place
USA A 12-20 Canada A
Final
USA 19-5 Canada
Exhibition Match
USA 17-12 South Africa
USA Sevens 2009
Venue/Date: 9 February 2009. San Diego (alongside the IRB event).
This tournament is ostensibly a World Cup warm up. There are 7 teams (including USA 2) and rather than playing in groups, each team plays three opponents and they are then all assessed to decide the classification participants.
The teams (in "seed" order)are England, NZ Maori, Canada, USA, USA 2, China, Japan
The subsequent classification games place Japan above China but the Chinese results are better against tougher opponents, as is the points for and points difference. Japan also appear to have played four games.
Group Games
POOL A
Nation
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
England
3
0
0
70
7
NZ Maori
3
0
0
72
24
USA
2
0
1
66
19
Canada
2
0
1
55
32
USA 2
1
0
2
27
37
Japan
0
0
4
5
132
China
0
0
3
17
61
England 36-0 Japan
Canada 17-5 USA 2
USA 21-0 China
NZ Maori 36-0 Japan
England 15-7 USA 2
Canada 26-5 China
USA 45-0 Japan
NZ Maori 22-12 Canada
USA 2 15-5 Japan
England 19-0 USA
NZ Maori 14-12 China
Classification Games
5th 6th Play-off
USA 2 17-7 Japan
Semi Final 1st vs 4th
England 29-0 Canada
Semi Final 2nd vs 3rd
USA 12-0 New Zealand
Final
England 17-12 USA (sudden death, 12-12 at full time)
USA Sevens 2010
Venue/Date: 12 February 2009. Whitney, Nevada (alongside the IRB event).
POOL A
Nation
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
USA White
3
0
0
65
31
China
2
0
1
72
38
France
2
0
1
58
26
Canada University
2
0
1
38
27
Germany
0
0
3
31
82
USA Blue
0
0
3
22
82
USA White 19-12 China
France 29-12 USA Blue
USA White 29-12 Germany
Canada University 14-0 France
China 24-19 Germany
Canada University 17-10 USA Blue
USA White 17-7 Canada University
France 29-0 Germany
China 36-0 USA Blue
5th/6th place
USA Blue 38-12 Germany
Semi-finals
Semifinal: USA White 17-7 Canada National University
Australia, Brazil and Kenya were originally expected, and Kenya only withdrew a week before due to visa problems, being replaced by the Hawaiian Select. Tyrolian Select - from the Women Rugby Club, Innsburck - had originally intended to take part in the club event. The final was broadcast on NBC in North America.
POOL A
Nation
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
Netherlands
2
0
1
120
27
Canada
2
0
1
83
19
USA
2
0
1
65
26
Tyrolian Select
0
0
3
0
198
USA 43-0 Tyrolian Select
Canada 12-10 Netherlands
USA 15-21 Netherlands
Canada 66-0 Tyrolian Select
USA 7-5 Canada
Netherlands 89-0 Tyrolian Select
5th to 8th Place
USA 17-5 Hawaii Select
Maple Leafs 52-0 Tyrolian Select
7th Place
Hawaii Select 34-0 Tyrolian Select
5th Place
USA 26-7 Maple Leafs
POOL B
Nation
Won
Drawn
Lost
For
Against
Spain
3
0
0
60
19
France
2
0
1
69
21
Maple Leafs
1
0
2
38
41
Hawaii Select
0
0
3
7
88
France 21-7 Maple Leafs
Spain 26-7 Hawaii Select
France 36-0 Hawaii Select
Spain 20-5 Maple Leafs
France 12-14 Spain
Hawaii Select 0-26 Maple Leafs
Semi Finals
Spain 0-15 Canada
Netherlands 17-7 France
3rd Place
Spain 12-15 France
Final
Canada 17-12 Netherlands
USA Sevens 2012
Chile and "Adler Sevens" (German development team) also took part in the Women's Elite Sevens. Adler beat Chile 22-5 on the way to winning the tournament.[2]
The USA Women's Sevens returned for the 2018–19 series, but it moved from March to October, becoming the season opener. Also, the tournament moved to a new site—Infinity Park in the Denver suburb of Glendale, Colorado.