Watch a behind-the-scenes film that looks at how the United States sevens team is helping to grow rugby in America
Meet the Americans changing rugby in the USA
You would think America would take to rugby like a duck takes to water given their love for physical sports like American football and ice hockey.
However, this has not yet proved to be the case, probably because rugby has to compete with those other sports. You can also throw baseball and basketball into the mix.
There quite simply aren’t enough people in America taking up the game of rugby right now, but that is changing.
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The USA sevens team has slowly become one of the strongest in the world and regularly competes for top spots on the World Rugby Sevens Series.
Last season they came sixth overall, beating countries like Ireland, Wales, France and Argentina – all nations with larger rugby pedigrees than the States – and the Eagles also managed to win their home leg of the series by triumphing in Las Vegas.
With the USA now starting to regularly compete for sevens trophies and the launch of Major League Rugby, a new domestic club competition, rugby is starting to make headway in the country’s sporting market.
The goal of coach Mike Friday and his team is to inspire youngsters around the States to take up rugby – and they have the perfect opportunity to do so this weekend.
The Eagles are looking for more success on home soil as they prepare for this weekend’s Sevens World Cup in San Francisco and to mark the occasion a new behind-the-scenes film has been released.
The Pioneers takes you inside the USA sevens camp to find out how they are making improvements and allowing you to get to know some of the players responsible for their success, stars like Perry Baker and Carlin Isles.
The video offers a brilliant insight into the USA and their players – and you can watch it below…
The USA kick off their Sevens World Cup campaign against the winners of Wales v Zimbabwe on Friday 20 July (early Saturday morning UK and Ireland time) while the final takes place on Sunday 22 July.
You can also read our Sevens World Cup preview, which focuses on the USA, in the August issue of Rugby World – on sale now.