The Los Angeles Invitational (LAI) is the official community rugby tournament associated with the LA 7s, which in 2025 serves as the HSBC SVNS World Championship. The LAI 7s occurs on Friday, May 2 at the expansive Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. After one day of competition, 10 divisions will name champions, and then attention will turn to the international tournament at Dignity Sports Health Park (Carson, Calif.) from Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4.
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The LAI 7s took a hiatus in 2024. The year prior saw torrential rain take center stage, and the event was not equipped to adjust or communicate change. In 2025, there are notable changes to the amateur tournament. Games have been moved out of Los Angeles and to Irvine, approximately 40 miles from Dignity Health. Orange County Great Park is a great facility and the LAI 7s has utilized this space in the past. Thus, all of the operations and staff can be centralized at this one location. Also, the tournament is now a single-day event, and does not overlap with LA 7s games.
Jess Lu at the 2023 LAI 7s, prior to her USA 7s residency / Photo: Jackie Finlan
What hasn’t changed? Participating teams receive ticket discounts to the LA 7s. E-mail la7srugbyinvitational@gmail.com for more information.
At present, the website advertises more divisions than the registration form offers, with consolidation happening at the high school level and younger. So expect competition options to shift as interest is better understood. There are men’s and women’s elite and open options, and then open divisions for college and high school, as well as coed youth brackets.
Visit https://lasevensrugby.com/2025-LAI-More-information for event info.