The Los Angeles Invitational 7s (LAI 7s) is one month from kickoff and more than 200 teams have committed to the tournament that aligns with the LA 7s, the fifth stop on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series for men. The first-time event occurs Feb. 28-29, with Friday games taking place at Orange County Great Park (Irvine) and Saturday games at Dignity Park Sports Complex (Carson).
“We’re pretty much locked up,” said LAI 7s Tournament Director Steve Albrecht. “We did limit the number of teams to less than [the Las Vegas Invitational] because we wanted to first make sure that we could deliver and keep that quality up. We’ve had to turn away teams but we’re definitely looking to grow. For example, the Friday location has 24 fields and we’re using 18, so that’s a place where we can build out.”
ADULT DIVISIONS
There are seven girls and women’s divisions, ranging from the Women Elite to U14s, and another three co-ed youth brackets (see more). The USA Falcons and Australia’s Tribe lead the Women Elite, and Stars always brings a nice mix of collegiate and senior players from the U.S. and abroad. The Berkeley All Blues and Oregon Sports Rugby Union (ORSU) are home to senior standouts and national team players, and the country’s best collegiate 7s program, Lindenwood University, is placing its top side in the Women Elite and second side in the College Open.
At the time of print, the Women Open sat at eight teams and includes stand-alone clubs, select sides, invitational teams and one Canadian university (Guelph). Mostly stand-alone teams comprise the College Open, which has nice representation from the Rocky Mountain conference, as well as teams from Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas and two from Canada. Carolina Rugby Union and NSCRO are fielding select sides. California is in its 15s season, and St. Mary’s College is the only representative from the host state.
YOUTH DIVISIONS
Albrecht explained that the 24-team Girls High School Open was the first division of all the divisions to book up. SoCal teams represent a third of the competition, while another four teams are traveling from Northern California, including an all-star side. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma and Utah teams join two Canadian sides, and they, too, range from stand-alone teams to select sides.
The U16 division is mostly from California, save the Arizona Bobcats – the state’s all-star program, which is fielding three girls’ sides all together; Celtic Barbarians, a North American select side; and Canada’s Foothills. Both the U14 and U18 Elite brackets are at four teams apiece.
“That will expand in the future,” Albrecht said of the U18 Elite. “It’s been the hardest to fill out. We got a little bit of a late start [organizing the tournament] and some of those teams make their schedules a year out. It will take a year to get LAI 7s on the map.”
Atlantis headlines the U18 Elite and is joined by local team, Carson, and the Rhinos and Rock (Texas) academies. The four U14 teams hail from Arizona (Bobcats), SoCal (Belmont Shore), Utah (East High) and North America (Celtic Barbarians).
For more information, visit https://lasevensrugby.com/about-the-la-invitational.
TOURNAMENT FLOW
Teams will play their pool play matches and quarterfinal on Friday, and then at least one game Saturday. Friday’s games occur at Orange County Great Park, a beautiful facility with natural grass and turf pitches. On Saturday the tournament moves to the Dignity Health Sports Park, a complex that includes grass pitches adjacent to the LA 7s stadium. So teams can contest their final matches and then walk to the stadium for the international event.
WOMEN ELITE
Berkeley All Blues (CA)
Lindenwood University (MO)
ORSU (OR)
Stars
Tribe (Australia)
USA Falcons
WOMEN OPEN
Belmont Shore (CA)
Carolina Union Selects (NC/SC)
Chicago Lions (IL)
University of Guelph (Canada)
Jackson Hole Moose (WY)
Ruck Til You Scrum (NY)
Savage Lions Selects (CA)
U.S. Coast Guard
WOMEN COLLEGE
Carolina Union Selects (NC/SC)
Colorado State
Colorado University
University of Guelph (Canada)
Kutztown University (PA)
Lindenwood University (MO)
NSCRO Selects Blue
New Mexico State
Notre Dame College (OH)
University of Regina (Canada)
Saint Mary’s College (CA)
University of Texas – El Paso
Utah State
Utah State 2
Utah Valley
U18 GIRLS ELITE
Atlantis
Carson (CA)
Rhinos Rugby Academy (CA)
Rock Rugby Academy (TX)
GIRLS HS OPEN
Advantage Rugby (Canada)
Arizona Bobcats
Aztec Warriors (CA)
Bishop O’Dowd (CA)
Broken Arrow (OK)
Carson Colts (CA)
East High (UT)
East High School BLUE (CO)
East High School RED (CO)
Fallbrook (CA)
Foothills Lions (Canada)
Fullerton Lady Lions (CA)
Independence Lady Warriors (MO)
Land Park Harlequins (CA)
Legacy Academy (MI)
Maui (HI)
Mira Costa (CA)
NorCal All Stars (CA)
Pleasanton Cavaliers (CA)
Rancho Bernardo (CA)
Rhinos Rugby Academy (CA)
Rocky Mountain (ID)
South Davis (UT)
TOA Rugby (UT)
View Park Prep (CA)
U16 GIRLS
Arizona Bobcats
Aztec Warriors (CA)
Belmont Shore (CA)
Celtic Barbarians (North American)
Fallbrook (CA)
Foothills (Canada)
Fullerton (CA)
Kahu (CA)
Rhinos Rugby Academy (CA)
SacPAL (CA)
U14 GIRLS
Arizona Bobcats
Belmont Shore (CA)
Celtic Barbarians (North American)
East High (UT)