ORSU at the 2019 Pacific North qualifier / Photo: Jackie Finlan
The USA National 7s Rugby Championship is being held outside of Seattle, Wash., a convenient location for host Washington Athletic Club (WAC) obviously but also Oregon Rugby Sports Union in Portland. The Jesters have history at club 7s nationals and have quickly ramped up operations since the tournament’s been confirmed.
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“Up until a few weeks ago, we were under the assumption there would be no 7s season this summer,” ORSU coach Talo Fetuuahu explained. “So trainings had been pretty casual with a lot of ball handling and touch just to get people moving together again after a long year off. Once we got word of the 7s season, attendance at training shot up, and the team’s really buzzing to be getting back into some competition.”
This weekend, ORSU will make its first 7s appearance since the 2019 Pacific North qualifier on Treasure Island (ORSU did not qualify for 2019 nationals, as WAC, Life West and Berkeley represented the region). The Jesters are competing at the 42nd Can-Am 7s in Chuckanut, Wash., and the run-out will provide lots of information on the state of the current squad and competition.
“ … [T]he team is looking good and I’m happy to see our returning players picking up right where they left off,” Fetuuahu looked toward Saturday. “Not sure what the competition will look like just yet, but we can always count on WAC to push us in these local tournaments.”
Te Awhina Ho Chee, Erika Farias, Claire Lundy and Anna Symonds are among the stalwarts propelling ORSU’s return to play. San Juanita Fetuuaho, who has played for the Jesters longer than any current player on any team within the club, is also back and brings with her recent playing experience with the Mexico 7s national team. In mid-June, she played with Team Mexico at the Olympic 7s repechage in Monaco, and then followed with a trip to Los Angeles for the Quest for Gold Sevens in late June. Excitement is also building around a solid crop of new and young players who have shown up this summer.
“I think there’s just a general feeling of excitement as rugby as we know it comes back into our lives, but I’ve been lucky to be getting some really good coaching support the last few weeks,” Fetuuahu noted. “Willeo Bloomfield has just relocated from the Bay Area, and though he’s unable to join us consistently, he’s been able to coach the players at a couple sessions, and he took a couple hours one Saturday to sit down with me and coach the coach, which was an awesome experience.”
ORSU has also recently added Bui Baravilala to the coaching staff. Baravilala is a former USA 7s and 15s Eagle, and represented Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“She’s brought a ton of experience and fun to our trainings so far,” Fetuuahu enthused. “So I’m excited about this weekend, but definitely more excited to see where we can get over the course of the next month.”
The next month is filled with 7s tournaments, providing several opportunities for players to gain eligibility for nationals on Aug. 13-15. ORSU is also hosting its own tournament, Roy Lucas 7s, on July 17. Unlike years previous, the Jesters are guaranteed a spot at nationals, as teams must pre-register for the event. The competition is then split into two tiers – Signes Cup championship and the secondary Silver Cup tier – but 2021 might feature just one competition given the number of women’s clubs that have committed so far. Stay tuned for updates.