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 2012âÂÂ13 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.
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. 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:
USA Tournament 2006
Venue: Los Angeles, USA (Source USA Rugby)
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, 9âÂÂ10 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.
- 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
Final
Exhibition Match
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
<div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL A
</div> <div style="width:50%; float:left">
- 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
</div>
Classification Games
5th 6th Play-off
Semi Final 1st vs 4th
Semi Final 2nd vs 3rd
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). <div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL A
- 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
</div> <div style="width:50%; float:left">
5th/6th place
Semi-finals
- Semifinal: USA White 17-7 Canada National University
- Semifinal: China 26-14 France
3rd/4th place
- Canada University 31-0 France
Final
</div>
USA Sevens 2011
Date/Venue: February 11âÂÂ13, 2011. Whitney, Nevada
<div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL A
- 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
</div> <div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL B
- 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
Final
</div>
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.
Date/Venue: February 10âÂÂ12, 2012. Whitney, Nevada <div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL A
- Netherlands 12-5 Stars & Stripes
- Canada 26-0 Brazil
- Netherlands 36-0 Brazil
- Canada 26-7 Stars & Stripes
- Brazil 5-36 Stars & Stripes
- Canada 28-0 Netherlands
5th to 8th Place
- Maple Leafs 5-12 Brazil
- Stars & Stripes 14-5 Japan
7th Place
5th Place
- Brazil 21-19 Stars & Stripes
</div> <div style="width:50%; float:left"> POOL B
- France 14-5 Maple Leafs
- USA 17-5 Japan
- France 19-0 Japan
- USA 22-7 Maple Leafs
- Japan 0-22 Maple Leafs
- USA 19-12 France
Semi Finals
- Canada 21-12 France
- USA 17-5 Netherlands
3rd Place
Final
</div>
Women's Sevens World Series (USA)
- Venue: Houston 1âÂÂ2 February 2013
Group A
- 50-0
- 17-7
- 14-35
- 48-0
- 38-5
- 7-5
Group B
- 0-27
- 12-12
- 19-22
- 0-31
- 0-41
- 24-14
Plate Semi Finals (5th-8th)
- Netherlands 19-5 Canada
- Russia 20-0 South Africa
7th/8th Match
Plate final: 5th/6th Match
Group C
- 31-12
- 27-0
- 22-0
- 24-5
- 12-17
- 15-10
Bowl Semi Finals (9th-12th)
- Japan 12-7 Trinidad
- Brazil 25-5 Argentina
11th/12th Match
Bowl final:9th/10th Match
Quarter-finals (1st-8th)
- England 19-14 Netherlands
- USA 15-7 Russia
- Canada 10-12 New Zealand
- Australia 17-12 South Africa (AET)
Cup Semi Finals (1st-4th)
- England 19-12 New Zealand
- United States 17-5 Australia
3rd/4th place
- New Zealand 12-17 Australia
Cup Final: 1st/2nd place
- England 29-12 United States
USA Sevens 2013
Pool A
- USA Stars 36-0 Argentina
- Maple Leafs Black 14-0 Laia Parkside
- USA Stars 14-0 Laia Parkside
- Maple Leafs Black 40-0 Argentina
- USA Stars 0-17 Maple Leafs Black
- Argentina 14-0 Laia Parkside
Pool B
- Maple Leafs Red 38-0 Beavers International Elite
- Trinidad & Tobago 7-25 Emperor's Atlantis
- Maple Leafs Red 29-5 Emperor's Atlantis
- Trinidad & Tobago 5-12 Beavers International Elite
- Maple Leafs Red 55-0 Trinidad & Tobago
- Emperor's Atlantis 12-7 Beavers International Elite
Plate Semi Finals (5th-8th)
7th/8th Match
Plate final: 5th/6th Match
Group C
- Japan 29-0 Combined Services
- USA Stripes 29-0 Dog River Howlers
- Japan 19-7 Dog River Howlers
- USA Stripes 26-0 Combined Services
- Japan 14-33 USA Stripes
- Combined Services 7-12 Dog River Howlers
Bowl Semi Finals (9th-12th)
- Combined Services v Laia Parkside
- Argentina v Trinidad & Tobago
11th/12th Match
Bowl final:9th/10th Match
Quarter-finals (1st-8th)
- Maple Leafs Red bt Dog River Howlers
- USA Stars lost to Japan
- USA Stripes v Beavers International
- Maple Leafs Black bt Emperors Atlantis
Cup Semi Finals (1st-4th)
- Maple Leafs Red bt Japan
- USA Stripes lost to Maple Leafs Black
3rd/4th place
Cup Final: 1st/2nd place
- Maple Leafs Red 19-0 Maple Leafs Black
Women's Sevens World Series (USA) 2014
Group A
- Australia 31-0 China
- Canada 31-0 United States
- Australia 17-0 United States
- Canada 47-0 China
- United States 41-0 China
- Australia 7-12 Canada
Group B
- New Zealand 21-0 Netherlands
- England 22-0 Ireland
- New Zealand 36-7 Ireland
- England 19-12 Netherlands
- Ireland 12-10 Netherlands
- New Zealand 14-5 England
Plate Semi Finals (5th-8th)
- United States 19-5 England
- Spain 24-0 Japan
7th/8th Match
Plate final: 5th/6th Match
Group C
- Russia 29-0 Japan
- Spain 19-5 Brazil
- Russia 42-5 Brazil
- Spain 7-12 Japan
- Brazil 7-21 Japan
- Russia 19-14 Spain
Bowl Semi Finals (9th-12th)
- Ireland 7-26 China
- Netherlands 17-10 Brazil
11th/12th Match
Bowl final:9th/10th Match
Quarter-finals (1st-8th)
- Canada 26-12 USA
- Australia 17-12 (AET) England
- Russia 29-0 Spain
- New Zealand 42-0 Japan
Cup Semi Finals (1st-4th)
- Canada 17-7 Australia
- Russia 7-24 New Zealand
3rd/4th place
Cup Final: 1st/2nd place
Women's Sevens World Series (USA) 2015
Group A
- New Zealand 17-12 Russia
- United States 36-5 South Africa
- New Zealand 52-0 South Africa
- United States 19-12 Russia
- New Zealand 57-0 United States
- Russia 43-0 South Africa
Group C
- Canada 28-0 Brazil
- England 33-7 China
- Canada 31-14 China
- England 24-0 Brazil
- Canada 10-26 England
- Brazil 17-7 China
Plate Semi Finals (5th-8th)
- Brazil 0-43 France
- Australia 24-12 England
7th/8th Match
Plate final: 5th/6th Match
Group B
- Australia 36-0 Fiji
- France 36-0 Spain
- Australia 24-7 Spain
- France 12-10 Fiji
- Australia 19-7 France
- Fiji 14-19 Spain
Bowl Semi Finals (9th-12th)
- Spain 24-0 South Africa
- Fiji 24-0 China
11th/12th Match
Bowl final:9th/10th Match
Quarter-finals (1st-8th)
- New Zealand 36-0 Brazil
- Canada 24-12 France
- Australia 5-10 United States
- England 0-24 Russia
Cup Semi Finals (1st-4th)
- New Zealand 24-22 Canada
- United States 19-14 Russia
3rd/4th place
Cup Final: 1st/2nd place
- New Zealand 50-12 United States
World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (USA) 2016
World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (USA) 2017
World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (USA) 2018
USA Rugby did not host an event in the 2017âÂÂ18 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, although it hosted the corresponding event in that season's men's Sevens Series. It chose to focus its resources on hosting the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens for both sexes in San Francisco.
The USA Women's Sevens returned for the 2018âÂÂ19 series, but it moved from March to October, becoming the season opener. Also, the tournament moved to a new siteâÂÂInfinity Park in the Denver suburb of Glendale, Colorado.
World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (USA) 2019
See also
References