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Watch on RugbyPass TV: USA Sevens rosters for PR7s All-Star tournament
By Finn Morton
USA Sevens have revealed the rosters for this weekend’s Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) All-Star Tournament at Portland’s Providence Park. Before the HSBC SVNS Series gets underway in Dubai later this month, these teams will compete against quality opposition on home soil.
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Canadian and international audiences can watch the broadcast on RugbyPass TV for free from 2:00 pm PT. For the USA Women’s Sevens, they’ll have the chance to test themselves against North American rivals Canada, who claimed silver at the Paris Olympics in July.
Both the USA and Canadian women’s teams, as well as the U.S. Men’s Sevens side, will take on teams that include past Olympics, legends of the sport, and other athletes at the top of their game. They’ll play two matches each on Sunday, November 17, at the Oregon venue.
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Two-time Olympians Ariana Rasmey and Kayla Canett will be key for the USA, with women’s coach Emilie Bydwell naming a largely inexperienced side, with six of the 11 players selected yet to debut on the HSBC SVNS Series.
But there’s no better time for those players to stake their claim for a Series call-up. Autie LoCicero, Sariah Ibarra, Hann Humphreys, Alyssa Porter, Nia Toliver and Autumn Czaplicki will be eager to impress – although, Toliver did play at the Tokyo Olympics.
The others selected in the U.S Women’s side are Olympic bronze medallist Alena Olsen, Kaylen Thomas who has played at two HSBC SVNS tournaments, and No. 15 Rachel Stradas who has only played at one tournament to date.
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Olsen and Canett will co-captain the team at the PR7s All-Star Tournament, with coach Emilie Bydwell seeing this event as a decisive marker for a young side ahead of the SVNS Series opener at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium later this month.
“It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up our first pre-season of the LA 2028 campaign! After achieving our goal of podium in Paris, we have had significant turnover as a team and we have spent the fall welcoming the next generation of USA Women’s Sevens Players,” coach Bydwell said in a statement.
“We see this first year of the quad being focused around building the foundation required to build through the next four years. Pre-season has emphasised the development of physical capacity, tolerance, and developing the technical skills required to play the way we want to.
“Beyond that, we have been working on how to help our new residents understand how to thrive in a professional, full-time environment and instil the culture and values of our program.
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“The PR7s competition is perfectly timed prior to Dubai to give us an opportunity to instil and rehearse our processes, build awareness and connection as we start to form a new team, and most importantly provide the players the space to explore their strengths against external competition so we can identify areas that we want to enhance and augment through the early stages of the season.
“We have some exciting new talent that brings unique super power to the game, so we will use this competition to encourage them to express themselves while they also learn to play together and how to get the most out of each other.”
Then there’s the men’s team who are preparing to usher in a new era. Former two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Perry Baker has retired from international sevens, and Simon Amor has stepped into the head coaching role following the departure of Mike Friday.
But, Amor will officially start later in the year, meaning veteran Ben Pinkelman leads the way as the head coach for this event. It’s an Eagles Sevens outfit which boasts a wealth of experience, including six Olympians from the Paris Games earlier this year.
Aaron Cummings, Orrin Bizer, Adam Channel, Lucas Lacamp, Pita Vi and Marcus Tupuola are the Olympians in this roster, but Lance Williams is another player to watch after showing some serious promise on the SVNS Series as well as in Major League Rugby.
But the key player for the U.S. is potentially Lacamp who was sensational across the entire Series campaign in 2023/24. The centre has played at 20 HSBC SVNS tournaments so far and can at this stage be expected to add to that during the season ahead.
David Still III, Faitala Talapusi and Jack Wendling are the three other players with SVNS Series experience in this squad, while Peter Sio Jr and Porter Goodrum are both yet to debut on the international circuit.
“Everyone has come in with an open mind and believes in where this team can go,” Pinkelman explained. “It has made for an exciting pre-season with lots of ups and downs, tons of learning, and a desire to work hard and connect with each other for the betterment of the team.
“The PR7s All-Star event gives the team a great opportunity to work on its connections and cohesion against a high-quality opposition in true tournament conditions. I am also looking forward to seeing the players bring out their unique strengths and stake a claim for a place on the 2024/25 HSBC SVNS World Series, which starts in a couple of weeks’ time in Dubai.”
USA Women’s Sevens Roster
- Ariana Ramsey
- Kayla Canett
- Alena Olsen
- Rachel Stradas
- Kaylen Thomas
- Autie LoCicero*
- Sariah Ibarra*
- Hann Humphreys*
- Alyssa Porter*
- Nia Toliver*
- Autumn Czaplicki*
*Denotes yet to debut on HSBC SVNS Series
USA Men’s Sevens Roster
- Aaron Cummings – Forward
- Orrin Bizer – Prop
- Adam Channel – Forward
- David Still III – Wing
- Peter Sio Jr – Scrumhalf/Flyhalf*
- Lance Williams – Prop
- Faitala Talapusi – Flyhalf
- Lucas Lacamp – Centre
- Jack Wendling – Forward
- Peter Goodrum – Scrumhalf/Flyhalf*
- Pita Vi – Utility back
- Marcus Tupuola
*Denotes yet to debut on HSBC SVNS Series
Broadcast schedule (Pacific Time):
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. – FS2 (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, including Canada)
4:30 p.m. to 5:35 p.m. – PR7s YouTube (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, including Canada)
Schedule of games (Pacific Time):
1:04 p.m. – Men’s Match: U.S. National Team vs. PR7s All-Stars
Airing at 2:00 p.m. PT on FS2 (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada)
1:30 p.m. – Women’s Match: Canadian National Team vs. PR7s All-Stars
Airing at 2:30 p.m. PT on FS2 (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada)
2:05 p.m. – Men’s Regional Match: Oregon Rugby Sports Union (ORSU), no broadcast
2:35 p.m. – Women’s College Match: University of Oregon vs. Oregon State University, no broadcast
3:04 p.m. – Men’s Match: U.S. National Team vs. PR7s All-Stars
FS2 (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada), live
3:31 p.m. – Women’s Match: PR7s All Stars vs. USA National Team
FS2 (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada), live
4:05 p.m. – Women’s Youth Selects Match: Pacific Northwest Loggers vs. TOA Idaho, no broadcast
4:31 p.m. – Men’s Match: U.S. National Team vs. PR7s All-Stars
PR7s YouTube (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada), live
5:01 p.m. – Women’s Match: U.S. National Team vs. Canadian National Team
PR7s YouTube (U.S.) and Rugby Pass TV (international, inc. Canada), live
Can Times for Sevens in USA be added for SH times for watching too please? or not what is Pacific Time in relation to Aussie or NZ Time?