The summer of 2022 so far has been a tremendous success for our rugby community.
At the beginning of June, a new volunteer rugby program took shape in Arizona, Mesa Arizona to be more exact. Summer 7s Rugby was created to give athletes a platform to discover rugby, improve their rugby skills, and practice rugby in a judgment-free environment. Local rugby coaches and rugby veterans, also known as old boys, got together and volunteered to coach, organize and create this much welcomed movement. Thanks to the Summer 7s initiative, local athletes have been able to participate in volunteer training events and keep rugby going in a period when not much happens in Arizona Rugby.
On July 16th the 1st neighborhood 7s rugby night took place. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT TO SEE! Over 50 athletes came to play rugby, showcase their skills and have fun with friends and family. The event also attracted a good handful of spectators who enjoyed the entertaining rugby.
The Event was FREE to attend and free to play in. People came together for the love of the sport with only one objective in mind: have a good time and play rugby. As we mentioned in the past, the greatest asset this sport possesses in Arizona is its volunteers and their desire to create a community united and focused on the positive growth of the sport. Creating a gathering like this takes effort from coaching, organizing, setting up fields, directing players and teams, scheduling, refereeing and much, much more.
The 1st neighborhood rugby event was made possible by many coming together to achieve one goal and proving once more that our rugby community has a future as bright as the Arizona sun.
With this occasion, we would like to thank the volunteers who helped with getting such a beautiful night off the ground.
Chris Sunderhouse
Bill Elrey
Masi Paleuta
Jacob Gonzalez
Noah Trotter
Blake Bracht
Nick Davies
Mark Pekarik
David Perez
Kolter Kylo
Just to name a few. Our volunteer lists keep growing. More and more rugby lovers in the state are understanding what it takes to be successful. We hope that these programs will keep expanding and of course, we hope that more and more people will join us in growing the sport.
If you didn't make it to the field on Thursday, you definitely missed out. As always there was green grass, music, old friends, new friends, and Rugby: the best time you will have with your new best friends.
