St. Louis, Mo. will be the host city for the USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships this weekend.
The tournament, which has followed largely an invitational format (heavily influences by on-field results, of course), includes 16 teams for men and 16 teams for women. It will be held August 13-14 at Emerson Central Fields in St. Louis, admission is free, and it will be streamed live on The Rugby Network.
The defending Signes Cup champions from 2021 will return as the Chicago Lions (men's defending champions) and Scion (women) head up the list.
Topping the women's bracket at Life West, Washington Athletic Club, and San Diego Surfers. The Surfers have won this event before, and the WAC, when they played as Seattle Atavus, did also. Life West made the final in 2021 before being beaten rather convincingly 40-0 by Scion.
In the men's bracket the Lions are joined by WAC, Denver, and a long list of contenders. WAC won it all in 2019; Denver has made eight finals but never hoisted the cup. Former champions Belmont Shore, Old Blue, and former finalists Westside Ronin (2021) and Schuylkill River (2011) are also there.
Interestingly, several of the teams in this event will also turn around and compete in the End of Summer Bash at the LA Sevens. Denver, Belmont Shore, Berkeley All Blues, and Scion are all set to double-up, while a number of players in other teams are expected to suit up for compilation sides in LA.
Go here for LA Sevens Tickets and to see the End of Summer Bash>>