GRR: Rugby Americas North
The USA Rugby South U19 Panthers program has announced tryouts for 7s and 15s events in 2017.
The 7s program will compete in the North American HS 7s (NASH 7s) events in Las Vegas (the LVI) and the NAI 7s in Salt Lake City later in the summer. More tournaments will be added later.
USA Rugby South shocked Mexico to win the Rugby Americas North U19 championship Saturday.
The Panthers went into the game having just escaped a very athletic Trinidad & Tobago team, while Mexico, the defending champions, had made it comfortably through pool play.
The USA South Men's U19 team has a tough task ahead of it Saturday as the Panthers take on Mexico in the Rugby Americas North final.
The Panthers needed some late-game heroics to edged Trinidad & Tobago by a single point on Wednesday. Mexico, meanwhile, Mexico thrashed Turks & Caicos and then beat Cayman Islands 26-10 Wednesday to have a somewhat easier path to the final.
The USA Rugby South women's team won the Rugby Americas North women's 10s Friday.
The 10-a-side tournament featured USA South, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, and Jamaica. The South team was made up mostly of players from Life University, with a couple of players from other colleges, and was coached by Life University Women's Head Coach Rosalind Chou.
The USA Rugby South U19s needed a big second-half comeback to defeat Trinidad & Tobago and book a place in the Rugby Americas North U19 Championships final Saturday in Miramar, Fla.
Trinidad showcased their dangerous long-range attacking style and the South defense had trouble keeping up early on.