International Rugby News
The road to the Wheelchair National Championships goes through Bellevue, Wash. this weekend as the Seattle Slam take on the Portland Pounders.
A little over a year ago a very green USA team tied a pretty young Argentina XV 35-35 in the opening round of the new-look Americas Rugby Championship.
Nate Augspurger made the decision after not making the Olympic Games first 12 to leave the USA 7s program, return to the Old Blue club, and concentrate on 15s.
It is generally recognized that black men have been playing rugby since as early as 1900, when James Peters played for the Knowle Rugby Club in England. That is a long time ago. Speed up to present day, even a casual viewer would recognize that the top tier teams have all featured black athletes in their starting 15. On the flipside, USA lags woefully behind.
The question is why?
As we go into the big North American Rugby Party that is the USA 7s and the Canada 7s a week later, it’s worth thinking about how rugby can be a chance to let loose and let your hair down, and also something that makes you grow up.