International Rugby News
What qualification to the 2016 Olympics means American rugby is hard to overstate - it means, well not everything, but close.
First of all, all of USA Rugby’s plans for the two 7s teams were all through 6:20pm ET on June 14. They had no plans after that, because everything, funding most of all, hinged on the Eagles booking a spot in Rio.
While the qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympics was expected for the USA women, it wasn’t such a done deal for the USA men.
The men’s team had to face up against Canada in the final, and everyone knew that it would be a tense game.
The USA Women have qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning the NACRA 7s in convincing fashion. In advance of the championship, the Eagles defeated the Bahamas 59-0 in the Cup quarterfinals and Jamaica 53-5 in the semifinals. In the final, the 10-minute halves allowed the Eagles to post their biggest score of the weekend - 88-0 - over Mexico.
That berth to the 2016 Olympic Games is still a hope for all eight women’s teams competing at the NACRA 7s qualifier, but the USA and Mexico have emerged as the favorites for the final. Tomorrow begins the Cup quarterfinals, with the championship contested at 5:04 p.m. ET.