Some in the rugby community were left scratching their heads when Tiger Rugby didn't send a team to this year's Las Vegas Invitational. After all, it is one of the highest concentrations of top domestic 7s. It turns out the Tigers had a great reason to skip the LVI: an invitation to the prestigious Melrose 7s. It's the oldest 7s tournament in the world, features several top sides from around the world, and gains considerable media attention. The tournament takes place on April 12th. For Tiger Rugby directors James Walker and Paul Holmes it was a no-brainer of a decision when it came to allocating funds.
"Any rugby 7’s aficionado will tell you that Melrose ranks up there with the iconic Hong Kong 7s as tournaments that embody the magic of the 7s game. What makes Melrose so special is that it has been around for 131 years, and still celebrates the beauty of the amateur side of the game," explained Walker. "That said, there are always a number of professional clubs involved with many star international players booting up. Melrose is also unique in that it very much a high stakes game of knockout from game one. The formula is simple in that you lose, you’re out!"
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This year the competition will feature Glasgow (Folau Niua and Carlin Isles may play), Clermont, Trinidad & Tobago, and a host of Scottish clubs in a 24 team field. Also making the tournament different from other tournaments is that each team is only allowed 10 man roster. Walker believes that "significantly changes the balance of a squad that you ideally will select. For me it means that we will have to take a couple more players with the ability to play multiple positions versus outright specialists."
For Tiger Rugby the tournament is a further step in their overall goal of getting more players exposed to international rugby and expanding their brand. The Melrose 7s will be played on television and in front of a packed audience. The Tigers will be the first American team in almost 20 years at the tournament and have a real chance to make a statement.
According to Walker the invitation to the Melrose 7s is already paying off. "Just this morning we received another invite to the prestigious Roma 7’s 2014…..if we get this strategy right, we hope to continue to be a major development vehicle for strengthening our national teams. Since our first tour 2007 we have something like 23 players go on to play with the Eagles in 7’s and 15’s, and that is only with a very limited number of national tournaments. Our stretch goal is to get to 10 tournaments per year for senior men’s, followed by something slightly less ambitious for women’s and juniors in the short term."
The Tiger Academy is already on the path to fulfilling their goals. Their training center in Columbus is a hive of activity and has drawn in several players from around the country. While the Tigers may not have gone to the Las Vegas Invitational, 1823 did and it featured several of the younger players from the Tiger Academy. The organization has also put teams in the Serevi RugbyTown Sevens, the NYC 7s, and other tournaments.
The Melrose 7s is simply another step to achieving their mission of getting players ready for the international stage. Just like their previous tournament to Shanghai it gives players on the Eagles or the fringe of the Eagles the opportunity to go on tour, understand what it is like playing in a pressure environment, and to see how they do in a game environment. With limited funds available to the Eagles for development tours, Tiger Rugby represents one of the best routes for development. With no IRB Sevens Series tournament during this period it's possible that the team could comprise several members of the Eagles squad.
The Melrose 7s is simply another step to achieving their mission of getting players ready for the international stage. Just like their previous tournament to Shanghai it gives players on the Eagles or the fringe of the Eagles the opportunity to go on tour, understand what it is like playing in a pressure environment, and to see how they do in a game environment. With limited funds available to the Eagles for development tours, Tiger Rugby represents one of the best routes for development. With no IRB Sevens Series tournament during this period it's possible that the team could comprise several members of the Eagles squad.