TIAR: What kind of reception did you received from the rugby community during the event?
Stephen Siano: The fans, the parents, and players were impressed by the professionalism and organization of the event. Little touches, like custom designed event rugby balls, souvenir player badges, organized team meals, and signing the national anthem before each game really added to the experience for everyone especially the players. Hearing that these details were noticed and appreciated was all our staff needed.
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The moment when the captain of Army called his team to turn from facing the audience to salute the flag before the singing of the anthem was one of my favorite moments. It was very powerful and evoked a lot of emotion from everyone attending.
Recognizing the men of the matches (on both teams) was also well received. The teammates of each player selected were incredibly supportive and cheered them on as they received their Boathouse custom commemorative shirts.
We were able to fill the stands several times during the event and there was a great energy in the building. The fans enjoyed the intimate setting of the 2,000 seat Rugby Athletic Center (RAC). With a series of matches planned, Sevens Sports and the RAC realized that fans would be coming and going during the two days. I thought we did a good job of anticipating and making the experience positive for the rugby fans. The fans expressed their satisfaction.
For fans and supporters not able to attend the event in person, the live feed was a great addition. The feed was not an after thought, but was beyond the budget we could muster on such short noitice until Ryan Ginty and Next Level Rugby came on the scene. Ryan single-handedly made the feed work and announced every match. The Internet fans got into some back and forth with Ryan on social media which led to some healthy banter. Ryan added enthusiasm and his own personal touch to the event. We had a lot of interaction on social media.
I heard a lot of positive feedback and excitement for the future of this event. Even teams that walked away with a loss - specifically, the University of North Texas and University of South Carolina - seemed thrilled to be a part of this event and excited for a possible return next year. Many people made a point to tell us that they really enjoyed the event.
Overall with ACRCBowlSeries.com and URugby.com we worked hard to create excitement as the event approached. Our team, I thought, did a great job of following that through at the event. The feedback of our coverage of the build up to conference championships and teams qualifying for the event then through the event itself was very positive. Obviously the continued coverage of thisisamericanrugby.com is appreciated and we expect more of the same.
The idea of using a converted golf driving range for a facility made, even me, a little skeptical. The facility, the Rugby Athletic Center (http://www.urugby.com/rugby-athletic-center), in Charlotte is just 4 months in existence. Arriving at the RAC was such a bonus for me and really set the table for the weekend. Doug Shipley, Bernie and Elizabeth Funck and Katie Wurst - all rugby people - went above and beyond from the moment I arrived. The conversion from a 3-tiered driving range to stadium is actually so very cool and way more than what I thought I signed up for. The field level seats worked great with stands covered from the elements. The second level with easy access to an indoor club house and a private dining area that the teams used post match was bustling with activity all weekend. The third level was designated for VIPs. Again covered, the RAC added portable heating to warm the chilly evenings. The top level with an outdoor lounge and private serving area was by far the coolest place to watch the action.
TIAR: How were the match-ups decided?
SS: My first exposure to the ACRC was a conference call right after I agreed to run the ACRC 7s last spring. It was just 6 weeks before the event. The call made me realize just how fragile this ‘loosely formed group of collegiate conferences’ really is. Honestly the group today is no more or less organized than they were on that first call.
These guys, though, are rugby men. They live and breathe the sport. They all believe and buy into the same concept that is a huge part of our business model. Simply, it’s all about the players.
I wouldn’t say anyone specifically decided the match ups. The ACRC group entrusted me with the rights to the event. As an inaugural event, I spent a lot of time listening. I’m not a collegiate coach, but I do manage a set of collegiate teams through my role as the Ivy Rugby President. I worked closely with ACRC coaches, listened to their concerns about what teams they’d like to play - about what teams their school administration would like them to play - and why. I did the best I could to understand the talent level of each participating team. The coaches and I talked a lot - emailed a lot - argued little - compromised and eventually scrambled to make the match ups happen. In the end it was all very much by committee.
In retrospect, some of the match ups were perfect. AIC v Bowling Green - awesome. Stony Brook v West Virginia - epic.
From the start it was Life versus the Rugby East champion. I was skeptical of Life just getting that spot without any play in. I’m not sure what’s in the water in Marietta? I suspect recently named Life University Athletic Director Dan Payne has a lot to do with the success of their program. For the ACRC Bowl Series, Life delivered.
TIAR: What were the positives from the weekend?
SS: It went off exactly as we planned it. I’m a big stickler for on-time rugby. The tenth match of the weekend (7th match on Saturday) started at 8:02 - scheduled for 8:00pm. We played every hour and 45 minutes. Each team was introduced, treated to a live rendition of the national anthem - which still gets me - and as much as I could afford and wrangle out of my sponsor Boathouse Sports (www.boathouse.com/), we honored each participating team with awards.
I can’t say enough about Boathouse Sports CEO Doug Tibbetts and his Philadelphia-based manufacturing company. Boathouse gear is the best and Doug, in attendance of course, always manages to give of himself and his company to make our events special.
I think people read the sponsor plugs and say, “whatever," but this is where we are. We will be building an event that sponsors want to be a part of and that people want to attend and watch. Our sponsors are a huge key. We’re also very particular about our sponsorship representation. The City of Charlotte (www.charlottesgotalot.com/) was huge. We’re hoping with the addition of the ACRC Bowl Series in Charlotte each year that Charlotte’s Got A Lot more with rugby on the docket. The City of Virginia Beach (http://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/) - the host of the 2015 ACRC Sevens - stepped up. My good friend Emil Signes of Atlantis Rugby (www.atlantisrugby.com/) and Serevi (www.serevirugby.com/) both contributed to the success of the event.
What got me though - actually caught me off guard - was the excitement of the players. You could feel it in the air from both squads during the introductions and the national anthem. When the final whistle blew for each match there was a huge roar the stands and even loader from the kids on the field. And since that is the plan - its all about the players - that is the win.
For the sport: the people came. To quote James Earl Jones’ character from Field of Dreams, it's clear to me that, “people will most definitely come.” My job is to set the stage and have people believe that the event will go off as planned and it did and they came to see what all the fuss was about and to experience it for themselves.
TIAR: What are somethings that could be improved?
SS: In true rugby fashion I had 3 teams bail - very last minute. I’m still learning, understanding, working on the psyche of collegiate rugby. I won’t force teams to sell tickets. I won’t talk badly about programs, but I will ask teams to commit financially in the future. I will use the money to pay for their hotel rooms for the event, but it will not be refundable. We put a lot of time, effort and money into promoting the sport through an event like this. If we are going to continue to move forward, failure is not an option. I’m embarrassed not for me and the efforts of Sevens Sports but for the programs themselves. Everyone knew who dropped out - not because anyone called them on it - but because we spent so much time and effort promoting their programs before the event.
TIAR: Logistically, how challenging was it to organize the tournament?
SS: OMG - very. Extremely time consuming for me personally, but I had a blast. I’m about to turn 55 and I still miss playing the game. Running events and dealing with all the great guys that are dedicated to the game of rugby is starting to fill the void.
There were obvious obstacles to overcome. Planning an event at a venue we had never seen was a challenge. All of the obstacles were made easier by technology. A prime example was when Doug Shipley simply sent us a video tour of the RAC that he created on his iPhone. I have to add that the spirit of cooperation that Doug brought to the event really made it work.
TIAR: Now that there has been a season of Bowls over a fall playoff do you think Bowls are the way to go?
SS: Absolutely. I believe it was Bruce McLean’s idea or possibly Tal Bayer. I was at a meeting in June in Philadelphia when we first talked about the concept of bowl games. I thought the concept was a home run. I think everyone now sees the concept as a great one. We all gather in one place. We celebrate the game of rugby as a community. As I’m sure everyone realizes by now, the East Coast Rugby Conference truly won the event with Boston College, American International College and UMass all taking home hardware. One - they all saw the value - stepped up to participate - but as a conference - WOW - they were all down on the field clapping off the other team in their conference. There was a solidarity that I don’t believe has a chance to foster under the conditions of the collegiate season.
This is going to sound crazy and out of context I’m sure I will be ridiculed, but I think we need to bring the party back to the sport of college rugby. So what needs to be clarified is I’m not talking about drinking alcohol and carrying on. I’m talking about the great memories I have in rugby of hashing out the match with your opposite - with the referee. For me as a flyhalf, I always loved having a conversation with the open side flanker or the opposing centers if we were able to slice through their defense or a wing that maybe I managed to look off before putting a kick into space or a prop - I have one in mind GJ - who spent the entire day running me over. These guys who I spent time with after matches - like what the BC, AIC and UMass guys showed from the ACRC weekend - are still my friends today after all these years.
TIAR: Which teams do you think stood out?
SS: Life JV and Dan Payne--Dan said to me, “set something like this up anywhere and we’ll be there, just let us know what time.” Life’s JV jumped into the event on Wednesday after yet another team bailed on me. Dan brought his squad of mostly freshman up from Georgia and put it to Western Michigan. Like I said earlier, Life delivered.
Iona College and Bruce McLane--Iona was the first team to commit to the event. Bruce did so many big things to make the event happen and so many little things - too many to mention.
Gregg Jones and Kutztown--Gregg is an old friend - we were teammates at Whitemarsh in the late 70s. My brothers John and Jim work with him at KU. He was committed from the start. His team, despite tons of injuries, came to play.
AIC and Josh Macy--Josh coaches the most underrated program in the country. I predict that Josh with his rugby team will make American International College a household name in the country like the Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga coaches did with their basketball programs.
I could continue to do this and mention each and every team that participated. Let me know if you want more!
TIAR: Does the event plan on returning next season? What other events do you have planned?
SS: There’s no doubt that we will do this again in 2015. You may even see an Ivy team.
APR 11-12 2015 — Inaugural URugby Sevens Challenge Cup Philadelphia PA
APR 25-26 2015 — 2nd annual ACRC Sevens Virginia Beach, VA
JUL 18-19 2015 — 12th annual Surfside Sevens Stone Harbor NJ + 2nd annual American High School Sevens Championships
NOV 2015 — 2nd annual ACRC Bowl Series
TIAR: Final Thoughts?
SS: I will say I don’t think anyone believed. I believe that you just have to give people more than they expect and they will come to realize that events like this are more than possible.
I have to give a huge shout out to my team at Sevens Sports, LLC (www.sevenssports.com) and our sister company 4x3, LLC (www.4x3.net) for the event coordination and professional design support. A special thank you to my wife Amy, my brother Jim and my children Bobby, Sofia and Jack who all contributed immensely to the success of the event. We are a family run business and are all about team work. We kid in our office about how I’ve sucked all of them into my rugby world. I think everyone at my work and in my family will admit that they have become a big part of the rugby community.