In a move that can only serve to improve the status of women’s rugby, and grow the sport in general, Elite Cup team Old Blue New York has announced it will be fielding a women’s 7’s team this summer.
Coach Gary Lee Heavner kindly sent a press release detailing the set up and structure:
Old Blue RFC today announced that the long storied club with five decades of success in 15s and 7s has started a Women’s 7s team which will enter elite and competitive tournaments this upcoming women’s seven’s season. Old Blue President Quentin Unsworth said, “there is a lack of women’s elite 7s teams in the US and we feel starting this team will be vital to growing the development of women’s rugby and help lead the USA to success on the international stage.”
The team will focus predominantly on younger players with rugby potential and has already compiled a roster of players with experience at various age grade, high school and college regional select and national team experience. The Old Blue Men’s 7s program has placed many players on the 7’s Eagles team, has won nearly every 7s tournament, won two national championships and is a perennial men’s club 7s finalist. “Old Blue intends to bring the same 7s structure that has been successful for the Old Blue men to our new women’s 7s program,” said Steve Lewis, Old Blue Sevens and Northeast Olympic Development Academy Head Coach.
The team expects to enter two sides in the women’s divisions at every tournament in the Northeast, even though many players will be college-aged. “With the support of Old Blue’s administration by supplying fields, great looking new jerseys, coaching, training and gym facilities, housing and the like, we expect to attract even more young players who plan to be, or are interested in spending the summer in the Big Apple playing elite rugby,” declared newly appointed Coach Billy Nicholas.
Unlike the women, male players already have an increasing number of 7s specialty teams like Tiger Rugby, the Olympic Developmental sides (notably the Northeast ODA which has traveled well and taken several titles in recent trips to London and Tobago) and Serevi Selects. Old Blue intends to give female players interested in playing with other enthusiastic skilled players at a higher level within a proven structure with top level facilities, a chance to do just that. Every Old Blue coach has experience in select side rugby and cultivating players talent for advancement in the USA and Olympic 7s pools.
The new sevens team will be able to provide the elite program through partnerships with the Old Blue Rugby Foundation, Try On Rugby, Zoti Sportswear, Vbrick Systems, The US Athletic Training Center, The Australian Restaurant, Adidas, Groundswell Contracting, Bourbon Street NYC and Under Armour.
“We were only formally accepted into the Empire GU as an official club at their AGM this past weekend; and the interest and well wishes we are already getting has been overwhelming,” stated Coach Gary Lee Heavner.
The Old Blue staff will be recruiting at many upcoming events, tournaments and clinics over the next few months. Coaches with recommendations and players who are interested should contact Old Blue at [email protected] or visit us on Facebook.
Old Blue’s Women’s 7’s team are also on Twitter, follow them here, and check out Old Blue’s website here.
This is going to be hugely beneficial to a the US Women’s 7’s network, already a dominant force in world 7’s rugby. I will be watching developments here with great interest.
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Main Photo Credit: Supplied by Women’s Old Blue 7’s Management
