2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in SF

US wing Perry Baker (right) scoring a brace
against Wales, July 20, 2018.

Rugby--though I never played this British invention, despite my high school actually having a team (and a good one), I am a huge fan of the sport, and in the past have posted about the Rugby World Cup, whose next edition arrives in 2019, in Japan. That World Cup will feature the globe's best 15-man rugby teams. (There is an 15-woman squad Rugby World Cup as well, whose next championship will be in 2021). The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, though, offered a faster, smaller version of the international game, Rugby Sevens, with 7 players and different, streamlined rules from standard 15-person rugby union play. As a result, Rugby Sevens matches are briefer affairs, and often feature far more thrilling runs up and down the field, eliminating some of the slog and stasis of standard rugby, which is not without its charms too.

South African star Siviye Soyizwapi (left)
racing into the end zone for a try, and finishing as
co-top Rugby World Cup Sevens try scorer

I had not realized until C alerted me to it that this year's Rugby World Cup Sevens were underway this past weekend in San Francisco, but he managed to record the final day's key matches, capturing the championship and other key matchups. In this year's Cup, 24 men's teams and 16 women's teams competed at San Francisco's AT&T Park in games that were structured to take place over a three day span. I was a bit amazed when I first saw how tightly scheduled the competition was, especially compared, for example, to recent tournaments like the recent FIFA World Cup in Russia, or the Wimbledon All England Tennis Tournament. In this tournament, the games were pegged and structured that they flew past without any hitches; the women's championship took place on the 21st, followed by the men's on the 22nd, with various lower-placement and bowl matches artfully dovetailed in.

All Blacks Sevens star Joe Ravouvou, diving
for a try, and finishing as co-top Rugby
World Cup Sevens try scorer

The host US's Sevens squad played with panache throughout, though they finished 2-2. Entering the tournament as the 5th seed, having won a 2016-17 tournament in Dubai, they advanced in the Championship round of 16 by defeating past champion Wales 35-0, then lost to England in extra time 24-19. That sent the US to the fifth place bracket semi-finals against Scotland, which it defeated 28-0, before the team lost to Argentina 33-7, finishing in 6th place. In the opening game, center Martin Iosefo, forward Danny Barrett, and young speedster wing Carlin Isles all scored tries, as did star wing Perry Baker, who scored twice. Longtime team captain Madison Hughes made all five conversions. Against England, the US was behind 7-12 yet couldn't close the gap; by game's end, Hughes, scrum-half Folau Niua and Baker scored, but Hughes managed only two of the conversions, the game concluding with a 24-19 loss for the Americans.

The US's Martin Iosefo, in white, during his breakaway
run in the US-Argentina game, July 22, 2018

In the penultimate shut-out match against Scotland, Maka (KK) Unufe, Hughes, Stephin Hughes, and Isles all scored tries, with Hughes converting each. The US dominated and looked like a team that could have gone nearly all the way, but for the loss to England. Against Argentina, however, the US again struggled to score tries, while being dominated by the stronger and faster Argentinian squad. By half time the US was down 0-19. In the second half Iosefo, who entered as a substitute scored for the US, with Stephin Thomasin converting for the extra point, but it was hardly enough to make up for Argentina's two subsequent tries and conversions, and the final score was 7-33, giving the US a 6th place finish.

Fiji's Sevuloni Mocenacagi, after scoring his try
against South Africa in the Bronze final, won by
South Africa, 24-19, July 22, 2018

In the men's final, for the Melrose Cup, powerhouse New Zealand defeated England 33-12, with South Africa finishing third and Olympic champion Fiji finishing 4th. This was the All Blacks Sevens' third win and second straight in World Rugby Cup Sevens, once again making them the only team to have won the tournament more than once, and the only team to have won it three times. Other than South Africa, other teams from that continent did not fare so well; Kenya finished 16th, Uganda finished 19, and Zimbabwe 23, defeating the last place team this time, Jamaica. Several of these countries, Kenya in particular, demonstrated in the Olympics, however, that they have the talent to give any team a challenge, so it will be exciting to see what the 2022 edition brings.

All Blacks Akuila Rokolisoa sprinting towards
the end zone in the Championship game
against England, July 22, 2018 

All Blacks Akuila Rokolisoa after his
try during the Championship game
against England, July 22, 2018 

All Blacks Akuila Rokolisoa celebrating
after his try in the Championship game
against England, July 22, 2018 

The women's final pitted New Zealand against France, with the All Blacks Sevens winning 29-0. Australia's team finished 3rd and the host US squad finished 4th, after 3rd place finishes in the two prior Rugby World Cups of 2009 and 2013. The US, as host, had an automatic draw, and was ranked 5 in the draw, below Australia and Canada, but as they had shown in prior World Cups, played with brio, defeating China 38-7 in the round of 16, then Russia 33-17 in the quarterfinals, before losing to the All Blacks Sevens 26-21 in a close match in the semifinals and Australia 24-14 in the bronze medal match. The US women in fact were the only team that posed any real challenge for New Zealand. In rugby sevens as in 11-person rugby, whether among the women or men, New Zealand's All Blacks remain the team to beat.

New Zealand's Portia Woodman (center),
breaking a tackle by France in the women's
Championship game, July 21, 2018