USA V Uruguay World Cup Qualifier – we got it!
After a lot of hard work we have secured this game. Great for Florida and great for rugby enthusiasts in the this state and the south east.
Now comes the hard work, All games are off for this weekend ( did you notice?) so NO EXCUSES not to attend. Get in your diaries now and start passing the word around.
We are working on weekend packages with hotels that should make it financially accessible to everyone ( and help swell union funds) .
Its very important that we pack this, not only to support the national team at a critical stage, but to put Florida on the map for international rugby. We want more games!
Pass the word around, plan team buses and trips, get the famly and the kids to come and enjoy a great rugby opportunity.
More to come, please circulate to as many as you can, here is the official announcement…
Florida to Host Rugby World Cup Qualifier Event in November
BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby officially announced today that its Rugby World Cup Qualifier match against Uruguay will kick off at Broward County Regional Park in Lauderhill, Fla., on November 21 at 2 p.m. (EST).
“Obviously it is imperative that we reach the Rugby World Cup in 2011,” USA Men’s National Team Coach Eddie O’Sullivan said. “We allowed a great opportunity to slip away in July against Canada, but we have to put that disappointment behind us and now focus on getting a result against Uruguay.”
Even though the U.S. Men’s National Team beat Canada, 12-6, on its home turf on July 4, Canada won the point differential overall after its 41-18 win in Edmonton to clinch the Americas 1 spot in Pool A of the upcoming Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The USA found itself playing with only 14 players for three-quarters of the match and struggled to keep any sort of pattern.
Recently promoted to an 18th global ranking by the International Rugby Board (IRB), the USA Eagles face its second chance to qualify for the Rugby World Cup as it will first face Uruguay’s Los Teros on November 14 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Eagles will assemble in Florida on Sunday, November 8, before departing for Montevideo the following Tuesday. The teams will then meet again one week later in Florida.
The USA has a 9-1 win-loss record over Uruguay over the past 20 years, and had to challenge the South American side for their last qualification into the Rugby World Cup four years ago, winning that series by a two-game point total of 75-20.
Even with that record, O’Sullivan is adamant that the Eagles cannot be complacent, saying, “Uruguay will be a difficult test for us to overcome. They have recently put in strong performances against Russia, Romania and Scotland. With limited preparation time available before the first test we will have to hit the ground running in Montevideo.”
A four-team Final Place Playoff will be held to decide the 20th qualifying team in the Rugby World Cup. This would include the loser of this two-game series (the third place Americas team) versus the second place Asian side in a semifinal with the winner playing the victor of the European 3 team against the African 2 team to claim the final spot in the RWC.
Tickets to the USA-based Rugby World Cup Qualifying match against Uruguay will go on sale soon. Check back to www.usarugby.org for more information. For media needing further information, interviews or credentials, please contact Sara John at sjohn@usarugby.org.
BE THERE !
We are planning a warm up game at U 20 level so plan to be there for the whole thing.
Tags: Uruguay
