USA V ENGLAND COUNTIES
For Immediate Release
May 21, 2008
USA Rugby Announces Select XV to Play England Counties at Columbia University
BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby, in partnership with New York’s Old Blue Rugby Club, will host two matches between its Select XV and the England Counties XV on Friday, June 6 and Monday, June 9 at Columbia University’s Baker Field Athletic Complex.
Both matches between the U.S. developmental side and the England Counties XV, the representative flagship of the County and Community game outside the Guinness Premiership, are slated for 7 p.m. (EDT) kickoffs.
England Counties will play the Select XV as part of its three-match North America tour in June, which also features a stop in Canada. This addition to the men’s schedule provides an excellent opportunity for the USA team to cultivate an expanded player pool leading up to the summer competition season.
“We are obviously delighted to host England, but with the Barclays Churchill Cup being played at a similar time, we need to create a squad to fulfill these fixtures and challenge for NA4 positions in July,” USA Rugby CEO and President of Rugby Operations Nigel Melville said.
The player pool for the Select XVs was initially named following the USA Rugby National Guard Senior Men’s National All-Star Championships (NASC) in December. Melville and a panel of U.S. National Team selectors have continued to observe athletes throughout the spring Rugby Super League and Senior Club seasons. The final squad for the New York City matches is soon to be named.
“This is a great chance to take players from the All-Stars event and challenge them at a higher level,” Melville added. “Not only is this a playing opportunity, it’s also a refereeing and coaching opportunity. We intend to take any opportunity that comes our way to improve on every level.”
Admission to the matches on June 6 and 9 is free, but donations will be accepted to support Play Rugby Inc.’s youth development program in NYC. In the week leading up to the USA matches, from May 31 – June 7, Play Rugby USA will host National Rugby Week, featuring free non-contact rugby activities and competitions in nearly 50 schools throughout New York City, with hopes to expand to more cities in the coming years.
The Rugby Week events for girls and boys ages 8 to 14 culminate in the inaugural Mayor’s Cup Rugby Festival, also at Baker Field Athletic Complex from 12-4 p.m. (EDT) on June 7. The event will feature 24 youth teams representing all five boroughs of the city all competing for the Mayor’s Cup, which will be housed in the Sports Museum of America in Lower Manhattan. For more information on Play Rugby USA and the Mayor’s Cup, visit www.playrugbyusa.com.
For more information on the USA Rugby Select XV’s matches, visit www.usarugby.org.
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Ashley Voss | Communications Coordinator | USA Rugby