For Immediate ReleaseSubmitted by USA RugbyMarch 8, 2017
USA Women's Eagles to play Canada in rankings test in front of home crowd
LAFAYETTE, Colo. – The Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center will host the 2017 Women's Can-Am rankings test between the USA Women's Eagles and Rugby Canada at 3 p.m. PT Saturday, April 1, four months prior to Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland.The match is likely to be the only international test for the U.S. national team ahead of the eighth world championship following a behind-closed-doors encounter between the border rivals Tuesday, March 28. Saturday's match will be broadcast live on The Rugby Channel, with tickets available ahead of time priced at just $10 on EventBrite.The Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., is home to USA Rugby's Olympic Rugby Sevens men's and women's programs, and has welcomed players hoping to earn selection to the World Cup squad in recent months. Several athletes recently named to the Eagles' greater WRWC player pool are currently training full-time at the Training Center, with more expected to join as the year progresses."Our partnership with Rugby Canada is instrumental to the growth of the game in North America," USA Rugby Chief Executive Officer Dan Payne said. "We are excited to host this wonderful Can-Am event to showcase women's rugby and give two of the top-ranked national teams in the world, who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup, meaningful test rugby."The two nations last met in a Women's Rugby Super Series 2016 clash in Salt Lake City, and have lined up opposite each other 34 times since the first meeting 30 years ago this November. Canada is currently ranked third in the world just three years after reaching the WRWC Final, while the U.S. sits in seventh.Bleachers will be installed for the April 1 match in southern California, though attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets for festival-style seating. The festival atmosphere will be supplemented by several senior women's matches featuring local clubs, including the 2016 Women's Premier League-champion San Diego Surfers kicking off the day at 11 a.m. PT.Fans that do not purchase tickets online prior to match day can acquire them for $15 at the venue.More information regarding game-day activities and team selections will be announced in due course.About USA RugbyEstablished in 1975, USA Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby in America and a Full Sport Member of the United States Olympic Committee. Currently headquartered in Lafayette, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game on all levels and has more than 120,000 active members, with more than 40,000 playing collegiate rugby and 35,000 playing senior club rugby. USA Rugby oversees four national teams, multiple collegiate and high school All-American sides, and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes. It also hosts more than 30 national playoff and championship events each year as a service to its members. In October 2009, the International Olympic Committee announced Rugby Sevens (the seven-a-side version of the game) would appear in the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, in which both the men and women qualified. Visit www.usarugby.org for more information.
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Further Information:Nick Sero | Manager, Communications and Digital Media | USA Rugby | nsero@usarugby.org
