USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament and Supporting Events Return to Las Vegas February 7 – 12
WHAT: 2012 USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament and supporting events
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 7, 2012 – Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012
WHERE: USA Sevens and Las Vegas Invitational:
Sam Boyd Stadium
7000 E. Russell Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89122
Supporting Events:
Various locations throughout Las Vegas (see details section)
TICKETS: Tickets for the 2012 USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament start at $9 for youth (age 14 and younger) and $40 for adults. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit www.USASevens.com or call 1.888.RUGBY.7S.
DETAILS: Opening Ceremonies at Fremont Street Experience – Feb. 9
Opening ceremonies for the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament will be held on the Fremont Street Experience beginning at 6:30 p.m. A special welcome message will be given by Golden Nugget headliner Gordie Brown, and all teams will walk a special red carpet as they are introduced to fans as the representatives of their respective countries.
Following the Parade of Nations, USA Sevens will host a Block Party for fans eager to continue celebrating the start of the tournament. Insert Coins Videolounge Gamebar will host a competition to find the best Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge player on Xbox, and several of the surrounding bars in the Fremont East Entertainment District will also offer drink specials throughout the night.
International Fan Festival – Feb. 10 – 12
During all three days of the tournament, fans can take a break from the rugby action to enjoy live entertainment, a diverse selection of intercontinental cuisine and carnival activities at the USA Sevens International Fan Festival. USA Sevens Rugby is a family friendly event with games, prizes, face painting and rugby clinics for children throughout the event, too. Located just outside the stadium, ticket holders are free to move from the festival to the games inside the stadium throughout the tournament.
Las Vegas Invitational Presented by Station Casinos – Feb. 9 – 12
The Las Vegas Invitational (LVI) is an amateur rugby tournament open to teams of all ages and skill levels. The LVI is considered one of the premier amateur rugby events in the United States, featuring athletes and matchups across a wide-range of rugby divisions and age groups. The event gives incoming fans and avid rugby enthusiasts a chance to participate and play over the weekend while also watching the international teams compete at the USA Sevens.
Tournament Play:
Friday, Feb. 10
Gates Open: 3 p.m.
Matches: 4 – 9:45 p.m.
Highlights: Pool Rounds 1 and 2 in men’s and women’s play, LVI Matches
Saturday, Feb. 11
Gates Open: 11 a.m.
Matches: 12 – 7 p.m.
Highlights: Pool Round 3 and Quarterfinals in men’s and women’s play, Women’s Semifinals, LVI Matches
Sunday, Feb. 12
Gates Open: 8:30 a.m.
Matches: 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Highlights: Semifinals and Finals in men’s play, Finals in women’s play, LVI Matches
Sevens Rugby Teams Competing:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, United States, Uruguay and Wales.
Additional Events – Feb. 7 – 12
Team Autograph Sessions – Feb. 7 – 8**
The national teams from Wales, Scotland and England will hold autograph sessions at various locations in the week leading up to the tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and Wednesday, Feb. 8. All autograph sessions will give fans the chance to interact with their favorite players and receive autographs while enjoying special giveaways and dining promotions.
Wales and Scotland will host their team autograph session on Feb. 7 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Ri Ra Irish Pub at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
The national team from England will be at Todd English Pub inside Crystals at City Center on Feb. 8 from 7 – 9 p.m.
**All autograph sessions are tentatively scheduled and subject to change.
Team USA Pep Rally at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – Feb. 8
USA Rugby fans can get fired up for tournament play at the Team USA Pep Rally at the Miracle Mile Shops on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. The pep rally will feature members and coaches from the USA Eagles sevens rugby team, USA cheerleaders and showgirls from “Vegas! The Show.”
Rugby Party at PBR Rock Bar & Grill – Feb. 9
To celebrate the opening of USA Sevens, PBR Rock Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops will host a Rugby Party starting at 11 p.m. Rugby fans can enjoy daily food and drink specials at PBR Rock Bar & Grill throughout USA Sevens.
International Beer Festival & Opening Night Party at Sunset Station – Feb. 10
All rugby fans are welcome to celebrate the first day of USA Sevens competition at the International Beer Festival & Opening Night Party inside the Amphitheater at Sunset Station. Booths will feature beers from all 16 competing nations as fans enjoy the diverse range of cultures championed by USA Sevens.
Reggae Bash at Sunset Station – Feb. 11
Following the second day of rugby competition, fans are invited to Sunset Station to enjoy a Reggae Bash at 9 p.m., featuring headliner Fiji. Four supporting acts will also perform at the event.
Ali Campbell of UB 40 Concert Supporting the Paul Soliai Foundation at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino – Feb. 11
Fans eager to rub elbows with rugby legends and NFL greats can attend the Ali Campbell of UB 40 Concert benefiting the Paul Soliai Foundation at Planet Hollywood on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. Michael Jones, Jonah Lomu, Paul Soliai, Peter Fatialofa, Tony McDaniel and others will be in attendance to support this non-profit organization dedicated to helping American-Samoa student athletes.
Official Wrap Party at Planet Hollywood – Feb. 12
Following the USA Sevens championship match, all fans are invited to Planet Hollywood for the Official Wrap Party starting at 10 p.m. Fans will be able to meet and interact with coaches and players from all sixteen competing nations as they celebrate a great week of events, international festivals and nonstop rugby action.
Additional Tournament Information:
The USA Sevens international rugby tournament in Las Vegas is the fifth of nine stops on the 2011-12 HSBC Sevens World Series. The three-day tournament is the only North American stop for the Sevens World Series. The premier rugby tournament in North America, fans will see 16 national teams play 44 matches during the three-day competition in an attempt to gain points in the Sevens World Series standings.
Played on the same size field as traditional 15-player rugby, sevens rugby is played with just seven players per team. Matches have seven minute halves with two minute intervals for pool and knock-out matches. The fast pace and short duration of matches makes every moment of the action thrilling for spectators.
Fans can stay updated on all the latest USA Sevens Rugby news, events and details by following on FacHYPERLINK “https://www.facebook.com/USASevens”eHYPERLINK “https://www.facebook.com/USASevens”book (USA Sevens Rugby Tournament And Festival) and TwiHYPERLINK “http://twitter.com/”tHYPERLINK “http://twitter.com/”ter (@USASevensRugby).