What We Learned in Vegas

Last weekend (February 12th-13th) the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament was held in Las Vegas. The unprecedented event had a few big takeaways.

Winner: Rugby Media Coverage
This year the tournament and festival was very different from previous years. That is because the American public was able to watch Sevens tournament from the comfort of their own homes via Universal Sports and NBC. This special opportunity allowed for the exposure of rugby in America on a new level.

Winner: The Tournament and Festival 
This time around, it was evident that the tournament and festival would be different. Sevens is unique in fact that in addition to the tournament, it also hosts a festival in which fans check out thousands of vendors, enjoy good food and music, and get to live in rugby players' lives for a couple of days. Fans flocked to the tournament and festival in high numbers last weekend. On the final day, attendance was recorded at 25,000 people.

Winner: The Fans
Fans who were at the Sevens tournament last weekend did not leave disappointed. All tournament finals were lively and action packed. In many matches players forced to deal with injuries provided either painful or inspiring story lines in their respective final cup matches. One highlight of the tournament was the home team claiming victory. Although there are many improvements to be made before the next tournament, the USA team defeated the Japan team to snatch the Shield trophy in front of a home crowd.

Winner: Rugby Teams Around The World  
Those who watched the tournament saw good quality rugby this weekend. The players played exceptionally well and left fans wanting to more. For those who claimed victory, the win was sweet. Those who lost could not leave defeated for too many good things happened for all to be lost at Sevens tournament.

The Big Picture
If you were not able to watch the tournament, you surely missed a special event. After the tournament concluded, there were no losers. What we learned from Las Vegas is that the projection of rugby and its place in American society is looking better and brighter. Here are some of the highlights from the tournament.