For Immediate Release, Submitted by USA Rugby… July 18, 2016
LAFAYETTE, CO. – USA Rugby Men’s Sevens Head Coach Mike Friday has selected the 12 athletes and his seven staff to represent Team USA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The diverse roster includes athletes from across the country, international rugby stars and an NFL Super Bowl Champion.
“It’s a huge honor to represent your country at any time in your life, but to be given the responsibility at the Olympic Games – the biggest sporting event on the planet – makes it even more special,” said Friday. “The fact that we will be part of Team USA and that as a result we will be exposing the USA sporting public to another team sport they can engage with and enjoy watching, as well as passionately support their country, is immense.”
Team USA will be captained by Madison Hughes who recently became the United States’ all-time leading scorer on the Sevens Series. Hughes, a graduate of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, also finished as the top-scorer in the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Hughes is joined by veterans Zack Test, Folau Niua, Danny Barrett, Garrett Bender and Maka Unufe on the roster. All five were regular faces for the USA throughout the 2015-16 season. Friday’s squad also includes the dynamic pairing of Perry Baker and Carlin Isles. Isles has been dubbed “the fastest man in rugby” due to a 100-meter speed that could have qualified him for the Olympics in track and field. Baker, thanks to his own scorching speed, finished the 2015-16 Sevens Series in the top-five in scoring and second in tries scored.
This core group of athletes will be joined by familiar faces Andrew Durutalo and Chris Wyles. Neither Durutalo or Wyles participated in the 2015-16 season, instead playing professionally for clubs in Japan and England, respectively. This past season, Wyles achieved both an England Premiership League championship and European Cup championship double.
New England Patriot Nate Ebner joins Team USA after receiving his team’s blessing to make a run at an Olympic dream. Ebner was the youngest-ever player to represent the Men’s Sevens at age 17, continuing his rugby career at Ohio State University before joining the football team and subsequently being drafted into the NFL. The youngest member of the team, Ben Pinkelman (22) of Colorado, has progressed through the USA Rugby High Performance ranks and will build off of his career 36 games played.
When asked about his team’s makeup, Friday responded “the squad itself represents the country on so many levels and is cosmopolitan in makeup, which is a true reflection of the country. The team is balanced in terms of physicality, power, X-factor and out-and-out pace. We possess great aerial presence and kickers who are able to exploit these skills. As along with the contact area, we see this as a huge area in the game.”
Team USA will continue to train at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista before heading to Florida for a week of training. During the weeklong training session that includes scrimmages against New Zealand, Team USA will determine their three traveling reserves within the group of Nate Augspurger, Will Holder, Martin Iosefo, Thretton Palamo and Shalom Suniula.
Following the week of training in Florida, the men will travel directly to Brazil Aug. 1. Friday’s side will begin play at the XXXI Olympic Games Aug. 9-12 at Deodoro Stadium. The USA are seated in Pool A alongside host nation Brazil, Argentina and 2015-16 Sevens Series Champions Fiji.
A full broadcast schedule for the Rugby Sevens competition will be announced by NBC at a later date.
All nominations to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are pending approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
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About USA Rugby
Established 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 Boulder, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game on all levels and has more than 100,000 active members, with more than 35,000 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) will appear in the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. 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
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