Former Head Coach of USA Rugby Mike Tolkin to Lead Rugby Operations of Premier Rugby Sevens

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FOR RELEASE ON MAY 19, 2021

NEW YORK, NY – Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) announced today that Mike Tolkin has been named General Manager of the new league to oversee recruiting players, hiring coaches, and ensuring parity to make for the most exciting competition. As the head coach of the U.S. National Rugby Team from 2012 to 2015, Tolkin brings an impressive resume to the new league that is scheduled to launch a pilot season in the fall of 2021.

A New York City native, Tolkin graduated from St. John’s University, where he played D1 soccer, earned his master’s degree from Fordham University, and coached rugby at all levels of the game since 1986. Tolkin began his career as an English teacher at Xavier High School in NYC, where he coached the school’s senior rugby team to three National Championships, and helped to found the USA U-19 program. He then served as head coach of the New York Athletic Club in the Rugby Super League from 2000-2012, where he also won four national championships. He was named head coach of the U.S. National Rugby Team in 2012 and led the U.S. to qualify for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Most recently, Tolkin led Rugby United New York as their head coach in their inaugural season in 2019.

“Sevens is a fast-paced and dynamic game requiring skill, speed, power, and precision,” said Tolkin. “It’s an incredibly entertaining game to watch, and PR7s wants to showcase the immense talent and athleticism of our athletes throughout North America. The U.S. team has enjoyed great success on the world stage and PR7s is a great opportunity to continue to grow that talent pool. Starting with many stars that are slated to play in the Olympics, our rosters will have incredible athletes who will provide a thrilling experience for our fans.”

In conjunction with the announcement, PR7s announced that Tolkin signed many women and men that will be representing the U.S. in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Players to sign with PR7s include Perry Baker, Danny Barrett, Abby Gustaitis, Carlin Isles, Ilona Maher, Folau Niua, Naya Tapper, and Stephen Tomasin.

Baker, Barrett, Gustaitis, and Tapper participated in a launch video, which can be viewed HERE.

PR7s promises to provide equal pay under one league umbrella and will adopt a touring format in cities across the U.S. and Canada. Starting with a pilot season in the fall of 2021, PR7s will feature six men’s teams and four women’s teams. The host cities and schedule, along with tryout information, player announcements, and team names, will be revealed in the coming months. Fans are encouraged to sign up for news alerts and schedule updates at PRSevens.com.

About Premier Rugby Sevens

Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) is a groundbreaking professional sports league in North America. Scheduled to debut in the Fall of 2021, PR7s is the first league of its kind with both women’s teams and men’s teams under one umbrella with equal pay. With a focus on accessibility and entertaining content for fans, the league will showcase the highly entertaining sport of rugby sevens through a single-day touring format in cities across the United States and Canada. To learn more about Premier Rugby Sevens, go to PRSevens.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Contact:            Eric Nemeth

Eric PR & Marketing, LLC – on behalf of Premier Rugby Sevens

602-502-2793 office

eric.nemeth@prsevens.com