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Rugby’s Magnificent Sevens Returns to San Diego |
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Plus: San Diegan's documentary spotlights 3 local rugby stars
SAN DIEGO & ME
The Gaslamp Quarter is going global this weekend with the arrival of the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament, as 16 nations compete in 44 lightning-fast matches Saturday and Sunday at Petco Park.
Americans can be forgiven for assuming otherwise, as our media often does a fine job of insulating us from the rest of the world, but rugby just happens to be incredibly popular. The quadrennial Rugby World Cup, last held in 2007, is the third most-watched sporting event in the world (behind the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup), easily topping our country's annual Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and OMBAC Over-the-Line tournaments.
And while the rest of world loses its collective mind every four years for traditional, 15-a-side rugby, Sevens rugby is the game's high-octane version, with just seven players on each team and 20-minute matches, which places a premium on speed and athleticism. Games end and new ones begin in less than a minute, with the teams and fans of many nations all in the stands, giving spectators a nonstop exciting day out, with constant action and high scores.
For a game that seems to combine many of the best elements of football and soccer, why is rugby so slept-on in the United States? According to filmmaker and journalist Grace Farah, rugby was once popular here, as the United States won back-to-back gold medals in the Olympics in the 1920s, when rugby was an Olympic sport. However, in an effort to create our own national identity following World War II, football quickly rose to prominence as international sports fell by the wayside.
Thus, the U.S. rugby team comprises amateurs, none of whom make a penny playing for the squad, as opposed to most other nations. Farah, a San Diego transplant originally from Sydney, Australia, documents three local San Diegans in her 2008 documentary Try, named after rugby’s equivalent of a touchdown. The determination and sacrifices each player makes for a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, with no compensation, no guarantees and scant national support is admirable, and American rugby players’ portrayal as true sportsmen with great character stands in stark contrast to the shameful behavior of many of America’s (and San Diego’s) professional athletes.
So, while our city reels from the disappointment of the Chargers and prepares accordingly for the upcoming Padres season, San Diegans would do well to sample a different flavor of sporting competition this weekend at Petco. Visit usasevens.com for more information about the event and a preview of all 16 teams.
Farah’s film Try can be purchased at the tournament this weekend and at Amazon.com. Watch the trailer below. For more information, visit trydocumentary.com.
Adam Elder is associate editor and Web editor at San Diego Magazine. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine.
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Reader Comments:
I've seen this documentary and it's amazing.
If you're not familiar with rugby, you should definitely head to Petco this weekend. Rugby makes football look like ballroom dancing.