With an impressive resume as player, coach and administrator, Nigel David Melville took over as CEO and President of Rugby Operations of USA Rugby, the National Governing Body of the sport in America, in 2006. He has been instrumental in the development of the game at the youth level and the senior level in the U.S.
On Friday I spent the day with the International Rugby Board, Pacific Islands, Japan and Canada to discuss a potential new format for the Pacific Nations Cup 2013 – 2015.
I know lots of people think that Rugby Sevens will be participating at the Olympics in London this summer, unfortunately not, but Wheelchair Rugby will be playing a full part in the Paralympic Games and so we all have a rugby team to follow, and a really good one at that!
Last Sunday I found myself in the north west of England and so ventured to Lytham St Annes, a traditional English seaside resort where one of my former England coaches, Brian Ashton now resides with his wife Helen. A traditional Sunday lunch in his local pub seemed like a pretty good way to while away a few hours and of course talk about rugby.
I guess we should not be surprised when the new Eagles Men’s Sevens coach, Alex Magleby, the former Dartmouth coach, responded to a loss in the Tokyo Sevens Bowl final by sharing with the media a quote from Aristotle. He was less eloquent in his one word text to my cell phone – obviously he was adapting to his audience!
I just had to post this video clip, Sport Relief is a massive charity event every year in the UK, when basically everyone involved in sport tries something a little bit different on live TV to raise money for children’s charities – and they raise millions of pounds!
The Hong Kong Sevens has always been the ‘gold standard’ of international rugby sevens events, and despite challenges from the likes of Dubai, Wellington and even Las Vegas this year, there’s a magic about the Hong kong Sevens that makes it a special event and will undoubtedly keep it at the forefront of the sevens game for years to come, other events just don’t come close!
The next couple of weeks are exciting times for our men and women sevens players, both Eagles squads are resting tonight ahead of their opening games at the iconic Hong Kong Sevens, whilst our High School All Americans are setting off to London to play in probably the most prestigious School Sevens tournaments in the World, the Rosslyn Park Sevens.
This evening I took an online education course created by the International Rugby Board to raise the awareness of the anti-doping program, the process of athlete drug testing and some interesting facts about the program. I think that all our players, coaches, referees and administrators should take time to take the course.
Last weekend I was asked by the English rugby media who I thought should be appointed the next England coach.
I have watched rugby all my life, seen the game develop and change, watched the impact of law changes, score changes, changes to the tackle area, the scrum, lifting in line-outs, hookers not wingers throwing in the ball, kicking to touch using a place kick, backs moves come and go, back row moves, penalty plays and more recently defensive systems and patterns of play but it is still a very simple game.
This week I will be spending a couple of days at the Olympic Training Center meeting with both the men’s and women’s squads ahead of their upcoming trip to Hong Kong.
The New Zealand All Blacks are wearing this new rugby jersey during their training sessions. Get in the Gear.
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Heineken Cup holders Leinster will defend their title against Ulster on May 19. Get in the Gear!
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Ulster will look to win their first Heineken Cup title since 1998/99 on May 19 against Leinster.
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