PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A spirited Philadelphia crowd cheered on Dartmouth College as it defeated Army 32-10 at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania to claim the second-ever USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship Invitational (CRC). The match saw Dartmouth come away with the win as its offense caught fire in the most important match of the weekend. Before the two-day tournament was completed, 17,500 people entered the gates and event organizers announced that the CRC would return to PPL Park in 2012.
Playing alongside his identical twin brother Nick, Chris Downer scored two tries for the Big Green and Muhammed Abdul-Shakoor added an exclamation point to the victory as he somersaulted into the end zone for a try late in the second half. On the road to the final, Dartmouth conquered defending champion Utah, Notre Dame, Boston College, Penn State and Central Washington University.
“Army is a great team, and the seniors haven't beaten them in the four years that we've been here, so to see the team pour it on like that was unbelievable,” said Chris Downer.
“This was a huge win for the Dartmouth squad and on a bigger scale, for the American rugby sevens community,” said Dan Lyle, Collegiate Rugby Championship Tournament Director. “It’s amazing to see the crowds grow with the skill-level of the competition and we are excited to keep raising the bar here next year.”
“Based on the turnout, coverage and viewership, it’s safe to say U.S. rugby has found a new hub in Philadelphia,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and VERSUS. “We will be back at PPL Park in 2012 and look forward to tracking the progress of these exciting athletes as we approach the debut of sevens in the 2016 Olympics.”
“Today was a important day on the national stage for USA Sevens Rugby,” said Jonathan First, President of USA Sevens. “This event was a credit to our incredible national partners; NBC, VERSUS and Universal Sports; the gifted athletes and their storied colleges; the sponsors and the incredible sports market of Philadelphia.”
The CRC moved to Philadelphia for the 2011 event after being played in Columbus, Ohio in its inaugural year. Sixteen elite squads from across the country battled through 38 matches over two days in pursuit of the newly created Pete Dawkins Trophy, which Dawkins was on-hand to present to Dartmouth.
Sevens matches consist of seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a traditional 15’s rugby match. Teams compete in one of four pools and play seven-minute halves, with only a two-minute halftime, making the play extremely quick and exciting.
Rugby Sevens will be an Olympic sport starting in 2016 and the CRC offered fans a preview of the talent pool available for the U.S. Olympic team.
The tournament featured 16 Division I collegiate traditional powers, including the University of California, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, North Carolina, Louisiana State, Notre Dame, Arizona, Utah, Boston College, Army, Navy, Oklahoma, Dartmouth, Temple and Central Washington.
NBC, VERSUS and Universal Sports broadcasted 14 hours of live coverage and sponsors included Bridgestone, Go Daddy, Subway, Toyota and Motel 6.
For tournament information, visit http://usasevenscrc.com.
About USA Sevens:
USA Sevens LLC owns and operates America’s premier rugby events, the Las Vegas HSBC Sevens World Series and the USA 7’s Collegiate Rugby Championship Invitational. Held annually, the Las Vegas HSBC Sevens World Series is one of the eight international stops in the HSBC Sevens World Series. The Series sponsor is HSBC bank. With an attendance of over 50,000 during the two day event, it is the largest annual rugby event in North America and one of the fastest growing rugby events in the world.
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