San Diego, Calif. – The United States Rugby Football Foundation is asking for your help. For the past 48 years, the USRFF, through the generous donations of those in the rugby community, has been helping grow the sport of rugby across the country.

One only needs to look at the 2011 U.S. Rugby World Cup squad to see that with your help, the USRFF has made a difference. Of the 30 members selected, three of those players, Scott LaValla, Shawn Pittman and Kevin Swiryn, were past USRFF High Performance or Development Grant recipients. Through the USRFF grants they received, they were flown to New Zealand where they took part in intensive training courses at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand.

Please support the United States Rugby Football Foundation by making a donation today.

The USRFF has also helped support rugby at the grassroots level having provided rugby balls and/or equipment to over 800 youth and high school rugby teams, schools and community programs over the past seven years. These are just two of the many programs that the USRFF provides support to annually.

In order for us to continue to fast-track players to the national team, provide balls and equipment to rugby teams and schools across the country, and provide needed support to other worthy rugby programs and endeavors, the Rugby Foundation needs help from you by donating today to our Annual Campaign. We have set a goal of raising $100,000 by midnight, January 31, 2012 to kick start our programs for 2012.

Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough economic times, I encourage those who can to reach out and support the USRFF. We ask you to support the sport that has played such a major role in your life by giving to the USRFF Annual Campaign Fund. The Foundation relies on the financial contributions from members of the rugby community like you to fund these important programs.

Please make your tax-deductible contribution today and help the Foundation do its part in seeing that the growth of rugby in our country continues to flourish.

Your contribution, whatever the amount, will make a difference in the sport.

If you prefer to mail in your donation, please make check payable to the USRFF and send to:
USRFF
2131 Pan American Plaza
San Diego, CA 92101

The United States Rugby Football Foundation appreciates your support.

Stations Casinos Presents the Las Vegas Invitational is almost full in some brackets.

The Men’s Elite 7s is one of the brackets filling up at the LVI (held February 10-12, 2012, and has become a backup international tournament for the USA 7s, the United States stop on the HSBC Sevens World Series circuit (www.usasevens.com)).

Last year the Chilean national team won a tournament that included a French Development side and several Canadian teams.

This year, the bracket is taking on very much of a USA 7s B tournament, with at least six full international sides joining the likes of Samurai, Kenyan Exiles, Blue Bulls, and the Dallas Harlequins.

Mexico, Bermuda, Russia, France, the Philippines, Romania and Chile are pre-registered.

“This is a really exciting lineup of teams,” said LVI Tournament Director Jon Hinkin. “We have perhaps one more spot open, but that’s it. We will have a Men’s Open and a Men’s Aces, which is a slightly higher competition than Open. Those competitions will be fierce. Everything has grown so much since our first year in Las Vegas.”

The LVI will be held at the Sam Boyd Stadium Star Nursery Fields, and also at other fields within the city. Hinkin has said all the playing surfaces will be improved over last year as USA 7s is working with the City of Las Vegas, City of Henderson and Clark County to improve the condition of the pitches with an extensive fencing, watering and re-seeding program.