The USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship kicks off Saturday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. as some of the fastest-paced rugby in the world hits the pitch.
The Rugby Sevens format pits seven-man teams against one another on the same-sized pitch normally used by 15-man teams. The matches are fast-paced as players use the extra space to march up and down the field in two seven-minute periods.
The action begins Saturday at 7:30 as local high school teams take the pitch. The opening collegiate match pits Penn State against Life University at 8:50 a.m. Matches then continue throughout the day with each team playing three matches a piece until late in the afternoon.
Playoff action begins Sunday at 7:30 with more high school matches followed by a day of collegiate action wrapping up with the Championship Final at 5:25 p.m.
Fans can watch a whole day of games or split time at the Rugby Block party. As the rugby begins to wrap up the rock begins at the Rugby Block Party as 12 Stones and Yellowcard play Saturday with 12 Stones and Breathe Carolina slated to play Sunday.
As for the rugby: Defending champion Dartmouth comes in as the favorite to take home the CRC Cup/Pete Dawkins Trophy but they will face plenty of challenges along the way. The Big Green drew University of Delaware (making the school’s first appearance in the tournament), Maryland and Florida in Pool B. The other pool of local interest is Pool A where Temple and Penn State join Life and Wisconsin.
Tickets for the rugby and concert for both days start at $23 for kids and $43 for adults. Single-day tickets are also on sale.
If you can’t make it out to PPL Park for the games, tune in to NBC10, NBC Sports Network and Comcast Sportsnet to watch the matches. Check your local listings.
