BOULDER, Colo. – In 2009, USA Rugby will officially endorse five Regional All-Star Tournaments that will serve as the primary pathways onto the Age-Grade National Teams by ensuring an Age-Grade National Team Selector at each event.
 
“USA Rugby hopes that everyone embrace this process and join us in a combined effort to identify and develop the future elite rugby talent in the USA,” USA Rugby CEO and President of Rugby, Nigel Melville said.
 
Regional tournaments have existed in the past, but going forward, USA Rugby will be officially endorsing them as the primary pathway and encourage all State Based Rugby Organizations (SBROs) and Local Area Unions (LAUs) to attend with an Under-19 and Under-17 All-Star side. Players may still be selected through other methods, including being identified by coach, local camps, playoffs or nationals, but this will be the primary pathway.
 
The age guidelines for these tournaments will be Under-19 and Under-17 based on the calendar year.  This is to accommodate both the SBRO and the LAU -High School and U-19 select-side teams.  For the U19 sides, this season, that means all players must be born in 1990 or 1991 (mostly seniors and juniors), and for the U-17 side, players must be born in 1992 and 1993 (mostly freshmen and sophomores). 
 
As has been done in the past, SBROs may choose to field a strictly high school side for the U19 bracket or a U19 side that includes some college freshmen, who meet the age requirements (born in 1991). Teams may choose to select which tournament they’d like to attend, and some (as they have done in the past) may choose to attend more then one.
 
 “The idea of these regional tournaments is to make it easier for each SBRO or LAU to get a team to a tournament within a relatively close distance,” High Performance Manager, Matt Sherman said. “The reason for selecting a U-19 and U-17 format is that our new age-grade cycle begins in the summer.  This means that U-19 and U-17s, in 2009, will begin training under the groups of U-20s and U-18s in the summer of 2009 through to the spring of 2010.  U-19s also work best with our scholastic model, as most of these players will still be in high school, with the rare exception of younger college freshmen who could play for a U-19 side if the SBRO decides to field that type of team.”
 
Another positive to this model is that it creates the opportunity to have more players get All-Star experience. It allows a wide net to be cast, in order to find the best players in the U.S.
 
The following tournaments will serve as the five Regional All-Star Tournaments in 2009:
 
• Pacific Coast Shield Regional All-Star Tournament
Dates: May 30-31, 2009
Location: Saint Mary’s College, Moraga, Calif.
Website:  www.pacificcoastrugby.com    

           
• Rocky Mountain Challenge Regional All-Star Tournament
Dates: June 13-14, 2009
Location:  Aurora Sports Park, Denver, Colo.
Website:  www.rmu19c.com    
 
• Midwest Challenge Cup Regional All-Star Tournament
Dates: June 13-14, 2009
Location: Moose Rugby Grounds-Elkhart, Ind.
Website: none

 
• Challenge Cup Regional All-Star Tournament
Dates: June 20-21, 2009
Location: Founders Field, Pittsburgh, Penn.
Website: www.rugby-foundation.org/LAUSelectside.pdf

 
• USA South Regional All-Star Tournament
Dates: June 13-14
Location:  Field TBD:  Charlotte, N.C.
Website:  www.carolinayouthrugby.org    

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