The best rugby players in the country will again converge on Conshohocken, PA August 10 and 11 for the 2002 National Rugby Sevens Championships. Considered one of the premier events in U.S. rugby, the Championship tournament pits the top 16 teams in the country against each other until one emerges as national champion.

The two-day national championship tournament annually draws nearly 5,000 spectators.

This year's tournament will also feature an Under-15 touch event. We will be putting packages together for each side entered with 12 tickets (11 players & 1 coach) to enter the stadium this year. Kids under 12 are still free.

For the eighth Year in a row, the Philadelphia Whitemarsh Rugby Football Club has been selected to host the event at A. A. Garthwaite Stadium (the A field), 11th and Harry Streets, Conshohocken. Philadelphia Whitemarsh looks to qualify to play in the tournament for the sixth year in a row.

Philadelphia Whitemarsh Rugby Football Club not only qualified for the national tournament in 1999, but came away with a thrilling national championship victory over MARFU rival Northern Virginia (NOVA). San Mateo defeated Tempe in 1998's final and will return this year. In 1997, San Mateo overwhelmed Fresno 57-7 to become national champions after beating defending champion Northern Virginia (NOVA) in the semifinals. Previous national champions and perennial contenders include Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (San Diego), Old Puget Sound and Maryland.

Rugby is now the fastest-growing sport on U.S. college campuses and is one of the most popular sports in the world. In Eastern Pennsylvania alone there are 100 registered rugby clubs. The 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa was the third-largest sporting event ever staged, according to the International Rugby Football Board, and rugby is likely to return to the Olympics in 2004. The top clubs in the U.S., including the Philadelphia Whitemarsh Rugby Football Club, compete in the recently formed Harp Super League, which has brought rugby to its highest level of competition ever in this country.

For more information, or to arrange interviews and press passes, please contact John Flamish by E-mail at usarfu7s@therugbyclub.org.