Denver 7s Rugby Selects - Rocky Mountain Rugby Men's 7s All-Stars
USA 7s Eagles Martin Iosefo, Ben Pinkelman, Kevon Williams, and Malon Al-Jiboori playing with the Denver 7s program
Contact: Howard Kent | Denver 7s on Twitter
The Denver 7s Rugby Selects were branded by USA Rugby in early 2014 as a City based regional Elite Select team and are tasked with finding and developing players (males ages 18+) from the western part of the US (Frontier Competitive Region and near‐by: Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota plus Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.) In July 2017 USA Rugby named the Denver Sevens a National Development Academy. We encourage the Denver 7s Select players to play with their clubs/colleges at the highest level possible and play on select/all‐star teams when invited. We have and are developing National team players and Olympians.
USA Rugby established the Olympic Development 7s Academy (ODA model ‐ now called National Development) model in late 2012 and the Elite City 7s team model in early 2014. These teams essentially provide similar opportunities for players to develop and play at a lever higher than the club/college team model and prepare them for entry into the National team (the Eagles) and International competition. The players are meant to be kept in an active training and playing environment of up to 10 months per year. Although Elite and Rugby 7s focused, there is a net benefit the 15s and 7s club programs that the players are members of.
Quality opportunities for our program, allow us to market ourselves to supporters and sponsors as well as to engage players and coaches. Our region is large and sparsely populated but takes pride in competing incredibly well with the more densely populated and better funded competition. We target playing in six (6) domestic and one (1) international competition each year. Even though the number of competitions in which we compete each year is not high, it does take significant resources to attend and compete in these events. With costs for training, combines, equipment, travel & player welfare, these add up to about $120,000 per year. Every dollar raised helps ensure that we are able to continue our program and provide the players with the best development experience and welfare possible.
The Denver 7s Rugby team has had great success and we intend to continue to have great success and more importantly to develop rugby players so they can compete at a higher level. Some of the more recent success stories are listed below. With our proven program record and level of competitiveness, the team has been invited to play in international events and has played well at the Las Vegas Invitational 7s and the Rugbytown 7s.
We have a culturally diverse staff and players including a couple of Olympians (Martin Iosefo and Ben Pinkelman) from our team as well as 5 other players (Kevon Williams, Walt Elder, Malon Al‐Jiboori, Nick Boyer & Cody Melphy) who have recently played on the US National 7s team and another with the National 15s team (Gannon Moore). Six other Denver 7s players that have been invited to train with the National 7s team and play with the US reserve team the Falcons. We communicate with the National team staff to promote our players and for suggestions of players that are trying to make the US team but have not yet been selected.
We need help supporting our players and staff either individually or collectively. Currently we are pursuing non profit 501‐c‐3 tax status. Support or leads to private or corporate sponsorship would be greatly appreciated
Event Record:
2018 Rugby Town 7s Glendale, CO 6th place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2018 Rio Grande Celtic 7s 2019 Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 8 teams ‐ Developmental team
2018 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 16 teams ‐ International Invitational
2018 Las Vegas Invitational Aces 7s, Las Vegas, NV 17th place of 20 teams ‐ Developmental team
2017 Rugby Town 7s Glendale, CO 11th place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2017 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 12 teams ‐ Developmental team
2017 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 3rd place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2017 Las Vegas Invitational Aces 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 20 teams ‐ Developmental team
2016 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 1st place of 20 teams - International Invitational
2016 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 20 teams - International Invitational
2015 Halloween Invitational 7s St. Petersburg, FL 7th place of 8 teams - International Invitational
2015 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 1st place of 17 teams - International Invitational
2015 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 2nd place of 16 teams - Developmental team
2014 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 2nd place of 17 teams - International Invitational
2014 USARugby Elite City 7s Houston, TX 3rd place of 12 teams - National All Star Invitational
2014 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 16 teams - Developmental team
The Denver 7s Rugby Selects were branded by USA Rugby in early 2014 as a City based regional Elite Select team and are tasked with finding and developing players (males ages 18+) from the western part of the US (Frontier Competitive Region and near‐by: Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota plus Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.) In July 2017 USA Rugby named the Denver Sevens a National Development Academy. We encourage the Denver 7s Select players to play with their clubs/colleges at the highest level possible and play on select/all‐star teams when invited. We have and are developing National team players and Olympians.
USA Rugby established the Olympic Development 7s Academy (ODA model ‐ now called National Development) model in late 2012 and the Elite City 7s team model in early 2014. These teams essentially provide similar opportunities for players to develop and play at a lever higher than the club/college team model and prepare them for entry into the National team (the Eagles) and International competition. The players are meant to be kept in an active training and playing environment of up to 10 months per year. Although Elite and Rugby 7s focused, there is a net benefit the 15s and 7s club programs that the players are members of.
Quality opportunities for our program, allow us to market ourselves to supporters and sponsors as well as to engage players and coaches. Our region is large and sparsely populated but takes pride in competing incredibly well with the more densely populated and better funded competition. We target playing in six (6) domestic and one (1) international competition each year. Even though the number of competitions in which we compete each year is not high, it does take significant resources to attend and compete in these events. With costs for training, combines, equipment, travel & player welfare, these add up to about $120,000 per year. Every dollar raised helps ensure that we are able to continue our program and provide the players with the best development experience and welfare possible.
The Denver 7s Rugby team has had great success and we intend to continue to have great success and more importantly to develop rugby players so they can compete at a higher level. Some of the more recent success stories are listed below. With our proven program record and level of competitiveness, the team has been invited to play in international events and has played well at the Las Vegas Invitational 7s and the Rugbytown 7s.
We have a culturally diverse staff and players including a couple of Olympians (Martin Iosefo and Ben Pinkelman) from our team as well as 5 other players (Kevon Williams, Walt Elder, Malon Al‐Jiboori, Nick Boyer & Cody Melphy) who have recently played on the US National 7s team and another with the National 15s team (Gannon Moore). Six other Denver 7s players that have been invited to train with the National 7s team and play with the US reserve team the Falcons. We communicate with the National team staff to promote our players and for suggestions of players that are trying to make the US team but have not yet been selected.
We need help supporting our players and staff either individually or collectively. Currently we are pursuing non profit 501‐c‐3 tax status. Support or leads to private or corporate sponsorship would be greatly appreciated
Event Record:
2018 Rugby Town 7s Glendale, CO 6th place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2018 Rio Grande Celtic 7s 2019 Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 8 teams ‐ Developmental team
2018 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 16 teams ‐ International Invitational
2018 Las Vegas Invitational Aces 7s, Las Vegas, NV 17th place of 20 teams ‐ Developmental team
2017 Rugby Town 7s Glendale, CO 11th place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2017 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 12 teams ‐ Developmental team
2017 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 3rd place of 20 teams ‐ International Invitational
2017 Las Vegas Invitational Aces 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 20 teams ‐ Developmental team
2016 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 1st place of 20 teams - International Invitational
2016 Las Vegas Invitational Elite 7s, Las Vegas, NV 7th place of 20 teams - International Invitational
2015 Halloween Invitational 7s St. Petersburg, FL 7th place of 8 teams - International Invitational
2015 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 1st place of 17 teams - International Invitational
2015 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 2nd place of 16 teams - Developmental team
2014 Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO 2nd place of 17 teams - International Invitational
2014 USARugby Elite City 7s Houston, TX 3rd place of 12 teams - National All Star Invitational
2014 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Albuquerque, NM 1st place of 16 teams - Developmental team
2016 RugbyTown 7s Champions
2016 Las Vegas Invitational Squad
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2015 RugbyTown 7s Champions
2015 Halloween 7s Squad
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2015 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Squad
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2014 RugbyTown 7s Squad
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2014 Elite City 7s Squad
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2014 Rio Grande Celtic 7s Squad
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August 26-8, 2016
Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO
1st place of 20 teams - International Invitational
4 pool matches:
W 33-19 v Atlantis (Mid Atlantic Select team)
W 28-21 v Atavus (Seattle National Development Academy; 2014 & 15 US Club 7s Champs)
W 28-12 v Utah National Development Academy (Current 2016 US Club 7s Champions)
L 17-26 v British Army (10 Fijians; 5 capped)*
*we played some reserves, knowing we already qualified for the 1/4s
Quarter-Final match:
W 14-10 v So California Griffins (select team) without playing 2 of our top players
Semi-Final match:
W 19-12 v Rambling Jesters (UK based professional touring team)
Final match:
W 31-24 v Glendale Raptor Selects
1st Place. Points for 170, Points against 124.
Tries for 26, Tries against 14. Conversions 20 of 26.
Players (Club)
Michael Al-Jiboori (Denver Barbarians)
Celester Asuega (New Mexico Highlands)
Max de Achaval (Denver Barbarians)
Walter Elder (Kansas City Blues)
Jeremy Hardy (Southern Pines)
Martin Iosefo (USA 7s/Denver Barbarians)
Jeremy Misailegalu (New Mexico Highlands)
Gannon Moore (Kansas City Blues)
Ben Pinkelman (USA 7s/Colorado State/Denver Barbarians)
Eric Sykes Jr. (New Mexico Highlands)
Naki Takarangi (Kansas City Blues)
Kevon Williams (New Mexico Highlands)
Reserve / Replacement Players
Liam Wynne (Colorado State/Denver Barbarians)^
^For Hardy, who was injured before the Final
Staff:
Purvi Desai - Physio/Trainer
Jason Kelly - Coach
Howard Kent - Manager /Assit Coach
Steve LaPorta - Head Coach
Ata Malifa - Consulting Coach
Serevi RugbyTown 7s Glendale, CO
1st place of 20 teams - International Invitational
4 pool matches:
W 33-19 v Atlantis (Mid Atlantic Select team)
W 28-21 v Atavus (Seattle National Development Academy; 2014 & 15 US Club 7s Champs)
W 28-12 v Utah National Development Academy (Current 2016 US Club 7s Champions)
L 17-26 v British Army (10 Fijians; 5 capped)*
*we played some reserves, knowing we already qualified for the 1/4s
Quarter-Final match:
W 14-10 v So California Griffins (select team) without playing 2 of our top players
Semi-Final match:
W 19-12 v Rambling Jesters (UK based professional touring team)
Final match:
W 31-24 v Glendale Raptor Selects
1st Place. Points for 170, Points against 124.
Tries for 26, Tries against 14. Conversions 20 of 26.
Players (Club)
Michael Al-Jiboori (Denver Barbarians)
Celester Asuega (New Mexico Highlands)
Max de Achaval (Denver Barbarians)
Walter Elder (Kansas City Blues)
Jeremy Hardy (Southern Pines)
Martin Iosefo (USA 7s/Denver Barbarians)
Jeremy Misailegalu (New Mexico Highlands)
Gannon Moore (Kansas City Blues)
Ben Pinkelman (USA 7s/Colorado State/Denver Barbarians)
Eric Sykes Jr. (New Mexico Highlands)
Naki Takarangi (Kansas City Blues)
Kevon Williams (New Mexico Highlands)
Reserve / Replacement Players
Liam Wynne (Colorado State/Denver Barbarians)^
^For Hardy, who was injured before the Final
Staff:
Purvi Desai - Physio/Trainer
Jason Kelly - Coach
Howard Kent - Manager /Assit Coach
Steve LaPorta - Head Coach
Ata Malifa - Consulting Coach
