My name is Alex Rees and  I am introducing a new FloRugby column titled "Rees' Pieces". I currently play rugby in Austin, Texas for the Austin Huns and the Austin Gilgronis, as well as write and create content for FloSports. 

15s rugby in America still hasn't quite taken off in terms of results on the international stage, but domestically we have a budding professional competition that continues to gain more fans each year, and a growing engagement of the sport at the high school and collegiate level. For the 15-aside game, catching up to the giants of the world will take time. 

On the other hand, our 7s program is among the world's elite, finishing second overall in the most recent HSBC 7s series and inspiring a whole new generation of high-level 7s players. Seeing that there is a plethora of 7s talent in America, from the youth level up to the senior level, is it possible that we could see a 7s specific league here in the United States?

Watch some of the best youngsters in the country at the 2019 NAI 7s
Subscribers can also watch the 2020 NAI 7s, July 31st-August 1st

I think it's worth exploring the idea of having an MLR 7s circuit featuring all of the teams in the league, and having it run during the offseason. There are surely some road blocks to implementing such an idea, but I thought it might be worth looking at the pros and cons that would present themselves:

PRO: More 7s Players Gain Exposure/Experience

In the United States, we have tons of great 7s players, but only a few great opportunities to showcase their abilities. Outside of the Eagles set up, there are little to no real 7s programs that put the best of the best with and against each other. We've had a few of them; Tiger Academy, 1823 Rugby, Bulldog Rugby, and Atavus, but they've all been fleeting and competed in a sparse few tournaments. R.O.O.T.S Rugby and Atlantis are usually strong sides, but they don't always train together, and again only play a few tournaments a year. 

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If there were a fall 7s circuit amongst MLR teams, I would imagine a number of high-caliber 7s prospects would get chance to feature on a big stage, and it would lift the standard of competition for 7s. Think about the number of great athletes playing in the MLR that aren't USA Eagles right now in 15s or in 7s. Not only would they have an opportunity to prove themselves against other great athletes, they'd also be prepping each other for difficult competition down the line. Frankly, going from USA Club 7s straight to international 7s is a massive step, and some guys who perform well for club sides may not be prepared for the speed and power of the international level. Playing against opposing MLR or potential MLR players would set them up better to succeed at the national team level.

CON: It Might Take Away From The Club 7s Scene

One of the best events every year for USA Rugby is the Club 7s National Championships. 16 men's and 16 women's teams from all over the country each descend on one complex for a two-day extravaganza of rugby. It's always an awesome occasion, where a mixture of young talent, long-time club servants, and former professional or international level players all compete with one another. 

Watch the 2019 Club 7s Nationals right here on FloRugby!
Watch the 2018 Club 7s Nationals right here on FloRugby!

I remember going to the 2016 Club 7s Nationals in Denver as a 20 year old with the Austin Huns, and thinking to myself that this was one of the coolest sporting events I had ever participated in. Even though we didn't perform very well, I felt that playing against some of the best 7s players in the nation greatly improved my own game and awareness levels. I don't know that I, or any number of other players out there, would ever have gotten that opportunity if there weren't a Club 7s Nationals competition. 

Watch the 2017 Club 7s Nationals right here on FloRugby!
Watch the 2016 Club 7s Nationals right here on FloRugby!

PRO: It Would Build More Fan Interest

The MLR season runs from February through the end of May, and with 16 games on the schedule, fans do get a healthy appetite of professional rugby in America. If there's something I've noticed though, it's that over the course of three years there has been a steady uptick in fan engagement and participation. I think this is largely attributed to fans getting better-acquainted with the players and more familiar with the league. The original fans from Year 1 are still here, and each season new ones have emerged. 

What does this have to do with a possible 7s league? Well, given that more MLR rugby has attracted more fans, I think it's quite likely that an additional 7s campaign might grow the fanbase even more and further-educate spectators on specific players around the league. Furthermore, fans would stick around and not lose interest over the course of a 7-month layoff. It would even add in some new supporters and keep up the momentum; a kind of snowball effect. 

Even a brief season that lasted just four weeks or less would be extremely interesting to watch. During the fall time period between when the Rugby Championship is over and the Autumn internationals begin is a great time to satisfy rugby cravings in America -- yes, I know this is the heart of football season but we can watch more than one sport at a time. 

CON: It Might Be Costly (But I Honestly Have No Idea)

I can't and won't pretend to know all of the financials that go on in the MLR, but I can imagine that most teams are running pretty tight budgets. Therefore, they may not be interested in paying players to play for the club during the offseason period. Would this possibly detract from putting together a 7s campaign? I would guess that some of the professional players would be deterred from risking injury before the season begins, as would their employers. 

Perhaps this could be an opportunity though for younger or less-involved players on Associated Player Contracts (APC's) to get a chance to work for a full time contract. Or better yet, an opportunity for players without contracts at all to come in and earn one. This is the case in the English Premiership, where the annual Premiership 7s before the start of the season showcases the best academy prospects and then some of the professional players yet to score a cap with England. 

Watch the 2019 Premiership 7s right here on FloRugby

There have been dozens of world class players who played in the Premiership 7s before they became huge, so who's to say the same couldn't go for MLR 7s?

Marketing and promotion would have to be key here though, as I'm sure MLR owners wouldn't be super keen on pouring money into a competition with no return on their investment. However, if fans knew about the events and turned out to buy tickets and watch on TV, there could be some coin to be made. Additionally, the added exposure of the league would build more hype heading into the actual 15s season, and we'd see larger crowds there as a result.

PRO: It Gives Players An Opportunity To Stay Sharp

A high level competition in the offseason would help players to keep their skills sharp ahead of the preseason. Some might argue that they guys need a break, but across the world, professional players are playing 30-40 matches a year. I don't think a short 7s competition would be overkill, and it would definitely give raw but talented players the chance to improve their technical abilities in the offseason. 

PRO: It's Another Gateway Into Rugby

In my experience, I've found that crossover athletes have an easier time assimilating into rugby through 7s than through 15s. I believe part of this is because pure athleticism translates better onto the 7s pitch, but also because the spaced out nature of the game makes it seem less hectic. Too many times I've seen great athletes give 15s rugby a shot only to quickly get discouraged because they don't understand the litany of rules around the breakdown. 

In 7s, the break down is less tricky to understand because it's usually only a contest between two to three guys at most. It allows the game to flow a bit better and lends itself to better teachability to new athletes. Now, for the record I'll say that I do prefer the 15s game, but both sports are amazing and I think that for new players, 7s is a better inlet to the sport. 

On the flip side of that, I think there are definitely some 15s guys in the MLR that could be absolutely devastating 7s players if they had time with sport. One particular guy I'm thinking of is Austin Gilgronis back-rower Dominic Akina. The former Western Oregon University defensive back is possibly the best athlete in the MLR, and was in my opinion on his way to a rookie of the year season in 2020. With a 41 inch vertical and a 4.38 40-yd dash time, Akina would absolutely light it up for Mike Friday on the 7s pitch. 

He's got the physicality and the balance as well, and with some added exposure could be fast-tracked into the 7s set up. I had the privilege of playing with him this season in Austin and he truly is a freaky athlete that improved exponentially week in and week out learning from Andrew Suniula, Brent Semmons, and Mick Byrne. 

There are certainly plenty of other studs out there like Akina that have just yet to be unearthed. I think a formalized, high-level, domestic 7s competition would be just the way to discover more gems like him

Conclusion

A Major League Rugby 7s competition would be great for the league, for fans, and for upcoming players. It provides excitement, gives guys an opportunity to showcase themselves, enhances the overall level and depth of 7s in America, and potentially unlocks the door for many more top athletes to join the sport of rugby. While the logistics of it all could be tricky -- payments, legal issues, organizing/scheduling -- and it might water down the Club 7s scene, it would be an awesome step towards growing rugby in the United States and getting the MLR out there even more. 

A trial run could see all 13 teams make three stops in three different cities. Teams are awarded points in the overall standings based on how they place at each event, and after three tournaments we declare an overall winner!

None of this has been set in motion, but it's something I believe would be a great benefit to rugby in America.