Premier Rugby Sevens announces events in California, DC and Texas

The first US rugby union competition to offer professional contracts to women will hold tournaments in July in San Jose, Washington DC and Austin.

Premier Rugby Sevens staged a pilot tournament in Memphis, Tennessee last October. This year, as in that event, women’s and men’s squads will compete for equal pay in one-day showcases of the Olympic form of the game.

In a new feature, only one champion will be named, based on combined points totals earned by four women’s and four men’s squads.

Owen Scannell, chief executive of Premier Rugby Sevens, said: “We are extremely excited to scale PR7s across America, bringing rugby sevens to major venues that will act as regional hubs for the rugby community.

“We believe the Bay Area, central Texas and the DMV [DC and parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia] will give our league a footprint for fans to easily witness the spectacle that is a PR7s live event.

“Each city brings entertainment options that will complement the festival and party environment that is synonymous with the sport of sevens around the world.”

Three Major League Soccer venues will host: PayPal Park (home of the San Jose Earthquakes, holding 18,000, on 9 July), Audi Field (DC United, 20,000, 16 July) and Q2 Stadium (Austin FC, 21,000, 30 July).

Men and women will compete in 14-minute games under squad names unique to PR7s: Experts, Headliners, Loonies and Loggerheads.

In Memphis last year, Perry Baker, an Olympian and two-time men’s world sevens player of the year, led the Experts to victory. Alev Kelter, an Olympian now playing in England with Saracens, led the Loonies to the women’s title.

PR7s said a “cumulative audience” of 472,000 watched on Fox Sports and TSN.

Ross Young, chief executive of sanctioning