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Latest News
Andy Vilk, head coach of Italy men's sevens
4 min read

RWC Sevens 2022 qualifying

Italy men’s sevens team seeks return to the big stage

The European men's qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 is on the horizon with the prize of four tickets to Cape Town, South Africa at stake in July.

RWC Sevens 2022 qualifying

Thu 19 May, 2022
4 min read
HSBC Canada Women's Sevens 2022
4 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Black Ferns Sevens renew riveting rivalry with Australia on HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Australia wrapped up the 2022 Series title in Langford, but the Black Ferns Sevens left Canada with plenty to celebrate as they begin a busy period.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Tue 3 May, 2022
4 min read
Madagascar Women's Sevens
3 min read

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022: Madagascar latest team to book ticket to Cape Town

Following another intense weekend of qualifying action we now know the identity of 12 women's and 20 men's teams who will compete at RWC Sevens 2022.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Mon 2 May, 2022
3 min read
HSBC Spain Sevens Seville 2022 - Women's
4 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe keen to drive Ireland onto Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

We spoke to the prolific Ireland star about backing up the team’s success in Seville and plotting their path to Cape Town in September.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Tue 26 April, 2022
4 min read
Rugby World Cup Sevens San Francisco 2018 - Day Two
5 min read

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Everything you need to know about Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Your guide to RWC Sevens 2022, which will take place in Cape Town between 9-11 September this year.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Fri 8 April, 2022
5 min read
2018 Highlights
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018
08:29 mins

Highlights: New Zealand win big in San Francisco

New Zealand retained their Rugby World Cup Sevens title in San Francisco
Mon 23 July, 2018
08:29 mins
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018
07:03 mins

Highlights: New Zealand women's win Rugby World Cup Sevens

Check out all the top action as New Zealand win The Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco
Sun 22 July, 2018
07:03 mins
Rugby World Cup Sevens San Francisco 2018 - Day Two
06:30 mins

HIGHLIGHTS: Men's semi-finals confirmed after thrilling day two

Men's semi-finals confirmed after thrilling day two of action at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 #RWC7s
Sun 22 July, 2018
06:30 mins
Rugby World Cup Sevens San Francisco 2018 - Day One
06:51 mins

Highlights: Men's quarter-finals decided

Men's quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup Sevens decided after incredible first day at AT&T Park
Sat 21 July, 2018
06:51 mins
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018
06:26 mins

Highlights: Women's semi-finals confirmed at Rugby World Cup Sevens

Championship semi-finals confirmed after thrilling day one of action
Sat 21 July, 2018
06:26 mins
Rugby World Cup
Friday 13 May, 2022
3 min read

Dan Lyle: Rugby World Cups will be “a game-changer” for American rugby

The US Eagles legend is ecstatic to hear confirmation that Rugby World Cups 2031 and 2033 will be staged in America.
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When Dan Lyle first went into a US Eagles training camp for the first time in 1993, the athletically-gifted back-rower could only dream that the Rugby World Cup would come to America.

But on Thursday that dream finally became a reality as USA Rugby’s bid to stage the men’s and women’s tournaments in 2031 and 2033, respectively, was approved by the World Rugby Council.

“Without wanting to sound too clichéed, it’s a game-changer for us in America. Also, equally, it opens up a massive flank for the sport in general,” said the 45-times capped international.

“It is something that will only come once in a generation or certainly only once in my lifetime, I’d imagine.

“It is wonderful because I think it will finally mean rugby (in America) can be a sport that has a competitive landscape, meaning it has a season that everyone knows and can acknowledge because that’s what will be required to build a lasting legacy that’s not just about putting competitive teams on the field but a market that continues to drive itself.”

The time is now, for the USA and the World, to be #UnitedByRugby

FOLLOW » https://t.co/Mk1An2Yld3 pic.twitter.com/YRskXIjXbg

— USA Rugby World Cup Bid (@USRugbyWC) October 20, 2021

Soccer World Cups showed what is possible

Lyle believes that Rugby World Cups 2031 and 2033 can do for America what hosting the men’s 1994 and women’s 1999 World Cups did for football.

“1994 was a record soccer World Cup by way of attendance and stadia despite heavy levels of scepticism as to who would attend all these games of different nationalities, and also, ‘it’s so big, so how do you make a World Cup work in America’?

“Brazil played in three or four different cities and ultimately won it and the US, having never played to a certain level before, qualified for the quarter-finals.

“It has all the markings that it can be something similar. It brought upon a sustainable professional structure and it brought on sustainable generational participation levels.”

As the son of a two-star general and having gone through military college himself, Lyle has always been fiercely proud of his country and was honoured to wear the stars and stripes at the highest level.

Hailing from Louisville, Lyle competed on the game’s biggest stage in 1999 and 2003 and also in sevens, and now the 41-year-old is looking forward to welcoming the world’s best teams to the States.

“Because of the diversity of America and all the nationalities here, not just one or two, every match here has the capacity to be a home match for the teams that are playing. I feel it will be a very welcoming environment,” he said. 

“The company I work for manage a lot of the venues in the bid and we’re super-excited about what in essence will be a decade of sport that we’ve got coming up with the 2028 LA Games and then the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups.”

USA can be challengers

At Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan made a mockery of fears that an uncompetitive host nation would make the tournament a dead duck by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in history.

USA are currently further down the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini than the Brave Blossoms were going into that tournament. But with eight years to make headway, Lyle is more than confident the Eagles will make a positive impression on the pitch as well as off it.

“If you’re looking at fertile ground or land of natural resources you would say ‘yes’ we can, in spades,” he said, answering the question of whether the USA could do a Japan. 

“In my early years of playing test match rugby against Japan, I remember one game where we beat them by 70 points.

“A sustainable structure, a reliable calendar, a professional approach … it’s been proven that it can happen, not just through the analogy of soccer in a hosting perspective in America but the capabilities in building teams.

“But it doesn’t come without rolling up the sleeves and a lot of hard work.”

Historically, America have enjoyed much greater on-field success at women's Rugby World Cups, winning the inaugural tournament in 1991 and reaching the final of the next two events before another long-awaited semi-final in 2017

And Lyle feels the 2033 tournament will send the women’s game into another stratosphere.

“If the potential is significantly high for men’s rugby, it’s astronomically high for women’s rugby in America,” he said.

“It’s almost a dream that we have such an aspirational target for the women’s game because we are so attuned to women’s sport here. It could eclipse the men’s by way of growth and value in the long run.”

Meanwhile, Lyle was wholesome in his praise for the new approach taken by World Rugby around the bidding process and the partnership arrangement that enables the governing body to work collaboratively with national unions and governments in delivering successful tournaments.

“I think the structure and approach of World Rugby to put this in place rather than people spending millions of dollars trying to bid against one another is going to bring people together quicker and more effectively and change the landscape of the sport.”

 

Trending News Show all
HSBC France Sevens 2022 Men's
8 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series – Toulouse

Big names fall on dramatic day of upsets at HSBC France Sevens in Toulouse

Argentina and Australia were knocked out in the men’s quarter-finals, while Series leaders South Africa and heavyweights New Zealand failed to even make the knockout stages. Australia and New Zealand’s women impressed, while Fiji reached the final four in both events.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series – Toulouse

Sat 21 May, 2022
8 min read
HSBC France Sevens 2022 Men's
6 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series - Toulouse

Men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series favourites suffer shock defeats on opening day in Toulouse as women’s champions Australia continue fine form

South Africa, Australia and Argentina were all beaten on the opening day of the HSBC France Sevens men’s event, while New Zealand and Australia caught the eye with some big wins in the women’s competition

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series - Toulouse

Fri 20 May, 2022
6 min read
Rikki Swannell becomes first females to commentate on men's series
5 min read

Feature

Behind the microphone: Groundbreaker Rikki Swannell

World Rugby talks to the New Zealander about becoming the first female lead commentator on the men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and her life in sports broadcasting.

Feature

Fri 20 May, 2022
5 min read
Andy Vilk, head coach of Italy men's sevens
4 min read

RWC Sevens 2022 qualifying

Italy men’s sevens team seeks return to the big stage

The European men's qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 is on the horizon with the prize of four tickets to Cape Town, South Africa at stake in July.

RWC Sevens 2022 qualifying

Thu 19 May, 2022
4 min read
Serevi Coaching Roadshow - HSBC Event
3 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Fiji are in Toulouse to win: “There is still room for improvement,” says Gollings

Gold and silver medals in their last two HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series outings have Fiji feeling good ahead of French tournament

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Thu 19 May, 2022
3 min read
HSBC France Sevens 2022
4 min read

Rugby Sevens

Captains ready for lift off at HSBC France Sevens

Toulouse welcomes a full line-up of 16 men’s and 12 women’s teams for the first time in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series on 20-22 May

Rugby Sevens

Wed 18 May, 2022
4 min read
2018 Commonwealth Games women's final
3 min read

Commonwealth Games

All the build-up to rugby sevens at the Commonwealth Games 2022

Now that the line-ups are complete in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, we take a look at who has won gold in the past and the sides competing to add their names to the roll call of honour in July.

Commonwealth Games

Wed 11 May, 2022
3 min read
Madagascar qualify for rugby world cup sevens
4 min read

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Discipline and hard work at the heart of Madagascar's success on the road to Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

The Madagascar women's sevens team has achieved their historic dream of qualifying for a Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament for the first time. At the heart of this achievement lies a lot of hard work, determination and discipline.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

Wed 11 May, 2022
4 min read
HSBC Canada Women's Sevens 2022
4 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Seven women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series players to watch in Toulouse

Following an exciting weekend in Langford we look at seven women’s stars who could light up Toulouse between 20-22 May.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Thu 5 May, 2022
4 min read
HSBC Canada Women's Sevens 2022
4 min read

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Black Ferns Sevens renew riveting rivalry with Australia on HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Australia wrapped up the 2022 Series title in Langford, but the Black Ferns Sevens left Canada with plenty to celebrate as they begin a busy period.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series

Tue 3 May, 2022
4 min read
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