The USA Rugby Men’s National Team Sevens and fifteens team and the Women’s Sevens Team had eleven achievements over the weekend. Three of them include the USA Men’s Sevens team being ranked No. 1 in the world, the Women’s Sevens team No. 2, and the Men’s Eagles XVs team 12th in the world.

USA Rugby is a non-profit organization that relies on grants, fundraising, and philanthropy to achieve their goals. The National organization receives funding from membership dues, along with additional individual contributions designated for specific programs. Grants are received from World Rugby for rugby 15s and from the USOC for 7s, with additional funding as teams move closer to the Olympics or World Cup Sevens. Philanthropy comes from donors and corporate sponsorship and there will be some new releases from USA Rugby announced on the corporate side in the coming months.

Keep in mind that funding is cyclical and that National priorities change based on these cycles. In 2019 it is the Rugby World Cup for Men’s XVs, the Olympics is in 2020, and the Women’s RWC in 2021.

For the National teams, significant support is being made from the Golden Eagles for Men’s 7s, an Eagles XVs group for both Men and Women, and a Women’s 7s group.

Individual contributions for any amount for USA Rugby programs from national to youth rugby is always appreciated and a link for donations is provided.

It should be emphasized that national team athletes make tremendous sacrifices to wear the USA jersey, yet the compensation received places them above the poverty line as working poor. On a national level, athletes in residency at the National Training Center in Chula Vista, California receive a stipend and receive housing, meals, and access to training facilities. This while certainly helpful is not enough and needs to be increased in the future. USA Rugby resources are stretched thin and that is where corporate and individual support is needed.

USA teams and athletes have made significant achievements worldwide and it would be remiss not to emphasize players needs at this time. There is a core group of national team athletes that have continued to make sacrifices and other athletes on the performance bubble, that is leaving the program for professional opportunities in both rugby and in the private sector. Greater financial support is critical to the national team’s success and to retaining players who contribute greatly to their country.

Poverty Level Video

The video below discusses how to use the Federal Poverty Level Chart & FPL Chart for 2019 is something that athletes may need to be aware of to see if they qualify for services.

USA Rugby International Achievements