United States coach Al Caravelli has chosen a 22-man squad for an eight-day selection camp ahead of the Wellington and San Diego legs of the International Rugby Board ( IRB ) Sevens World Series.


Caravelli will select a final squad of 12 over the course of the camp, which kicks off on 19 January. The selection will be based on fitness, defensive ability and form assessments.


The camp will provide Caravelli with a chance to work with a number of new players - Corey Blair (Huntington Beach Unicorns), Troy Hunt (White Plains), Mike Hicks (San Diego State) and Nicholas Hawkins (OMBAC) - who showed potential in the US's Rugby National Guard Men's All-Star Championships in December.


However, the cream of Caravelli's new crop is Austin Sage, of Red Mountain, who performed well at the last Under-19 Camp.

"Even though he is only 18 and has only been playing rugby for a few months, he is athletic, quick-footed, strong and has the pace we need in Sevens," Caravelli said.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing him perform during the week. If he works hard and puts in the individual time that our current squad puts in, I can see him making one of the traveling squads this year."

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Trinidad and Tobago rugby referee Larry Mendez has been appointed as a touch judge for the 2008 USA Sevens in San Diego, California.


The two-day international sevens tournament, which will be held next February 9-10, is part of the International Rugby Board ( IRB ) World Sevens series.


The best rugby sevens nations and players in the world will be in San Diego.


Mendez, a police officer, is a former national player who represented T&T at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games. He is the current Harvard Club rugby coach and a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union (T&TRFU) selection committee.


The former Tranquility Government Secondary School student said he was looking forward to the challenge of working with some of the best rugby officials in the world.

"It is a fantastic opportunity and one I intend to embrace. I have to get very fit, not only physically but also mentally. There is a lot at stake for the teams and players and the officials are under a lot of pressure ... the pace of the game is very fast and intense," Mendez said.

Mendez is following in the footsteps of fellow Trinidadian referees Paul Mowser and Anthony Pontiflette, who both officiated in previous USA Sevens.


He was appointed to the referee panel for the 2007 NAWIRA Sevens tournament held in Bahamas in November.

T&TRFU vice-president Leslie Figaro said Mendez has the ability and self-confidence to do well in San Diego.

"The real challenge for Larry will be to do well enough so that he will be invited back to future World Sevens series."

Source: T&T Express

From Joe Wipple,

West Indies Head Coach/Chairman of Selectors


I am please to announce the Rugby West Indies squad for the USA Sevens tournament in San Diego in 2008.


The players competed for the 12 travelling and 5 non-travelling (reserve) spots in the NAWIRA 7s tournament in Nassau, the Trinidad mini camp and the Trinidad 7s. We had 22 players in our camp in Trinidad and every one of them gave a very good account of themselves. In some cases, experience prevailed over youth and in others the fitness of some was not quite up to the standard required for the next level.
I am confident that we will see all of these 22 compete for the West Indies in the future, provided they put forth the effort. We expect to compete in more tournaments this year and we will be looking at additional players for these tournaments. Our basic selection criteria remain: a good level of fitness, strong in the tackle, able to play the team pattern and demonstrating good ball handling skills.

I thank our selectors:
Noel Adonis (Guyana)

Victor Hyder (Jamaica)
Curtis Nero (Trinidad)

Dave Mays (Cayman)
Spenser Robinson (Technical Director)

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Thanks to Tim Thompson for submitting these pictures.

Getty Newsmakers - SAN DIEGO - FEBRUARY 11: Devon Woodside #15 of the West Indies runs with the ball on his way to scoring a try against Tonga during the second day of matches of the IRB Sevens World Series at Petco Park February 11, 2007 in San Diego, California. Tonga beat the West Indies 22-5. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images). Click here for full image.

Getty Newsmakers - SAN DIEGO - FEBRUARY 11: Devon Woodside #15 of the West Indies jumps for possession of the ball against Josateki Veikune #1 of Tonga during the second day of matches of the IRB Sevens World Series at Petco Park February 11, 2007 in San Diego, California. Tonga beat the West Indies 22-5. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images). Click here for full image.

Sweaty Newsmakers - HEREFORD - FEBRUARY 17: Devon Woodside #15 of the West Indies jumps for possession of the lap during the second day of action after the IRB Sevens World Series at Petco Park. Woodside beat Mike Jones 3-0 for the night. (Photo by Andy Adsum/Sweaty Images). Click picture for full image.



Source: Pictures 1 & 2 are from Getty Images. Click here for lots more pictures from the tournament

Click on images to enlarge.

Our thanks to Randy Mar for submitting these pictures. YOu can find more of his work here.