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HOTTEST TICKET Lucky Sevens BLINK AND YOU'LL MISS THE LIGHTNING MOVES OF SEVENS RUGBY, THE SPORT WHOSE WORLD SERIES TOUR IS MAKING ITS ONLY US STOP IN VEGAS IN JANUARY. BY ABBY TEGNELIA A head of its Olympic debut in 2016, sevens rugby—also known as rugby sevens, the even more lightning-swift offspring of the already fast-paced rugby—is sweeping into Vegas on the only US stop of the HSBC Sevens World Series. And it's a perfect match: This traveling sevens competition brings with it days of events, including golf and poker tournaments, plus live music and an international crowd looking for fun. "Sevens is a cooler version of rugby," says Dan Lyle, executive vice president of United World Sports, which runs the tour. "It's Olympics meets Mardi Gras." The nine-city tour descends on Vegas January 24 –26, the fourth stop of a true world series that started in Australia last October, concludes in England in May, and features 16 teams representing nations around the world. Local pregame events include a Team USA pep rally with the players, head coach, and cheerleaders at Miracle Mile Shops on January 22. More than 380 million people are expected to tune in when the games air live on NBC and the NBC Sports Network. If you plan on being among the spectators streaming into Sam Boyd Stadium to catch the action in person, don't dillydally. Sevens matches are only 15 minutes long: two seven-minute halves with a oneminute break. The game is fast—very fast—and features hard-core football-style tackling, despite the lack of padding on the players. There's also fast scoring, with only seven players per team instead of rugby's 15 (hence the name) on a field 70 feet wider than an American football field—so when a player breaks free, he gets to run like the wind. It's not unusual for teams to score more than 40 points per game. "Our players play hard, just like Vegas does," says Lyle, who played on the US team for 10 years and has been involved with this tournament since day one. Much newer to the sport is a player to keep your eye on: the US team's Carlin Isles, touted as "the fastest man in rugby." If he continues to play as he did in his debut last year, Isles may well land in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Sevens rugby was added to the Olympic lineup for its lively reputation and its ability to bring many countries together in one day of play, says Lyle. "The Olympics were looking for a youthful, festival-based sport to add." The nature of sevens rugby explains the festival part: Because a new game starts every 22 minutes, fans from many countries are at the stadium at the same time. "Watch your team, go have a drink, and then come back," Lyle says, adding that many fans come in costume. "You can see your team multiple times in a day." But cheering our home team will be only part of the fun at this six-day event. Weekend Premier Lounge tickets ($695) include pitchside seating, player meet-andgreets, plus lunch and bar service in a special lounge. At the stadium, 45 vendors and 12 international food trucks will serve fish and chips, Thai food, samosas, and much more—including, of course, beers of the world. "It's a big production," says Lyle. "There's a whole crew behind the scenes, knocking on players' dressing-room doors, getting the crowd into it, up on the stage. There's always so much going on. It's entertainment." The HSBC Sevens World Series's Las Vegas matches take place January 24–26 at Sam Boyd Stadium, with additional events January 21–23. For tickets, visit usasevens.com. V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 050-051_V_SC_HT_Rugby_Winter14.indd 51 51 1/10/14 11:13 AM