SAN JOSE, Calif. – Avaya Stadium will host Silicon Valley 7s, a world-class international rugby competition, on Saturday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5. The event will bring some of the world’s great participants in the Olympic sport of Rugby Sevens to the Bay Area.
“We’re really excited for Avaya Stadium to be hosting Silicon Valley 7s,” said Earthquakes President Tom Fox. “Previous rugby competitions at Avaya Stadium, including the 2015 Pacific Nations Cup, have received great support from the San Jose community and we’re looking forward to putting on another entertaining event."
Among the 12 teams competing in this debut tournament are the men’s sevens squads from Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, a trio of Pacific Island nations competing in a single U.S. tournament for the first time since the 2007 USA Sevens. Also featured is the men’s sevens squad from Ireland, the first time that the squad will ever compete in the United States. Joining them are teams from the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Chile, New Zealand, Japan and China, coming together as they begin preparations for the 2018 international rugby sevens season.
“It is exciting to establish Silicon Valley 7s as a season-opening annual tournament that will set the pace for the 2017-2018 rugby campaign,” said Jeff McDowell, EVP/CMO of United World Sports. “With 12 of the top rugby 7s teams in the world coming to San Jose, we anticipate a high-level of interest in this high-performance competition. Silicon Valley 7s brings the world’s fastest growing Olympic sport to a whole new audience, in a way that allows even the most casual of sports fans to see close-up the power of rugby 7s.”
Avaya Stadium, home of the San Jose Earthquakes, has played host to many international events, including U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team games, the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup and numerous Liga MX contests.
United World Sports has also partnered with the City of San Jose, the San Jose Sports Authority and the Fairmont Hotel, which will serve as the official partner and team hotel.
“The addition of Silicon Valley 7s to the international schedule, and its debut in San Jose, further validates the growth of rugby in the United States.” said Dan Payne, Chief Executive Officer of USA Rugby. “It is going to be a great event for rugby fans on the West Coast, a strong lead in tournament for the Men's 7s team in preparation for the HSBC Sevens World Series and a great opportunity to add a high caliber event to the domestic calendar with our partner, United World Sports.”
In addition to international men’s matches, the event will feature collegiate matches, an international cultural festival, along with an Island concert series.
Earthquakes season ticket holders will have a presale beginning Friday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. before going on sale to the general public on Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster.com and groups of 10 or more should call the Earthquakes Front Office at 408-556-7700.
Visit sevensrugby.com for more information.
About Avaya Stadium
Avaya Stadium, home to Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, is an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located on Coleman Ave. adjacent to the San Jose International Airport. The European-inspired building is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS and is among the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. The stadium features a canopy roof and the steepest-raked seating in MLS to provide the best possible fan experience. Additionally, the north end zone houses the largest outdoor bar in North America, a two-acre fan zone and a double-sided video scoreboard. The suites and club seats are located at field level, giving fans a premium experience unlike any other in professional sports. The stadium has hosted numerous non-Major League Soccer events since its inaugural season in 2015, including the International Champions Cup, a pair of United States Women’s National Team friendlies, the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup, the 2016 Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Arsenal FC and a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier for the U.S. Men’s National Team. For more information about Avaya Stadium, visit sjearthquakes.com.
About United World Sports:
United World Sports (UWS) is the largest commercial rugby entity in the United States, and the owner and operator of a growing portfolio of dynamic sports, media and apparel brands including, the USA Sevens Rugby international tournament, the largest professional rugby event in North America; the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, the premier college 7s rugby championship; and the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup Championship, the 15s-national rugby championship. Through its apparel division, UWS owns the exclusive North and South American license for Rhino Rugby, one of the world's leading rugby apparel and equipment brands. UWS also owns and operates RugbyToday.com, the largest and most widely read media destination dedicated to American rugby. Additional information is available at http://www.unitedworldsports.com.
