United States
'Sevens best way to showcase rugby to America'
Sam Bruce in South Bend, Indiana
September 2, 2015
The United States' Men's and Women's Sevens sides have both qualified for the Olympics © World Rugby
Enlarge

Americans are "in awe" of rugby's continuous play and therein lies the secret if the game is to improve its position as more than just a minor sport in the United States.

That's the advice of long-time University of Notre Dame coach Lonnie Heeter, who has been working hard to raise the game's profile at the College level for the last seven years. Working alongside head coach Sean O'Leary, Heeter has seen the game grow from a mere curiosity to a stage where his Fighting Irish rugby squad hammer through a serious week of training.

"When Sean and I got involved seven years ago it was little more than just a bit of physical activity," Heeter told ESPN. "But then we decided to get serious about the program and the growth here has been incredible. This year we've had a heap of players just turn up looking to try the game for the first time, and that's got to be a trend we hope will continue if we're to see improvements across all levels of rugby."

Play ESPNfootytips Rugby World Cup Tipping

Sevens' inclusion in the Olympics has been viewed as a key moment in the growth of rugby across America. The game is set for greater government funding because of its Olympic inclusion, while the American Men's team capped a solid season on the HSBC World Series circuit by taking out the title at the season-ending event at Twickenham in London.

Heeter said the high-intensity, open nature of Sevens was a perfect fit for the American market where consumers were accustomed to the stop-start nature of American football.

"In Sevens, you have a game that goes for 14 minutes with just a short half-time whereas football has a play for 14 seconds and then it stops, 14 seconds and then it stops." he said. "The explosive nature of Sevens generates interest because it is quite foreign to the American people; we're so used to having a pause between plays or a time-out. It really is something so different."

At College level, the securing of "Varsity" status is another key hurdle. Heeter said he wasn't sure if or when that would take place, but was in no doubt as to the benefits it would provide and how crucial it would be in growing both forms of the game.

Wallabies first training session at Notre Dame
%]

"Having Varsity status would see rugby become a serious athletic pursuit; one that would usher in a bit of professionalism in the way we do things," he said. "The extra funding would allow us to improve our training capabilities and, for us as coaches, improve ourselves so that we can then transfer that onto the players."

And there's nothing like an appearance from one of the world's premier rugby teams to spike interest either. The Wallabies are conducting a two-week camp at the University of Notre Dame, broken only by a game against the United States in Chicago this weekend.

Heeter said the students had been fascinated by Michael Cheika's Rugby World Cup squad, with many taking the time to check out a training session between classes.

"They're blown away by them," he said. "How fast they are, how big the guys are; it's been great to see so many people stop by for a look."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.