American International College Men's Rugby 7s Team Earns a Spot in the 24-Team Championship Field in the 2017 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 5, 2017 (Newswire.com) - With a victory last week in the Heart of America Classic, American International College has qualified for a spot in the 24-team men’s Rugby 7s championship in the 2017 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, competing Saturday, June 3^rd and Sunday, 4^th at Talen Energy Stadium in suburban Philadelphia.

American International, out of Springfield, Massachusetts, won the Heart of American Classic, the official qualifier tournament for the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, with a 28-0 victory over Ohio State, on Sunday, March 26in Kansas City, Kansas. The Yellow Jackets join Lindenwood University as one of two qualifier winners for the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship.  Lindenwood captured their berth by winning the Las Vegas Invitational last month.  

The Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship boasts a 24-team field of the nation’s top men’s collegiate Rugby 7s squads.  At the top of the field is four-time defending champion University of California, returning to the pitch on which they have won the Pete Dawkins Trophy in an unprecedented show of dominance.  Rugby sevens squads from Arizona, Arkansas State, Army, Boston College, Clemson, Dartmouth, Indiana University, Life University, Lindenwood, Navy, University of Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College (Moraga, California), Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin, as well as Philadelphia-area favorites Delaware, Kutztown, Penn State, Saint Joseph’s and Temple have all earned a spot in the 2017 championship field.  The one remaining team in this year’s title field will be announced shortly.

This is the seventh consecutive year that the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship will be held in Philadelphia and at Talen Energy Stadium, bringing national and International attention to the region through the live broadcasts on the networks of NBC Sports.  The two-day rugby festival is one of the largest gatherings of collegiate and high school rugby teams in the world, with over 30,000 anticipated to be in attendance. Penn Mutual is in the third year of a title sponsorship for the event, and NBC Sports once again returns as both broadcaster and event partner.

Tickets are now on sale at http://www.usasevenscrc.com.

The weekend’s events also include the 16-team women’s rugby sevens collegiate championship competition, as well as the six-squad College Challenge bracket to earn a berth in the main men’s field in 2018. The championship fields in the boys and girls high school competition and the National Small College Rugby Organization national championship will be announced in the coming weeks. 

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. For more information about UWS and its properties, visit: http://www.unitedworldsports.com.

About the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company:  

Since its founding in 1847, Penn Mutual has been driven by its purpose to empower people to live life with confidence. At the heart of this purpose is the belief that purchasing life insurance is the most protective, responsible and rewarding action a person can take, and is central to a sound financial plan. The company is committed to helping individuals, families and small businesses unlock life's possibilities through life insurance and annuity solutions. This is accomplished through a national network of more than 5,000 financial professionals, who help clients make great things possible. Penn Mutual supports its field representatives with brokerage services through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. Registered Investment Advisor and wholly owned subsidiary. Member FINRA/SIPC. Visit Penn Mutual on the Internet at http://www.pennmutual.com.

About NBC Sports Group:  

When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 11 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and NBC Sports Digital. 

Media Contacts:

Joe Favorito, [email protected], (201) 746-0005

Jim DeLorenzo, [email protected], (215) 266-5943

Source: Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship