SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - January 14, 2011) - Waisale Serevi, widely recognized as the greatest rugby sevens player, has chosen Seattle to launch the next phase of his storied career. He has been appointed Director of Rugby and Head Coach of the Sevens program for Old Puget Sound Beach (OPSB) Rugby Football Club in Seattle, the reigning US Sevens national champion. In addition, Serevi will be launching a new global business venture which aims to increase awareness of and participation in rugby in the US and abroad.
"This is the right time and place for me to take the next step in my career," said Serevi. "Seattle is a gateway to the broader US Rugby community, and coaching here will enable me to have a direct impact on the development of players who will help the US compete for the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics."
The sport of rugby is fast growing in the United States. According to a study done by Rugby Magazine, rugby in the US has grown 33 percent (from 2006 clubs to 2658) in the past six years. This growth is reflected in a number of developments related to the sport, including the return of rugby sevens to the 2016 Olympic Games (the US won gold in 1924, the last time the sport was included in the games); the development of a Collegiate Premiere League; and NBC's broadcast of the complete 2011 World Cup schedule and Las Vegas International Sevens.
"While there is growing excitement about the sport within the rugby community, it has yet to spread more widely," said Serevi. "I believe there is a huge opportunity to raise the awareness among Americans of the beauty, intensity and camaraderie of rugby. This will help grow participation in rugby from youth through university and club levels."
Serevi's prolific achievements as a player and coach include: playing in four Rugby Sevens World Cups for the Fijian National Team and player/coach for the 1997 and 2005 World Cups, the years in which they won. One of his most honorable achievements was being the first player from the Pacific Islands to be contracted to play professionally in Europe. He went on to further add polish to his name at one of the most successful and iconic rugby teams in the United Kingdom, the Leicester Tiger Rugby Club.
Fans can follow Serevi at his Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Serevi/183461985012315 and via twitter at www.twitter.com/waisale_serevi.
"Having Serevi developing American players is a testament to the massive strides being made in advance of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio," said Kevin Swiryn, a member of the U.S. National Team. "It's an exciting time to be representing American Rugby -- and having a living legend coaching in Seattle holds great promise for the future of the game."
Founded in 1971, OPSB is a premier rugby club in the Northwest corner of the U.S. They are best known for their five National Rugby Sevens Titles where their speed and flare dominate. The year 2010 was a landmark season for OPSB, during which the team qualified for the USA Rugby Super League playoffs and won the National Sevens Championship.
Contact Information:
Media Contact:
John Williams
Scoville PR
206-625-0075 x1
jwilliams@scovillepr.com