USRF Helping Raise Funds for Collegiate All-Americans Tour

San Diego, CA (June 23, 2009) – The United States Collegiate All-Americans are headed to South Africa in just over four weeks time for a three-match tour and are in need of your financial assistance. The All-Americans, comprised of the finest young rugby talent in the country, have had a big impact on both the USA VIIs and XVs teams this year and expect the tour to rugby rich South Africa to prove beneficial in the long run.For many years, the All-Americans have made up the majority of the National Team. Eleven 2008 All-Americans have advanced to become Eagles or National Sevens players; nine current All-Americans are vying for spots in the World Games with the US 7s team; and 11 of the 22 players named to faced Georgia in the Churchill Cup final are current or former All-Americans, including open-side flanker and captain, Todd Clever. All 12 of the 2008 All-American graduates are making quality contributions in the club and/or national team ranks.The tour, which gets underway on July 24th with a two-day domestic assembly in Denver, is funded by private donations, corporate sponsors, and player contributions, and the All-Americans are investigating all avenues for financial support. The United States Rugby Foundation was glad to help.“Although our focus remains on youth and high school rugby, the Rugby Foundation acknowledges the importance of the All-American program,” said USRF Executive Director Brian Vizard. “Many of these players will be playing on the National Team in the months and years to come. We contributed to the All-Americans for their tour to New Zealand in 2005 and their Canada tour previously, and will continue to support them as they head to South Africa. As there is a player-funded component, it’s important from our standpoint that the players are allowed to concentrate on their rugby. We are trying to make it easy on them by raising money on their behalf with a goal of raising $10,000 in a short period of time.”Will you make a donation today towards our goal of reaching $10,000 to assist the U.S. Collegiate All-Americans?The All-Americans first match is on August 1 at Stellenbosch’s famous Danie Craven stadium when they face a South African National Students Team comprised of the best student-athletes from the SA Varsity Cup teams, including Springbok-producing power-houses Stellenbosch, University of Cape Town, and Pukke. On August 5 they play a “friendly” with a run-on UCT / Stellenbosch / Western Cape side at the University of Cape Town. The tour concludes with a test against the Argentina National U-23s, on Saturday, August 8, in a curtain raiser at Newlands Stadium ahead of the Tri-Nations clash between Australia and South Africa.“We are excited about the prospects of playing in Western Province,” said newly appointed Collegiate All-Americans head coach Alex Magleby, himself, a former collegiate stand-out and Eagle. “We had preliminary plans in place for a domestic tour this summer and have only recently received the tournament invitation and agreement from South Africa. It is a very short time frame to financially prepare for a tour; however, we felt that this was just too good an opportunity for our up and coming players to miss out on. Any chance of playing in South Africa against quality competition in the likes of the SA Varsity Cup team and the Argentina U-23s, at a relatively reasonable cost, should be taken.”If you would like to make a tax deductible donation towards the Collegiate All-Americans South Africa Tour, you may do so electronically, or by making a check out to the USRF and earmarking it for the Collegiate All-Americans South Africa Tour. Send your checks to:United States Rugby Foundation2131 Pan American PlazaSan Diego, CA 92101Any amount, big or small, is welcomed and appreciated. All contributors will be acknowledged in the All-Americans Tour Report, compiled at the end of the tour.On behalf of the Collegiate All-Americans and the USRF, thank you for your support.