Paris Games 2024: Michigan's Rugby Sevens Squad

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have been a blast to watch. We wait four years to see the best athletes from countries across the globe compete in different sports. One of my favorite sports in existence is rugby, a sport more popular on other continents, but gaining popularity in the United States. My appreciation for Rugby began as a college student at Bryan College ten years ago and continued as I competed on the Eastern Michigan University rugby team after transferring. Traditional Rugby is played with 15 players per team on the pitch (field) at a time, but the quicker-paced version of the game is played with 7 players per side at the Olympics. The positions include the forwards (Prop, Hooker, Prop) aka the pack, and the backs (Scrum-half, Fly-half, Center, Wing). In 15s matches of rugby, the positions include 2 Props, 1 Hooker, 2 Locks, 2 Flankers, 1 Eight-man, Scrum-half, Fly-half, Inside center, Outside Center, Wing, and a Half-back. The wonderful part of rugby is that you can identify player positions by the number they have on their jersey! In college, I predominately played the Fly-Half #10. <a href="https://www.world.rugby/tournaments/olympics/faq">Learn more about Rugby Sevens</a>   This has been a historic Olympic run for the USA Women's Eagles Sevens team. They earned the first-ever Olympic medal for USA Rugby in history, earning Bronze. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa7nXjx_Jj4">Watch their historic try to win as time expired.</a>   As we all enjoy the Summer Olympics, I thought it would be interesting to think about the Michigan basketball athletes who could excel at sports taking place in Paris. Here are the ladies who I would select to compete in Rugby Sevens. You will need to look up these terms as they are sport-specific, I apologize for the confusion in advance! <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/198991-rugby-dictionary-terminology">Rugby Terminology</a>   Michigan Rugby Sevens Team    Kate is a powerful forward on the basketball court, using her strength to rebound and create second-chance scoring for herself and her teammates. Kate would be effective in scrums to gain ground on the pitch with her length and strong base. A forward needs to be able to lift a teammate for lineouts, which she could perform also. Kate drives downhill through contact; that determination would lead to many successful mauls and carries over the try line in Rugby Sevens. She has experience competing on Rockford's rugby team and would wear #1 for this team.     Jocelyn's strength and aggressiveness are evident on the basketball court and her commitment to weight training would make her an excellent #2 forward in Rugby Sevens. The #2 has the task of hooking the ball back to the scrum-half in sets, which is essential to controlling possession. Jocelyn has the footwork and muscular strength to win the ball back. Her toughness and competitive physicality on the basketball court would translate to winning rucks, making tackles, and scoring tries inside the opponent's 10-meter line. Jocelyn would be a great addition to the Rugby Sevens team.     Lucia has been an exciting center to watch on the travel circuit because of her footwork, physicality, and effectiveness inside on both ends of the court. Her athleticism, defensive edge, phenomenal size/strength, and determination would make her an excellent forward in Rugby Sevens. She has the height and power needed to gain ground in the scrum; carry multiple tacklers on carries to the try line, and be an excellent lifter in lineouts. Lucia would dominate as a forward for the Rugby Sevens Team, sporting #3.     Izzy is TOUGH on the basketball court, a true competitor, a downhill slasher, and fearless. Those characteristics would make her a fantastic rugby player, especially at the scrum-half position. Izzy is an effective passer and attacker off the dribble, which is similar to the role of a scrum-half. Her danger as a passer and quickness would give defenders fit out of scrums and lineouts. Izzy has the speed/jukes to evade defenders or turn on the jets to score tries. Her balance and aggressiveness would make her lethal as a tackler and in counter rucks. Izzy has experience competing on the football field and would be exciting to see wearing #4 in Rugby Sevens.     Kaylynn has some of the shiftiest moves, quickest acceleration, and explosive steps I've seen on the basketball court this past year. Her jabs, step-backs, speed, and leaping ability would be outstanding to see on the rugby pitch. I imagine Kaylynn spinning defenders around like a top, using euro-step hesitation moves, and lowering the shoulder through contact. Kaylynn would be the back we want getting the ball in space to beat defenders for tries, or off-loading passes to teammates. If she can kick grubbers or pop-ups over the defense for our wings, watch out! Kaylynn would be wearing #5 at Fly-Half for our Rugby Sevens team.     Halen is one of those scrappy guards whose toughness and physical strength stand out amongst the group. A center has to be fearless in rugby because they run a dead sprint toward a line of defenders waiting to catch a pass and break through the tacklers. Halen plays with great defensive balance and footwork that would make her effective as a tackler on the rugby pitch. She has the muscles and toughness to play center and her dynamic ability to pass the ball, catch, and play through contact would make her an excellent #6 in Rugby Sevens.     Ariyana is an athlete with length and speed that leads to many transition buckets on the basketball court. Her athleticism, leaping ability, and quick footwork driving to the basket have led me to believe she would be an outstanding wing on a Rugby Sevens Team. Wings have to outrun their defenders and their job is to score! Ariyana accelerates to score a ton of baskets on the court and could make many plays on the outside to put points up in a hurry. She will wear #7.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming Event to Inform Your Basketball Training </h2>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/08/UPSIDE_Announcement-Detail-2024-d.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-962082" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Upside by Highest Platform</figcaption></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">At the Buzzer</h2>   Evan Bell is currently a scout for Prep Girls Hoops and Director of <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"> </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/">    </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"> </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"> </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/"> </a><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/program/prepare-2-win-basketball/">[program_tooltip program_id='923712' first='Prepare' last='2 Win Basketball']</a>         . Our <a href="https://www.prepnetwork.com/frequently-asked-questions/">mission</a> at PGH is to cover as many athletes with D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO potential in the state as possible. If you know a prospect off our radar, please DM Evan through Twitter @CoachEvanBell or email him at prepare2winbasketball@gmail.com

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have been a blast to watch. We wait four years to see the best athletes from countries across the globe compete in different sports. One of my favorite sports in existence is rugby, a sport more popular on other continents, but gaining popularity in the United States. My appreciation for Rugby began as a college student at Bryan College ten years ago and continued as I competed on the Eastern Michigan University rugby team after transferring. Traditional Rugby is played with 15 players per team on the pitch (field) at a time, but the quicker-paced version of the game is played with 7 players per side at the Olympics. The positions include the forwards (Prop, Hooker, Prop) aka the pack, and the backs (Scrum-half, Fly-half, Center, Wing). In 15s matches of rugby, the positions include 2 Props, 1 Hooker, 2 Locks, 2 Flankers, 1 Eight-man, Scrum-half, Fly-half, Inside center, Outside Center, Wing, and a Half-back. The wonderful part of rugby is that you can identify player positions by the number they have on their jersey! In college, I predominately played the Fly-Half #10. Learn more about Rugby Sevens