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Several of the comments regarding the possibility of the US winning a medal in the men’s and women’s sevens competition at the Rio Olympics has lead me to believe that some people have limited knowledge about the vibrant state of rugby in America today.
Here are a few stats that may surprise them:
* There are currently 60,000 registered rugby players throughout the country, and that’s everywhere from New England to Southern California, Utah to Mississippi
*In club and semi-pro, there are 27,500 registered men and 10,000 registered women at the senior level
* There are 1,200 registered pre-teens
* There are 570 registered clubs
The IRB World Rankings, as of this month, in the 15-a-side game puts New Zealand at number one (145,000 registered players), France (280,000) is at five. Ireland (101,000) is ranked four behind South Africa and Australia.
The US is in the sixteenth spot, just three places behind Japan, which has twice as many registered players.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.