March 2nd, 2017

Dr. Lopez and the Rugby Research and Injury Prevention Group, attended this tournament in its new location of Las Vegas, Nevada, since 2011. Those in attendance included Dr Victor Lopez Jr, Dr Richard Ma and the staff for the Las Vegas Invitational & Physiotherapist Dr. Laurel S.D. Myers-Beauregard, DPT, covering their Northeast Academy and Prof. Erica D. Marcano, MS ATC, covering the affiliated Northeast Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) of Play Rugby USA. We have been fortunate to be sanctioned by USA Sevens to attend this event and conduct injury surveillance over the multiple years while this event has expanded.

The Las Vegas Invitational — the largest rugby tournament in North America — will take place March 2 – 4, 2017 and will be played alongside the USA Sevens international rugby tournament held annually in Las Vegas. The LVI is considered the premier amateur rugby event in the United States, featuring athletes and match-ups across a wide-range of rugby divisions and age groups. The Las Vegas Invitational presented by the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino has seen rapid growth in participating teams over the past few years. In 2011, 177 competed at the LVI. 2012 saw an increase to 232 teams competing as well as the addition of the Men’s College CRC qualifier 7’s division for a wildcard spot in at the USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship Invitational. For 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 we have seen steady growth as the total number of teams reached 285. Including the following locations and team brackets.