The Costa Rican Rugby Federation (FRCR), under the South American Rugby Football Union (Sudamerica Rugby) will host the 7^th Annual Rainforest Rugby-7s Tournament, on February 18-19, 2017 at the Franco Costa Rican High School of the Conception at Three Rivers, Cartago, Costa Rica (el Liceo Franco Costarricense, Concepción de Tres Ríos Colegio, Cartago, Costa Rica).

In cooperation with the local Costa Rican Sport and Travel Committee, the National Olympic Committee of Costa Rica (CON-CR), the Costa Rican Sports and Recreation Institute (ICODER) and the Franco Costa Rican High School.

Dr Victor Lopez Jr., Director of Medical Services of the Northeast Academy and the Executive Director of the Rugby Research and Injury Prevention Group, Inc. was in attendance to discuss the tournament’s involvement with our current injury surveillance and injury prevention work. Other countries, such as Panama and Canada were also represented.

Gary Heavner Deputy Director of Northeast Academy (NEA), Tom Feury (Women’s Coach NEA), Steve Thompson, National Teams Commission Director FRCR, Latin America Office, Jordi (Head Men’s Coach for FRCR), Dr Victor Lopez Jr, (Director of Medicine NEA), Referee, Ramón Cole de Temple, Chairman of the Federación de Rugby de Costa Rica, Steve Lewis (Women’s Coach NEA), Dominic Wareing (Head Men’s Coach NEA), Canadian Coach/Player Winnipeg Wombats, and Panamanian Head Coach.

The Northeast Academy, with training locations in New York City, Boston and Buffalo, a National Rugby Development Academy sanctioned by USA Rugby as the official designated pathway to the USA Eagles National Team, won the men’s and women’s premier divisions.

This tournament provided an opportunity for both the Costa Rican men’s and women’s national teams to compete against teams from Canada, Panama, and the United States (Northeast Academy). In the past, teams from Mexico, the United States, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Cayman Islands have competed and the tournament has been part of the qualification process for the 2017_XI Central_American_Games in Managua, Nicaragua and the 2014 XXII Central America and the Caribbean Games held in, Veracruz, Mexico 2014, which was a qualifier for the Pan American Games in Toronto.

The Northeast Academy men’s and women’s sides went undefeated in the tournament to win the Rainforest Sevens.  The men’s team beat the Barbarians, University of Manitoba Wombats and Costa Rica on day one and Costa Rica, University of Manitoba Wombats and the Barbarians on day two. The women’s team beat Panamá, the University of Manitoba Wombats and Costa Rica on day one and then won against the University of Manitoba Wombats, Costa Rica and the Tournament Selects on day two.  Based on the two days of the Rainforest Sevens, The Men’s Gold Medalists were the Northeast Academy, while the Barbarians (Costa Rica) earned Silver and Costa Rica the bronze medal.  For the Women, the Northeast Academy won Gold, Costa Rica the Silver and the Wombats from Canada, the bronze.