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(SANTA BARBARA) August 20, 2023 – Sevens rugby is returning to Santa Barbara! After a 5-year hiatus, the Santa Barbara Grunion Rugby Club is hosting Santa Barbara 7s, an amateur rugby tournament in Elings Park. The all-day event will showcase two fields of nonstop sevens rugby—a fast-paced version of the game with seven players per team. Spectators are encouraged to visit the park and join local ruggers for a day of competition and celebration.
The Santa Barbara 7s tournament includes men’s, women’s, and youth brackets and hosts teams from across southern California. Local fans will have the chance to see all three Santa Barbara club teams in action: The Grunion (men’s team), Mermaids (women’s team), and Stingrays (youth league). UCSB is also sending a women’s squad coached by former Olympian Kelly Griffin, captain of the 2016 USA sevens rugby team.
No rugby event is complete without food and beer, and Santa Barbara 7s will have several options available on tournament grounds. At the rugby clubhouse, spectators and players will be able to buy Judge’s sausages—a Santa Barbara delicacy with vegetarian options—as well as beer and seltzer from Rincon Brewery and cider from Balcom Canyon Cider. Red Oak BBQ & Grill will also be on site to sell another California classic, the tri-tip sandwich.
But for the local players, Santa Barbara 7s is more than just a day of food, drink, and sport. “Santa Barbara Rugby has been absent from the sevens circuit for a few years,” said Grunion President Joseph King. “This is our first step to bring back an iconic South Coast rugby event and bolster our rugby community.” The tournament organizers hope that their event will spark interest in rugby and grow the sport into an enduring force that will thrive in Santa Barbara for years to come.
Tournament Details
The Santa Barbara 7s rugby tournament is on Saturday, August 26, with the first game kicking off at 9am. Games are scheduled on two fields in Elings Park on the Mesa. Parking inside the park is $5 on weekends.
For more information about the Santa Barbara 7s rugby tournament, including an updated schedule, please visit www.sbwomensrugby.com/schedule/santa-barbara-7s.
About Rugby and the Santa Barbara Rugby Community
Rugby superficially resembles American football; both are contact sports with the goal of carrying an oval ball into an endzone. However, the game flow of rugby is more similar to soccer, with continuous play and frequent contests for ball possession. Rugby also includes an intricate set of rules concerning scrums, rucks, knock-ons, and other unique elements, making the game endlessly fascinating to watch for veteran viewers and newcomers alike.
In Santa Barbara, organized adult rugby dates back to the late 70s with the founding of the Grunion Rugby Football Club. A parallel women’s team also existed in the early days, but fell dormant until it was reestablished as the Mermaids in 2015. The Grunion and Mermaids currently compete in the Southern California Rugby Football Union within USA Rugby. Both teams have found success in recent years; the Grunion won the men’s SoCal Division III championship in 2021, moving up to compete in Division II, and the Mermaids earned first place in the women’s SoCal Division II in 2021.
The Stingray youth league includes teams for girls and boys in elementary school through high school. The rules are simplified for younger players, with a focus on building fundamental skills, practicing safe physical contact, and fostering the supportive spirit that is integral to rugby.
Anyone interested in joining a team, checking out practice, or learning more about the sport is encouraged to reach out.
Contact Information
Joseph King, SB Grunion Rugby President (tournament organizer and men’s team contact)
grunionrugby@gmail.com, (805) 280-5851, www.grunionrugby.com
Kate Culhane, SB Mermaids Rugby Coach (women’s team contact)
santabarbararugby@gmail.com, (360) 259-9052, www.sbwomensrugby.com
Brett Hansen, SB Stingrays Rugby President (youth team contact)
president@sbyouthrugby.com, (805) 705-8330, www.sbyouthrugby.com
