The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster

Alev Kelter & Matai Leuta | Episode 10

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by USA 7s and 15s legend, Olympian Alev Kelter and USA 7s power forward and Olympian Matai Leuta for Episode 10 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Kelter is one of the most capped USA 7s players of all-time, taking part in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and is preparing for a third in Paris 2024. She represented the USA Eagles at both the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cups. Kelter just won the 2023 Premier Rugby Sevens Championship with the Northern Loonies, claiming her second title with the squad following Memphis 2021. She was named the most value player at the Championship in Washington D.C. after her side defeated the New York Locals 21-12 in the final.
Leuta has been one of the core USA 7s players from 2015-2021, recently returning to the squad ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, which would also be his third Olympics, following Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. He has played in the Premier Rugby Sevens since the inaugural season, becoming 2023 Champions with the Rhinos x Loggerheads after winning the Washington D.C. final 10-5 against the Pittsburgh Steeltoes, and was named to the Team of the Championship.
Premier Rugby Sevens featured 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, then TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosted the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals took place on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship was played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and featured the top two teams from each Conference.
Results for the 2023 season:
Eastern Conference Kickoff Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Texas Team (Men)
Western Conference Kickoff Winners | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rocky Mountain Experts (Men)
Western Conference Winners | Rocky Mountain Experts (Women) + Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men)
Eastern Conference Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Pittsburgh Steeltoes (Men)
Champions for 2023 | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men)
United Franchise Champions for 2023 (Combined Women’s + Men’s Results) | Rocky Mountain Experts
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Ben Pinkelman & Jenn Salomon | Episode 9

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by USA 7s legend Ben Pinkelman and Mexican International Jenn Salomon for Episode 9 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Pinkelman was the youngest player selected for the U.S. Olympic 7s team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. He captained USA to its first ever HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title on home soil at the 2018 USA Sevens in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pinkelman was named to the World Series Dream Team for the 2019 season, which included the USA’s best ever result, finishing 2nd that year. He captained the Pittsburgh Steeltoes this season in the Premier Rugby Sevens after being out with an injury for two years, with the goal of making the 2024 Olympic 7s team.
Salomon has been part of the Mexico 7s team for a number of years, taking part in the 2021 Olympic Repechage in Monaco, and preparing for the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers next month. She returns to the Premier Rugby Sevens for the 2nd year, and this season helped the Southern Headliners win both tournaments in Austin, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Premier Rugby Sevens featured 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, then TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosted the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals took place on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and will feature the top two teams from each Conference. In the Western Conference the qualified teams are: Northern Loonies and Rocky Mountain Experts (Women); Rocky Mountain Experts and Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men). In the Eastern Conference the qualified teams are: Southern Headliners and New York Locals (Women); Pittsburgh Steeltoes and Texas Team (Men).
Results to date:
Eastern Conference Kickoff Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Texas Team (Men)
Western Conference Kickoff Winners | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rocky Mountain Experts (Men)
Western Conference Winners | Rocky Mountain Experts (Women) + Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men)
Eastern Conference Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Pittsburgh Steeltoes (Men)
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Branco du Preez & Rafaela Zanellato | Episode 8

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by South African 7s legend Branco du Preez and Brazilian Olympian Rafaela Zanellato for Episode 8 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Du Preez is the most capped South African 7s player of all-time and the second highest point scorer for the Blitzboks, having won the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a record three times. The Olympian helped the Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads win the Premier Rugby Sevens Western Conference Finals in San Jose, California, and was named to the Tournament Dream Team.
Zanellato represented Brazil at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and helped her country qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games earlier this year. She represented the Golden State Retrievers this season, being named to the Tournament Dream Teams in both Minneapolis and San Jose, marking a superb North American stint in the Premier Rugby Sevens Series.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, then TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosted the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals took place on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals are on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and will feature the top two teams from each Conference. In the Western Conference the qualified teams are: Northern Loonies and Rocky Mountain Experts (Women); Rocky Mountain Experts and Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men).
Results to date:
Eastern Conference Kickoff Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Texas Team (Men)
Western Conference Kickoff Winners | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rocky Mountain Experts (Men)
Western Conference Winners | Rocky Mountain Experts (Women) + Rhinos x Socal Loggerheads (Men)
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Kelly Griffin & Dan Norton | Episode 7

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by former USA International Kelly Griffin and England legend Dan Norton for Episode 7 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Griffin captained Team USA at the Olympic Games in 2016, when rugby returned after a 92-year hiatus. She coached the Northern Loonies to their inaugural Women’s title in Premier Rugby Sevens history, winning the Memphis tournament in 2021. Since 2023, Griffin has been the Women’s Head Coach of the expansion franchise, the Golden State Retrievers, who were finalists at the Minneapolis event on June 17th.
Norton is the leading all-time try scorer on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with 358 tries across 92 tournaments for England. He is a Silver medalist from the 2016 Olympic Games with Team GB. The superstar is part of the Northern Loonies campaign in the 2023 Premier Rugby Sevens series, debuting for them recently in Minneapolis.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, then TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosted the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and will feature the top two teams from each Conference.
Results to date:
Eastern Conference Kickoff Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Texas Team (Men)
Western Conference Kickoff Winners | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rocky Mountain Experts (Men)
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Renee Gonzalez & Jacques Odendaal | Episode 6

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by Canadian International Renee Gonzalez and the electric Jacques Odendaal for Episode 6 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Gonzalez scored the match-winning try for the Northern Loonies to become the 2023 Western Conference kickoff women’s tournament winners at TCO Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was named the Premier Rugby Sevens player of the tournament. Gonzalez debuted for Canada 7s in 2021, and for Canada 15s in 2023.
Odendaal scored the match-winning try for the Rocky Mountain Experts to become the 2023 Western Conference kickoff men’s tournament winners at TCO Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was named the Premier Rugby Sevens player of the tournament. Odendaal was part of the NAV 7s team that won the 2022 Club 7s Nationals and also coached with Life University, winning two National Championships in 2022/2023.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, then TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosted the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
Results to date:
Eastern Conference Kickoff Winners | Southern Headliners (Women) + Texas Team (Men)
Western Conference Kickoff Winners | Northern Loonies (Women) + Rocky Mountain Experts (Men)
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Monique Coffey & Rhodes Featherstone | Episode 5

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by rising 7s star Monique Coffey and All Black 7s player Rhodes Featherstone for Episode 5 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Coffey was part of the Southern Headliners team that just won the Eastern Conference kickoff tournament in the Premier Rugby Sevens Series, played in front of a record crowd of 4,000 fans at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. She also played for the Headliners in 2022, winning the DC and Austin events as well as the United Championship. Coffey is eligible to represent Canada or the United States.
Featherstone debuted for New Zealand on the World Rugby Sevens Series in Hong Kong this year, where the All Black 7s were crowned champions. He was part of the squad that went on to win the 2022/2023 World Rugby Sevens Series. This past weekend, Featherstone captained the Texas Team that won a thrilling final against the New York Locals by 22-19. He was included in the Team of the Tournament.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season started on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, while TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosts the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
This episode includes a brief interview with Premier Rugby Sevens General Manager, Mike Tolkin.
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Corey Jones & Ruby Tui | Episode 4

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by USA domestic 7s champion Corey Jones and New Zealand rugby legend and personality Ruby Tui for Episode 4 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Jones was part of the Rocky Mountain Experts that won two of the three Premier Rugby Sevens tournaments in 2022. He is a two-time USA Rugby Club 7s National Champion with Bulldog Rugby and NAV 7s, together with being named the Tournament MVP in 2023. Jones represented the USA Eagles at the Oktoberfest 7s.
Tui is yet another international superstar playing in the Premier Rugby Sevens in 2023, representing the Golden State Retrievers of California in the Western Conference. She is an Olympic Gold and Silver medalist and has won the coveted Rugby World Cup 7s and Rugby World Cup 15s with New Zealand. After receiving her Gold medal at the Rugby World Cup 15s final, she presented it to an 11-year-old girl who had recently recovered from leukemia and had been introduced to Tui at a fan engagement event earlier in the week.
Tui is well-known for her humor on social media and has released an autobiography called Straight Up. She is the 2019 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year, 2022 World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year and part of the 2022 World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season starts on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, while TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosts the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
This episode includes a brief review of the recent Rugby Europe Sevens Championship, as well as an interview with Premier Rugby Sevens Director of Operations, Sean ‘Snacks’ Lindersmith.
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Madison Hughes & Stacey Waaka | Episode 3

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by former USA 7s captain Madison Hughes and New Zealand rugby legend Stacey Waaka for Episode 3 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Waaka is fresh from winning the World Rugby Sevens Series with the Black Fern 7s of New Zealand. She has had a remarkable career, winning the Rugby World Cup 15s, Rugby World Cup 7s, Commonwealth Games Gold and Olympic Games Gold! The international superstar will be joining the Premier Rugby Sevens New York Locals team for the thrilling 2023 season!
Hughes captained Team USA at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, and is the highest point scorer in history for the USA Eagles on the World Rugby Sevens Series. He was part of the most successful USA 7s team, finishing 2nd on the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2019. Hughes played for the Experts in the Premier Rugby Sevens in 2022, named MVP at the event in Washington, D.C.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season starts on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, while TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosts the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
This episode includes a brief review of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, as well as an interview with Premier Rugby Sevens Head of Scouting, Richie Walker.
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Abby Gustaitis & Brady Rush | Episode 2

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by All Black 7s player Brady Rush and former USA 7s Captain Abby Gustaitis for Episode 2 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Rush has just returned from winning back-to-back Gold medals with New Zealand at the famous Hong Kong and Singapore 7s. His country is on track to win their 14th World Rugby Sevens Series title. Rush played for the Headliners in 2022 and their franchise become the first-ever United Champion in Premier Rugby 7s history.
Gustaitis led Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and also captained USA 7s on the World Rugby Sevens Series. Since retiring from professional rugby, she has been an HSBC Ambassador and commentator for World Rugby. Gustaitis helped the Headliners win two of the three Premier Rugby 7s tournaments in 2022 and become Women’s Champions and the United Champion.
Premier Rugby Sevens features 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season starts on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, while TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosts the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6 at Audi Field in Washington, DC.
This episode includes a brief review of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, as well as an interview with Founder and CEO of Premier Rugby 7s, Owen Scannell.
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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Perry Baker & Naya Tapper | Episode 1

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by USA 7s legends Perry Baker and Naya Tapper for Episode 1 of The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster.
Tapper is the first person to score 100 tries on the Women's World Rugby Sevens Series for the United States, debuting in 2016. She represented her country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Tapper played in the 2021 Premier Rugby Sevens Inaugural Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, being a part of the first professional women’s rugby in North America.
Baker is the only player to be awarded with Men's World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year honors twice, in 2017 and 2018. He is now the 3rd highest try scorer in history, scoring his 250th for the United States in 2023. He also represented the U.S. at both the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Baker captained the winning team at the 2021 Premier Rugby Sevens Inaugural Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, which was decided after regular time by a never been seen before best-of-three drop-goal contest!
Since that Inaugural Championship, Premier Rugby Sevens has expanded to 8 franchises with 16 teams in 2023 contesting five tournaments across the U.S. The season starts on June 17 at Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) for the Eastern Conference Kickoff, while TCO Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota) hosts the Western Conference Kickoff on June 24. The Western Conference Finals are on July 15 at Paypal Park (San Jose, California) and the Eastern Conference Finals on July 23 at Highmark Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The 2023 Championship will be played on August 6.
This episode includes a brief review of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in which the top four teams (France qualify as hosts) at the end of the current Series will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
We hope you enjoy The Rugby Sevens Rollercoaster!
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