Current men's rugby player Nick Hardict, II represented the USA Falcons at the Coral Coast Sevens Tournament January 12-14 in Sigatoka, Fiji where the American squad finished as Bowl Runner-ups.
Seven of the 12 players on the pitch were also with Hardrict when he played at the Rugbytown Sevens Tournament over the summer. The Coral Coast Sevens Tournament was used by the Falcons to continue to build continuity and grow the future of USA rugby.
After finishing the first day of the tournament with a 1-2 record, the Falcons posted a 2-1 mark on the second day for an overall 3-3 record. The USA squad finished the tournament with a +25 point differential, outscoring opponents by a combined 92-77. The Falcons only losses came against the Cup Champions, Cup Runner-ups, and Bowl Champions.
Hardrict scored two tries over the weekend, both coming in the Bowl Semifinals, and he was also a force defensively with numerous key tackles on the edge.
Falcons Head Coach Ben Pinkelman previewed the Coral Coast event prior to its start.
"This tournament will be an energetic, competitive environment that will demand adaptability and resiliency from our squad that compares to the World Rugby Sevens Series," he explained. "The speed of the game will be a step up from what many of the guys have ever played against and they will undoubtedly grow from it."
As much as this tournament was about on field production, Pinkelman used this opportunity to immerse his players in a culture that has rugby at its core.
"We will learn even more by experiencing the Fijian culture, people, and lifestyle," he said. "This experience will help us understand how much every person on the island cares about their rugby and seeing the fanatical culture that has inspired two gold medals will give us a taste of the passion we have to bring to training everyday as we slowly move towards LA2028."
Nick returns to Lindenwood with high level minutes under his belt this year and will look to apply that to a successful spring 2023 season with the Lions.
