LAS VEGAS – For the sixth consecutive year, USA Sevens Rugby and the Clark County School District (CCSD) partner for the annual USA Sevens Adopt-A-Country program in an effort to build a curriculum of international education, tolerance and ambassadorship promoted through rugby’s culture of respect, fair play and teamwork. Sixteen CCSD elementary and middle schools “adopt” one of the teams participating in the 2016 USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament, March 4 – 6, at Sam Boyd Stadium to incorporate hands-on lessons and values designed around the school’s “adopted” country.

“Each year we do this program, we continue to think of new and exciting ways to expand the learning of international cultures through rugby into the CCSD curriculum,” said Rob Cornelius, United World Sports vice president of business development and Adopt-A-Country coordinator. “The program not only promotes physical activity and sportsmanship, but it fuels a curiosity to learn about different cultures around the world through a common passion, rugby.”

Throughout the 2015 – 2016 school year, each of the schools incorporates key aspects from the adopted country into the classroom curriculum to provide a first-hand education on international cultures, traditions, history, customs and geography. Leading up to the tournament, students will learn about the adopted nations with interactive lesson plans utilizing art, physical education, music and language.

In addition to the classroom and physical activities, each student is encouraged to learn more about the adopted country through a series of creative contests, including a T-shirt design contest and critical thinking essay competition. Each participating Clark County school will select one T-shirt that best captures the essence of the Adopt-A-Country program by connecting the school, the nation, rugby and Las Vegas. USA Sevens will select the top three submissions and create T-shirts for each student in the three schools from the winning design. The essay contest challenges students to connect on a personal level by comparing and contrasting their typical day with the typical day of someone their age in the adopted country. One winner from each school will be selected to represent the adopted nation and class in the 2016 USA Sevens Parade of Nations Ceremony on the Fremont Street Experience, which will be held Thursday, March 3 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

2015 – 2016 CCSD and Country Pairings:

·         Lee Antonello Elementary School / Kenya

·         Brown Junior High School / Wales

·         Kay Carl Elementary School / Fiji

·         Jack Dailey Elementary School / Scotland

·         H.P. Fitzgerald Elementary School / Portugal

·         Hayes Elementary School / Canada

·         Zel & Mary Lowman Elementary School / Russia

·         Nate Mack Elementary School / Samoa

·         Harriet A. Treem Elementary School / Australia

·         Monaco Middle School / France

·         Paradise Professional Development School / England

·         C.P. Squires Elementary School / Brazil

·         Elise Wolff Elementary School / United States of America

·         Leavitt Middle School / South Africa

·         Rowe Elementary School / Argentina

Since the program began in 2011, more than 40,000 CCSD students have participated in the program, with more than 8,000 participating in the 2015 – 2016 school year.

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About Adopt-A-Country Program:

The Adopt-A-County and Clark County School District (CCSD) partnership brings the world to Las Vegas students through international education and hands-on ambassadorship inspired by rugby and its culture. Each participating Clark County school "adopts" the country of a team competing in the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament. Students explore and research international cultures, traditions, history, customs, languages, fine arts and geography in the classroom while learning touch rugby in physical education classes and on the playground. The curriculum culminates when the “adopted" team visits the school for a welcome assembly and pep rally. On the Saturday of the tournament, students take a field trip to Sam Boyd Stadium to cheer on the USA Eagles and their “adopted" team at the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament. Since the program began in 2010, over 35,000 CCSD students have participated in the program with 8,000-10,000 participating in the 2015 – 2016 school year.

About United World Sports:

United World Sports (UWS) LLC hosts a dynamic line up of emerging sports properties and has quickly become the leader at delivering premier international sports properties to U.S. audiences. UWS’ flagship property is the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament held annually in Las Vegas. This exciting 16-nation, three-day tournament has become the largest attended rugby event in North America with more than 75,000 fans coming to Sam Boyd Stadium.  Broadcast live on NBC Sports the tournament serves as the only U.S. stop on a nine-city world tour and reaches more than 400 million television households worldwide. Additional UWS properties include the Las Vegas Invitational, which occurs alongside the USA Sevens and is the largest participatory rugby tournament in the western hemisphere; the America’s Rugby Seven’s Cup; the Penn Mutual College Rugby Championship (CRC); the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup Rugby Championship and the Pro Soccer Challenge.

About USA Sevens Rugby:

The annual USA Sevens international rugby tournament is the premier rugby event in North America as well as the fifth event out of ten in the HSBC Sevens World Series. Fans in attendance will see 16 international rugby sevens teams play 45 matches during a three-day competition in an attempt to gain points in the Sevens World Series standings. Fans can stay updated on all the latest USA Sevens Rugby news, events and details by following on Facebook (USA Sevens Rugby Tournament And Festival), Twitter (@USASevensRugby), Vine (@USASevensRugby) and Instagram (@USASevensRugby).

Played on the same size field as traditional 15-player rugby, rugby sevens is played with just seven players per team.  Matches have seven-minute halves with two-minute intervals for pool and knock-out matches. The fast pace and short duration of matches makes every moment of the action thrilling for spectators.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jaclyn Dadas / Lea Komitzky, Kirvin Doak CommunicationsUsaSevensRugby@KirvinDoak.com   

702.737.3100