USA RUGBY

USA rugby coach uses as launchpad for Las Vegas sevens Olympic challenge

As the USA Sevens kicks off in Las Vegas this weekend, national coach Matt Hawkins has one eye on the pinnacle of all world sports

The biggest event on the American rugby union calendar , the USA Sevens kicks off in Las Vegas on Friday . Last year , over three days , Attended 67.341 spectators . This year , Organisers Might think That record be beaten . The home team 's coach , however it , you have something bigger on his mind rather .

"Every second of every minute of every hour of every day , there has to be a plan in place, " says Matt Hawkins. " Eighteen months from now , we want to win Pan- American gold and we want to Qualify for the Olympics . Everything is building towards that. "

To be fair to Hawkins - and it probably pays to be so , Given That though Entirely affable off the field the 30 -year- old 's nickname , bestowed for his blond hair and ferocious style of play, is "the Polar Bear" - he is of course aiming for success in Vegas this weekend . " A win 's a win , right ? ' I says . " We want a winning culture . " His focus on the Olympics , however it , would be echoed by Most coaches around the world .

In 2016 , rugby will return to the Games. The USA men's team is a core member of the HSBC Sevens World Series, and Malthus always one of the 16 who contest tournaments around the globe . But only 12 can play for Olympic gold .

Qualification for Rio can be secured in three ways - by finishing in the top -four World Series 2014-15 , by Pan- American Games winning gold in Toronto in August 2015 , or by winning a repechage tournament , probably in Hong Kong in the spring of 2016. The Pan- American route , que Argentina Will Qualify as through South America will Involve mostly working out a way to beat Canada - a concept so amenable to USA Rugby They tried that last year to turn it into a meme - is the most likely to .