Inaugural Rugby 7's Collegiate Championship Airs 6/5-6

NBC Sports presents coverage of the inaugural Rugby 7's Collegiate Championship, a USA Sevens event, this Saturday and Sunday from 4-6 p.m. ET from Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Universal Sports will provide extended coverage Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET.

DAVE SITTON ON WHAT VIEWERS SHOULD EXPECT: "It's like watching a tackle track meet. Imagine what football would be like if you removed the interior lineman. It's electrifying."

Calling the action will be Terry Gannon (play-by-play), Sitton (analyst) and Jimmy Roberts (sideline reporter/essayist). Rob Hyland, who serves as NBC Sports' lead producer for Notre Dame football, will produce the broadcast. Sitton has been involved in rugby for more than three decades as a player, coach and broadcaster.

The first-ever USA 7's Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational is a Rugby Sevens round-robin tournament featuring 16 Division I collegiate rugby teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Bowling Green, Cal, Dartmouth, Florida, Harvard, Indiana, Navy, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, San Diego State, Tennessee, and Utah. Rugby 7's features seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a 15's match and offers non-stop action.

Viewers will be provided with insider access, including sound from the sidelines and coaches' halftime huddles. NBC Sports will also mic the referee, who is actively involved in directing traffic on the field. In addition to access, features on the history of rugby, Cal's rugby dominance, and inspirational Ohio State player Nate Ebner will air during weekend coverage.

In October of 2009, Rugby 7s was reinstated as an Olympic sport for 2016. It last appeared in the Olympics in 1924 with the United States winning the gold medal.

HYLAND ON THE SPORT: "Everything about this game is fast. There are two seven-minute halves. Games are quick and fast-paced with lots of scoring. The athletes are quick and agile."

SITTON ON THE COMPETITION: "Given the field, this will be as even a competition as you will find. Everyone has a chance. It's wide open."

SITTON ON THE ATHLETES: "There are so many talented student-athletes playing this sport. Viewers have a chance to witness players whose aspirations are to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games."

HYLAND ON PRODUCTION: "NBC Sports' Olympic storytelling philosophy will be utilized to bring viewers closer to the sport and its players. It's our job to educate, inform and entertain viewers about this great sport and its rich heritage."

Broadcast Schedule:

- NBC Sports live coverage from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6 (re-airing on

- Universal Sports from 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET)

- Universal Sports live coverage from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6

- NBC Mobile live simulcast from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 5 and 6

- Hulu.com full event coverage available on-demand in HD quality video

 

About USA Sevens:

USA Sevens owns and operates America's premier rugby event, the USA Sevens Rugby Tournament.  Held annually, the event is one of the eight international stops in the IRB Sevens World Series. With an attendance of over 50,000 during the two day event, it is the largest annual rugby event in North America and one of the fastest growing rugby events in the world.

About Universal Sports:

Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners, LP, serves as the preeminent multiplatform destination for Olympic-related sports programming on television and online. Universal Sports is available in more than 63 million homes, including all of the nations top 10 DMAs: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. Recent expansion includes launches in Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Denver, Portland, and Jacksonville. Go to UniversalSports.com for a complete list of TV markets. Major world championship and Olympic qualifying events found on Universal Sports range from track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, marathons and cycling, to volleyball, rowing, triathlon, fencing, speed skating and martial arts. UniversalSports.com delivers an immersive experience via live and on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and information year round. For more information on the availability of the Universal Sports 24-hour television channel, please visit UniversalSports.com.

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