Rugby sevens is one of the fastest-growing NCAA sports in the United States and one of the most underexploited scholarship opportunities for UK athletes. While most UK rugby players focus exclusively on Premiership and Championship academy pathways, hundreds of US colleges are actively building rugby sevens programs and desperately need technically accomplished UK players.
UK rugby players arrive at US college trials with physical and technical attributes that domestic US players typically lack — in particular, the tackling technique, set-piece understanding and breakdown skills developed through the English club rugby pathway. US college coaches actively recognise this gap and prioritise international recruitment.
The physicality of UK grassroots rugby — particularly West Midlands junior rugby — is higher than most US college programs encounter domestically. A physically robust U17 UK player who has played in a competitive regional league is typically more developed than their US collegiate counterpart.
Rugby sevens was added as an NCAA Emerging Sport in 2020. As of 2025-26, over 40 NCAA institutions sponsor women's rugby sevens and the sport is growing rapidly on the men's side. Both National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) and USA Rugby provide pathways to college competition. The 2028 Olympics will include rugby sevens for both men and women — driving significant investment and interest from US universities.
US rugby coaches need to see sprint speed (position-specific — backs vs forwards have very different benchmarks), power output (broad jump, vertical jump), bilateral strength data and agility scores. EPP tests rugby athletes at Avery Fields, Birmingham (79 Sandon Road B17 8DT) with a rugby-specific testing battery that produces exactly this data.
A verified EPP performance report gives US college coaches exactly what they need to evaluate your athlete. Sprint splits, agility scores, force-velocity data and expert written analysis.