by Carlton D. White cwhite@mdjonline.com The Marietta Daily Journal

So, when comparing such schools as Arizona, Army, California, Florida, Maryland, Navy, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas and Life, which one of these schools just doesnt belong?

The answer, of course, is Life, but dont let the small private chiropractic school of roughly 2,500 students fool you. The Running Eagles have every reason to belong with those other institutions.

Thats because Life will be competing against them in the USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championships Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at PPL Park in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pa.

Fifteen of the 16 teams participating were invited to the event. Life had to outlast 31 other teams including Miami, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Stanford and Missouri among others in a CRC qualifier of the Las Vegas Invitational in February to earn the final berth to the championship tournament.

Life won the inaugural USA Rugby Mens College Sevens national championship in December, prior to its Las Vegas Invitational championship two months later, so another title

Sunday would give the program three championships in its first season.

Our sevens team works very hard, said Dan Payne, Lifes director of rugby. We have a great coaching staff and guys that really go after it. That combination has been incredible.

A privately run event sanctioned by USA Rugby, this weekends tournament will feature 16 college teams competing in 38 matches over two days. There will be seven players per team for all matches, playing on the same-sized field as a traditional 15-man-per-side rugby match.

Teams will be split into four pools, and they will play two seven-minute halves.

Original post:
Life working to prove its place with big schools