Glendale's Infinity Park to Host International Defense 7s Rugby Tournament

INFINITY PARK, GLENDALE, Colo., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Glendale's Infinity Park has been chosen as the site for the US Armed Forces Rugby 7s Championship, which will be played in conjunction with the inaugural International Defense 7s rugby tournament to be held from August 18-19, 2012.

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"We are honored that the US Military teams have agreed to co-locate their annual championship here at Infinity Park with our first International Defense 7s tournament," said Mike Dunafon, Mayor of the City of Glendale.

The two-day event begins Saturday, August 18th, with the opening ceremony featuring an F-16 fly-over Infinity Park.  Intra-pool matches will be played on Saturday.  The US pool includes all-star Armed Forces teams representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps.  The international military teams include the British Army, Australian Army, British Royal Air Force, and the French Armed Forces.

Steve Dinote, Armed Forces Sports Secretariat, said of the competition, "We are excited about the City of Glendale hosting the 2012 Armed Forces Rugby Championship this year, especially as we move to the 7s format.  We look forward to our teams competing in August."

The tournament concludes on Sunday, August 19th, with the US and international teams competing head-to-head for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze tournament honors.

Mayor Dunafon is excited about the prospect of hosting such a prestigious tournament and explained why Infinity Park opted to become involved in the ID 7s. "For the first time since 1924, rugby – specifically rugby 7s - is back in the summer Olympic Games," said Dunafon. "Known as RugbyTown USA throughout the worldwide rugby fraternity, this is a natural fit for the City of Glendale."

Dunafon continued by adding, "We are reaching out to the world with the brand 'RugbyTown USA' and we are hoping that this tournament will become a RugbyTown tradition."

The Homeland Defenders Fund, a non-profit organization providing support for Colorado Veterans and their families, has been chosen as the beneficiary for the ID7s tournament.  "We are grateful for the support of the City of Glendale-Infinity Park," said a delighted Don Addy, President of the Homeland Defenders Fund.

"This tournament will bring awareness to an organization that provides critical services for our men and women in uniform who sacrifice for us every day and for the many military families and veterans in Colorado," continued Addy. 

In conclusion, Mayor Dunafon added, "Most importantly, we are thrilled to provide the opportunity to showcase the ruggers who work tirelessly to defend our nation and the world.  Many of the players from both the US and international military teams represented have recently returned from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we know that fans will come out and show their support for these heroes."

SOURCE Infinity Park