Two Generations of Champions Compete at the 59th Annual New York Rugby Sevens

The 59th Annual New York Rugby 7s Tournament is now in the history books. The tournament, hosted by the New York Rugby Club and supported by key sponsors including the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, took place on November 25th at Randall’s Island Park in New York City.

Above: NYC's Randall's Island Park underneath the R.F.K. Triboro Bridge with the Manhattan Skyline in the background. Credit: Warren Rosenberg

While MetroSports Magazine salutes the members of all 139 participating teams and congratulates the winners in each of the twelve tournament Divisions, we want to make special note of the Cup Championship winning team in the Girls High School Premier Division, Atlantis Rugby, and the Cup Championship runner up in the Women’s Social Division, the New York Rugby Club Olde Love. Not only do these two teams represent, respectively, the sport’s up-and-coming young players and those of more long-standing veteran status, but they also included what is perhaps the Tournament’s only two-generation mother and daughter tandem, Lisa Huff Henrich of the NYRC Olde Love and Emily Henrich of Atlantis Rugby. Furthering the relationship between this unique duo and the NYR7s Tournament, the pair had previously made their appearance at the 56th Annual NYR7s Tournament in 2014 when they played together as members of the Olde Love.

Above: Lisa (left and below center tackling) and Emily (right and above center rucking) at the 2017 New York Rugby Sevens

Continuing the bond between mother and daughter, Lisa had made her first appearance at the NYR7s twenty-five years ago as part of the Gotham City team, the New York City women's team that later merged with the NYRC. Lisa's next appearance in the NYR7s was with the Championship Philadelphia team in 1994 and, closing the circle with daughter Emily, Lisa competed on the Tournament Champion Atlantis team in 1996.

With her parents both accomplished collegiate rugby players, Emily is making her own mark on the American rugby scene. She stands as a three-time Champion of the NYR7s Tournament, competing as a 9th grader, side-by-side with her mother, as a member of the 2014 Olde Love in the Women's Social Divsion, and in both 2015 and 2017 as a member of the Atlantis team in the Girls High School Division. A standout at Orchard Park High School, Emily was selected to be a member of the Girls High School All American team powered by Atavus (GHSAA) which competed this past September in France against teams from England, Russia and Wales. Earlier in the year Emily had been named to the AIG Women’s Junior All-American National Team to compete in the U20 Can-Am Series.

Above: Cup Champions Atlantis Girls High School Premier (blue) in action against Bowl Champions, Canadian Misfits (red)

Above: Women's Social Cup runner-up, the NY Rugby Club Olde Love (white) on the pitch vs Women's Cup Champions, the Ottawa Irish (green)

The NYR7s Tournament NY7s is the nation’s oldest and largest single-day Rugby 7s tournament getting its start in 1958. Atlantis Rugby, founded in 1986, is an invitational rugby organization that fields youth and adult teams from across the United States and competes in Rugby Sevens tournaments throughout the world. Randall’s Island, which has been the site of the NYR7s Tournament since 1967 has served as the home for New York’s first professional soccer team, the NY Cosmos on which international soccer star, Pele, played. In 1936 in front of an audience that included President Franklin Roosevelt, Jesse Owens qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team with a victory in the 100 meter dash at the Randall’s Island Olympic Trials and went on to win 4 Olympic Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin games. Jesse’s victory was reenacted in 2004 by U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Justin Gatlin to celebrate the opening of the island’s Icahn Stadium and recapture a bit of Randall’s Island history. On May 31, 2008, six time Olympic Gold Medalist, Usain Bolt, set a new world record for the 100 meter dash, also in Icahn Stadium.

More Tournament Photos at http://wr-photo.com/f704139621

Look for continuing coverage in MetroSports Magazine www.MetroSportsMag.com