USA Rugby closes out Churchill Cup with a 31-13 win over Georgia

A tight first half left USA Eagles in a 10-10 tie with the Republic of Georgia Lelos in the Churchill Cup Bowl match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Sunday. The Eagles scored an early try (converted) and added a penalty kick to take ten-point lead in the first 12 minutes. Three missed USA penalty kicks allowed Georgia to tie the match before half time.
The Eagles opened the second half with a spectacular team try (converted) and a penalty kick to gain a ten-point advantage with 20 minutes remaining in the second half. Georgia followed with a single penalty kick, and from then on, it was all USA. Eleven more USA points padded the lead, and the Eagles took the Churchill Cup Bowl trophy by a score of 31-13.
The victory breaks an eight-game, three year loosing streak for the USA in non-test match play. Next stop for the USA is the Charleston S.C. for a world Cup Qualifier match against Rugby Canada on July 4.
Denver is the first city to host all nine games of the Churchill Cup, which has traditionally been a traveling tournament with matches held in multiple cities. The loss of a major sponsor, Barclays, prompted the Alliance to entertain the idea of a temporary home for the tournament. The Alliance chose Denver because it is widely considered an enthusiastic sports town with a growing appetite for rugby.
The Churchill Cup Alliance will gauge the success of this year’s Churchill Cup to determine if Denver will be the host city the Churchill Cup for the next two years.
The Churchill Cup, named for British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, was established in 2003. The alliance between the English Rugby Football Union (RFU), Rugby Canada, and USA Rugby was created to help develop the sport in North America following a successful tour of the continent by the English National Team in 2001.



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