Texas A&M may well have taken the biggest step toward winning the Allied Rugby Conference with their impressive 44-17 defeat of Texas Friday.

It’s not a frequent happenstance that a defending top-division college team plays the defending top-league men’s team.

After climbing to the top of the high school rugby mountain in 2012, Cathedral Catholic is on the lookout heavyweight clubs looking to unseat them from their throne. Penn High School and Westerville Worms are leading the charge to take the Irish down.

13 players are on a “full contract” with the 7s Eagles, three more were announced as residents earlier this year but are receiving smaller contracts, and one more has been added to the residency program in the last several weeks.

So I was wrong.

NYAC is hiring a new coach.

Every year it seems the Glendale Raptors add some intriguing talent. Whether it’s bringing in Iniki Fa’amausili, Zach Fenoglio or the Malifa brothers, Glendale director of rugby Mark Bullock and head coach Andre Snyman are always on the lookout for players with a lot of potential.

The February issue of Rugby Magazine is now available to all RUGBYMag.com Premier Members.

Not long ago I wrote an article on meal planning, the timing of your meals, and how to achieve optimal performance. I am always looking for ways to make my clients and myself better.

The USA National Team setup will have two games before the test matches begin in June.

The February issue of Rugby Magazine is now available via iTunes. Click here to purchase the latest and previous issues. RugbyMag.com Premier subscribers will be able to access the magazine on Monday, via RugbyMag.com, not iTunes.

FEBRUARY PREVIEW: This month, Rugby Magazine made good use of all the international rugby that occurred on American soil. We compared our national teams to their global counterparts, an experience that prompted several editorials on what the USA needs to change.

We also got a look at some of the up-and-coming talent pressuring the higher ranks, and connected with some interesting personalities who are synonymous with the various events. 

FEATURES
One Semester, One Shot: Former NFL prospect John Cullen returns to the University of Utah and looks toward the Eagles.

Playing Up to Paar: Navy grad Jane Paar has six months to enjoy life as a 7s pro before returning to the Marines.

Up&Comer Campbell: High School All American Bryce Campbell is a star for Cathedral Royal Irish. What of his future?

Photo Galleries: USA 7s, Las Vegas Invitational, Houston 7s

DEPARTMENTS
Cliff Notes: Pat Clifton looks at how 7s and 15s don’t always mix at the highest level.

Fine Lines: Houston 7s brought excellent international women’s rugby to the USA, but not the fans.

Goff On Rugby: Alex Goff sorts through the different plans being proposed to make USA’s Olympic rugby prospects better.

Full Time: IRB 7s Manager Beth Coalter talks about the men’s and women’s World Series in America.

Ask The Coach: Sevens expert Chris Ryan lends tips on the ever-important restarts.

Off the Clock: Team liaison Sean Lindersmith takes readers behind the scenes of the New Zealand 7s team.

My First Game: College rugby’s greatest coach, Jack Clark, remembers his rugby beginnings.

To download the iPad or iPhone app and subscribe to RUGBY Magazine through iTunes cick here .

If you are a RugbyMag.com Premier, the magazine will be available on RUGBYMag.com on Monday, Feb 25.

Regular coaching columnist Eamonn Hogan appreciates the passion in American sports - and even rugby around the world - but feels the Six Nations championship tops them all.

The last ever Super League champions New York Athletic Club will visit Life University this weekend in an early-season friendly.

Dallas Reds star back Kelly Kolberg is back on the field after an injury and helped his squad take apart a solid Austin Huns team Saturday.
Kolberg said he is excited about this Dallas team now that he's taken the field with them.

Editor's note: This is Shalom Suniula's latest column in his series of RUGBYMag.com The USA 7s team's most-capped player will be updating readers on life in the 7s team, the players, the coaching, and notes from the IRB World Series. This column is now available to RUGBYMag.com Premier Subscribers. - AG

Santa Monica's 46-28 defeat of OMBAC puts some distance between the Dolphins and every other team in Southern California chasing undefeated Belmont Shore.

Last month I had the honor of presenting at the USA Rugby National Development Summit to an enthusiastic and engaged group of youth rugby administrators and coaches. Everyone was passionate about learning how they could help their groups create pathways to college.

Attorney, former rugby player, current rugby coach, and sports agent Jon Velie brings the first of his series of columns on working with international issues and laws and how they affect rugby clubs.

Some notes about USA Men's National Team players from this weekend:

New IRB CEO Brett Gosper was in Las Vegas for the USA 7s this weekend.

Breaking news on the USA 7s team

The USA looks to ride the physicality train in the USA 7s, with the changes of the lineup for the start of the USA 7s.

Head Coach Alex Magleby has brought in Blaine Scully in place of Nick Edwards, and put essentially five players who can play forward on the field at one time - Matt Hawkins, Zack Test, Jack Halalilo, Blaine Scully, and Colin Hawley.

Clearly Magleby wants to soften up defense and them pummel them with pace in the second half.

Scully getting a start is an indication that  Magleby is happy with the former Cal star's play, especially on defense, and his linking up with former Cal teammate Colin Hawley will reunite two players who know each other well.

But it's clear Magleby wants power and defense, and reasons that Scully will be the equal of Edwards in the first category, and probably an improvement in the latter.

In a pre-tournament interview leading into the USA 7s, United States Head Coach Alex Magleby revealed that he has been receiving a flood of emails insisting he play Carlin Isles more.

Those who work in Junior and U20s rugby know the challenges of having to constantly find new players to replace those who have outgrown their grade and rebuild a team each season.