With the Rugby Sevens World Cup slated to kick off next week in San Francisco, a handful of international teams will begin practicing at UC Santa Cruz on Thursday, and the public is welcome to watch for free.
Men’s teams from France and Japan, and women’s teams from France and Spain, will conduct training camps on the Lower East Field of the UCSC campus, with all four teams training on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Japanese men will practice from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday; Spain’s women from 1:30 to 3 p.m.; France’s men from 3 to 4:30 p.m.; and France’s women from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Additionally, France’s men’s team will practice on Thursday morning and Friday afternoon; France’s women’s team on Thursday afternoon, Friday morning and Monday morning; Japan’s men’s team on Friday afternoon, Sunday afternoon and Monday morning; and Spain’s women’s team on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
The Rugby Sevens World Cup takes place July 20-22 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Roller derby
Groms to compete at national championships >> The Gromshells, the Santa Cruz Derby Girls’ youth roller derby team, will be the No. 1 seed when it begins competition in the Junior Roller Derby Association Championships in Feasterville, Pa., beginning July 20.
The Gromshells will open the three-day tournament against the winner between No. 8 Rose City Rollers and No. 9 Chick Whips Junior Roller Derby. A win would advance them to the second round, where they could see either No. 4 Los Anarchists or No. 5 Jacksonville Junior Roller Derby.
The championship is scheduled for July 22.
Other teams include No. 2 Seattle Derby Brats, No. 3 Angel City Junior Derby, No. 6 FOCO Junior Roller Derby, No. 7 Gotham Girls Junior Derby and No. 10 Crooked River Roller Girls.
Youth baseball
Colt 16U >> Santa Cruz 1 dropped its first-round game to Los Gatos Blue 4-3 to open the West Zone Coast Region Colt 16U Tournament at Harvey West Park on Tuesday night.
Santa Cruz will square off in an elimination game against Campbell Red on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Santa Cruz 2 was scheduled to play Salinas in its opener on Wednesday, but that game was not complete by the Sentinel’s press time.
Pro baseball
Rivera earns win >> Relief pitcher Chris Rivera allowed one earned run on two hits across three innings Tuesday to earn the win as the Cardinals defeated the Marlins 6-5 in the teams’ rookie Gulf Coast League game.
A Watsonville High alum who competed for Long Beach State, Rivera (1-1) struck out three and walked one to lower his earned-run average to 6.75.
