It wasn't always easy for the defending national club sevens champion, but Utah National Development Academy opened its 2017 summer season by winning the Denver 7s Rugby Tournament on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO.

Following his team's 26-24 victory over Denver Barbarians Premier in the tournament final, Utah NDA coach Bob Nicholls said there is still much work to do going forward for his squad.

"We're relieved more than anything," Nicholls said after his team's first hit-out. 

Utah's lineup features a number of new players, and Nicholls has tried to avoid putting pressure on his team, especially after Utah lost to the Barbarians in pool play before meeting again in the championship game.



"We had lost to them in the beginning, so we were just taking it one game at a time," Nicholls said.

With two minutes to go and Denver leading 24-14, Nicholls called out to his team, "Two minutes, stranger things have happened in two minutes."

And something strange did happen.


"They just kept playing hard and the ball bounced our way," Nicholls said. "I definitely don't think we were the in-form team in the tournament. But you've got to win those scrappy ones. So, yes, we're relieved. We had to come back in the semifinal, too. It was one of those days where at this point in the season it's about showing our character and staying composed and fighting back. We made it hard for ourselves, but we showed that at least."

Utah's Don Pati was the MVP of the tournament, and Nicholls also lauded the huge team effort required to navigate Utah's five-game run on Saturday.

"We have a whole new team, and we needed everyone," Nicholls said. "Don played really well, but Anthony Welmers was consistent in every match. He was an Eagle all day. He carried us."

Welmers, who made his USA seven team debut this spring and was a star at Davenport University, scored the game-winner in the final.

See on-demand game videos from the Denver 7s here!