Searching for Sponsors: Deadline is Friday!

This week has been a flurry of activity as this Stars team was hatched just 10 days ago (story to come!) and all the planning and funding is taking shape.

Coordinating your own teammates based in one city is hard enough, as any match secretary or travel coordinator knows. Coordinating 20+ players/coaches/med staff including friends-of-friends-of friends you haven't met in person (hello, facebook!) is a whole 'nother beast. As everything comes to fruition we are nearing our kit design deadline and are seeking sponsors for jersey logo placement as well as donors to assist in more minor team expenses:

Stars Rugby 7s is bringing 2 rugby teams comprised of women's college and club players from around the US and around the . From January 22nd-27th we will be participating in the Las Vegas Invitational, part of the USA 7s tournament which is a stop on the iRB series around the world. Most of our team has international experience but some players are newer collegiate all-stars on their way up who will have their first exposure to this level of play. While we seek to win while competing at the highest level, it is also important to continue the camaraderie and spirit of the game that make rugby unique - to ensure the social traditions thrive and that we pass along the goodwill to the younger generation of players.

We are seeking donations for jersey/short sponsors to help defray the costs of such a trip. Our team is meeting in Las Vegas the Wednesday prior to tournament play in order to have a training session and scrimmage against the Howlers Canadian touring side. The Open players will have their tournament on Thursday/Friday while the Elite team plays Friday/Saturday/Sunday. Should we reach the championship game, the Elite side would play Sunday inside Sam Boyd Stadium between some of the men's international matches. This is our goal; advancing in our pool is a realistic outcome.

Our estimated expenses are $500 per players plus their own flights. This includes the tournament entry fees, 5 hotel nights, ground transportation, game day provisions, access to a trainer/chiropractor/medical supplies, ice baths, and our team jerseys/shorts/hooded sweatshirts/long sleeve tech tees. It also covers our entry into the men's tournament; any sponsors will help some of us surprise the college girls with tickets as most don't have the budget for that added expense. Plus a team dinner or two prior to our games wouldn't hurt!

Any support is appreciated and we'll place logos on jerseys and shorts starting at $200. We've had 2 spots taken so far with 4 more pending. The larger donations will receive more prominent placements. We will also include social media mentions on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and blog posts as a thank you to our donors.

We also have a donation website through gofundme.com where interested parties can donate smaller amounts to contribute to team expenses. Each little bit helps: http://www.gofundme.com/starsrugby7s