*By Christian Smith*
It's been barely a week since the eyes of the sports world were focused on the the FIFA World Cup. Now rugby gets to step into the spotlight ー and very likely attract the most attention it has ever seen in the U.S.
The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 began Friday at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It's the largest rugby event ever in the U.S. with 64 teams competing in the men's and women's tournaments.
Hosting the tournament on American soil gives USA Rugby one of its best ever opportunities to grow the sport's presence and popularity in the U.S. USA Rugby Commercial Director Mark Griffin says the sport has already made major inroads into mainstream American sports culture since he arrived from his native England.
"I've been here 19 years, and I've seen major growth, probably a doubling, I think, in terms of the number of people involved in the game over that period of time," said in an interview on Cheddar.
Rugby sevens is a version of the game featuring [smaller teams and shorter matches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_sevens). In sevens matches, seven players play seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves.
To grow the game's presence in the country, Griffin says USA Rugby is working to boost the resources available for the national teams as well as get the game into the educational system from youth programs to college. "The college infrastructure in America is absolutely incredible and second to none," he told Cheddar.
USA Rugby's efforts are already paying off. Both the American men's and women's teams come into the tournament near the top of the pack. The women are ranked fifth in the world, and the men are ranked sixth.
While rugby's popularity will likely never reach the level of football in America, Griffin says it doesn't matter.
"We don't need to be the NFL ー we don't need to be any of the big major sports," he said. "There's enough people here that love what rugby stands for that we can carve out our own little niche."
Competition will continue through Sunday. The American women already notched a big 38-7 win over China. The American men are playing Friday night.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-usa-rugby-is-growing-the-sport-stateside)
The future of gambling in Florida recently suffered a major setback after a federal appeals court rejected a request from the state and the Seminole Tribe to allow online sports betting in the state. Now, the tribe has been forced to stop taking bets on its Hard Rock sportsbook app. ESPN gaming writer David Purdum joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what this could mean for the future of sports betting in Florida.
The potential growth for the sports betting industry is almost unfathomable. what will the future of sports betting look like, and how did we get here? John Atkinson, director of business development at 888 Holdings, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
What began as a one-on-one fantasy baseball competition back in 2012 is now one of the biggest American daily fantasy sports contests and sports betting operators in the world. JD sat down with Jason Robins, CEO of DraftKings, to talk about the company's milestones and future endeavors.
Former Denver Broncos wide receiver and five-time Pro Bowler Demaryius Thomas was found dead at the age of 33. Thomas officially retired from the NFL in June, ending his playing career with the New York Jets in 2019.
Carlo and Baker wrap up the week talking about the Biden economic boom that no one seems to notice, a verdict in the Jussie Smollett case, the first Starbucks union in America and the pleasures of the "dude nod."
Olivia Harlan Dekker dissects the Week 14 NFL slate and makes her picks for the week's top games, while Frank Schwab discusses the impact of bad weather on betting lines. Meanwhile, Alex Christenson dishes out his insights when it comes to betting on the NBA.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Russ Davis, Crypto Consultant and Educator at consulting firm In Russ We Trust Crypto, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why now is a time to buy low on cryptocurrencies as investors are still reacting to the latest testimonies.
Frank Schwab, NFL and Betting Writer, Yahoo Sports, joins Cheddar Bets to break down what bettors should be wary of and opportunistic about when betting on football games featuring winter weather.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Alex Christenson, host of Brown Bag Bets, joins Cheddar Bets to break down how bettors should think about betting NBA over/unders and player props on a nightly basis.
Sponsored by BetMGM
