HOLLYWOOD BEACH, FLORIDA – After a two-year hiatus, Rugby Americas North (RAN), in partnership with USA Rugby and the Florida Rugby Union, is thrilled to announce the return of the highly-anticipated RAN Hollywood Beach 5s tournament on January 8th, 2022.Click here to register your teamThe popular seaside destination of Hollywood Beach, Florida will come alive with beach rugby for the third annual event which is expected to draw thousands of spectators, along with athletes and fans from throughout North America and the Caribbean. Similar to previous years, prize money will be up for grabs for the winner of each category.The tournament will once again feature a fastest sprinter competition, which each year is one of the highlights of the event. The winner will also take home prize money.“With all forms of rugby returning to action throughout the region from COVID-19, RAN is once again delighted to be bringing our signature beach rugby tournament to Hollywood Beach in 2022,” said RAN General Manager, Niall Brooks. “Not only is it a great opportunity to have some fun in the sun, but it gives players a platform to prepare for the upcoming rugby season in a high-performance environment while bringing together teams from all over North America and the Caribbean.”Similar to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, beach rugby is billed as a new and entertaining form of the game with a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere with plenty to take in – on and off the sand pitch. Since the inaugural tournament in January 2019, the flagship RAN event has become a signature competition on the rugby calendar with men’s, women’s, and age-grade divisions. The 2021 event, however, could not take place due to the pandemic.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHcorgTmz6c&t=8s[/embed]“The decision to cancel an event is never taken lightly, and we know competitors are eager to make up for lost time after missing out on the event in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Niall Brooks, RAN’s General Manager.“It will be a fun, jam-packed day with everything from music and food to merchandise and other vendors,” added Brooks. “We encourage all teams to register as early as possible to avoid missing out.”With all the action taking place throughout the day in front of the famed Margaritaville Resort on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, tournament organizers are anticipating an increased number of teams and athletes. In recent years, teams from Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Detroit, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Curaçao and greater Florida have taken part."As play restarts around the region and around the globe, USA Rugby is excited to open our doors and welcome teams back to the pitch," said Johnathan Atkeison, General Manager of Community Rugby, USA Rugby.The tournament will be played according to World Rugby’s Beach 5s rules, with 5 players on each team and 12 players max per roster. Matches are 10 minutes long and teams can expect to play at least four games throughout the day. In order to make sure player safety is the number one concern, COVID-19 protocols will be in place in conjunction with Florida Rugby Union, USA Rugby, RAN and World Rugby's guidelines.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT-jshT5QZY&t=44s[/embed]2022 will once again see four categories of competition: men’s, women’s and boys & girls under-18 age-grade.Location: 900 Broadwalk, Hollywood Beach, Florida, USADate: Saturday, January 8th, 2022Time: 8am – 6pm (schedule TBC)Click here to register your teamLocal businesses who would like to be a vendor or advertise at the event, please contact:Gavin McLeavy[email protected]+1 305 340 7113