The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Denver, Colorado . The Denver Barbarians have won 4 national championships dating back to their first DI title in 1990. The club's second title came in 1999, during the height of the Rugby Super League , defeating Belmont Shore RFC 22-18. The Barbarians third title came in the 2018 DII National Championship, defeating the Detroit Tradesmen in an all-time thriller at Infinity Park , 39-38. The Barbarians added a fourth title with a 49-34 victory over a strong Boise United side in the 2023 DII National Championship in St Charles, Missouri.
16-574: The Denver Barbarians are currently being represented on the USA 7s Eagles by Ben Pinkelman and Ke'Von Williams who have anchored the USA 7s team during the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series . Ben Pinkelman had an outstanding 2018-2019 year with the USA Eagles and was selected for the HSBC 7's Dream Team. Pinkelman was also selected into the USA Eagles' 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. Pinkelman played in 3 of
32-565: A second half substitute. 2017 Hong Kong Sevens The 2017 Hong Kong Sevens was the 42nd edition of the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, and the seventh tournament of the 2016–17 World Rugby Sevens Series . The tournament was played on 7–9 April 2017 at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong. England's Dan Norton scored his 245th career try during the tournament, breaking Kenya's Collins Injera 's record of 244 career tries in
48-764: The US National Side , the Eagles. Barbarians have fielded over 40 national side players, 28 of whom were players of the club prior to becoming Eagles. Ben Pinkelman Benjamin Joseph Pinkelman (born June 13, 1994) is an American professional rugby union player who plays as a forward for the United States national sevens team . Pinkelman began playing rugby while he attended Cherry Creek High School in Denver, Colorado. Pinkelman
64-482: The United States sevens team at the 2016 Wellington 7's , and quickly cemented himself in the team with his tireless work rate and expert work at the breakdown. Pinkelman was the youngest player selected for the U.S. Olympic men’s rugby team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil , and started all five matches for the Eagles. Pinkelman's strong performance at the 2017 Hong Kong Sevens , especially in defense and at
80-478: The World Rugby Sevens Series . As in the last tournament, there will be a main draw with the fifteen World Series core teams and one invited team, and a qualifying tournament featuring twelve teams, the winner of which will be given core status in the next series. The teams were drawn into four pools of four teams each. Each team plays all the others in their pool once. 3, 2 or 1 points for
96-577: The 4 pool matches, coming off the bench as an openside flanker. The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club was founded in 1967. It is an organization which has consistently performed at a professional caliber over the decades. Since the club was founded, it has been one of the top performing men’s rugby clubs in the United States in both the 7s and 15s codes. The National Club 7s Championship has been held every year since 1985 (excluding 2020). Denver have won two National Championships in sevens prior to
112-563: The Pacific Nations Cup earned him selection to the 2019 USA's Rugby World Cup side . He was selected for the World Cup squad despite the fact that he did not play the fifteens version of rugby union for three years prior to his selection to the team in the lead up to the World Cup. At the World Cup, he was not named to the match day squad for the opening match, but he did play in all three of the U.S. team’s remaining matches as
128-728: The Steeltoes to a berth in the 2023 Championship weekend. He would miss the Championship due to injury sustained while training for the USA Sevens RAN Qualifier, with Lance Williams replacing him in the team that would ultimately finish runner up to the SoCal Loggerheads . He was named Comeback Player of the Year for the 2023 season. He also was a finalist for the 2023 Season MVP. Pinkelman debuted for
144-649: The World Rugby Sevens Series led Gary Gold , the Head Coach of the USA Men's 15s Eagles, to request Pinkelman to join the U.S. national fifteens team as a loose forward in the team’s preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Pinkelman made his debut for the national fifteens team on August 2 in a win against Samoa at the 2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup . Pinkelman's performance in
160-540: The breakdown, earned him his first Dream Team honors (the seven best players at a World Series event are named to the Dream Team) . At only 23, Pinkelman captained the USA 7s side at the 2018 USA Sevens , in Las Vegas, where he led the U.S. to its first World Series tournament win on home soil. Ben also earned his second Dream Team honors from his performance in the USA's tournament win. In 2019, Pinkelman started
176-519: The overall series, their highest finish on the World Series ever, and garnered Pinkelman a 2018/2019 Season Dream Team selection confirming his status as one of the best rugby players in the world. Pinkelman's Sevens World Series stats are here and more about his 2018/2019 season is here . Pinkelman sat out the first two tournaments of the 2018–20 Series as part of his recovery from the 2019 Rugby World Cup . He made an impact upon his return to
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#1732794160507192-755: The playing field for the 2023 Premier Rugby Sevens campaign, joining the newly formed Pittsburgh Steeltoes franchise in their first season. Pinkelman would be named captain of the men's Steeltoes team and would score his first try in his return against the New York Locals at the Eastern Conference Kickoff in Austin, Texas . He was named men's Player of the Tournament for the Eastern Conference Finals, leading
208-826: The third and fourth legs of the Series in New Zealand and Australia, earning selection to the Dream Team for the 2020 Australia Sevens. Following his return to play in Premier Rugby Sevens , Pinkelman returned to the US roster for the first time since his retirement for the Olympic qualifier for Rugby Americas North . He played a pivotal role in the final against Canada, helping the US men secure their third consecutive Olympic berth. Pinkelman's strong performance on
224-534: The tournament being under the auspices of USA Rugby. Since then, the Barbarians have qualified for the tournament 26 times; placing in the final eight 24 times, the top five 20 times and have taken second place 8 times. With the growth of the sport in the ensuing decades, the Barbarians played a larger role in the game on and off the field. The club has supplied 7s and 15s players to all levels of select side play including PRO Rugby , Major League Rugby (MLR), and
240-466: The year off strong securing Dream Team honors in the Hamilton, New Zealand leg of the 2018/2019 World Series by securing inclusion in his third Dream Team. Pinkelman's strong work again earned him Dream Team honors in Las Vegas, and led the Eagles to their second consecutive tournament win at home. Pinkelman's exceptional performance throughout the 2018/2019 season led the USA to a 2nd place finish for
256-682: Was named Youth Rugby Player of the Year by USA Rugby in 2014. He represented the United States at the 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Hong Kong . He attended Colorado State University , where he studied Criminal justice , and played for the Colorado State Rams and the Denver Barbarians RFC . He was named as Division 1-A Rugby Player of the Week twice while attending CSU. Pinkelman announced his return to
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