The U18s Panthers’ sides were led by their young Open Red team that finished the tournament 5-1 and ended Runner’s-Up to a very strong TOA team in the Championship game. This promising young group featured some of the current 2023 National 7s Champions and was led by the University of Tennessee Coach Steven Harris. “The chemistry of this team started the moment they hit the ground in Tampa, and it carried us through to the finals”, said Harris. The U18 Blue finished the weekend 4-2 after losing to PRA Red in the semi-finals to finish fourth in this highly competitive division. Panthers U18 Elite side had a mixed bag in arguably the toughest field, going 3-3 for the weekend and losing in the plate final to an energized Jamaica side. Both U16s Panther open sides finished pool play at 3-1 but because of the new format, both sides could not compete for the Championship. Both sides finished the weekend with a 4-2 record, taking 6th and 7th place. The U16 Elite side started slow and despite very uncharacteristic poor pool play, the team lost the Plate final by a try to the Tampa Bay Stingrays. Zach Cullen, from the Charlotte Tigers, led the Elite side, scoring at least one try in all six matches. Panthers’ Red and Blue sides represented the Academy well in the U14 category. The Panthers Blue side, coached by Tom Brennan (Sumner County Rugby), took third place, showing the Panther competitive pipeline is in good shape for the future.