Super Bowl Sunday has passed. The “world” championship of football has been decided for another year, and diehard fans across the nation are falling into despair. It is the beginning of the long, bleak months of the off-season. Across the nation, as they somberly pack away their war paint, oversize foam appendages and plastic Viking helmets, many may well be contemplating what could have been. Most have already resigned themselves to the boredom of spring and the long, hot days of summer before the return of football. For those fans lucky enough to live in Ocean Beach, Point Loma and other San Diego communities, though, the outlook may not be so bleak — especially if they are willing to broaden their horizons just a bit. In a few short weeks, a truly international “world” football event is coming to town. Rugby — the wellspring of the American game itself — will take over the heart of Downtown San Diego for a weekend of nonstop action on Feb. 14 and 15 when the USA Sevens rugby tour touches down at Petco Park. The annual competition, the largest international rugby tournament in North America, is in its sixth year and will be at Petco for the fourth year in a row. It will feature 16 nations competing in 44 games over the course of the two-day event. A fan zone inside the venue will feature music, fun and, of course, beer. This year’s tournament will also feature a women’s competition for the first time–the perfect Valentine’s date. At first glance, the two games seem vastly different —there are no pads or helmets on the rugby pitch, and the game is essentially played nonstop, with the same players filling both offensive and defensive roles. Passing the ball forward is not allowed in rugby, and only the player carrying the ball may be tackled or blocked. The Sevens tournament at Petco will feature a variant of the full 15-player Rugby Union game, as the name suggests. Instead of 15 players, only 7 per side play in this fast-paced version of the game. Rugby itself has been played in the U.S. alongside the modern variant of the game for many years. It is most popular along the Eastern seaboard, but there are teams in many colleges across the nation, including here in San Diego at SDSU and UCSD. Most amateur rugby players play a noncontact version of the game gaining popularity in San Diego. Pick-up “touch” rugby games can be found most weekends in area parks and at the beach in Del Mar and South Mission Beach. There are several more formal, 15-player full-contact teams playing in the county too, including The San Diego Surfers, an all-women’s team based at Robb Field in Ocean Beach. Mandy Wilson, who plays with the Surfers, says it’s a great way to stay fit. Beyond that there is a great social aspect to the sport. “Rugby is the most team oriented sport I have ever played and is as much of a club as it is a sport,” said Wilson. “There is an opportunity for any age, gender, ability and experience to play rugby. Teams are always looking for players, and it is a great way to meet people and become part of a team.” Ruth Oram has been playing touch rugby for over 10 years with the San Diego Tumeke Touch Club, an informal group of men and women who meet on Saturdays to play touch at local parks. “Touch is growing a lot [in San Diego], mostly from the help of transplanted Aussies and Kiwis,” Oram said after a game on a Saturday morning in Del Mar. Today, Feb. 12 and tomorrow, Feb. 13, The San Diego Invitational Rugby Tournament, an ancillary event to the USA Sevens, will feature play by some of the county’s and the nation’s best 15-player men’s and women’s teams at the Del Mar polo fields in North County. It will be a good place for interested locals to see the game, get a quick fix of full-contact sporting action and perhaps even get more information about playing locally. For more information, see www.usasevens.com and www.usasevens.com/san-diego/san-diego-invitational.aspx.