Rugby teams get rough in the sand

Fort Myers Beach got a taste of the Olympics this weekend.

The Naples Hammerheads Rugby Team hosted its 16th annual Beerfoot 7's Beach tournament Saturday, Aug. 6, on the beach outside the Wyndham Garden hotel.

Almost 30 teams from around the state competed on the beach.

Article Photos

Hammerheads member Tyler Pigott of Cape Coral runs for the goal line to attempt a try.

Fort Miami member Tatum Walker of Fort Myers keeps the ball from her opponents.

Hammerheads member Andrew Iverson of Cape Coral attempts to keep the ball from being wrestled away by a member of the Miami Trident team.

Fort Miami member Dana Esposito tosses the ball to her teammate.

The Naples Hammerheads dedicated the tournament to its founder, Reed Jarvi, who died in January.

The Hammerheads team started in Naples, but is now based in Estero. Tatum Walker, the event organizer and member of the Fort Miami team, said she was happy that the tournament coincided with the first day of the Olympics, being held in Rio de Janeiro, especially since rugby was added to the Olympic games this year.

"We have people fly back from all over for this," she said.

At the beginning of the tournament, the Hammerheads held a small dedication ceremony for the event founder Reed Jarvi, who died in January.