Elvis may or may not have played rugby in his lifetime, but he is revered each year at the Elvis 7s Rugby Tournament.
Players have worn bushy sideburns as they knock into each other during “All Shook Up” and other recordings by the King.
This year’s winner received a guitar. Second place received a ukulele. Both decorated in Elvis themes.
But this year, the winners were given their awards in a brand new place: the Magdovitz Rugby Complex. The tournament was held August 1st.
For years the tournament, which is hosted by the Memphis Blues Rugby cCub, was played at McBride Field at Toby Park. For a number of years it was played at the USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee.
Larry Magdovitz, a lawyer, rugby player, and a former Memphis Blues rugby player, bought 39 acres at Riverdale Road and Holmes Road for the new complex. The fields are in Shelby County, a mile from Stateline Road.
The land, which encompasses four full size rugby fields, can only be used for rugby, Magdovitz says. “It’s the only four field rugby complex in America,” Magdovitz says.
And, he says, “We’ve been looking for a place to put multiple fields and have a clubhouse and have a home for rugby.”
They looked around Memphis and North Mississippi, but “never could find a good place we would could get for a reasonable price to do what we want to do.”
The land at Riverdale and Holmes was perfect. “This will never be a moneymaker project, but a passion project for me, at least.”
He bought the land through his family’s foundation, The Lawrence M. and Kerin C. Magdovitz Foundation, which is named after his parents.
“Rugby is a blue collar sport. In America at least. It struggles to find financial support in any kind of meaningful way. This was one of those things. We have a foundation my family set up to do charitable works.”
The opportunity came up to buy the land. “I took it.”
The field is not to be used for other sports. “I don’t let anything else on there. It’s not really a good location for anything other than this. People asked about doing some soccer stuff. No. It’s just for rugby.”
Magdovitz is planning an entrance off of Riverdale Road so rugby fans and players won’t have to drive through a residential neighborhood.
There were some changes this year at Elvis 7s. Instead of strictly Elvis music being played during the tournament, the event branched out to include other oldies-type music.
Ten teams from around the country participated in this year’s tournament. Magdovitz hopes many more taking part in 2027.
Magdovitz Rugby Complex has 143 parking spaces plus handicapped, he says. “They were full. And we had over 170 people over the course of the day.”
Memphis Blues backs coach Rob Reetz summed up the new complex experience the best: “This is a field of dreams for rugby because it’s only rugby.”
