Summer is right around the corner and the Lehigh Valley Rugby Football Club (LVRFC) is kicking off the month of June with their 40th Annual Summer 7s tournament this Saturday, June 6.

The tournament will feature 34 teams and roughly 78 matches throughout the day, starting at 8:30am at Monocacy Park, 1554 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, Pa.

LVRFC spokesman Brett Briggs anticipates nearly 500 people to be at the tournament throughout the day, which features a 7v7 version of rugby, which plays at a higher-pace with seven minute halves.

"These games have more scoring and action compared to the traditional 15-a-side rugby match," Briggs said. "It's fast-paced and a lot of fun. It's our warm-up tournament for the summer and is the major source of our fundraising for the club."

The Hooligans, which is the nickname for the LVRFC, will have teams in both the men's and women's divisions, as they'll compete with teams from across the region.

"Teams play three pool matches, then are ranked for playoffs," Briggs said. "Teams will be coming from all over the Mid-Atlantic including Virginia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey."

The Lehigh Valley Rugby Football Club is a non-profit corporation. Founded in 1998, LVRFC represents men's and women's rugby in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.

The Club also takes an oversight role for the high school and youth teams. The men's team are full members of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union. The LVRFC teams are also members territorially through the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union and nationally through USA Rugby.

While LVRFC has not been in existence for 40 years, this particular tournament first got its start in the 1970s by local rugby enthusiasts.

"We have teams that play throughout the fall and spring, but those are full-sided teams," said Briggs. "We just ended the spring season and we're kicking off our summer season with this tournament. We're looking forward to having a great turnout."