Rugby sevens offers a game played at warp speed

Ilona Maher was a year-round high school athlete in field hockey, basketball and softball before shifting her attention to a rugby, which mandated the combined athletic traits from all of the other sports.

The newest member of the United States’ team is an exemplar of the type of athlete being drawn to rugby sevens, a fast-forwarded version of traditional rugby that will be showcased this weekend in San Francisco.

The Rugby World Cup Sevens, a three-day tournament featuring 40 of the best teams from around the globe — 24 men’s and 16 women’s — will unfold at AT&T Park from Friday through Sunday as the game looks to build on the buzz it created during the 2016 Rio Olympics.