Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

WANTED: Rugby Team in Amarillo, TX

Hi,

I was just wondering if you knew of any Rugby teams around Amarillo Tx... I will be moving to TX in a month or so. So let me know if there's anything in the area.

Thanks,
Yvonne

Little geography lesson here, Amarillo, TX is right smack between Alb, NM and OKC, OK...and I don't believe there is much rugby out there! I know there is a Midland men's team, but not sure they have a women's team...

Anyone have any tips on rugby teams closer than NM or OK for Yvonne? Shoot me an email at yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com or leave a note in the comments!

See other Wanted Ads:
Wanted: Rugby Coach in Central NY

One day while perusing Facebook (yes, Your Scrumhalf Connection has a profile!) I stumbled upon some very pretty rugby images. I messaged Taylor, who had posted the photos and asked her for more details!

Taylor wrote me back and let me know that they are members of the Village Lions RFC and these images are from their 2008 calendar, available for purchase here. Keep in mind that they are hard at work for a 2009 Calendar!

So here are a few sneak peaks at the images and asked Taylor to let me know when the 2009 calendars will be for sale!

Photo Credits
Photography by Kim Siciliano and Taylor Dunham
Retouch by Taylor Dunham

August:

May:

November:
Sneak peak look at 2009:

Dear Rugby Family-

I just wanted to let you know how well your Beavers represented Texas (and Florida) last weekend in Eastham, Mass. We went there with one goal in mind, and that was to win the skit contest, but we walked away with much more.

We met for team dinner on Friday night at Land Ho, a local spot referred to as "The Ho" and known to beavers worldwide as "Da' Ho." After enjoying a fine seafood dinner we began our first hours of rehearsal of this year's skit entitled "If you wanna be a Beavah." We all headed back to the hotel and continued our rehearsal until the neighbor adjacent to our rehearsal hotel room knocked on the door and tried to politely imply that she would like us to stop singing.

On Saturday, we remembered that we were supposed to play rugby and headed to the pitch. There were 15 teams in our social bracket divided into 5 pools of three. Our first match was against a team from Portland, Maine. Some beavers had not even seen a rugby ball in a while, but it did not matter. Beavers over Portland 12-5, with Kitty Dorsey scoring the game winning try in the last minute, a nice 60 meter breakaway. The next match was against Charles River, a team playing in bumblebee outfits with tutus and all. The beavers began to stretch out their legs and won easily 33-0. Try of the match was a nice run by Shaleez who ran in untouched after a perfectly executed skip two, 2 loop 3 with Kitty. Bags made 4 out of 5 conversions. We waited several hours for the seeding to be determined and Baby Beaver, Nadiva Osborn was an angel and a trooper in the hot sun.

We were techinically supposed to be seeded 2nd in pool play with our record and net points, but a tournament snafu resulted in us being incorrectly seeded 3rd in quarterfinal play. Our match was set against Providence B side. Beavers were on a winning streak with a 19-5 win over Providence. It should have been a shut out as Providence scored on a forward pass that was not blown up by the official, but regardless, the end result was the same. The semi-final match was a rematch with Portland. They had left a bad taste in our beaver bucktoothed mouths with some dirty play in the scrum (the hooker liked punching people in the face) and an overzealous, crashing center that refused to pass it, ever. It was a tough grudge match and with no time left it was tied 0-0, but the ref continued to let us play, not forcing us into overtime. Beavers capitalized on some unorganized defense and were able to put in a try right in the middle of the uprights, conversion was good, Beavers 7, Portland 0. We were headed for the final.

Unfortunately, the final did not go as well as we had hoped. The Hartford team played a very rough 15s style with a particularly large crashing prop. Not a 7s prop, but a tried and true 15s prop and this style did not suit our undersized team. Beavers lost 19-0, there may have been an additional try, but I tried to block out most of that last match. Bags left us with this statement after the match, "We are the best 7s team in this tournament, in this bracket."

The San Diego Surfers were there and they won the competitive bracket. Bags was able to help them out in two matches and I ran around with them for one. Also, Shalay, Bags, and Pony joined the "Motley Crue" team with some of the bumblebees. That team ultimately won the consolation championship. So, there was a little beaver involved in every championship match at the tournament!

The skit contest went exactly as planned. The costumes were AMAZING and the beavers went all out as the Spice Beavs. There was no real competition at the social and the judges decided unanimously in record time that we were to take home the first place trophy. Well, this year's the trophy was a melted record with a tiny plastic trophy the size of a shot glass, but nonetheless we were happy to take home the plastic! Pony Spice (Poners) and Naughty Nurse Spice (Sally) were especially popular amongst the judges and crowd. Old Spice (Shaleez) was also a crowd favorite for her geriatrics on stage. Finishing out the spices with exceptional costuming were Vanilla Sp-ICE (Lisa), Ginger Spice (Rocky), Very Scary Spice (Marinda), Baby Spice (Kitty), Sporty Spice (Fish), and Posh Spice (Bags).

We enjoyed our victories that evening and met for Beaver court in the morning before half of the crew had to rush off to the airport. An interesting tidbit from court is that Pony was racked up a record setting 10 charges in just a matter of 2 days. She's a very baldy behaved Pone.

In other news, I hear that the West 7s all-star team came away with 2nd place in the tournament in Chicago. Congrats to Heidi and Fanny (who was an undercover all-star, nobody told me you made it!) for making the team and representing da' Beavers! If you two have any news, please share.

I would love to hear how the gals in Corpus did. I heard a bit, but not much.

Rosalind

For full list of teams and schedule check out this post.

Still no results from the Tournament Director or any of the many teams that attended...sad!

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

For more adventures that the Satiated Beavers have had this summer, be sure to check out the Beaver Den.

A shout-out to Props this week...who kick Drop Goals! I have known a few Props with kicking skills in my life, KP, Sandra and Meg, pretty amazing stuff!

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
7/22/2008: NY Rugby's U19 Program on ABC
7/14/2008: Letchworth Girls' Rugby
7/7/2008: USA U20 WNT vs South Africa
6/30/2008: New York vs Chicago Northshore scrum try by New York.
6/23/2008: USA Rugby NCAA Iniative
6/17/2008: USA Rugby Youth Promotional Trailer
6/9/2008: West All Star Senior Rugby Fun in the Pool!
6/2/2008: Rugby is Beauty

Please keep sending me videos to yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com!

Since the Valkyries are gearing up for the 2008 Fall Season, the MOHAWK IS BACK! We have already start training as our first game is on September 13 against Glendale, and we are in week 3 of our 9 Week Sprint Program...getting as fit as a fiddle! So I thought it was time to bring the ever stylish Mohawk back to the team.

Love it, hate it...leave it in the comments or shoot me an email at yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

I happen to LOVE it! Thanks to The Girl for the cut and the trim!

from USA Rugby:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This past weekend, the Women’s National Team met in Washington, D.C. in preparation for the Nations Cup Tournament to take place in England on August 19-26.

The Eagles trained at two locations during the weekend camp: the Exiles pitch in Rockville, MD and Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C.

“Many thanks are owed to Dan Soso (Exiles) and Lee Kelly (Gonzaga High School) for securing facilities for the team to use during the camp. Both Dan and Lee were incredibly generous,” said WNT Head Coach Kathy Flores.

The Eagle squad was joined by several local tight five players from the Furies and Philadelphia teams to fill in for the reserves that had been invited to participate in the Developmental Can-Am event in Toronto, Canada.

“In a discussion with Coach Fugate, it was decided the reserves for the camp should have the opportunity to play internationally as opposed to training with the Eagle squad,” said Coach Flores.

Along with the regular WNT staff, Peter Baggetta, USA Defensive Coach, and Tom Lyons, USA National Panel referee, helped prepare the team for what will mark the WNT’s first opportunity to compete in nearly eight months.

Training for two and a half days in 100 degree temperatures, the team revisited their set piece work, defensive organization and communication, as well as their offensive strategy with regard to the new Experimental Law Variations.

“I believe the team is much fitter than our training in April and despite the weather, retained their focus for the amount of work we were trying to accomplish over the weekend. We are certainly at a disadvantage having to play under the new laws without having trialed them here, but Tom was an invaluable resource for us – not only in his discussions of the laws but in his management during our scrimmage periods,” said Coach Flores.

The squad will arrive in England on August 17 and play the England National Team in their first match two days later. The USA will take on England again on July 22 and then will take on the Canadian National Team on July 26.

The players selected for the Nation’s Cup continue the four-year evolution toward building a squad that can compete successfully in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010. Last December’s tour to England was the first rung on the ladder, giving valuable experience to a squad with 19 new caps. The Nation’s Cup roster represents added maturity and is closer to the core group of players that will move forward to the next World Cup two years from now.

“Since we met in December, England has played and won the Six Nations Tournament. While we anticipate a stronger showing this time around, we recognize that we can not yet match their level of experience or amount of time together,” said Flores. “Our goal for the Nations Cup is to improve our execution of set pieces, play aggressive defense and retain possession of the ball in order to open up some opportunities to attack. This event represents a valuable step towards preparing our players for the next World Cup,”

For more information on the Women’s National Team and their upcoming events, please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/women_eagles

Click here for the team selected to head to the Nation's Cup in England.

A new segment on Your Scrumhalf Connection today! This will not be a weekly post like Rugby Video Monday, but will be posted when YOU send me something! The idea here is What do you WANT for rugby?

I don't care if the idea is tangible, ie:

WANTED: Rugby Coach

Or if you want something unreachable, ie:

WANTED: Jumbo Jet to go to Saranac Tournament

Get imaginative and send your WANTs to me at yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com. In reality, these posts will be to help each other find rugby teams, coaches etc, but feel free to send me some fun ideas as well!

The first ever WANTED: is below!

WANTED: Rugby Coach in Central NY

I'm a pretty avid reader of your blog, and also the one in the red dress in the picture you used to advertise the debutante ball (coincidentally enough, it also showed up in the latest edition of the alumni review)

I was just wondering if the scrumhalf connection had any connections in central NY. We had a coach lined up, but she backed out on us. What are the chances you know any one in the Syracuse/Utica area that wants to coach a pretty good college rugby team?

thanks,
Lesley

Please email me at yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com if you have a coach tip for Lesley or leave a tip in the comments!

Sunday's Results:
Northeast - 1st Place
West - 2nd Place
South - 3rd Place (*thanks for the correction in the comments)
Mid Atlantic - 4th Place
Midwest - 5th Place
Pacific Coast - 6th Place
Mid Atlantic II - 7th place
U23 Developmental - 8th Place

Saturday's Quarterfinals:
MARFU v MARFU II
Pacific Coast v Northeast
Midwest v South
West v U23s

From Goff (subscription required):
July 20, 2008, St. Charles, Ill. - The Northeast women's 7s team overcame some difficulties on Saturday to win the two-day territorial invitational Sunday.

Led by an MVP performance by Alison Price, who was the MVP of the National All-Star Championships, the Northeast rebounded from a surprise loss to the West to make the final and defeat those self-same Mustangs 7-5 in the final.

In other action the South defeated the Mid-Atlantic for 3rd, MIdwest defeated Pacific Coast for 6th, and MARFU II beat the U23 developmental team for 7th.

USA 7s head coach Julie McCoy was overall pleased with what she saw, saying that almost all the games were very competitive - scored like 12-5 generally dominating the board.

McCoy worked hard to ensure some parity, enforcing a rule that if you live in a particular territory, you have to play for that territory (players have been known to switch territories just for all-star play). In addition, she augmented team depth with U23 players - 17 players tried out for that team, 12 were picked, and the remaining five were assigned to teams that needed extra. Pacific Coast took three.

"There's a lot of barriers to playing 7s this summer," said McCoy. "We have the split XVs season for a lot of players, we have players involved with the XVs national team. We have the economy - air fares just are more expensive. So it's tough. But this is a World Cup year, and the players have really tried. We're trying to find solutions, look for team sponsors, things like that, to help out."

West 7s Team
Claire Gregorich Glendale
Fanny Guiot Austin
Angi Hurt Kansas City
Ellie Karvoski Little Rock
Kim Klahn Glendale
Tess Miller Glendale
Jenn Nelson Kansas City
Tara McCarthy Glendale
Melissa Mckibben Kansas City
Donna Thomas Little Rock
Katie Thoreson Glendale
Heidi Whitman Austin

Coaches: Laura Hertel & Julie Lehman

South 7s Team
Nicole Belkin – Orlando
Claudia Cline – At Large
Brittany Fabbri – University of Florida
Casey Fields - Orlando
Carly Harrington - Atlanta
Lori Light - Orlando
Pat Neder - Atlanta
Lindsey Stephenson - Orlando
Sue Uchneat – Clemson

Coach: Mike May

Random Scores (Saturday):
West 12 Northeast 5
West 12 South 0
West 5 MARFU 12

Random Scores (Sunday):
West 36 Under 23's 0
West 12 South 7
West 5 Northeast 7

The next stop for most of these teams will be 7s ITTs to be held in Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 23-25.

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

Welcome to another Monday! Ok, sorry its Tuesday, but it totally slipped my mind yesterday to do this! Thanks to Jenna for sending in the video this week! Great video of New York Rugby Club's U19 Program on Good Morning America (ABC).

Marysol Castro, former NYRC player and current ABC correspondent, aired her piece on our U19 girls this Sunday, June 29. - Click HERE for the full story!

And thank you Sabrina Asch for recording the girls up in lights in Time Square!!
The NYRC U19 girls placed 3rd in the Northeast Regional Championships this year, which was only the second year of their existence as a team! Additionally, 12 of 13 senior girls are all on track to graduate and attend college this fall. (The 13th girl is working towards a January start date in college.)

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
7/14/2008: Letchworth Girls' Rugby
7/7/2008: USA U20 WNT vs South Africa
6/30/2008: New York vs Chicago Northshore scrum try by New York.
6/23/2008: USA Rugby NCAA Iniative
6/17/2008: USA Rugby Youth Promotional Trailer
6/9/2008: West All Star Senior Rugby Fun in the Pool!
6/2/2008: Rugby is Beauty

Please keep sending me videos to yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com!

USA A Women Fall Short in Can-Am Match Versus Ontario Selects
from USA Rugby:

OAKVILLE, ONTARIO. – After trailing by a narrow 10-6 deficit at the half, the USA A Women’s Team fell to the Ontario Selects in the second annual Can-Am meeting today at Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario.

The USA was the first to strike and shot ahead to an early 6-0 lead, propelled by the accurate boot of team vice captain Hannah Stolba (Minnesota Valkyries), who successfully kicked two penalties before 13 minutes had elapsed.

However, before the half Ontario launched its comeback, starting with a penalty kick at 18 minutes and a long breakaway try and conversion just before the break to place the tally at 10-6 in the Canadian side’s favor before the teams switched sides.

Following the break, Ontario looked to extend its lead over the USA A team, catching another quick break at seven minutes in and completing the conversion to go up 17-6.

Before full time had elapsed, the strong Canadian side would notch another two tries that went unanswered until the game’s 76th minute when the USA’s Lisa Dombroski (Philadelphia) broke through for a try. With a missed conversion attempt from Stolba, the scoreline remained 27-11 at the end.

“The reason we come to Canada each year is to test and develop our young players, and this was the first time playing out of the country for at least nine out of 19 of them,” USA A Women’s Coach Barb Fugate said. “Ontario did well and punished us for our lapses, as they should, but you could literally see our progress on the field as the time elapsed – the last 15 minutes showcased our best performance throughout the game.”

“The athletes were on a steep learning curve and overall, these players have shown definite potential for future National Team opportunities.”

For more information on the USA A Women’s Team, please contact National Teams Administrator Yvonne Parkhurst.

USA A Women vs. Ontario Selects
15 Katie Dowty, Beantown
14 Kristy Lear, Minnesota Valkyries
13 Christina Killourhy, Cornell
12 Kristin Bonomo, Beantown
11 Lisa Dombroski, Philadelphia
10 Hannah Stolba (vice captain), Minnesota Valkyries
9 Alexis Volen, UC - San Diego
1 Katy Black, West Chester University
2 Tess Kohanski, At Large
3 Kristin Aliberto, Philadelphia
4 Jenny Menke, Minnesota Valkyries
5 Anna Brown, Twin Cities Amazons
6 Kelly McMahon (captain), New York
7 Victoria Folayan, Berkeley All Blues
8 Kate Daley, Penn State

Replacements:
16 Angie Marfisi, Philadelphia (repl. Daly)
17 Katherine Weber, Iowa State (repl. Black)
18 Katie McCormick, Univ. of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (repl. Menke)
19 Katie Schafer, Univ. of Colorado – Boulder (repl. Lear)

USA 11
Tries: Dombroski
Penalty kicks: Stolba - 2

Thanks to Britni Buffalino for emailing this in, I have seen it pop up over the web a few times, great use of the Ruckosphere Britni!

La Salle Women’s Rugby Team Starts Off a Great Year With a Nike Grant of $20,000

(Philadelphia, PA) The 2008 fall Rugby season has yet to start and La Salle University’s Women’s Rugby team is already having one of their best seasons ever.

On July 3, the team was notified that they had received a grant for $20,000 toward Nike merchandise from the Let Me Play foundation, a global movement by Nike that caters specifically to female projects that promote “human potential through sport.” A freshman member of the team saw this opportunity online during the spring semester, and jumped on it right away.

“We fit the description perfectly,” said junior Maria Muscara. “Our team does tons of community service opportunities, and is always looking to recruit new teammates who have never played rugby before. This opportunity was ideal.”

Muscara emailed the team about the opportunity, and her teammates sent back essays for her to compile, explaining why they should receive the grant. Let Me Play is “dedicated to inspiring, engaging, and supporting women’s sports,” and so is La Salle Women’s Rugby.

"This grant will not only provide us with additional money for uniforms and equipment, but it will allow us to be recognized by the University and potential players as an up-and-coming team that is committed to the sport and their community,” says senior Captain and Rugby Union President, Britni Buffalino.

In the past, the team, consisting of around 25 undergraduates of all majors, have attended neighborhood clean ups with local elementary schools, formed a team of walkers for AIDS Walk Philly, and has even taken time out during finals week to wrap gifts at Christmas time at St. Jude’s hospital in Center City. The women have not limited their service just to Philadelphia, however. Nine of the women volunteered on service trips organized through the University last year – seven to Kentucky and two to Mexico.

The team also has a solid mission statement, which describes the “vision” of La Salle Women’s Rugby: “La Salle Women's Rugby is a community of young women of varying athletic skills and commitment levels: every single member of the club has a purpose and a home on this club. As such, every player who commits to this team will be treated as an integral element to building a fun, rewarding, and highly successful program.”

La Salle Women’s Rugby has been nothing but successful since their start in 2002. Starting in Division IV in 2002, through the years the women have moved up to Division III, and finally secured their spot in Division II last fall. Although only a club sport, the determination and commitment on the team is noticed throughout the University. For more information on La Salle Women’s Rugby, head to www.lasallewomensrugby.org.

GREAT video from the IRB explaining the ELVs in even greater detail. I have posted a few videos and or other posts about the ELVs, but this video s the best so far. Beware it is 17 minutes long, but is the best one if you really want to understand the law changes.

Still nervous about the implementation in August 2009, our first game and league match will be under the new laws!

The 23rd Annual Boston Women RFC’s Cape Cod 7s tournament will be held on Saturday, July 19, in Eastham, MA. In my opinion this is one of the best 7s tournaments in the nation! It is very well organized, great themes, FUN and great teams from all across the USA come to play! This years theme is Rock Stars!!

Teams

Competitive (Heavy Metal)
Pink Dresses
BWRFC Red
Providence A
Little Debbies
Worcester Shamrocks
North Shore
Ormstown Saracens
San Diego Surfers

Social Teams (Classic Rock)
Beantown Scrubs I
BWRFC Blue
Beantown Scrubs II
Portland
Providence B
Middlesex
Northeastern Alumni
Hartford
Satiated Beavers
Brooklyn Blues
Falcons Rugby Social
Ziggy Springfield
Sinead O'Renellion
Charles River
Motley Crue

Collegiate Teams (Punk Rock)
Northeastern Red
Falcons Rugby
BU
Northeastern Black
UCONN
BC
Williams
Holy Cross

Schedule

Field 1
9:00 AM Pink Dresses v Providence A
9:20 AM BWRFC Red v Little Debbies
9:40 AM Ormstown Saracens v Worcester Shamrocks
10:20 AM Little Debbies v North Shore
10:40 AM Pink Dresses v Worcester Shamrocks
11:00 AM San Diego Surfers v BWRFC Red
11:40 AM Ormstown Saracens v Providence A
12:00 PM North Shore v San Diego Surfers
1:40 PM Classic Rock Consolation Game 1 (10 vs. 15)
2:00 PM HM 1 vs. HM 8 (HM Game 1)
2:20 PM HM 2 vs. HM 7 (HM Game 2)
2:40 PM HM 3 vs. HM 6 (HM Game 3)
3:00 PM HM 4 vs. HM 5 (HM Game 4)
3:20 PM HM Semi-Final Game (WG2 vs. WG3)
3:40 PM HM Semi-Final Game (WG1 vs. WG4)
4:20 PM Classic Rock Consolation Final (G5 vs. G6)
4:40 PM Punk Rock Final (10 Minute Halves)
5:10 PM Classic Rock Final (10 Minute Halves)
5:30 PM Heavy Metal Final (10 Minute Halves)

Field 2
9:00 AM BWRFC Blue (2) v Northeastern Alumni (7)
9:20 AM Middlesex (6) v Falcons Rugby Social (11)
9:40 AM Northeastern Alumni (7) v Ziggy Springfield (12)
10:20 AM Providence B (5) v Brooklyn Blues (10)
10:40 AM Beantown Scrubs I (1) v Falcons Rugby Social (11)
11:00 AM Providence B (5) v Motley Crue (15)
11:40 AM Beantown Scrubs I (1) v Middlesex (6)
12:00 PM BWRFC Blue (2) v Ziggy Springfield (12)
1:40 PM Classic Rock Consolation Game 2 (11 vs. 14)
2:00 PM Classic Rock 1 vs. Classic Rock 8 (CR Game 1)
2:20 PM Classic Rock 2 vs. Classic Rock 7 (CR Game 2)
2:40 PM Classic Rock 3 vs. Classic Rock 6 (CR Game 3)
3:00 PM Clasic Rock 4 vs. Classic Rock 5 (CR Game 4)
3:20 PM Classic Rocl Semi-Final Game (G2 vs. G3)
3:40 PM Classic Rock Semi-Final Game (G1 vs. G4)

Field 3
9:00 AM Beantown Scrubs II (3) v Sinead O'Renellion (13)
9:20 AM Portland (4) v Satiated Beavers (9)
9:40 AM Beantown Scrubs II (3) v Hartford (8)
10:20 AM Satiated Beavers (9) v Charles River (14)
10:40 AM Hartford (8) v Sinead O'Renellion (13)
11:00 AM Portland (4) v Charles River (14)
11:40 AM Brooklyn Blues (10) v Motley Crue (15)
1:40 PM Classic Rock Consolation Game 3 (12 vs. 13)
2:00 PM Punk Rock 1 vs. Punk Rock 8 (PR Game 1)
2:20 PM Punk Rock 2 vs. Punk Rock 7 (PR Game 2)
2:40 PM Punk Rock 3 vs. Punk Rock 6 (PR Game 3)
3:00 PM Punk Rock 4 vs. Punk Rock 5 (PR Game 4)
3:20 PM Punk Rock Semi-Final Game (G2 vs. G3)
3:40 PM Punk Rock Semi-Final Game (G1 vs. G4)

Field 4
9:00 AM Northeastern Black v Holy Cross
9:20 AM Northeastern Red v UCONN
9:40 AM BU v Williams
10:20 AM Falcons Rugby v BC
10:40 AM Northeastern Red v Williams
11:00 AM Falcons Rugby v Holy Cross
11:40 AM BU v UCONN
12:00 PM Northeastern Black v BC
2:20 PM Classic Rock Consolation Semi-Final Game 4 (9 vs. G3)
2:40 PM Classic Rock Consolation Semi-Final Game 5 (G1 vs. G2)

Congratulations to last year’s division champions:
Club Competitive Winner: NOVA
Club Social Winner: Dirty Thirties
Collegiate Winner: Northeastern University
Skit Competition Winner: Satiated Beavers for “Beaver Call” - the best yet!

If you are attending, feel free to send leave scores in the comments or send me an email, I will be in Corpus Christi for 7s by the Sea and will try to have an update on who won etc by next week.

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

This video is reposted from Rugbydump Videos, LOVE this bit and how the referee takes control of the two upset players. Great example!

Dialogue from Rugbydump Videos as well:
This amusing and impressive clip is from earlier in the Guinness Premiership season, and is basically a nice example of the referee taking complete control of matters, and speaking to two of the hardest men in rugby as if they're disobedient little children.

Barnes, who notoriously took a lot of criticism after his handling of the 2007 World Cup Quarter Final between New Zealand and France, has done well to put that behind him and move on.

In this clip he takes command brilliantly after there's a dispute over the ruling of the try, as the touch judge made an error, causing confusion all round.

Martin Corry and Steve Borthwick, Leicester and Bath captains respectively, start a shouting match about it, so we see Barnes put them in their place in no uncertain terms.

It's a great piece of officiating and a nice example of how a young ref can assert his authority in a game, making sure that he doesn't take any nonsense from anyone.

It's also really funny to see how he shuts down Corry and Borthwick, making them look like they're getting a telling off from their junior school principal.

Did some major clean-up on my sidebar links...if you were there before and you aren't there now...you didn't give me link love!

All you need to do is add a link to your site and then email me, I will put you back in my LOVED links!

Lets hear it for LINK LOVE!

If you were never listed and wanted to be, simply send me an email!

OH and please change my link from http://westrugby.blogspot.com to http://yourscrumhalfconnection.com! It's launched and ready to go!

UPDATES:

Added Swaffham Girls to the links section, thanks for the Link LOVE!
Added Flux to the links section, thanks for the Link LOVE!
Added Hail Pelicus to the links section, thanks for the Link LOVE!
Added Katie's Mindless CrossFit Ramblings to the links section, thanks for the Link LOVE!
Added Rugbydump Videos to the links section, thanks for the Link LOVE!

from womeneagles.com:

7.1.08 - The US Women's 7s TU committee, in conjunction with the US Women's 7s Coaching Staff are holding an informal "7s Challenge Cup" tournament in Chicago, Illinois, July 18,19.

The US U23, and TU teams will be competing as a "warmup" venue for 7s ITTs to be held in Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 23-25.

This summer will mark the end of scouting opportunities for selection of the World Class Cup Squad, that will be practicing and playing together Sept 2008 culminating in the 7s World Cup, March 2009.

If you want to be seen, but haven't had the opportunity to make it to your TU camp, please contact Julie McCoy, the US Women's 7s coach for assistance. The US Team is interested in ANY player, which includes those in the Club 7s/15s system, collegiate, or the D2 level.

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

From Austin Rugby:

Austin Rugby was asked to participate in Lance Armstrong's new website livestrong.com which was recently released. Our very own Mark Brewerton and team are THE source for rugby information on this amazing site. The site is a free site and is gearing up to be the best source for health information on the web. Described to us as a mix of Web MD, fitness info, and instructional how to videos aimed at getting people interested in different physical activities. Check it out!!

Please see the statesman article below, and towards the bottom of the page I ran a search on the site for rugby and you can see our 10+ videos!

New LiveStrong site acts as virtual health coach
Lance Armstrong's new Web site has tools aimed helping people reach fitness goals.
By Mary Ann Roser

Want to lose weight? Be healthier? Change your lifestyle?

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has a coach for you.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation and Demand Media, a social media company with offices in Austin, are launching a Web site today with 600,000 pages of content on health, fitness and wellness. The site, www.livestrong.com, includes information from doctors and other experts, exercise tips on everything from flattening flabby abs to improving overall workouts, and an array of help on such topics as quitting smoking and dieting, including a "daily plate," which tracks calories for those on the path to lowering their weight.

"People love coaches," Armstrong said Monday, "and this is just another coach for them, if they want it."

The site is free, and unlike livestrong.org, which is dedicated to cancer survivors and their families, livestrong.com is for anyone who wants to make change, Armstrong said.

"The polls will tell that 85 (percent) to 90 percent of Americans want to change something about their life or their lifestyles, but only 40 percent of them get started doing it," he said.

The obesity epidemic, soaring diabetes rates and other unhealthy trends have America heading to a "perfect storm" the health care system is not prepared to handle, he said.

The site enables people to work in groups, like the one with 100 women who tested the "daily plate" to collectively lose 1,000 pounds and got messages when they needed to step up their exercise to counteract their daily calories, said Larry Fitzgibbon, general manager of livestrong.com.

"We think this is one of the killer (applications)," Fitzgibbon said. "There are sites for this on the Web, but they cost money."

Fitzgibbon says the site is one of the few that combine the health and fitness information a person might be seeking on the Web.

Articles on the site, such as "Four Ways to Treat Bacterial Infections," or "Five Things You Need to Know About Lipomas," are delivered in a short, simple style. Armstrong said he's not worried about the site being too simplistic.

"I would prefer to err on the side of a little more simple than too complicated," he said. "The site will evolve."

http://www.livestrong.com/search?search=rugby

We are happy to announce that the New Orleans Women's Rugby Team is once again hosting Twilight 7's. The event will be held Labor Day weekend which coincides with Southern Decadence a festival in the French Quarter!

Tournament Date: Saturday, August 30th

We start in the late afternoon and finish under the lights!
Our goal is to have 6 teams which would allow 5 games each.
Entry fee is $125 and will host all teams so no need to get hotels!

Check our website for more information: http://www.halfmoonsrugby.com

Come help rebuild New Orleans "One Ruck at a Time"

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

Another great opportunity here, just like the struggle for the D2 Women's Rugby to be recognized, a few players are getting together to build a Women's 7's Club Championships. The tournament would be in conjunction with the Men's 7's Clubs Championships in San Francisco next month. See below for an email from Melissa McKibben about some more details:

Ladies,

I am on a committee working to develop Women 7's Club Championships. Since I have been unable to get a team from the West to enter this tournament, I wanted to check to see if any of you were interested in entering a motley team in the tournament next month (August 9-10 in San Francisco). Please let me know if you would be interested or willing to commit to such a team (email is below). Currently I have 3-4 Jazz players committed, so I would need at least 6-8 more to even consider entering a side. Let me know as soon as possible is you are available, since they will not be holding this tournament unless at least 8 teams are entered (ideally at least 1 city/club team from each territory). I have listed the teams that have currently committed below. The goal is to have this as a formal USA Rugby sponsored venue next year. If you have other teammates that you know would be interested, please forward them this email. Thanks!

Los Angeles
San Diego
Berkeley 1
Berkeley 2 (Bay Area)
NOVA 1
Furies
Atlanta

Melissa McKibben

So shoot Melissa an email if you are interested because this is a GREAT idea! Wish I could go, but I already committed to reffing the 7's TOLA Championships in Shreveport, LA.

For a comprehensive list with results etc, of 2008 7's Tournaments, go here.

Welcome to another Rugby Video Monday! Thanks to everyone who sends me links to new videos, I have quite a few on my list now...so if you haven't seen yours yet, don't worry I will get to it! This week the video comes from another rugger in the ruckosphere, Letchworth Girls' Rugby, its a great site, you should check it out! The link for the video is here in case you can't view it in browser.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
7/7/2008: USA U20 WNT vs South Africa
6/30/2008: New York vs Chicago Northshore scrum try by New York.
6/23/2008: USA Rugby NCAA Iniative
6/17/2008: USA Rugby Youth Promotional Trailer
6/9/2008: West All Star Senior Rugby Fun in the Pool!
6/2/2008: Rugby is Beauty

Please keep sending me videos!! My email is yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com!

Northeast Women Only All-Stars at Cape Fear
partial repost from Goff

July 4, 2008 - The Cape Fear 7s have often been used as a warmup tournament for women's territorial teams. This year that's not quite what's happening. The women's competitive bracket includes two USA Developmental 7s, under the name Atlantis, plus two area clubs.

But one territory is there, defending national champs the Northeast. Head coach Chris Ryan doesn't have all his horses there - he is likely expecting the likes of Phaidra Knight, Tyshawn Henry, Jen Sinkler, Jenna Flateman, Yancy Graf and Ines Rodriguez all to be available for the 7s NASC.

For the rest of the article go here, subscription required.

**I have been scouring the internet for results from the tournament, but have only found results for the men. Leave results, links to picutres etc in the comments, or email me!

For a listing of 2008 7s Tournaments with results etc., check out this post.

CAPE FEAR EXCHANGE
from Hail Pelicus
Report by Tom Zanarini:

Just wanted to thank the Society for sending me to Cape Fear. I had a great time, got some good matches and was able to watch some of the higher level refs perform. The heat wasn't too bad, just made me remember playing 15's in Austin in September and April.

I had four matches on Saturday mixed up between Social, Women's Club, Women's Premiere and Men's Club. The Women's Premiere was NOVA v. Northeast Selects, a very fast paced match with great athletes. NOVA won by three tries which the Northeast coast tried to explain to me that they were all due to missed calls on my part. Right. Pat McNally was on hand to give me some pointers which I was able to execute in the next matches.

One match that I was really looking forward to was the Cape Fear II v. Kenyan Exiles II. The Kenyan I team played the Cape Fear I right before, but the Kenyans were traveling light and ended up forfeiting my match. So, that sucked. David Von Kolnitz managed to tweak the schedule and got me another match right after so I did my four and ran touch for a couple.

The banquet was quite entertaining and Zinzan held court. I got two dings, one for not producing a yellow card after awarding a penalty try for a professional foul. Cherry Point were behind by 21 and we were into full time with a penalty awarded to CP. They kicked ahead to chase for goal and an AHO (Appalachian Honors Society) player grabbed the kicker's jersey with no other defenders chasing. I awarded the penalty try, took the conversion then called full time. I truly feel foolish about that since Dave busted me about the exact same thing in Chico. Sorry! I also forgot a Hawaiian shirt for the banquet. I did get out of paying that fine due to my permanent Hawaiian shirt ink which I had to present to the court. I was wearing my 2008 Pacific Coast Referee shirt and instead of donning the offending jersey I offered it to Zinzan as payment. He told me after that it made his night because he never got a PC jersey or polo when he was a Grizzly and said he wouldn't ever ask for one, but would take one as a gift. So, karma I suppose.

Sunday was another early and on time start. I had Camp Lejeune v. Washington Irish social div. quarter-final. An entertaining match that the Irish ended up running away with in the second half. The military sides were running shallow, Fort Bragg had to forfeit all their matches because most of the team were on recall and couldn't leave base. It was nice to see the Marines and Army playing nicely together. Great athletes that chased hard all match but didn't have the rugby skills or practice to compete with the Irish. My second Sunday match was the Women's open semi with Raleigh Venom v. Maryland Stingers. Raleigh routed the Stingers on Saturday but were a bit gassed on Sunday. The match was 5 all at the half. The second 7 was a different story. The Venom finally found their winger on the outside and it was breakaway tries for the rest of the match.

I ran touch for a couple more matches then had to leave for the airport. I'm glad I got there early since my flight was delayed for 2 hours. A thunderstorm in Atlanta put Delta in a tailspin of delays. The cold Yuenglings at the airport bar made the wait considerably less painful. My connection in Atlanta was delayed as well and pushed my arrival time in SF to 12:20am, twenty minutes past the last Marin Air Porter Shuttle. My wife is on vacation back in Plymouth, MA so I am fortunate to have one good friend in Mill Valley, to whom I owe a steak dinner. 1:30am in bed, 6:30am wakeup call and the coffee is extra strong this morning!

SERRS were great hosts and helpful at every turn. The tournament is very well organized, four fields well marked and in excellent condition. I hope this exchange remains on the NCRRS calendar for other referees to experience.

7's is starting to grow on me and I'm looking forward to this Saturday in Palo Alto.

So a notice today went out about a verbage clarification on Law 17.5 for the new ELVs from USA Rugby...and when I read the subject of the email I was secretly hoping that this meant that USA Rugby was not going to abide by the new ELVs.

I know, I know, I haven't played under the rules yet, so why am I complaining? I can't help it, they just seem err different and not all of them will help the sport of rugby, at least in my opinion. But I may change my tune after I play under the laws in September.

Seems like everyone is talking about, here are a few of the most interesting articles/blogs I found out here:

The Voice of Reason (and he's Australian) (Total Flanker)
A funny thing happened when I pulled that maul down... (Total Flanker)
ELVs will pull up the grassroots (Planet Rugby)
ELVs Caused Trouble (Sporting Life - Rugby Union)
Talking ELVs (IRB)
ELVs. Deadly dull - but could change the game you play (Letchworth Girls Rugby)

Some more resources/funny stories on ELVs can be found here:

Also Total Flanker has a hilarious bit (Rugby - for Aliens!) about the new ELV laws that is definitely worth a read!

Also Hail Pelicus weighs in on the injury risks of the ELVs, many people were afraid that the new mauling and rucking laws would increase the injury risk.

Need some video examples highlghting a few of the the new ELVs? Check out an older post I had written that has several good Youtube videos!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, here is what the email really said:

Attention USA Rugby Supporters and Administrators:

Per the attached memo from the IRB, please note that there was an error in the wording of the ELV Law 17.5 circulated to Unions after the Annual Meeting of Council 2008.

The correct ELV Law 17.5 reads as follows:

17.5 Successful End To A Maul
(b) A player may pull a maul to the ground providing that player does so by pulling an opponent in the maul down from the shoulders to the hips.

*NOTE: It is not legal to drop a maul by pulling down a teammate.

Please disseminate this information to all referees, clubs and societies throughout your respective TUs and LAUs.

Thank you,

Inspiring America to fall in love with Rugby
Ashley Voss | Communications Coordinator | USA Rugby

Another gem from Bryn (coach of the U-20 Women's National Team)...a video from the recent June 2008 tour of South Africa! It was originally posted on the U19 Girls Rugby blog.

Here is a long clip from the USA U20 WNT v South Africa U20 WNT game played on June 28th in Nelspruit, South Africa. The clip ends with try from Adetayo Mafe of the USA with the conversion by Cat Parkhill. The USA won the game 21-17.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 1 vs South Africa, go here.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 2 vs Developmental team, go here.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 3 vs South Africa, go here.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Tour Wrap-up and Diary, go here.

**Bryn Chivers gives an update on events, venues etc for upcoming U-20 WNT Events, go here.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
6/30/2008: New York vs Chicago Northshore scrum try by New York.
6/23/2008: USA Rugby NCAA Iniative
6/17/2008: USA Rugby Youth Promotional Trailer
6/9/2008: West All Star Senior Rugby Fun in the Pool!
6/2/2008: Rugby is Beauty
5/27/2008: Rugby in Dresses!
5/19/2005: AMAZING try in Rugby league
5/12/2008: Sharks vs Minnows
5/5/2008: Trent University Women's Rugby Highlight Reel

She will be throwing the evenings of July 3 (9:20pm PST) and July 5 (1:50pm PST). The TV stations to watch her on are USA (3rd) and NBC (5th). The fist being the qualifying round and the second being the finals. Remember the time difference if you want to tune in to see the little tiny blurbs they shove in between races for the throwing events!! Anyway, I'll be in the over-crowded Oregon Track and Field Complex, probably behind some pole or something, squinting to see the little metal balls flying through the air... but I can't wait! Everyone be pulling for her! (Thanks to Leigh for emailing this!)

Check out this video from March 31, 2008 of Abby in action:



GOOD LUCK BFF!!!

Update:

Abby threw incredibly well all weekend, she breezed through the semi-finals, and had good throws in the finals...but it wasn't quite enough.

However, she is looking forward to the upcoming Shot Put season and then of course towards the 2012 Olympics.

GREAT JOB ABBY!

For full results of the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR, check out the Olympic Trials homepage here.

Bryn Chivers let me know that the U20's had a tour diary, but limited internet access made it hard to post anything...so its all just been posted at the U19 Girls Rugby Blog. I have re-posted it here:

U20 WNT Update
Sorry this is a week of posts at once but we lost the wifi at the Ingwnyama Lodge for the last week of the tour.

Sunday June 29th
Breakfast and packing. It’s amazing how much you can buy at a rural African market and luggage space was at a premium. Kayla Morisoli set a record for the most carry on with three bags and an armful of presents. Mallory Ives had purchased a wooden bowl the size of a large satellite dish, and was reveling in the challenge of getting it on and off three flights. We took the last team pictures and headed off…….to the mall, hey there was still time to shop before the flight. =)

Saturday June 28th
Game day and everyone was nervous. Started the day with a walk through of the game plan. Started at one end of the field and went through every scenario, discussed every decision, the what, the when, the why, the who. Everyone ate a light lunch and then it was off to the Nelspruit Rugby Stadium for the last game of the tour. We’ve got used to the police escorts =). There were two games as curtain raisers and there was probably 1,000 people in the crowd at game time. There was still a game in progress when the team jogged down the sideline to the in-goal where they were going warm up. The PA Announcer made a very big deal of the entrance and as the players got to the far end of the stand there was a huge round of applause with shouting, clapping and horn blowing from the fans…….the Mpumalanga Rugby Unon had bussed in the girls from the township we visited on Monday.

The Game – We won 21-17 and the game report will follow.

The banquet afterwards was held at the Ingwenyama Lodge and was a lot of fun. Despite the physical nature of both games the teams really liked each other and this showed at the banquet. The SA women sing this wonderful song before games and they gave the team one last performance at the banquet. The USA women could not get it out of their heads all week and would attempt to replicate it despite not knowing any of the words……and not being able to sing. The food was as interesting as ever and served right on the table. They cover a table with a clear plastic film and put the food right on the table without serving plates. The players had no idea of what they were eating but knew it was all very good. The favorite food of the players was cook-sisters, a small, syrup filled, incredibly sweet, twisted pastry.
The banquet ended with the traditional trading of spare kit. The USA players had a lot of old kit from previous events (and previous sponsor) and were able to get some really good stuff from the SA women. Lots of practice shirts, shorts, t-shirts, hats and one or two jackets were acquired by the USA players.

The South Africans left and the team took a moment to reflect on the win and then it was off to the phones to call home with the news.

Friday June 27th
Still no internet service except for a very slow dial up in one of the offices so updates may not get posted till we get home. It was a two practice day today as we again spent a lot of time working on ball possession and controlling the breakdown. The Jersey Ceremony was emotional. We can only dress twenty-two of the twenty-five players for the international games and it was tough on the players who missed out.

Thursday June 26th
So the team has had two days off to go sightseeing and shopping, and shopping, and shopping =)
Wednesday we visited the Sabie River Valley area of Mpumalanga. The canyon is one of the largest in the world and gave the players a chance to see some of the incredible waterfalls that drop hundreds of feet from the rim of the canyon to the river below. The tour also included a trip to the old gold mining town of Pilgrims Rest where the players got to see and hear about a piece of South Africa’s history and haggle over prices in the local market....everyone got what they thought was a steal but I'm sure the folks at the market thought they robbed the players blind.

Thursday started with a 5:00 am wake up call so that the team could be at Kruger National Park by 6:00 am. The players traveled in four open vehicles driven by very knowledgeable local guides. Each of the groups went a separate way and met up for meals at two of the lodge areas within the park. The players were able to spot lion, elephant, giraffe, rhino, hippo, Zebra, crocodile, water buffalo, kudu, impala and a lot of other animals not found at home. One vehicle even saw a small group of Tsessebe that the guide had not seen in five years. The players spent eleven hours at Kruger National Park and all agreed it was an incredible experience. The team returned home at 6:30 pm and after dinner it was back to work as the players reviewed the tape of Tuesday’s game.

It was a fun two days for the team and everyone needed the break.

Tuesday June 24th
Today the players had a morning practice and got a rest in the afternoon prior to the night game against the Mpumalanga Provincial Side. Sue and Tasha took some of the backs and forwards this afternoon and worked on some individual stuff. The trip down to Nelspruit tonight was similar to Saturday with the police blocking traffic all the way to the stadium. The crowd was a good size with probably five hundred people in the stands. We've had to share the Ingwenyama Sports Center with the Italy U18 boys and the local Currie Cup team, the Pumas. It's been interesting as we always get the "A" field for practice despite it being the only one with rugby posts and the other teams are on the "B: field. So the curtain raiser for our game was the Italy U18's v the provincial HS boys side with the Italian side running out easy winners. The players entered the stadium and the SA U20 Women were there to clap them on to the field, it was very sporting. As the game progressed you could hear chants of USA! USA! from the crowd and it turned out that the Pumas had shown up to support the team. The game ended 87-0 in favor of the U20 WNT and a report will follow. The banquet was nice and simple and a lot less formal than last Saturday.

Monday June 23rd
We started the day by going out to one of the townships to run a camp for about 70 kids. It turned out to be a big event again. Police escort, the radio station broadcast from the event, coach and player interviews, it's hard to explain how we are being treated. The kids were mostly all girls from the townships with a couple of boys in each group. The players had designed the drills and ran all of the practice themselves while the coaches wandered around answering questions from the local organizers, mostly about the structure of the game for women in the USA. The team finished by playing some semi-opposed stuff against each other just to demonstrate the speed of the game. They picked a couple of girls to join the team for a couple of plays and afterwards gave them each a piece of kit donated by the players. Going to one of the townships was an incredible experience and an eye opener for a lot of the players. People living in tiny buildings made from whatever they can find, "shops" made from salvaged wood where people sell whatever they can grow, and hundreds of kids who want to say hi. Incredible experience.

We finshed the day with a short practice and then dinner.

Saturday June 21st
We had a short practice this morning at a local high school that had three rugby fields including one in a stadium…..such a different world compared to rugby in the US. We got back to the lodge in time for lunch although the players and staff didn’t eat much as most of us have a bad case of intestinal distress form last night’s fish.

We boarded the bus for the game and found out that we have a police escort to the game……no kidding. Police cars out in front of the bus with lights on and sirens going as they stopped traffic at intersections and red lights so we could go through. It was surreal to be given this much attention. We arrived at the stadium and it was full of school children that had been bussed in for the game. Wonderful atmosphere.

We lost 12-23. See the match report.

The social after was interesting. Lot’s of speeches from representatives of the Local Rugby Union and South African Rugby who highlighted what a great event this was for the development of the women’s game in South Africa, Both teams really liked each other and they bonded immediately. Lots of singing and laughing.

The players have Sunday off.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 1 vs South Africa, go here.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 2 vs Developmental team, go here.

**USA U-20 Women's National Team Game 3 vs South Africa, go here.

**Bryn Chivers gives an update on events, venues etc for upcoming U-20 WNT Events, go here.