Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

The Women’s U.S. Sevens Team lost their only match on Saturday, falling to Saudex Wooden Spoon 17-7 in the International Women’s tournament in Dubai. The Wooden Spoon Team would fall to England’s Sporting Chance Foundation in the final, 12-10.

Full Results

Day 1 Thursday
Match No	Fixture	Time	Pitch
Match 1	Saudex Wooden Spoon 12 - 0 USA Women	8:10 a.m.	5
Match 2	Sporting Chance Foundation 39 - 0 Aylesford Bulls I	8:30 a.m.	5
Match 3	Kenya Lionesses v RGUTIS - Podmoskovie	8:50 a.m.	5
Match 4	Slavyanka 28 - 0 Pink Ba-bas	9:10 a.m.	5
Match 6	Saudex Wooden Spoon 50 - 0 Aylesford Bulls I	12:10 p.m.	3
Match 5	WOP Netherlands 0 - 19 Irish Vixens	12:10 p.m.	5
Match 7	Sporting Chance Foundation 34 - 7 USA Women	12:30 p.m.	5
Match 8	Kenya Lionesses (N) - (Win) Pink Ba-bas	12:50 p.m.	5
Match 9	Slavyanka 5 - 24 RGUTIS - Podmoskovie	1:10 p.m.	5
Match 10	Rugby Canada 24 - 0 Irish Vixens	3:50 p.m.	2
Match 15	WOP Netherlands 5 - 33 Rugby Canada	7:30 p.m.	3

Day 2 Friday
Match No	Fixture	Time	Pitch
Match 13	RGUTIS - Podmoskovie 40 - 7 Pink Ba-bas	10:10 a.m.	2
Match 14	Kenya Lionesses (N) - (Win) Slavyanka	10:30 a.m.	2
Match 11	Saudex Wooden Spoon 0 - 19 Sporting Chance Foundation	12:50 p.m.	1
Match 12	USA Women 36 - 0 Aylesford Bulls I	1:10 p.m.	1
Match TQF1	Sporting Chance Foundation 38 - 0 Pink Ba-bas	3:10 p.m.	5
Match TQF2	Slavyanka 5 - 38 Rugby Canada	3:30 p.m.	5
Match TQF3	Saudex Wooden Spoon 19 - 7 Irish Vixens	3:50 p.m.	5
Match TQF4	RGUTIS - Podmoskovie 0 - 35 USA Women	4:10 p.m.	5
Match PSF1	Aylesford Bulls I 7 - 25 WOP Netherlands	8:50 p.m.	2
Match PSF2	Kenya Lionesses - BYE v BYE	9:10 p.m.	2

Day 3 Saturday
Match No	Fixture	Time	Pitch
Match TSF1	Sporting Chance Foundation 12 - 5 Rugby Canada	11:40 a.m.	5
Match TSF2	Saudex Wooden Spoon 17 - 7 USA Women	12:00 p.m.	5
Match TF	Sporting Chance Foundation 12 - 10 Saudex Wooden Spoon	3:50 p.m.	1

Check out the U.S. Womens Rugby 7's blog for more details.

Traveling Squad:
Lindsey Stephenson, At Large
Amy Daniels, Beantown RFC
Tyshawn Henry, NY RFC (Injured - replaced by Kelly White (thanks commentor!))
Alison Price, NY RFC
Melissa McKibben, Kansas City RFC
Kirsten Ahrendt, Keystone RFC
Teena Mastrangelo, Chicago Northshore RFC
Pam Kosanke, Chicago Northshore RFC
Christy Ringgenberg, Minnesota Valkyries RFC
Jen Starkey, NOVA RFC
Jen Sinkler, Keystone RFC
Jess Watkins, Stanford University

Coaching Staff
Julie McCoy
Chris Ryan
Sadeana Green
Lisa Bartoli
Tristan Lewis

...and a late Happy Thanksgiving to all...The Girl and I are in North Carolina visiting family, hope you are safe and surrounded by your loved ones this Holiday.

from USA Rugby:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The West Under-19 team captured a narrow 10-8 victory over its Northeast counterparts to take home the 2008 title as the Women’s Under-19 Invitational National All-Star Championships wrapped up at Mills Pond Park today.

This was the third annual U-19 INASC tournament, with the previous two events being held in Nashville, Tenn. The 2008 competition featured teams representing all seven USA Rugby Territorial Unions, as well as an Under-17 squad comprised of players selected from the current U-20 Women’s National Team pool and players recommended by the TU-19, college and high school coaches.

Round one of the tournament kicked off on Saturday, with primarily close matches throughout tiers one and two, as three of the four matches were decided by five points or less. In Tier 1, the West edged out Pacific Coast 10-7, while the Northeast defeated the Midwest 22-19. Inside Tier 2 competition, Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) won its match-up versus the South 12-5 while the Under-17 team shutout Southern California 93-0.

The outcome of day one set the stage for a set of Sunday match-ups that mirrored those of the 2007 Under-19 INASCs, with the West and Northeast swapping positions with the Midwest and Pacific in the Championship match this year.

Sunday featured a set of highly competitive matches, especially within the top tier. When the day kicked off, the South shutout So Cal 39-0 in the Tier 2 consolation, while the Under-17s shutdown Mid-Atlantic 35-3. Meanwhile, in the Tier 1 contests, it was Midwest holding off Pacific Coast 10-3 and the West coming away as the overall victors by a slim 10-8 margin over the Northeast.

“The quality of play was much improved from last year’s competition, especially in the top tier, where the quality of defense was exceptional. In yesterday’s matches, the games were ultimately decided by three points and today by seven, which really showed that on any given Saturday, the outcome of a competition between those four teams could have been different,” USA Under-20 Women’s Head Coach Bryn Chivers said.

“The matches this weekend highlighted great defensive skills. The athletes were more aggressive at the breakdown, more aggressive throughout the backs, and showcased a much more sophisticated level of play overall,” he added.

This year’s tournament was held in conjunction with the USA Women’s National Team (WNT) intra-squad Red/White Match on Saturday afternoon and allowed the WNT coaches and staff the opportunity to see some of the younger up-and-coming players.

“The Under-17 match was the last game of the day on Saturday and provided the perfect segue into watching the Senior National Team in the afternoon – it helped illustrate the clear pathway from U-17 to U-19 and now U-20 level, to the Women’s National Team,” Chivers added. “It was another great event and it was wonderful to have the WNT coaches at the event observing and scouting players. It showed the real importance of the Women’s Age-Grade system in cultivating athletes for future National Team opportunities.”

For more information on the Under-19 Invitational National All-Star Championship or to recommend prospective players for the Under-20 WNT, please contact U-20 Head Coach Bryn Chivers.

Day 1 Results
Tier 1
West 10, Pacific Coast 7
Northeast 22, Midwest 19

Tier 2
MARFU 12, South 5
Under-17 93, So Cal 0
Day 2 Results
Tier 1
Consolation: Midwest 10, Pacific Coast 3
Championship: West 10, Northeast 8

Tier 2
Consolation: South 39, So Cal 0
Championship: Under-17 35, MARFU 3

I love this video this week...I found it this morning when I was looking through my recent "recommended" videos from Youtube. Sometimes you get it right Youtube...and I love that, but when you get it wrong, you get it very wrong...why would I want to watch a video of a dog and a squirrel in a pink tutu dancing?

Here is a link to the video if you cannot view this via your RSS feed etc.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
11/17/2008: I am Colorado's Female Rugby Player
11/10/2008: Oklahoma Roses Rugby
11/3/2008: Football's for Girls
10/28/2008: Dallas Rugby Returns
10/20/2008: Flag Rugby
10/13/2008: Rugby Video Monday: What it means to be an Eagle
10/6/2008: Touch Rugby European Championship Semi-Final 2008

Please keep sending me your favorite videos: yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Want even more videos? Make sure to check out my Vimeo profile or my Youtube channel...

NOTE: all new videos will be on Vimeo only as they are recorded in High Definition.

Team Red Holds Off Team White in Women's National Team Intra-Squad Clash
from USA Rugby.org:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Following a scoreless second half, Team Red held its half-time lead over Team White to come away with a 19-10 victory in the Women's National Team's intra-squad competition, the Red/White Match at Mills Pond Park on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams opened up strong, but it was the Team Red that would get on the board first, as Vanesha McGee broke away for a pair of tries in the first half, with Mel Kanuk kicking both conversions. Nathalie Marchino also had a try for the Red to put the team up to 19 points before the break.

While their Red counterparts struggled slightly in the pack, Team White's backline had a hard time finishing. However, the team got a boost from a Brenna Costello penalty kick and a try from Elise Myer, with Costello again kicking the extras to pull within nine points before switching sides.

The second half ushered in a whole new wave of players, as the coaching staff made several changes to test out some of the younger talent. Although the teams held strong in an even back and forth battle, neither could quite get the ball to drop in its favor, leaving the score stuck at 19-10 in Team Red's favor at the final blow.

The 44 players selected for the Red/White Match included a healthy mix of experience and youth, including several up-and-coming athletes from the WNT Age-Grade program, who impressed Women's National Team Head Coach Kathy Flores.

"For their first 10 minutes or so of play the younger athletes seemed nervous about how they would perform, especially because they hadn't worked with the Women's National Team much before," Flores said. "After the initial nerves wore off, I felt that many of the new additions from the Age-Grade system, such as Tayo Mafe and Stacey Bridges, became important to the game and made a great impact."

"Ultimately, the game provided a valuable opportunity to get the players together one additional time before the end of the year and although the game showcased its share of mistakes in contact, it has given the athletes an idea of where they stand and what we as a team need to work on going forward," Flores added.

TEAM RED
1 DOUGLAS, Farrah (Chicago North Shore)
2 BUTTS, Lisa (Davis Women)
3 BAKER, Stacey (Philadelphia)
4 HOBSON, Christina (New York)
5 MCCORMICK, Kati (UW–Milwaukee)
6 ZDANCZEWICZ, Kristin (MN Valkyries)
7 ROYCE, Beckett (ORSU)
8 DALEY, Kate (Keystone)
9 HERTEL, Katy (MN Valkyries)
10 KANUK, Mel (DC Furies)
11 MARCHINO, Nathalie (Berkeley All-Blues)
12 BYDWELL, Emilie (Beantown)
13 KUGLER, Lynelle (Glendale)
14 MCGEE, Vanesha (New York)
15 ENGLISH, Ashley (Berkeley All-Blues)

Replacements
16 PRIMO, Rachel (NOVA)
17 BERG, Libby (MN Valkyries)
18 BRAND, Anneke (Texas Tech)
19 HUGHES, Brea (At-large)
20 TSENG, Jossy (Berkeley All-Blues)
21 MCGILLIVRAY, Deanna (UNM)
22 DOWTY, Katie (Beantown)

TEAM WHITE
1 WACHT, Sharyn (Beantown)
2 HEGG, Meredith (Philadelphia)
3 BURKE, Jamie (Beantown)
4 MENKE, Jenny (MN Valykyries)
5 WALSH, Sarah (Chicago North Shore)
6 HEMSTREET, Allyson (Berkeley All-Blues)
7 DENHAM, Mel (Beantown)
8 DILLEY, Liz (Washington Furies)
9 YOUNG, Wendy (Austin Valkyries)
10 COSTELLO, Brenna (DC Furies)
11 DOMBROSKI, Lisa (Philadelphia)
12 MYER, Elise (NOVA)
13 MORENO, San Juanita (ORSU)
14 FLATEMAN, Jenna (New York)
15 KMIECIK, Ashley (Emerald City Mudhens)

Replacements
16 MAFE, Adetayo (Michigan State University)
17 ALIBERTO, Kristin (Philadelphia)
18 BRIDGES, Stacey (Texas A & M)
19 FOLAYAN, Victoria (Berkeley All-Blues)
20 MARSHALL, Ramey (ORSU)
21 STOLBA, Hannah (MN Valkyries)
22 GREGORICH, Claire (Glendale)

Welcome to another new segment on Your Scrumhalf Connection! With the immense success of Rugby Video Monday and the Monthly Free Raffle (happening again around Dec 1)...I thought it might be fun to throw in a good photo once a week or so.

For the first photo I wanted to capture one of my favorite moments...the time right before a match begins. Each player is preparing themselves mentally and physically for the match and has their own pattern or method. The crisp fall leaves in the background mean that it is perfect rugby playing weather and that the rugby Gods are smiling down...


Photo Credit: Lara Johann-Reichart

Feel free to send me your favorite photos to by email, facebook or leave the link to your favorite photo in the comments.

Join us on February 21-22, 2009 for our 29th annual Mardi Gras Tournament!

Entry Fee
$300.00 if received by January 1, 2009
$400.00 after January 1, 2009

Brackets
Collegiate and Club with a three game minimum for each bracket.

Parades
We will host a party near the parade route for the Krewe of Endymion on Saturday night. Parades will continue through Fat Tuesday, February 24, 2009. A block of rooms are reserved at the La Quinta Westbank hotel until January 30, 2009. Mention the Women’s Rugby Mardi Gras Tournament.


Many people in New Orleans are still struggling to rebuild their homes two years after Katrina. In 2009, The Halfmoons and the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation will once again be sponsoring The New Orleans Rugby Recovery Effort, an opportunity to spend two days working side by side with other volunteers to help clean up and rebuild homes in the New Orleans area. We will be organizing volunteers for the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity and will assist on one or more of their ongoing projects.

Don't forget that you can post your own tournament or view the tournament listing here.

David asked that I repost this request as he did not get very many responses from the West this time around. Even if you are not in the West, submit your recipes!

The best part of the Rugby Ruckosphere and the Internets is the abundance of information, ideas and creations out there. Here is another idea worth mentioning, Rugby Recipes:

The image of a rugby player is one of a hearty soul who plays hard, drinks hard and yes, eats hard too. So, I David Martin, captain of the Gentleman of New York, the New York RC Old Boys, and a former Manhattan, Miami Trident and FSU player, together with Meg Votta, a former Gotham Women's RC and New York Women's RC player have teamed up and are writing a cookbook based on the recipes and food stories of rugby players. We are in the early stages of compiling these for a book that will feature recipes from rugby players, friends, fans and families. We are looking for great and entertaining stories that center around food, some specialty you created or enjoy, anything that is connected with the worldwide community of rugby and enjoyment of friends over a meal and a glass.

One thing we hope to include is a range of dishes that reflect the international appeal of the game. A traditional South African dish followed by a recipe for New Zealand lamb and homemade Scottish Haggis could come just after your grandmother's recipe for Irish stew. There are a lot of chefs, restaurateurs and bar owners and we would like to include all your best in this book.

At this stage, we are compiling recipes, stories and names. Later on we will get back in touch with you and talk more about it and in many cases compile a small profile of the chef-rugger and perhaps get a picture of you running in for a try or serving up your favorite dish.

I look forward to reading your submissions. Please make sure you add your contact information, name, number and email address.

Send your recipes and stories to rugbyrecipes@gmail.com.

Cheers,
Dave Martin and Meg Votta

Have a Rugby Recipe for Dave and Meg, leave it in the comments, send me an email or send them an email!

See other Wanted Ads:
WANTED: West Rugby Senior All-Star Team Head Coach (Position Filled)
WANTED: Women's Rugby Coach in Clinton, NY (Position Filled)
Wanted: Navy Rugby Seeks Coach
Wanted: Rugby Recipes
Wanted: Rugby Team in Amarillo, TX
Wanted: Rugby Coach in Central NY

From: Guardian.co.uk by Paul Lauener

LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain will not let the financial crisis stop it bidding for the world's biggest sporting events such as the soccer World Cup, former Sports Minister Richard Caborn said.

Caborn, government ambassador for England's 2018 World Cup bid, dismissed London 2012 Olympics minister Tessa Jowell's comments last week suggesting Britain would not have made its bid if it had known about the economic downturn.
"I think you've got to take the long term view on things," Caborn told a conference on the crisis in London.

"We started in 2001 with a bid for 2012. We started two years ago talking about the (soccer) World Cup, which is in 2018. If you actually are judging by circumstances at any given point then you'd never ever make a bid," he said on Tuesday.
Britain is to host some of the world's biggest sporting events over the next 10 years and Caborn said the benefits of this "decade of sport" are "way beyond just a straight balance sheet.

"In 2009 we've got the 20/20 (Cricket) World Cup, 2010 we've got the Women's Rugby World Cup, 2012 we've got the Olympics, 2013 we're bidding for the Rugby League World Cup, 2014 we've got the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, 2015 we're bidding for the Rugby Union World Cup, in 2018 we're bidding for the football World Cup as well.
"The impact on the nation is huge," he said. The author of a report into how the global financial crisis was affecting sport agreed at the conference that investment in sport was "money well spent".

"The fundamental issue for me is should that money have been spent on the Olympics or should it have been spent on something else?" said Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport Business at Coventry University.

Chadwick's report, Sport in the Downturn, suggests top level sports like Premier League football with a global brand appeal and investment from the Middle East would be more protected from recession than pursuits like darts and badminton.

And the Winner of the Monthly FREE RAFFLE: Lady Flower Rugby Pads is...drum roll please!

Please send me your desired size and postal address to my email at yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com and it will get shipped right out to you!

Thanks to everyone who submitted their name in the raffle, this was our best raffle yet with over 30 entries! This free raffle is courtesy of CSS Rugby, a rugby merchandise shop in the UK. To see more of their products, please be sure to visit http://www.css-rugby.co.uk/.

Look for this FREE raffle again next month! Can't wait to see if you win the raffle? Purchase your own Your Scrumhalf Connection tshirt ($15.95) or any of my other rugby shirts by visiting my Zazzle Tshirt Shop.

Thanks to Becky Carlson of USA Rugby for another great video on Youth Rugby and NCAA Rugby Promotion/Development in the US. Check out this link for the video that was shown during ITTs last year to all the Senior and U23 rugby players: http://yourscrumhalfconnection.com/2008/06/rugby-video-monday_23.html

Here is a link to the video if you cannot view this via your RSS feed etc.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
11/10/2008: Oklahoma Roses Rugby
11/3/2008: Football's for Girls
10/28/2008: Dallas Rugby Returns
10/20/2008: Flag Rugby
10/13/2008: Rugby Video Monday: What it means to be an Eagle
10/6/2008: Touch Rugby European Championship Semi-Final 2008

Please keep sending me your favorite videos: yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Want even more videos? Make sure to check out my Vimeo profile or my Youtube channel...

NOTE: all new videos will be on Vimeo only as they are recorded in High Definition.

From my inbox:

It's news we've all been waiting for for years - decades in some cases:

All teams will play on brand new fields at the NY 7s this year!

That's right...every field at this year's NY 7s will be either newly laid sod or artificial turf....so don't miss out! REGISTER TODAY!

You can see some of the field development progress here.

And you can see all of the details about the 50TH ANNUAL NY 7s here, the tournment is on Nov 29, 2008 this year.

Come to the 50th Annual NY 7s - great rugby and fun...and this year on great fields!

Jessa Giordano
Director, NY 7s

For a listing of 2008-2009 Tournaments, go here.

Since USA Rugby is releasing more and more information, I thought I would do updates of their press releases all lumped together. It won't be every week that I post, but if I get four or five interesting stories, they will get thrown up here for your viewing pleasure!

• Apply for the 2009 National Guard Kit Program Online NOW!
  
  USA Rugby is now accepting applications from interested college and high school clubs online at National Guard Kit Application. Interested teams will need to have their local recruiter’s contact information, RSID # (unique recruiter number) and their shipping address. You can find this information by calling 1-800-GO-GUARD and asking to speak to your local recruiter about being involved in the National Guard Rugby Kit Program.
  
  For more information USA Rugby’s partnership with the National Guard and to find out more about the National Guard High School and College Kit Program, contact Kyle Judah.
  
  
• USA Rugby Extends National Guard Partnership
  BOULDER, Colo. (November 12, 2008) – USA Rugby officially announced the extension of its partnership agreement with the Army National Guard for 2009. This expanded alliance includes remaining the title partner of five key USA Rugby National Championship events and prominent exposure at 20 large scale events, as well as a wealth of additional opportunities to enhance the partnership.
  
  “The National Guard partnership continues to build upon the foundation of rugby here in the United States, allowing players and coaches to become better in their sport and in their communities. This program will have a great impact at the high school, and especially the collegiate levels of USA Rugby, putting jerseys on 12,500 players and helping grow the sport at the grassroots level. We are a proud partner of USA Rugby in their mission to create better leaders with the strength of character and mental toughness that embodies the tenets of the National Guard,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Day of the National Guard.
  
  
• 2008 USA Rugby Award Winners Honored in Salt Lake City
  SALT LAKE CITY - The winners of World Rugby Shop’s 2008 USA Rugby Coach of the Year, Men’s Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year were honored last weekend during halftime of the USA Eagles/Uruguay match at Rio Tinto Stadium.
  
  Presented by World Rugby Shop, the USA Rugby Awards were meant to recognize volunteers, coaches and players that help ‘Inspire America to Fall in Love with Rugby’ everyday. While performance on the pitch was a factor in the decision making process, other qualities like dedication, sacrifice, and giving back to the game of rugby in the U.S. were paramount in deciding the winners of these awards.
  
  “Nigel Melville and Dave Voth had the foresight to bring this project to us and we’re delighted that they did,” World Rugby Shop CEO Bernard Frei said. “It is an honor to be involved. When you consider that over 300 different players and coaches were nominated for the USA Rugby awards it makes you appreciate just how special Christy, John and Todd are. These are the best of the best and it is a privilege to be involved in recognizing them.”
  
  USA Rugby’s CEO and President of Operations, Nigel Melville agreed, adding, “I don't usually get excited about awards, as there are so many people that do such wonderful things across the game, singling out one or two people is always a challenge. On this occasion though, the awards went to three people who make a tremendous commitment to the game of rugby in their particular field. John, Christy and Todd accept their awards on behalf of all those who make such a valuable contribution to the game and it is well deserved.”
  
  2008 USA Rugby Coach of the Year
  John “Chin” Klein was the recipient of this year’s award for his outstanding performance on and off the field. As coach of the Divine Savior Holy Angels High School Girls team in Milwaukee, Wisc., John has been with the team for over 11 years and has brought home five national titles in that time. In addition to his on field exploits, he has managed to serve as an outstanding role model and mentor for all of the players on his team.
  
  2008 USA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year
  Todd Clever received this year’s award for his remarkable efforts in captaining and representing his country. The 2008 award winner started playing rugby when he was 14 years old and most recently has been playing for both the USA National 15s and Sevens Team. Todd has consistently proven himself to be one of the most outstanding Eagles players. In addition to captaining the Eagles, Todd has recently signed a professional contract for the Xerox Lions in South Africa. His remarkable on-field achievements coupled with his dedication to and leadership of the USA national team has earned him this well deserved honor.
  
  2008 USA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year
  Christy McFarland, formerly Stelzer until her recent marriage, is this year’s winner and a perfect example of the dedication and honor of the game that these awards sought to identify and reward. A graduate of Illinois State University, Christy recently captained the team on the field as an all-star player and was president of the team off the field. Her commitment to her team and the game as a whole won her accolades from coaches, players and administrators from across the country.
  
  For the full listing of finalists, go here.

Thanks to everyone for all of the submissions! I am working to improve the organization and format of the forms, so stay tuned for more improvements! Please let me know if you think of any changes, ideas etc, I am open to learn and adapt to make this better for everyone.

View Scores

View Tournaments

There have been about 25 scores submitted and 4 tournaments...lets keep building the list, spread the word to your teammates, opponents, coaches etc.

(6288391453)
6288391453

Thanks for your submissions, to submit go here.

Go here to view the scores in a larger format.

This feature has been disabled at this time, thanks for your patience as we work on making this better!

More Men's rugby on the Internets this week...make sure to check out these recent videos:

Bahama 7s Qualifier (some women's rugby available)

USA vs Munster

USA vs Uruguay

USA vs Japan to be broadcast on November 16 and 22, 2008
(Click on the download Octoshape link. This will download and run the Octoshape viewing software. Once you have run Octoshape, refresh the display to view the webcast. There is no charge.)

Hopefully this will only mean that more Women's matches will be broadcast or played on American soil as well. The initiative for the advancement of rugby in the US is excellent, but the disregard for equality when it comes to Women's rugby is quite disappointing.

Just received this in my inbox and thought it was interesting. I have posted about the ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) quite a few times, click here if you would like to view the IRB video explanations here and I also posted some funny excerpts by other bloggers and a correction from USA Rugby regarding the laws here.

NOTE: You may be contacted unless you OPT-OUT below using their form! So don't fill anything out and you may be contacted to take part in the survey.

Dear USA Rugby Members,

As a valued member of our Union, I would like to offer you the opportunity to take part in an important research study being conducted by the IRB into attitudes toward the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs), which are currently being trialed.

The study is being conducted across 14 individual unions worldwide. The objective of the study is to gather the opinions of players, coaches and officials on the ELVs. The findings from this study will feed directly into the IRB’s review of the ELVs in early 2009.

For the purposes of this study the research is being conducted by TNS mrbi, an independent market research based in Dublin, Ireland. The TNS group has a strong track record in providing valuable research for many of the world’s leading sports organizations, including The Premiership (in the UK), UEFA and FIFA.

You may be selected to take part, and if contacted, USA Rugby would very much appreciate if you participated. The research will involve an online survey that will take approximately 10 minutes to fill out at a time and place convenient to you. The views of each individual taking part in the study will be merged with the views of all other respondents in a final report – individual views will be maintained as absolutely confidential. The survey therefore represents an ideal opportunity for you to express your views, in the knowledge that your identity will never be disclosed.

Should you wish to opt-out from being contacted for this survey, please click here to have your information removed from the pool of participants by Monday, November 17. Your name will then be removed from any list that will be forwarded onto the research agency to take part in this study.

As with all TNS mrbi research, this study will be conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct of ESOMAR, the World Association of Opinion and Market Research Professionals. You will only be contacted to take part in this specific study and will not be contacted again by TNS mrbi in relation to any other studies without the prior agreement from our organization. Please feel free to view USA Rugby’s complete Privacy Policy.

Many thanks in anticipation and kindest regards,
Kristin Richeimer
Director, Membership Relations

View ALL tournaments submitted here, or be the first to submit!

Go here to view all submitted tournaments in a larger format (updated every 5 minutes).

View ALL tournaments submitted here, or be the first to submit!

This feature has been disabled...we are working on a better way for scores to be submitted. Thanks for your patience.

The video this week is a 5-minute documentary by Deb “Bling” Wallenberg who joined the Oklahoma Roses rugby team last season. Tracy Curtis, the head coach, provided the link and also let me know that "no one was injured during the filming of this documentary. Actually, the only injuries the team has suffered are a sprained ankle at practice, and a messed up finger from goofing off on the sidelines."

Here is a link to the video if you cannot view this via your RSS feed etc.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
11/3/2008: Football's for Girls
10/28/2008: Dallas Rugby Returns
10/20/2008: Flag Rugby
10/13/2008: Rugby Video Monday: What it means to be an Eagle
10/6/2008: Touch Rugby European Championship Semi-Final 2008

Please keep sending me your favorite videos: yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Want even more videos? Make sure to check out my Vimeo profile or my Youtube channel...NOTE: all new videos will be on Vimeo only as they are recorded in High Definition.

Plate Semis
NOVA vs. Washington Furies 39 - 17
Twin Cities Amazons vs. Keystone 17 - 37

Championship Semis
New York vs. Beantown 27 - 5
Berkeley All Blues vs. Minnesota Valkyries 40 - 5

Plate Consolation
Twin Cities Amazons vs. Washington Furies 24 - 14

Plate Championship
Keystone vs. NOVA 12 - 7

3rd/4th place
Beantown vs. Minnesota Valkyries 46 - 15

Championship Match
New York vs. Berkeley All Blues 17 - 25

*Thanks for leaving the scores in the comments ladies!

Results from the Round of 16 in, Mo. October 25-26, 2008 can be found here.


Teams
Detroit (Midwest)
Cincinnati (MidWest)
Orlando (USA Rugby South)
Miami (USA Rugby South)
Village Lions (Northeast)
Providence (Northeast)
Brandywine (MidAtlantic)
Chesapeake (MidAtlantic)

Saturday
Game 1 - Detroit vs Chesapeake
Game 2 - Miami vs Village Lions
Game 3 - Cincinnati vs Brandywine
Game 4 - Orlando vs Providence
Game 5 - Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
Game 6 - Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2
Game 7 - Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4
Game 8 - Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4

Sunday
Game 9 - Loser Game 6 vs Loser Game 8 (7/8 Place)
Game 10 - Winner Game 6 vs Winner Game 8 (5/6 Place)
Game 11 - Loser Game 5 vs Loser Game 7 (3/4 Place)
Game 12 - Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 7 (1/2 Place)

D2 Championship
Orlando defeated Detroit (no score reported)

Anyone know if the matches will be streaming or available to watch later?

USA Rugby has been quite busy this fall season, here are a few endeavors they have been working on:

• USA Rugby Launches ‘Rugby for All’
  
  BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby has officially launched its “Rugby for All” continuum, marking the first of several initiatives in the development pathway of USA Rugby players, coaches and referees.
  USA Rugby’s “Rugby for All” continuum has been developed to emphasize the breadth of opportunities in the game and promote rugby’s new image as a vibrant sport that centers around the core values of family, health, fitness and fun.
  
  
  
• USA Rugby Releases Details on the 2008 Under-19 Invitational National
  
  All-Star Championships USA Developmental XV
  Sadie Anderson, Penn State, PA, Fullback
  Candace Barley, Maryville, TN, Flanker
  BrieAnna Barto, Summit, CO, Scrumhalf
  Toni Cattani, Kettle Moraine, WI, Flyhalf
  Lauren Danielsen, Summit, CO, Flyhalf
  Jozy Gessner, Summit, CO, Flanker
  Katherine Gray, Texas Tech, TX, Center
  Melanie Heinemann, Vernon, WI, Prop
  Katie Humphreys, Kent, WA, Lock
  Ima Isang, Oak Ridge, TN, Prop
  Katie Johnson, Hopkins, MN, No. 8
  Brook LeGate, Maryville, TN, Center
  Erin LeGate, Maryville, TN, Center
  Toni Lloyd, Texas State, TX, Wing
  Sophia Nolan, Armstrong, MN, Flanker
  Brittany Rose, Westchester East, PA, Lock
  Seymira Salami, Penn State, PA, Wing
  Catherine Scanlon, Summit, CO, Lock
  Lane Wagner, Traverse City, MI, Prop
  Brittany Woodard, Virginia State, VA, Hooker
  
  Head Coach: Bryn Chivers, Univ. of S. Dakota, SD
  
  Tier I
  Midwest
  Pacific Coast
  West
  Northeast
  
  Tier II
  USA Dev.
  Mid-Atlantic
  South
  Southern California
  
  Note: Tiers determined by 2007 results
  
  November 22
  10:00 am South vs MARFU
  11:30 am Midwest vs Northeast
  1:00 pm West vs Pacific
  2:30 pm U-17 vs SoCAl
  4:00 pm Eagles Red vs Eagles White (Senior Women National Team Exhibition Match)
  
  November 23:
  9:00 AM Tier 2 consolation
  9:30 AM Tier 2 Final
  10:30 AM Tier 1 consolation
  11:00 AM Tier 1 Final
  
  
• Movember: Men's National Rugby Team Joins Movember to Find a Cure for Prostate Cancer in a Fun and Engaging Way
  
  LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The USA Men’s National Rugby Team is changing the face of men’s health this Movember by growing out moustaches.
  
  Movember is an annual, global charity event committed to changing the way men think about, discuss, and treat their own health issues, by growing moustaches for Movember (the month formerly known as November).
  
  Movember participation is fun and simple. On the first day of Movember, with a clean-shaven face, Mo Bros will begin the month-long journey of growing and grooming their Mo. The Mo thus becomes a conversation piece for the Mo Bros to talk with family, friends, and and even strangers about their new appearance and passion for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer.
  
  
• USA Rugby Hosts International Doubleheader in Salt Lake City
  
  BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby is set to host a doubleheader that features an international test between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Uruguay and a curtain raiser match between the U.S. Select XV and New Zealand Heartland at the new Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on Saturday, November 8.
  
  “Having the opportunity to play two games in a great stadium brings added value to the experience,” USA Rugby CEO and President of Rugby Nigel Melville said. “When I visited Salt Lake City earlier this year, the community was extremely passionate about the sport and keen to host this match. Considering the amount of National Team members who have come out of this area and the amount of support from their rugby community, it goes without saying that we would be extremely interested in developing a strong relationship with Real Salt Lake and the Rio Tinto Stadium.”
  
  
• Rookie Rugby: Just Pick up the Ball and Run with It!
  
  BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby officially unveiled its plans to build the youth foundation of the newly launched ‘Rugby for All’ continuum with the debut of Rookie Rugby, a basic non-contact version of the game designed to involve the whole family.
  
  “USA Rugby is delighted to introduce Rookie Rugby, a very safe, non-contact, easy-to-play game for both boys and girls. Rookie Rugby is designed to give young players a fun, safe and enjoyable sporting experience. The rules are simple, the game is easy to learn and minimal equipment is required. All you have to do is pick up the ball and run with it,” USA Rugby’s CEO and President of Operations Nigel Melville said.
  
  Geared primarily toward children from 6-12 years old, Rookie Rugby aims to introduce a new generation of fans and athletes to the exciting global game through programs administered through schools, community-based and state-based rugby organizations (SBRO), as well as USA Rugby national events.
  
  
• Nigel Melville's Blog
  
  For an insiders look into USA Rugby, make sure to check out Nigel's blog.
  

from the U.S. Women's Rugby 7's Blog:

The next event for the USA 7's Women's World Cup squad is the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament on Nov. 21. The tournament will actually be Nov. 27-29 in a brand new stadium called “The Sevens.” Make sure to click that link as the description of the stadium is inspiring! Hospitality areas, broadcast and medical facilities...a second pitch...its like a dream come true for all rugby players!

Traveling Squad:
Lindsey Stephenson, At Large
Amy Daniels, Beantown RFC
Tyshawn Henry, NY RFC
Alison Price, NY RFC
Melissa McKibben, Kansas City RFC
Kirsten Ahrendt, Keystone RFC
Teena Mastrangelo, Chicago Northshore RFC
Pam Kosanke, Chicago Northshore RFC
Christy Ringgenberg, Minnesota Valkyries RFC
Jen Starkey, NOVA RFC
Jen Sinkler, Keystone RFC
Jess Watkins, Stanford University

Coaching Staff
Julie McCoy
Chris Ryan
Sadeana Green
Lisa Bartoli
Tristan Lewis

(photo credit: Sabrina Asch)

This months free raffle will not be a Your Scrumhalf Connection tshirt, but will be a new product! If you are bummed that I am not raffling off my tshirts, don't worry they are for sale here or you can wait until next month!

The best women's shoulder pads on the market - Design, Protection and Shape - all female specific!!!

- 14 areas of padding for complete protection.

- Shoulder and Chest protection in ventilated EVA thermoflex.

- Ergonimic design in DRYGTex material for rapid drying and total comfort.

This free raffle is courtesy of CSS Rugby, a rugby merchandise shop in the UK. To see more of their products, please be sure to visit http://www.css-rugby.co.uk/.

To enter the raffle, please either email me, facebook me or leave your entry in the comments. The last date to enter the raffle is Nov 14, 2008. A winner will be picked around Nov 15, 2008 and will be notified via email.

After the Men's Soccer World Cup I enjoyed the many videos of soccer players flailing all over the place, but this was a new one that I hadn't seen yet. It came across a rugby listserv I subscribe to: American Rugby News administered by Dan Santoro.

Here is a link to the video if you cannot view this via your RSS feed etc.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
10/28/2008: Dallas Rugby Returns
10/20/2008: Flag Rugby
10/13/2008: Rugby Video Monday: What it means to be an Eagle
10/6/2008: Touch Rugby European Championship Semi-Final 2008
9/30/2008: Philly vs Raleigh 9/20/2008
9/22/2008: Girls Play Too!
9/8/2008: Vassar Spotlight
9/2/2008: Funny Rugby Clips

Please keep sending me your favorite videos: yourscrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Want even more videos? Make sure to check out my Vimeo profile or my Youtube channel...all new videos are going on Vimeo as they are recorded in High Definition.