Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

The Girl and I are heading on our first non-rugby vacation in over 2 years! It is amazing that we visit so many wonderful places and only see the rugby pitch and inside of a pub. This year we vowed to go on a vacation where we could visit the sites, eat the local grub and really learn about the city we were visiting.

We head out tomorrow night for an adventure that starts in Boston and will cover New Hampshire, Cape Cod and more! If you have any hints of great places to visit in those areas, please email us, we are open to suggestions!

Once we get back, rugby will be back in full swing as the Satiated Beavers are preparing to dominate at the Chattanooga Pitch-a-Tent 7s and then 15s season starts for the Austin Valkyries as well. I am looking forward to the fall as we are piloting the new Premiership, Division 1 and Division 2 leagues for the US. I look forward to the challenges and fun times ahead and will be bringing the blog along with all of it!

I would like to take a quick moment to thank all of the readers, friends, promoters and lovers of this blog. I would even like to thank the critics because you have made me realize that nothing is easy and I appreciate your feedback! The blog has grown exponentially over the last few months and I look forward to more growth! Everyday The Girl and I think of a new idea and we can't wait to put it out there for you!! We appreciate all the emails, Facebook messages and more that are sent to us everyday...they keep us going!!

Here's to everyone that loves this sport and will do anything for it!

Have a great 4th of July Holiday and BE SAFE!!

The long awaited International match between USA and Canada Women's National Teams kicked off Saturday evening at Infinity Park in front of nearly a thousand fans. USA started strong, working together and really putting pressure on the Canadian defense. Just 5 minutes in, Canada was called for pulling down a USA maul which awarded the Eagles a 5 meter lineout. The lineout throw went to jumper #8 Blair Groefsema who then hit #7 Beckett Royce around the weak side who scored in the corner. #10 Stephanie Bruce was unable to convert the kick, but USA was energized with a 5-0 lead.

The Eagles continued to attack with strategic kicks which almost allowed #11 Ashley Kmiecik to score in the corner. Referree, Natalie Amor of England, commanded the field well and kept a tight leash on both sides which was first witnessed when punches thrown by Canada #8 resulted in the first yellow card of the night. USA tried to increase their lead with another Canada penalty for not wrapping, but Bruce just missed the PK from 22m.

Finally, around 20 minutes in, Canada found a hole and scored on a perfectly executed backline play. The conversion was no good and the game was tied at 5. Canada’s celebration was soon stifled when their inside center received the second yellow card of the half. USA’s defense continued to hold strong and the match was a back-and-forth battle.

USA soon felt the referee’s pressure when #6 Kristin Zdanczewicz received a yellow card for breaking off the scrum early. Canada tried to take the lead with this penalty, but the PK from 22m was no good. The USA defense strengthened with chants from the Eagle Alum “USA! USA! USA!” and they were able to hold on until halftime 5-5.

During halftime, USA Rugby honored the Eagle Alum. On the field, each was named and received a cap from Anne Barry.

The second half started with the Canada team taking advantage of a USA penalty. While no kicker from either team had made a penalty kick thus far, both teams still took every opportunity to score. This PK from 30m was also not converted by the Canadian kicker. The final yellow card came at the 50th minute when #8 Groefsema was sent off. Canada again, elected to take a PK and finally was successful putting them up 8-5.

With a player short and the pressure on, USA tried to hold a solid defensive line, but Canada’s #14 slipped through and scored in the corner. A lucky conversion kick that hit the post and fell through put the score at 15-5. Soon after, Canada would score again after a miscommunication on defense. This conversion would again be no good and the score would stand Canada 20 USA 5 with just about 20 minutes remaining.

USA continued to push forward and with another Canada penalty on the 22m, #10 Bruce would attempt another PK. Unfortunately, the kick was not good and play resumed with a Canadian drop 22. #8 Groefsema was brought back on and USA surged forward refusing to let up. #14 Vanesha McGee received the ball after great patience by the forwards and quick passing through the back line. She sized-up the Canadian defender, took the corner and scored with less than 10 minutes remaining. #10 Bruce was able to make the toughest kick of the night putting USA down by only 8.

Canada kicked off and pursued with flat line pressure hoping to hold on to their lead. USA received a lineout 5m from their goal line. With a missed connection between thrower and jumper, Canada was able to steal the USA throw. Canada quickly set up a maul and drove over the line to score one last time. The conversion was no good putting Canada up 25-12.
With little time on the clock, the Eagles continued to play hard never letting up. Reserve wing #22 Victoria Foyalan broke through tackles and weaved her way through numerous defenders to touch it down for USA’s final score of the night. #10 Bruce’s final kick of the night just missed. and the final whistle blew and the game ended USA 17 Canada 25.

The next step for the USA Rugby WNT will be the Nations Cup in Canada - August 6 - 23:

The WNT will compete against host Canada, England and France in this tune-up for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup. The updated schedule for the Nations Cup is below:

Monday, Aug 10: USA vs England @ Appleby College at 6:30pm
Thursday, Aug 13: no USA match
Sunday, Aug 16: USA vs South Africa @ TBD at 3:00pm
Wednesday, Aug 19: USA vs Canada @ Appleby College at 6:30pm
Saturday, Aug 22: USA vs France @ Fletchers at 3:00pm

I have been working with Sara John at USA Rugby to get a copy of the video and was just alerted today that they will not be able to provide me with a copy as agreed upon. They do say that they will be uploading it to the USA Rugby Media Center in the next few days. When it is posted I will let you know the link ASAP. In the meantime you can check out the audio here and the pictures that The Girl took here. Also make sure to check out the highlight reel from the USA A vs Canada A game on the Canada Women's Rugby site here.

UPDATE: Nigel Melville wrote about our pleas for live video on his blog as well...what are your thoughts?

Today's video was supposed to be the USA vs Canada match or at least a highlight reel...but unfortunately as most of you know the match was not posted live nor is it available yet (the audio is available here). I have been working with Sara John at USA Rugby to get a copy and was just alerted today that they will not be able to provide me with a copy as agreed upon. They do say that they will be uploading it to the USA Rugby Media Center in the next few days.

UPDATE: Nigel Melville wrote about our pleas for live video on his blog as well...what are your thoughts?




The big X above is a placeholder for the video, hopefully it will be posted as promised! When it is posted I will let you know the link ASAP. In the meantime you can check out the match report here and the audio here. Also make sure to check out the highlight reel from the USA A vs Canada A game on the Canada Women's Rugby site here.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
6/22/2009: MARFU vs Pacific U23 NASCs Highlights
6/15/2009: West Scrum Try & a Highlight Reel of MARFU vs NRU from U23 NASCs
6/8/2009: Philadelphia Gets Dirty...
5/25/2009: Sweden vs Spain Highlights - 2010 Rugby World Cup Qualifier
5/18/2009: Paradox on the Pitch by Deb Wallavand
5/11/2009: Rugby Video Monday: It's time for 7s Rugby!!
5/4/2009: More U23 LAU Videos from March 2009

Please keep sending me your favorite videos to scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Make sure to check out the YSC Vimeo Channel or my Youtube channel...and you can subscribe to both if you like, but keep in mind that all new videos will be on Vimeo only as they are recorded in High Definition.

Well we are only 16 hours away from the International Test Match of USA vs Canada in Glendale, Co. The Girl and I will be getting on a plane tonight to fly in and we are so very excited! On Saturday morning my teammate and I have fitness training for West 7s All Stars, then I will be playing with the Satiated Beavers in the Glendale 7s Tournament and then that night we will watch USA CRUSH CANADA!

The rumor is that the match will be available to watch LIVE on USA Rugby so we will see if this comes true. Regardless I will be Twittering, Facebooking and updating the blog as the scores happen! I will also update the U19 scores and Glendale 7s scores throughout the day as well. See below for a breakdown of all the scores that will be available this weekend.

1. Farrah Douglas (Chicago-North Shore)
2. Mari Wallace (Beantown)
3. Jamie Burke (Beantown)
4. Jillion Potter (University of New Mexico)
5. Sarah Walsh (Chicago North Shore)
6. Kristin Zdanczewicz (Minnesota Valkyries)
7. Beckett Royce (Oregon Sports Union)
8. Blair Groefsema (Berkeley All-Blues)
9. Claudia Braymer (Albany)
10. Stephanie Bruce (Berkeley All-Blues)
11. Ashley Kmiecik (Emerald City Mudhens)
12. Mel Kanuk (Washington DC Furies)
13. Lynelle Kugler (Glendale)
14. Vanesha McGee (New York)
15. Ashley English (Berkeley All-Blues)
16. Lara Vivolo (New York)
17. Lisa Butts (UC-Davis)
18. Sharon Blaney (Beantown)
19. Mel Denham (Beantown)
20. Katy Hertel (Minnesota Valkyries)
21. San Juanita Moreno (Oregon Sports Union)
22. Victoria Folayan (Berkeley All-Blues)

Go here for the match report, video highlights and scoring report from the USA A vs Canada A on June 23, 2009.

Want instant score updates? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

Purchase your YSC USA vs Canada shirt NOW (all proceeds go to USA WNT) here.

And the winner of the Xtreme Rugby Wear Jersey is:

Highlights from the USA A vs Canada A have been posted on the Canada Women's Rugby site (video here for RSS readers).

Go here for the match report and scoring report.

I cannot wait for the game on Saturday, it is going to be hard hitting, intense and hopefully the weather will stay nice for the game! Look for The Girl and I in the stands, we will be wearing our YSC USA vs Canada shirts with a few friends! GO USA!

I will also be twittering again and possibly video taping (working a deal with USA Rugby), follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

Great job today everyone, all those emails, calls, Facebooking and Twittering got USA Rugby's attention! They were able to put together audio of the game along with Canada Rugby, they have promised video later in the week (recorded audio of USA A and Canada A here).

The game started with heavy rains and strong winds, passing and kicking were really effected by the weather. Early in the game the visiting Irish Referee had dialog with both team captains due to repeated infringements. With back and forth break away runs and great defense, Canada scored at the 22nd minute and the conversion was made. Tabatha Stavro of Canada was sin binned at the 30th minute for repeated team infringements. Both teams went to locker room to dry off and half time score is Canada 7 to 0.

The 2nd half kicked off with the rain stopping and the sky clearing up. There were a few subs at halftime but I only caught Stacey Bridges coming in at 2nd row and Katie Hertel coming in at scrumhalf. At the 52nd minute, USA #10 Hannah Stolba found the gap in the middle of the Canadian centers to score underneath the posts. #11 Desiree Markovich hit the conversion and we were tied 7-7.

At the 62nd minute, Canada's #11 Andrea Burk attempted a 43 meter Penalty Kick that was on target but fell short. Shortly thereafter, USA stole a Canadian scrum and moved down the field with a series of offloads that eventually resulted in a penalty at Canadian 22 meter line. Markovich lined up for a Penalty Kick attempt from the corner and unfortunately misses the kick.

USA replacement Stacey Bridges is yellow carded for a team penalty and Canada chose to go for another Penalty Kick. The kick was missed and USA cleared into touch. On the ensuing line out, Kate Daley was offside and Burk from Canada attempted another PK from the corner. The Penalty Kick was missed and USA quickly executed a perfect drop 22 that was taken by the US well and they moved down the pitch with offloads galore. They were stopped short of the try line and as Stacey Bridges came back from her sin bin you could hear the chants of USA, USA, USA!

The USA had a scrum at Canada's 22m, Daley went weak and through quick hands the ball got out to Emilie Bydwell who muscled just short of the goal line. Canada held it up and created a maul. As a result Canada stole the ball and made a good clearance into touch. USA chose to go quick and almost scored in the corner, but a questionable knock on was called. Canada had a few break away runs, but the USA back line was able to scramble and contain them. On one such break, Amy Daniels intercepted a pass but was brought down after a 20-30 meter run. USA aggressively rucked and Canada was called for offsides, Markovich attempted another Penalty Kick but it fell short.

After the attempted Penalty Kick the whistle blew to end the game with Canada A defeating USA A 10-7. Thanks all for listening, retweeting, Facebooking and posting comments! USA Rugby has said that they will be posting the delayed video soon, stay tuned for updates!

Want instant score updates? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

Purchase your YSC USA vs Canada shirt NOW (all proceeds go to USA WNT) here.

THIS JUST IN...via the Canadian Women's Rugby website, the audio feed should be available at http://budurl.com/txmu for the USA A vs Canada A match.

For the USA and Canada rosters, go here.

With less than 4 days until the International match between the USA Eagles and Canada, the buzz in rugby land (Jeanie the Greek posted about it and Liz started a Facebook campagin) is "where can we watch it?". As of tonight (the day of the USA "A" match), neither game will be available to rugby players other than the lucky players who can travel to Glendale this weekend to watch live.

Many rugby players want to know why? Why are the best women players in the national not being put on display for the thousands of high school, college, and club players who aspire to be them? We are lucky to have this test match here on U.S. soil, but not everyone is lucky enough to be there in person, USA Rugby needs to find a way to get these games to the viewers.

There is still time and USA Rugby is still trying. Sara John, the Director of Communications for USA Rugby, responded directly to YSC assuring us that "they are working to get the USA "A" game posted within a few days and she is hoping to have the Eagle match available live."

Thank you for all your emails, questions and support for the USA team. YSC will be there and posting live to give rugby fans as much information as possible. Stayed tuned for more details.

THIS JUST IN...via the Canadian Women's Rugby website, the audio feed should be available at http://budurl.com/txmu for the USA A vs Canada A match.

UPDATE 6/25: For the match report and video, go here.

Want instant score updates? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

Purchase your YSC USA vs Canada shirt NOW (all proceeds go to USA WNT) here.

Stay posted to YSC for LIVE SCORES from the match tonight and for the match on Saturday.

UPDATE: It looks like USA Rugby won't be broadcasting the video tonight and possibly not Saturday's match (for more on that go here), BUT the audio feed will be available at www.ustream.tv/channel/live-rugby.

from USA Rugby:

BOULDER, Colo. – The USA Women’s ‘A’ Rugby Team has officially announced its lineup for its match against its Canadian counterparts, the Canada ‘A’ side, set to kick off tonight at 6 p.m. at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo.

Following intensive two-a-days, video sessions, mental skills, conditioning and recovery work over these past few days, the USA ‘A’ side will look to come out strong against their respective neighbors to the north.

“We've had a productive couple of practice days here in Glendale and are looking forward to a good showing against Canada A this evening,” Women’s ‘A’ Coach Martha Daines said.

For this ‘A’ game, the U.S. has selected a mix of young talent, players returning to 15s after representing the U.S. in sevens, as well as experienced players looking to prove themselves to the coaching staff.

With only a few days to prepare, this match will be a good opportunity for the team to build cohesion and for team leaders to step up and make a positive impact.

“The team has pulled together well,” Daines added. “They are ready and excited to play.”

The Women’s ‘A’ Can/Am match is just a preview for the international test match featuring the USA Women’s National Team and the Canadian Women’s National Team on Saturday, June 27 at 6 p.m.

Tickets to both matches are just $15 or you can buy 11 tickets for the price of 10. Children under 12 get in free. Just CLICK HERE to purchase tickets now!

The Can-Am matches in Colorado will be the first of five matches this summer, as the team kicks off its journey towards the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010, which is held in England next August and September. The Women’s Eagles will see their remaining games in the Nations Cup in Toronto in August.

USA ‘A’ Lineup:
1. Libby Berg (Minnesota Valkyries)
2. Kitt Wagner (Beantown)
3. Stacy Baker (Philadelphia
4. Jenny Menke (Minnesota Valkyries)
5. Anna Brown (Minnesota Amazons)
6. Mel Denham (Beantown)
7. Ida Berstein (Keystone)
8. Kate Daley (Pennsylvania State University)
9. Ramey Marshall (Oregon Sports Union)
10. Hannah Stolba (Minnesota Valkyries)
11. Desiree Markovich (Minnesota Valkyries)
12. Emilie Bydwell (Beantown)
13. Amy Daniels (Beantown)
14. Katie Dowty (Beantown)
15. Christy Ringgenberg (Minnesota Valkyries)
16. Katherine Weber (Iowa State)
17. Stacey Bridges (Texas A&M)
18. Lisa Butts (UC Davis)
19. Janay Lake (Glendale Raptors)
20. Katie Hertel (Minnesota Valkyries)
21. Brenna Costello (Washington DC Furies)
22. Kristy Lear (Minnesota Valkyries)

If you need more information on the Women’ National Team program, please contact Alex Williams.

Please join the WNT in supporting the Avon/Love Army of Women, an organization that is seeking to recruit one million women nationwide to help researchers learn what causes breast cancer and move beyond a cure to prevention. Women across the U.S. are encouraged to be “one in a million” by learning more and signing up at www.armyofwomen.org.

Canadian Roster
1. Tabatha Stavro Toronto Irish/Niagara
2. Ashley McDonald Lethbridge/Corn-ban PEI
3. Corrine Jacobsen Burnaby Lake/Maple Ridge
4. Danielle Rowlands Calgary Irish/Colonsay
5. Marie Eve Brindamour-Carrigan Town of Mount Royal/St Ferreol-les-Neiges
6. Jen Kish Leprechaun Tigers/Edmonton
7. Shannon Kane Velox Valkeries/Ottawa
8. Kelly Russell Nomads/Bolton ONT
9. Julia Sugarwara Burnaby Lake/Surrey
10. Brooke Hilditch Yeomen/Mississauga
11. Andrea Burk Capilano/N Vancouver
12. Stevie Schnoor United/Coquitlam
13. MJ Blais Town of Mount Royal/Montreal
14. Tara Eckert Calgary Irish/Saskatoon
15. D'arcy Paterson Capilano/N Vancouver

Replacements
16. Kim Donaldson Burnaby Lake/Vancouver
17. Nicole Tyminski Edmonton Druids/Regina
18. Paige Burdette Calgary Irish/Fort McCloud
19. Barbara MervinVelox Valkeries/Peterborough
20. Laura Stoughton Calgary Irish/Saskatoon
21. Cheryl Phillips Toronto Scottish/Toronto
22. Sarah Ulmer Saracens ENG/Regina

Coach: John Long
Asst: Kris de Scossa
Strength: Paul Balsom
Manager Cheryl Foreman
Doctor Rosalind Mullin
Therapist Jean Shaw
Massage therapist Melody Lee



UPDATE 6/25: For the match report and video, go here.

Purchase your YSC USA vs Canada shirt NOW (all proceeds go to USA WNT) here.

HOTTTT off the press, purchase your USA vs Canada shirt from YSC!

All proceeds will go to the USA WNT as a donation from YSC. If you do not want a white tshirt, click the link and then choose "select a different shirt style". Note that this will increase the price.

Use promo code RLWDSTEXWKHBHPMFEOBR for an extra $5 off orders over $20 and it is FREE SHIPPING this month as well, use promo JUNESHIPFREE!

BUY NOW



BUY NOW

from Mike at the South Carolina Rugby Examiner:

(Columbia, S.C.) -- More than 200 athletes are coming together in Columbia, S.C. on June 27th to play on one team with one opponent -- breast cancer.

Saturday June 27, the Columbia Olde Grey Rugby Football Club is hosting Ta-Tas 7s, a 7-on-7 rugby tournament at Owen's Field in downtown Columbia, to raise funds to be for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

More than 20 women's and men's teams from all over the southeast are planning a trip to the capital of the Palmetto State to play rugby and help raise funds and awareness for the cause.

"Columbia's Ta-Tas 7s Tournament embodies the strong will of women as athletes and as a collective force against cancer," said Amy Catalino, President of the Columbia Bombshells Women's Rugby Club. "Rugby is a game of never-ending support and teamwork, just like every woman’s battle with breast cancer. I'm proud that Columbia Rugby is a part of that support on and off the field"

This is the second year that the Columbia Olde Grey and Columbia Bombshells have teamed up for this cause with this tournament. In 2008, 16 teams came together and raised thousands of dollars.

"Ta-Tas 7s is another great event that will allow our sport and our members to positively impact the community in which we live," Olde Grey President Matthew Foxworth said. "Breast cancer is not just a woman's issue, it hurts all of us. While the majority of those who physically suffer are female, we all lose at the hands of this devastating disease. This is just our way of saluting those who have gone through this and to try and limit those who have to in the future."

In 2009, Ta-Tas 7s will feature senior men's and women's sides and also players from the college ranks.

The University of South Carolina Men's and Women's side will show their support, as well several other college teams. The cause is one especially close to the lady gamecocks. Last semester the team rallied around a teammate whose mother was locked in battle with this disease.

"Women young and old need to be aware and rally to this fight," said Kelsey Sharkey, President of USC Women's Rugby. "As in rugby, the obstacle of cancer has to overcome with all of us staying strong and working as a team, we have learned that this year on and off the field."

The name, Ta-Tas 7s, came from working with the clothing line "Save the Ta-Tas" for the 2008 tournament. 7-on-7 rugby is a faster, less-physical version of the full game that is mainly played during the hot summer months. As opposed to the 15-on-15 full game, 7s rugby has multiple, quick-fire games in a day but with the halves only lasting seven minutes.

The Columbia Olde Grey was established in 1972 and has been representing the city on and off the rugby field since then. They compete in regional and national rugby competitions all year round, and recently played host to a national tournament that brought dozens of top-level sides, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic impact, to the region.

As a community partner Olde Grey has raised funds for several charitable organizations including the BCRF, Toys for Tots, The United Way and a local pediatric cancer center.

**For a comprehensive list of 15s & 7s Rugby Tournaments, click here!!

If you would like your tournament to have LIVE SCORING on YSC, email me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com for more details.

Want instant score updates? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

38 teams from across New York City and the surrounding area made, what was for some a long trip to Columbia University’s Baker Field Sports Complex, to stake their claim to become the champions of the 2nd Annual Mayor's Cup Flag Rugby Festival.

Increasing the number of teams (+ 65%), sponsors (+ 300%), volunteers (+ 100%), matches (+65%) and referee's (+ 300%) from last year's event, this 2009 was set to be a fantastic day of fast, fun, flag rugby. From title sponsorship by HSBC Bank, N.A to the commitment of NYC's DOE staff and CHAMPS coaches, the whole tournament did not disappoint, blowing away even last year's great experience.

The day started when a small army of volunteers descended upon Baker Field not long after sun rise Saturday morning to prepare the 9 fields that would see over 90 games of flag rugby that day, set up registration, food concession, information and rugby gear sales stands, put up tens of signs and turn the sports complex into a rugby haven.

Teams trickled in from around 08:30, registered and picked up their exclusive international replica rugby jerseys kindly designed, manufactured and donated by Canterbury of New Zealand. Each team represented one of 23 nations chosen by the last 20 teams in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and to accommodate teacher/school's natural affiliations. There was soon a buzz of anticipation in the air as teams put on their new jerseys, began warming up and the official start time of 10am approached.

Just over 450 students assembled in the bleachers as President of Play Rugby, Inc, Mark Griffin made the official announcements and got the tournament underway, the format of which matched this year's 7-a-side World Cup format, from Dubai.

2 hours and 56 games later the pool stages of the tournament were complete and the teams would know whether they would be competing for the Mayor's "Cup", "Plate" or "Bowl" - depending on their performance in the early rounds. Taking their CHAMPS winter form into the tournament, PS279 proved they deserved to by number 1 seeds by topping the group stages and securing a path into the Cup competition, coincidentally they were representing the world number one ranked team New Zealand. The elementary teams also finished their pool play and joined the middle school teams on the main field for the knock out stages.

The bleachers were full, bursting with colors as players wearing their international team jerseys awaited their next game. Play continued as teams were eliminated from the tournament and despite a few tears many remained among the supporters to cheer on the other teams. Additionally, a World Rugby Shop sponsored "Rookie Rugby Challenge" and a Velocity Sports Performance run SPARQ fitness area kept players engaged, and indeed very active even outside of game-play.

The introduction of the 3 different trophies this year enabled more teams to experience the thrill of playing in a semi final or final and possibly taking home some silverware. The Bowl and Plate finals for each age group were fantastic affairs with some excellent rugby, sportsmanship and dedication on show. Two schools new to rugby in PS/IS 218 in the Bronx (Japan) and PS 156 from Brooklyn (Italy) took the Bowl awards for middle and elementary divisions respectively. Pelham Rugby Club had plenty to celebrate when their elementary and middle school teams scooped the awards in the Plate Finals both representing Australia.

This then set the stage for the main event of the day - the Mayor's Cup Final - which was to be contested in the middle school bracket by two of the most successful flag rugby teams since Play Rugby USA's inception. Last year's Mayor's Cup champions IS 392, from Brooklyn and representing Romania would play this winter's CHAMPS tournament winners PS 279 from the Bronx representing New Zealand. What happened next will live long in the memory of everybody at the tournament. As all eyes focused on the main pitch the "Romanian" team lined up along the half way line linking arms whilst the "New Zealand" team arranged themselves in a formation very familiar to rugby lovers around the world. The group of 11, 12 and 13 year old boys and girls from the Bronx in an effort to identify with the culture and history of New Zealand rugby performed the famous Haka - word for word, move for move. The crowd was mesmerized and a massive roar of cheers and applause filled the stadium when they finished the traditional Maori war dance.

The standard of rugby matched the build up and both teams traded tries in the first half showing fantastic team work, skill, and athleticism to cross the white wash. In the second half the Brooklyn based team from IS 392 showed why they were last year's Mayors Cup winners displaying some unbelievable pace, agility and coordination that allowed them to pull two tries clear of their cross-town rivals. The Kiwi representatives PS 279 determined to get back in the game and never giving up bombarded the Romanian defense as wave after wave of black shirts attacked. However, the well organized defensive line didn’t breach and 392 held on to a well deserved back-to-back Mayor's Cup title.

Congratulations to every player, coach, teacher and supporter participating in this year's event. It is a lot to ask to get to the top of Manhattan early on a Saturday morning and we appreciate the effort put forth by everyone involved.

This year's tournament was an amazing experience to be a part of. The feedback we have received so far has been incredibly positive and in some instances overwhelming with references to the program and game having been "life changing" for both students and certain educators involved with Play Rugby USA. Needless to say, we can't wait to build upon this success and do it all again next year!

Until then we look forward to introducing the s port to thousands more students through their after school programs, schools and community based organizations. We would encourage all reading this to work with us as we make flag rugby New York City's number 1 youth sport.

Many thanks,
The PRUSA team

Photos from the event can be found below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/taiwanmike/sets/72157619301723965/ (Taiwan Mike)
http://gallery.me.com/playrugbyusa#100048 (Marc Alldridge)

**For a comprehensive list of 15s & 7s Rugby Tournaments, click here!!

If you would like your tournament to have LIVE SCORING on YSC, email me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com for more details.

Want instant score updates? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and check the blog often!

This week we have another video from Lisa with Put me in Coach! It is a highlight reel from the MARFU vs NRU match at U23 NASCs in Pittsburgh. YSC was on location and reporting live from the U23 NASC tournament.

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
6/15/2009: West Scrum Try & a Highlight Reel of MARFU vs NRU from U23 NASCs
6/8/2009: Philadelphia Gets Dirty...
5/25/2009: Sweden vs Spain Highlights - 2010 Rugby World Cup Qualifier
5/18/2009: Paradox on the Pitch by Deb Wallavand
5/11/2009: Rugby Video Monday: It's time for 7s Rugby!!
5/4/2009: More U23 LAU Videos from March 2009

Please keep sending me your favorite videos to scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Make sure to check out the YSC Vimeo Channel or my Youtube channel...and you can subscribe to both if you like, but keep in mind that all new videos will be on Vimeo only as they are recorded in High Definition.

Join the Boston Women’s Rugby Club and many top-ranked women’s teams for our 24th annual Cape Cod 7s!

• All club, collegiate and high school teams welcome
• All teams guaranteed 3 matches
• Tournament is minutes from beach & other Cape Cod attractions
• Registration is $225 due by July 1, 2009. Teams that enter multiple teams will receive a $50 discount for each additional team entered

Hello Fellow Ruggers!

On behalf of the Boston Women’s Rugby Club I would like to invite your team to compete in the 24th Annual Cape Cod 7s Tournament! For over two decades the Cape Cod 7s Tournament has featured competitive 7s play by welcoming select side, club, collegiate and high school teams. The tournament is an opportunity to play great rugby, express your creativity (this year’s theme is High School Cliques) and meet club, collegiate, and high school women’s rugby players from across the country.

This year’s tournament will be held on Saturday, July 18, in Eastham, MA. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Cape Cod is a popular New England vacation spot; Eastham is located on Cape Cod about 2.5 hours southeast of Boston and a half hour from Provincetown which is the tip of Cape Cod and the location of some excellent bars, shops and beaches.

The tournament is a one-day event with competitive, social, college, and high school divisions. Teams of all levels are welcome to participate. Each team is guaranteed 3 matches. However, for teams who play through to the finals, the number can be far higher! Teams are encouraged to play in costume and our post-tournament social features a skit competition nearly as fierce as what we see on the pitch. This year the skit competition will resemble a High School Talent Show!

There will be a motley team so if you are an individual, you are welcome to play! Please contact the tournament director, Annie Ross, if you are interested in playing on the motley team. The registration fee for individual players is $25.

Registration fees are:

Number of Teams By July 1st
1 $225
2 $375
3 $475

*** July 1st is the LAST DAY to register! Please be sure to register before this date to ensure your team secures a spot in this year’s tournament.***

Please make checks payable to: Boston Women’s Rugby Club.

Please send the following information along with your check:

• Team Name
• Team Contact Person – Address, Phone Number, E-mail
• Division – Competitive, Social, Collegiate, or High School

Please mail all registration information to:
Annie Ross
211 Winslow Rd.
Newton, MA 02468

If you would like more information about Cape Cod 7s, area hotels or have any questions, please email the tournament director, Annie Ross. Thank you and we hope to see you on the Cape!

**For a comprehensive list of 15s & 7s Rugby Tournaments, click here!!

Divisions (Subject to Change):

• Old Boys
• Women's Open
• Men's Open
• Men's Premier

Cost :

• $325 (if received by July 1st)
• $350

Click here for tournament Entry Forms and Payment info.

Lodging
Option one: Check out the Chamber of Commerce website for hotel information and other ideas: http://www.beach-fun.com.

Option two: There is limited camping in Cape Henlopen State Park where the tourney is held. It is literally steps from the beach and they have showers etc. If Henlopen fills up, there are some other camp sites a short drive away. (Just call the state park)

Option three: Rent a house for a week or a weekend. Many WRFC players did this last year. We crammed a bunch of guys in a condo that was 100 meters from the beach. There are places all over for rent. You could obviously get one for the week but they usually run from Saturday to Saturday rentals. We got one Friday to Friday. One realtor is Jack Lingo. Just check the internet.

So you know …
Cape Henlopen, where the tournament is held, is at the north end of the Delaware beaches. Basically, the beaches run north to south as follows: Lewes (family area), Cape Henlopen (state park), Rehoboth (family beach and boardwalk), and Dewey (where the best bars are). From Dewey, it is only a 10 minute drive north to the tourney. The trip definitely takes longer with Saturday morning traffic, but your hangover is gone by the time you get there.

Why should you come to the tournament? Besides the fact that it is at the beach, the tournament is a great way to end the 7s season and begin your fall 15s season. It is also a great vacation location due to its proximity to Dewey Beach (less than 10 minutes away). Dewey is famous for its nightlife and debauchery. The small beach town is peppered with locations to drink and meet that special someone.

Check out past results!

If you have questions about the tournament, e-mail us here.

**For a comprehensive list of Rugby 15s & 7s Tournaments, click here!!

UPDATE 7/1: Videos from the tournament have been uploaded, go here to view them!

from Mike at the South Carolina Rugby Examiner:

Southern 7s in May took off with a flourish, and a touch of class, Saturday as rugby and Kentucky Derby-style hats came together for Southern Belle 7s in Columbia, S.C.

Living up to their name, The Hustlers of Raleigh, N.C. took the trophy, dominating all of the teams they faced.

Second place went to one of the two hometown teams -- the Columbia Bombshells, while third place went to Charlotte.

A highlight for some was he inter-club clash between two sides made up of Bombshells. The Breeders -- a side of mostly straight women -- played The Bombshells (or as some on their squad dubbed them -- the HomeTownHomos) -- a side of mostly gay women.

Striking a blow for Prop 8 supporters, the Bombshells stuffed their man-lovin' opponents 24-5!

For a listing of other Tournaments this summer and fall, check out the YSC Tournament Listing.

from Mike at the South Carolina Rugby Examiner:

In the end Cape Fear, the Hustlers and the Hoggs outranked all contenders taking the Airborne 7s titles in Fayetteville, N.C., Saturday.

Taking place a sniper rifle’s bullet away from the (alleged) home of Delta Force, Bragg Rugby’s Airborne 7s attracted 18 men’s sides, 6 women’s as well as several U19 squads.

Armed service teams played a major role in the tournament as three Ft. Bragg teams and two from the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

The men’s final saw Fear take down a motley squad from Eastern Carolina University (ECU) that included Bragg ruggers and other mercenaries.

Fear got to the final untouched taking down Lejeune’s A-side and several others.

ECU used their speed to outrun Columbia, S.C. and hosts Bragg.

A tumultuous final saw two red cards, a yellow and a premeditated assault on a set of uprights.

In the final moments, Fear led 14-0, but a physical, intense encounter turned a little dirty with a nasty, illegal Fear tackle. The offending player was sent for an early bath, but tempers flared. On a quick tap ECU’s scrumhalf took off, but was met with a forearm to the chest. Another Fear player was gone, this time on a yellow.

With a two-man advantage, ECU gave the ball to speedy wing Ty Elkins who took of through the 5-man Fear line. However, at the tryline Elkins was caught as he ran at the upright. He knocked the ball on and careering into the post, knocking one side to the ground.

Elkins saw red, tried to fight several people but was restrained by teammates. One of whom thought the best course of action would be to take his rage out on the other post – the referee showed him red.

Play never restarted and the tournament was over.

In the women’s bracket, the dominant Hustlers beat the Raleigh Venom in the final. The Hustlers, a mixed side of North Carolina women, aren’t surprising anyone, this being their third tournament victory of the summer after taking Southern Belle 7s in Columbia, S.C. and the Memorial Day tourney in Charleston, S.C.

The Providence Hoggs took the U-19 title in a division depleted by several no-show teams.

For a listing of other Tournaments this summer and fall, check out the YSC Tournament Listing.

UPDATE (6/21): The scores for the Dallas Tournament were posted moments after the games ended. If you would like Tournament scores posted LIVE, email me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com for more details.

Dallas 7s was a huge success this year with 26 men's teams and 10 women's teams! Thanks to everyone who came out and participated, lets keep making it bigger and better every year! For full results from the Tournament, go here. See below for a writeup from Ros (7s Beaver extraordinaire):

I am so very pleased to report that the Beavers played amazingly at the Lonestar 7s tournament in Dallas this weekend! Out of the eight teams that showed up, Beavers went 3-0 in their bracket, soundly beat the St. Louis Sabres in the semi-final, and put up a valiant fight in the final against Glendale coming up a bit short. I am going to give you a brief synopsis of the tournament, I have a Swiss cheese brain so please forgive me if I forget anything and feel free to chime in.

Pool Play:
The Beavers got warmed up with Dallas/Little Rock combined side, beating them 26 - 7. Texas Tech was next and they were still a little sleepy from their long drive. They were still able to score a try against us, final score Beavers 34, Tech 5. Our final match of pool play was against OU. I prepared the squad with rucking drills as OU was made up of mostly forwards and played 15s with 7s people. At one point during our match against they grew frustrated with Krafty because she kept pulling out away from the defense. The Sooner yelled at her, "TAKE THE TACKLE!" Apparently, she had never seen proper 7s.

Satiated Beavers vs Little Rock/Dallas - Dallas 7s 2009 from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

If you would like a High Definition DVD of this game (or any other game) please send $15 via Paypal to scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com. If you have any questions or concerns please also email Wendy at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

Satiated Beavers vs Texas Tech - Dallas 7s 2009 from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

We only got the 2nd half in this game because games overlapped.

Satiated Beavers (Austin Valkyries) vs Oklahoma - Dallas 7s 2009 from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

Semi-final:
St. Louis brought a strong side to Dallas. They had just one loss in their pool play against Glendale 24 - 5. They also had speed and fitness and an excellent all-star Jenny Kuchar playing fly-half. However, the Beavers were focused and intent on playing a great 7s match. Kuchar was shut down by a strong Beaver defense. We were playing at a ultra-heightened intensity and at one point it got brutal. Pony and Gina out ran them on the corners. Final score, Beavers 27, Sabres 5.

Satiated Beavers vs St. Louis Sabres - Dallas 7s from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

Final:
The final was supposed to be well over an hour after the semi-final. However, Glendale had air travel issues and asked that we bump up the final to 15 MINUTES after our semi-final match. They didn't want to play against us without all of their players. So, being kind and accommodating Austin representatives, we agreed to the short break. The first half seemed eerily like our match in Denver, tit for tat. Jacey (playing with us from A&M) injured her hip and had to leave the match. Glendale scored first, but Kitty D. answered by hitting a beautiful hole. 7 to 7 at the half. Then, we started to run out of steam. The long day, several matches, some of our players reffing men's games, and little rest was too much for the beavers and Glendale took advantage of a disorganized defensive line. Final score Glendale 26, Beavers 7.

Satiated Beavers vs Glendale - Dallas 7s Final from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

The last game of the evening (we played until almost 7pm!) was the much anticipated Dallas Debutante Ball! The field was full of sequins, lace, short skirts, long skirts and more...see below for a video of Prom Dress Rugby!

Dallas Debutante Ball 2009 from Scrumhalf Connection on Vimeo.

For other videos from the Dallas 7s Tournament, check out the YSC Vimeo Channel. For a listing of other Tournaments this summer and fall, check out the YSC Tournament Listing.