Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

Via text message, the USA women defeated the Netherlands 36-7 and also spanked the hosts Hong Kong 33-0. I am hoping to find some pics and maybe some video tomorrow...

**UPDATE**

USA 45-00 Arabian Gulf in Quarter Final action.

Full list of results
POOL A
USA 36-7 Netherlands
USA 33-0 Hong Kong
Netherlands 20-17 Hong Kong

POOL B
Kazakhstan 22-0 Papua New Guinea
France 29-0 Papua New Guinea
France 17-7 Kazakhstan

POOL C
China 26-5 Thailand
Japan 22-0 Thailand
China 15-7 Japan

POOL D
Canada 56-0 Singapore
Canada 43-0 Arabian Gulf
Arabian Gulf 38-0 Singapore

Quarter Final Results
Canada 35-14 Netherlands
China 7-12 Kazakhstan
USA 45-0 Arabian Gulf
France 15-7 Japan

Final Day Fixtures
09:30am Hong Kong vs. Singapore 9th -12th
09:50am PNG vs. Thailand 9th - 12th
10:10am Netherlands vs. China 6th/Bowl
10:30am Arabian Gulf vs. Japan 6th/Bowl
10:50am Canada vs. Kazakhstan Semi-Final
11:10am USA vs. France Semi-Final
11:30am 11th & 12th Game
11:50am 9th & 10th Game
12:15pm 7th & 8th Game
14:05pm Bowl Final (5th & 6th)
14:30pm Plate Final (3rd & 4th)
18:42pm Cup Final in Hong Kong Stadium

DAY ONE: Thursday, 27th March 2008, So Kon Po Recreation Ground, Causeway Bay

09:30 USA vs Netherlands
09:50 Kazakhstan vs Papua New Guinea
10:10 China vs Thailand
10:30 Canada vs Singapore
10:50 USA vs Hong Kong
11:10 Kazakhstan vs France
11:30 China vs Japan
11:50 Canada vs AGRFU
12:10 Netherlands vs Hong Kong

13:00 HK Youth Exhibition Match – U/14 Peninsula vs. Island

14:00 Papua New Guinea vs France
14:20 Thailand vs Japan
14:40 Singapore vs AGRFU

15:00 Plate/Cup QF
1st Pool D vs 2nd Pool A
15:20 Plate/Cup QF
1st Pool C vs 2nd Pool B
15:40 Plate/Cup QF
1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D
16:00 Plate/Cup QF
1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C

DAY TWO: Friday, 28th March 2008, So Kon Po Recreation Ground, Causeway Bay
09:30 9th - 12th 3rd Pool A vs 3rd Pool D
9:50 9th - 12th 3rd Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
10:10 6th /Bowl Loser Game 13 vs Loser Game 14
10:30 6th /Bowl Loser Game 15 vs Loser Game 16
10:50 Plate/Cup SF Winner Game 13 vs Winner Game 14
11:10 Plate/Cup SF Winner Game 15 vs Winner Game 16
11:30 11th / 12th Loser Game 17 vs Loser Game 18
11:50 9th / 10th Winner Game 17 vs Winner Game 18
12:15 7th / 8th Loser Game 19 vs Loser Game 20

13:00 HK Youth Exhibition Match – U/16 Peninsula vs. Island

14:05 Bowl Final Winner Game 19 vs Winner Game 20
14:30 Plate Final Loser Game 21 vs Loser Game 22
18:42 Cup Final Winner Game 21* vs Winner Game 22*

**FINALLY found some information on the tournament, go here for more info.

Also, if anyone knows of any media coverage of this, PLEASE pass it along so we can watch and cheer on the USA Women!


Plate Final - USA 26 vs. Kazakhstan 5
Bowl Final - China 21 vs. Canada 19
7th/8th Place - Thailand 24 vs. Singapore 0
9th/10th Place - AGRFU 14 vs. Hong Kong 12
11th/12th Place - Japan 31 vs. PNG 0

**LIVE REPORTING** I will be in Ft. Worth the weekend of Western Collegiates, and will be reporting scores as they happen. (The Valkyries have games against Arkansas and the University of Oklahoma in Ft. Worth, TX) Check back that weekend for up to date scores and maybe even some pics.

Sat 9:00 Women’s DII Semi Final
Seed #1 CSU vs. Seed #4 Truman State

Sat 9:00 Women’s DII Semi Final
Seed #2 Texas Tech vs. Seed #3 Wayne State

Sat 1:00 Women’s DI Semi Final
Seed #1 - CU vs. Seed #4 - Wyoming

Sat 1:00 Women’s DI Semi Final
Seed #2 Texas A&M vs. Seed #3 – Air Force

Sun 10:30 Women’s DII Championship
Sun 12:15 Women’s DI Championship

All the games will be played at Gateway Park in Ft. Worth, TX. Look for more info on the tournament at the Ft. Worth Rugby site and the Western Rugby Union website.


Final scores are posted here.

The Houston Athletic Rugby Club will be hosting the TRU Women's Select Trials this coming Saturday. All players age 18 or older are encouraged to attend.

Registration and Check in will begin @ 9am. Please complete the attached Excel sheet accordingly. You can Email or Fax the form (see below) in advance.

The Trials will being promptly @ 10am. There will be a $10 camp fee collected at registration to offset the cost of Lunch and other related expenses.

Please bring the following:

* Rugby Shorts
* Rugby Jersey
* Mouth Piece
* Rugby Cleats
* Training Shoes / Running Shoes
* Player Profile – Excel Sheet Attached
* $10 dollars in Cash or Check (Payable to the TRU)
* Personal water bottle (as desired)

Directions: http://www.houstonrugby.org/directions.html

The Houston Athletic Rugby Club considers the Westland Family YMCA their home pitch for matches and training sessions.

Players will be selected to the TRU Selects team will be expected to attend the Western Rugby Union Senior Women All Star Championships in Fort Worth, TX on April 26-27th, 2008.

Please feel free to Email or call me directly with any questions.
Regards, David McPhail –TRU Women's Select Coach
Email

Just a bit of rugby news here & there, thanks for all the emails!

• Golf for a fellow Rugger
  Robert "Red" Brooks, Arlington player and former teammate of Swick, is battling brain cancer. Arlington is holding a golf tournament with proceeds to benefit Red and his family. The tournament will be played on April 10th. If you can make it out, a nice day of golf for a great cause.
  
  Details at www.maverickrugby.com
  
  
• USA Rugby Conducts Women’s Referee Development Camp
  
  SAN DIEGO -- In conjunction with the Champaign Classic tournament, on March 7-9, the Southern California Referee Society, under the leadership of it president, LuAnn Campbell, conducted a referee development camp for women funded and supported by a USA Rugby grant.
  
  Five referees, nominated by their local organization, were invited to attend, and over the three day period worked closely with Ed Todd, USA Rugby’s Director of Referee Development, and a group of trainers that included National Panel Coach Josh Tameifuna, National Panel Referee Dave Peters, National Focus Group member Dana Teagarden, and Northern California Referee Coach Lois Bukowski.
  
  The camp opened with the referees shadowing Dana Teagarden through her pre-match activities and went on to include a coach briefing with Ed Todd. The referees then spent time observing the match and sharing in the coaching review.
  
  Each participant officiated five to six matches over the weekend, receiving feedback, and developing learning points that were monitored and reviewed over the two days. Each referee was asked to produce a personal profile and development plan before the camp, and update it at the end to reflect their experience.
  
  Other activities included practical exercises to simulate match situations, and a conversation with Teagarden on the topic of training to be an elite athlete.
  
  “This was a rather last-minute camp,” explained Luann Campbell, “but we were very fortunate to have a great group of young and talented referees, who responded superbly and wound up refereeing some extremely entertaining finals. Feedback from the players has been very supportive, and I am sure this will become an annual event.”
  
  The funding for the camp came through USA Rugby’s Match Official Development Department’s grant application program, which was administered by Jen Gray out of the National Office.
  
  “We have set aside significant funds in the 2008 budget to be dispersed to local referee organizations for referee development activities,” said Todd. “These are awarded through an application and review process, with the goal to create a number of models and templates to be made available to all. This has been a fabulously successful concept that has seen camps and other programs put into place in Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, New York and Southern California.”
  
  Applications can be found on the USA Rugby website, and copies of reports from successful programs can be obtained by contacting Jen Gray at jgray@usarugby.org.
  
  
• NEW Texas Rugby Union President Announced
  
  The TRU has completed its election process for the position of TRU President. Three individuals were nominated for the position: one accepted, one immediately declined, and one declined after conversations with his team, family, and others.
  
  At this time, we would like to announce that David McPhail out of Houston Texas with the HARC organization will be the next President of the TRU. David will be taking over the position on May 16, 2008.
  
  For those of you who don’t know Dave, he started his life in rugby while at Southwest Texas State in 1985 then went on to play for Austin RFC and HARC. Through the years, he has coached within the TRU Elite Program and the West RU Sevens program. David currently holds many leadership roles with the TRU and the West. (If you want all the details, then click on the attachment) He is more than qualified and experienced to take rugby in Texas to the next level.
  
  We are proud and honored to have David leading the TRU. We look forward to his leadership and vision throughout the Union.
  
  Thank you,
  Ted Hill
  
  
• Check Out the National Guard Top 10 Rankings at USARugby.org
  

  Women's Division One Collegiate Rankings

  American Rugby News Rankings	Alex Goff's ERugbyNews Rankings	Coaches' Poll	Final Composite Rankings
  1. Penn State(1)	1. Brown(1)	1. Penn State(1)	1. Penn State(1)
  2. Stanford(2)	2. Navy(2)	2. Brown(4)	2. Brown(4)
  3. Texas A&M(3)	3. Texas A&M(3)	3. Navy(5)	3. Navy(5)
  4. Brown(4)	4. Penn State(4)	4. Stanford(2)	4. Stanford(2)
  5. Navy(5)	5. Stanford(5)	5. Chico State(7)	5. Texas A&M(3)
  6. Chico State(6)	6. Chico State(6)	6. Texas A&M(3)	6. Chico State(6)
  7. Indiana(7)	7. Cornell(7)	7. Virginia(8)	7. Virginia(8)
  8. Virginia(8)	8. Virginia(9)	8. UC Davis(9)	8. Cornell(10)
  9. Vassar(9)	9. Army(8)	9. Cornell(-)	9. UC Davis(-)
  10. Cornell(10)	10. Clemson(10)	10. Vassar(-)	10. Vassar(-)

  I like these rankings as they seem to be pretty logical, not based on favoritism and guesses. They are new every Thursday, so make sure to bookmark the site!
  
  
• Forever Strong - Rugby Movie Due out in September
  
  
  
  
  

Little late on the Champagne Classic Tournament, but better late than never right? Have a funny story, pictures etc about the tournament? Be my tournament correspondent and email me details here!

Club Teams

1. Belmont Shore Landsharks
2. Berkeley All Blues
3. Boston Women
4. Chico State
5. Coast WRC
6. Frost Giants (Midwest motley side)
7. Last Call (Beantown motley side)
8. San Diego Surfers
9. San Francisco Fog RFC
10. San Luis Obispo Women
11. Scottsdale Lady Blues
12. Stanford


College Teams

1. Claremont Colleges
2. Rugby Canada U19s A
3. Rugby Canada U19s B
4. Utah State University

Results

CHAMPAGNE FINAL: Berkeley All Blues (62) - Boston Women (0)
CHABLIS FINAL: Last Call (34) - Scottsdale Lady Blues (7)
MAD RUCKERS FINAL: Canada U19s A (8) - Canada U19s B (5)
HAPPY CAMPERS FINAL: Coast (20) - SLO Women (5)

MVPs

COLLEGIATE: Jackie Tittler (Canada U19s A)
CLUB TIGHT 5: Erin Broderick (Boston Women)
CLUB MIDDLE: Kitt Wagner (Last Call)
CLUB BACK: Andrea Dunn (Scottsdale Lady Blues)

Thanks to the San Diego Surfers for updating their website with results!

Tracy Curtis, the head coach for the University of Oklahoma was kind enough to write up a rave for the latest University of Oklahoma Alumni Weekend.

I did not attend this year as I was afraid I would be to tempted to try and play...would not be good for the new ACL in my left knee, but the event has always been a blast and I look forward to it every year.

The 34th Annual Varsity Alumni weekend was a big hit for the OU Roses. Thanks to the alumni who made the trip and secured bragging rights once again.

The weekend started on Thursday night with silly booger (two-hand touch). I think there were over 100 men and women out to play, with probably 20 youngsters playing alongside their parents. That’s good stuff!

Friday, our men’s team hit the links for the golf scrumble. I was at work and missed that fun. I can tell it was a good day, because they were all very sunburned and silly. Friday night, everyone descended upon the clubhouse for good conversation among old friends. Folks started arriving from out of town, and we were there giggling incessantly until the wee hours of the morning. It was neat, because people could tell first hand stories about the various pictures, trophies, and banners that adorn our walls and rafters.

Saturday began with a match featuring the Oklahoma War Ponies, a rugby league for youngsters of all ages. They were adorable! I love watching the kids shake it up.

Saturday morning, the OU Roses played against the Arkansas Iron Maidens aka the Shitty Pigs (Karen Monson’s team). The Roses boast great athletes who can tackle well and play heads up rugby, albeit without many years of experience under their belts. The Piggies have played together for years and years. We think most of them have played together since the Roses were in grade school. The match moved up and down the pitch well, but the piggies were the clear winners by a score of 24-10. I was proud of the Roses and look forward to where we are headed as a team.

The men played their varsity alumni match at noon. I could hear grunts of glory and chest pounding, so I know they were having a blast.

The OU Roses varsity vs. alumni match followed our men. We dedicated the match to Mady Byrne, a 19-year old Rose who died a few weeks ago of liver failure due to prolonged use of Tylenol.

Here is the line up for the Alumni team:
Holly Iker, prop; Michelle Corr, hooker; Nancy Perry, hooker; Moira Redcorn, lock; Barbara Shove, lock; Janeen Lovelace, flanker; Carrie Bateman, flanker; Melissa Hutchinson, #8; Stephanie Adams Hawkins, scrumhalf; Linda Stumpff, flyhalf; Jessica Corbett, inside center; Karen Monson, outside center; Heather Taylor, wing; Kary Kemp, wing; Tracy Curtis, fullback; Leila, wing; Sallie Ahlert, wing; Mary Kathryn Weaver, conversion kicker; Karen Doviak, spiritual leader; Rhonda Noland, moral support; Melinda Long Foreman, moral support; Ingrid TerSteege, spiritual leader; Ladonna Baxter, moral support; and probably others that I can’t remember (sorry about that). The team was coached by Karl Stumpff, the best damn coach in the land.

Humans, it is a great experience to step back on the pitch and make some big tackles, catch an impossible pass, run like the wind, and kick your team out of trouble. We mauled the current Roses sometimes 10-20 meters at a time, a winning tactic for every old and slow team. The alumni prayed the Roses would not kick too often, and they did not! Hooray for that! The old girls took advantage of our experience and savviness by toying with their weaknesses until the Roses could stand it no more. The alumni won the match 235 – 12. All is well.

I must admit, I have my new big rugby moment to hold onto until next year’s match. What was the play that I will remember fondly? The Roses thought they had a try in the bag, and I made a big tackle on one of their strongest runners to stop their attack and win back the ball. Yes, I was thrilled. And yes, I am still really sore in that shoulder. It was worth it! That is my favorite part of alumni matches, giving ourselves a few memories to help us walk strong for another year.

Saturday night was festive, with a live band and good times.

Sunday morning, we hosted a survivors brunch. There was way too much food. Many people brought photo albums to share and lots of laughter could be heard for miles. Ruggers came by to say goodbye on their way out of town, and it was the perfect ending to a really fun weekend.

Now I am at work. My hip hurts. My lower back hurts. My rotator cuff is killing me. My hamstring is strained. I have lots of scrapes and bruises. And I have a smile big enough to light up the sky that will sustain me until St. Patty’s weekend of next year.

...and I’ll be a Rose until they tag my toes!

For pictures from the alumni event, click here. Lee Davenport took these great photos and put them in a photo album, the women's pictures are at the very end!

Hong Kong Supporters
from Womeneagles.com

The US Women's National 7s Team will heading to Hong Kong soon for the Cable and Wireless Hong Kong Women's Rugby Sevens tournament. The team is still looking for support from fans; here's how to help:

Donation Program
Fans and supporters can help support the USA Women's 7s team by choosing one of the players and donating funds to help defray travel costs. That player will then send the donor notes via email from Hong Kong that describe her personal experiences playing international rugby at the biggest 7s tournament in the World.

The support levels are:
Red Level: $250-$499
This level awards you: an email from your favorite player while in Hong Kong, an autographed Team postcard and picture, and a Hong Kong 7s baseball cap.

White Level: $500-$999
This level awards you: an email from your favorite player while in Hong Kong, an autographed Team postcard and picture, a Hong Kong 7s baseball cap, and an official Hong Kong 7s Tournament T shirt.

Blue Level: $1000-$4999
This level awards you: an email from your favorite player while in Hong Kong, an autographed Team postcard and picture, a Hong Kong 7s baseball cap, and an official Hong Kong 7s Jersey.

Silver Level: $5000 or greater
This level awards you all of the above plus a Saturday Footwork Camp for your club or territorial union team, held by the USA Women's National Coaching staff.

To join the program, complete the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens Donation form and send to the enclosed address.

2008 Hong Kong Sevens Contributors
Bill Lucas, Suzanne Cobarruvias, Buffy Holdener, Tania Hahn, Dale and Gail Ringgenberg, Chuck McDaniel, Attorney at Law, Meeghan Kelly, Linda Hovermill, New England Referee Society
Saatchi and Co., NY, NY, Kristina and Roger Bolhouse, Ar Financial Group, Pete Steinberg, Matthew Szkotak, Ayub Mazher, MD, Margaret Moran, Lynne Stefanik, Nancy Fitz, Andrea and Ric Giddens, MD, Craig Levine, Erina Queen, Danita Knox, Charlie Newton, Kerry McCabe, MD, Sarah Sall, Stephen Signes, Martin Bowen - Hefley Knee and Sports, Christine Herrmann, Mack and Karen McCoy, Dr. Greg Schor WLZ Properties, NY, NY, Catch 24 Design, Port Washington, NY, SST Comp. Solutions, West Orange, NJ, Thomas Harvey, Attorney at Law, Pelham Manor, NY, Kevin McNeill, Jason Auerbach, Wendy Motch, Rugby Athletic Inc, Hopkins, MN, Women's Rugby Sports Foundation, Laura Cabrera, Dianna Schnapp, Berkeley All Blues RFC

US Women's 7s Head Coach Julie McCoy said, "we consider all these contributors important members of our team. For their contributions, each will receive emails from the players describing the Hong Kong Experience, a postcard and Team picture signed and sent from Hong Kong, China, as well as Hong Kong 7s baseball caps, Tournament Ts and Tournament Jerseys."

2008 US Women's 7s Hong Kong Squad

1. Amy Daniels, Beantown RFC, Boston Mass. (Northeast RFU)
2. Tyshawn Henry, New York RFC, New York, NY (Northeast RFU)
3. Pam Kosanke, Chicago Northshore, Chicago, Ill (Midwest RFU)
4. Alison Price, New York RFC, New York, NY (Northeast RFU)
5. Kelly White, Belmont Shore, Belmont Shore, Calif. (SoCal RFU)
6. Teena Maestrangelo, Chicago Northshore, Chicago, Ill (Midwest RFU)
7. Ines Rodriguez, Keystone RFC, Philadelphia, Pa. (Northeast RFU)
8. Christy Ringgenberg, Minnesota Valkyries, Minneapolis, Minn. (Midwest RFU)
9. Ellie Karvoski, Little Rock RFC, Little Rock, Ark. (West RFU)
10. Jen Starkey, NOVA, Washington DC (Mid-Atlantic RFU)

It's not too late to join the excitement of USA Women's 7s! Download the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens Donation form and join the team today!

Finally finding some time for some rugby updates today, here are the results of the Women's Six Nations Tournament. Congratulations to England for winning it all!

Date	Time	Home	Score	Away	Venue	TV/Attend
Fri 1st Feb 08	14:40	Ireland Women	19-0	Italy Women	St Marys RFC, Dublin
Sat 2nd Feb 08	14:30	England Women	55-0	Wales Women	London Irish Amateur RFC, Middlesex
Sun 3rd Feb 08	12:00	Scotland Women	15-43	France Women	Meggetland Stadium, Edinburgh
Sat 9th Feb 08	14:30	Italy Women	6-76	England Women	Stadio Tre Fontane, Rome
Sun 10th Feb 08	13:00	Wales Women	23-6	Scotland Women	Taffs Wells RFC, Cardiff
Sun 10th Feb 08	15:00	France Women	26-17	Ireland Women	St Gratien, nr Paris
Fri 22nd Feb 08	18:00	Ireland Women	13-3	Scotland Women	St Marys RFC, Dublin
Sat 23rd Feb 08	16:00	France Women	0-31	England Women	Bergerac, nr Agen
Sun 24th Feb 08	13:00	Wales Women	27-5	Italy Women	Taffs Wells RFC, Cardiff
Fri 7th Mar 08	19:30	Ireland Women	10-19	Wales Women	St Marys RFC, Dublin
Sat 8th Mar 08	12:00	Scotland Women	5-34	England Women	Meggetland Stadium, Edinburgh
Sat 8th Mar 08	16:00	France Women		Italy Women	Stade Pompidou, Valence, nr Lyon
Sat 15th Mar 08	13:00	Wales Women	35-6	France Women	Taffs Wells, Cardiff
Sat 15th Mar 08	16:45	England Women	17-7	Ireland Women	London Irish Amateur RFC, Middlesex
Sun 16th Mar 08	14:30	Italy Women	31-10	Scotland Women	Stadio Comunale, Mira, nr Venice

France vs England Highlights:

From Womeneagles.com: The US Women's National 7s Team is seeded number 1 in the 2008 tournament draw for the Cable and Wireless Hong Kong Women's Sevens tournament set to kick on Thursday, March 27. The two-day international tournament, features 12 teams. The US hopes to better their 2007 Plate championship (3rd place). On the morning of Day One, the teams will play a round robin competition in their respective pools (4 pools of 3 teams); each team will play 2 games. In the afternoon of Day One, each pool will be re-seeded according to results. The top 2 teams from each pool will play in the Cup/Plate/Bowl/Shield Quarter-Finals.

Below is the 2008 Draw:

Pool A
USA
Netherlands
Hong Kong

Pool B
Kazakhstan
Fiji
France

Pool C
China
Thailand
Japan

Pool D
Canada
Singapore
Arabian Gulf ARGRU

**If anyone knows of the tournament website with info on WOMEN, I would be glad to hear about it. The only websites I can find have information on the Men.