Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

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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.