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.