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from USA Rugby:

For results from Saturday May 16, go here.

BOULDER, Colo – After two days of intense regional playoff matches in Austin, Texas and Columbia, S.C., the Division I, II and III semifinalists are finally set for USA Rugby Men’s Club Championship event in Glendale, Colo., on May 30-31.

DIVISION I

Pearl City is the only 2008 semifinalist that will make a return trip to Glendale’s Infinity Park in 2009. Last year, the Iowa-based team met a disappointing semifinal loss at the hands of the Glendale Raptors, but with its 41-11 Round of 8 victory over Atlanta Old White, the squad gets a chance to redeem itself this time around.

Pearl City took control of its match versus Atlanta early on and led 17-3 before the end of the first half. They steadily built their lead in the second half and defended aggressively, only allowing Atlanta to score in the last five minutes of the game.

The Iowa team now looks ahead to the semifinals where it meets Las Vegas – and getting past the Blackjacks should prove a trying task, as they roll into Colorado on the heels of a thrilling playoff finish versus Glendale. Down by as much as 22 points in their Round of 8 meeting against the Raptors, Las Vegas refused to back down and try-by-try, the team muscled its way back to a 22-20 game as the second half wound down.

It seemed time was running out for the Blackjacks, who missed two late penalty kick opportunities that would have put them up top, but at the death, No. 7 Tom Carter powered in for a huge try. The successful conversion ushered in the final whistle, with the score stuck at 27-22 in Las Vegas’ favor.

While the final day of playoff competition in Columbia ended in disappointment for Atlanta Old White, fellow Georgia-based club the Atlanta Renegades ended its playoff journey on a high note, earning a place in the semifinals with a victory over the Detroit Tradesmen.

Although Detroit shot ahead to an early 10-0 lead, Atlanta continued to gain momentum in the first half and before the first 40 minutes had elapsed, the Renegades had built a 19-17 lead. Atlanta wing Roderigus Ceaser notched one more try in the second half to set the score at a 24-17 final.

Looking ahead to the semifinals on May 30, the Renegades will face the Gentlemen of Aspen. The Colorado team downed Los Angeles 15-7 in the Round of 8 to continue on its quest to the Championship round.

RESULTS

East
Pearl City 41, Atlanta Old White 11 - Round of 8
Atlanta Renegades 24, Detroit Tradesmen 17 - Round of 8
Old Blue 29, Mystic River 10 – Consolation
Media 60, New Haven 12 - Consolation

West
Aspen 15, Los Angeles 7 - Round of 8
Las Vegas 27, Glendale 22 - Round of 8
Provo, 67, Shreveport 17 - Consolation
Olympic Club 48, Houston Athletic Club 13 – Consolation

May 30: Men’s Club Championships – Glendale, Colo.
Semifinal – Las Vegas vs. Pearl City
Semifinal – Aspen vs. Atlanta Renegades

DIVISION II

Top Division II seed East Palo Alto clinched a spot in the semifinal round at Infinity Park, following a 26-11 win over Southern California club Back Bay. East Palo Alto will face a tough match against Indianapolis in the semis on May 30. Indianapolis heads into the semis on a high note, after knocking off 2008 runners up Brandywine, 10-16, in the Round of 8.

After pulling a massive upset over the defending DII Men’s champion, Red Mountain, in day one, the Albuquerque Aardvarks continued their dominance in the final day of playoff competition. The New Mexico club held Tempe to just one try and walked away with a 15-5 win, worthy of a semifinal spot.

Albuquerque faces Pennsylvania side Lancaster side in the semi finals in two weeks. Lancaster looks to build on its dominant day two performance in the playoffs versus the Milwaukee Harlequins. The team shot out to a 14-0 early on and held the Harlequins to just two tries in the second half to roll away with a 44-10.

RESULTS

East
Indianapolis 16, Brandywine 10 - Round of 8
Lancaster 44, Milwaukee Harlequins 10 - Round of 8
South Shore, 42, Baton Rouge 8 - Consolation
Tampa Bay Krewe 38, Providence 13- Consolation

West
Albuquerque Aardvarks 15, Tempe 5 - Round of 8
East Palo Alto 26, Back Bay 11 - Round of 8
Red Mountain 41, North County 14 - Consolation
St. Louis Bombers 73, San Antonio 0 – Consolation

May 30: Men’s Club Championships – Glendale, Colo.
Semifinal – East Palo Alto vs. Indianapolis
Semifinal – Albuquerque Aardvarks vs. Lancaster

DIVISION III

The final day of the Men’s Division III competition saw some tight finishes in the East Regional playoffs. After leading 18-10 at halftime, Danbury held off a late comeback from Blacksburg to clinch a spot in the semifinals in Glendale. Blacksburg scored three unanswered tries in the game’s final 10 minutes to pull within three points near the end, but time was not on their side. At full time, the score held at 30-27 in Danbury’s favor.

The Connecticut club now advances to meet South Dakota team, Northern State in the semifinals. In its final West Regional match, Northern State put in an impressive 33-7 performance against Fort Worth to advance.

In another thrilling finish in the DIII contest, the Round of 8 match-up between Lexington and Middlesex was decided by a late penalty kick. Middlesex led 10-3 at the half, but Lexington made a strong comeback in the second half, eventually pulling ahead 18-17 at 70 minutes, following a try from flyhalf Aaron Breeck. However, less than five minutes later, Middlesex’s Jason Stefani kicked a penalty to put his team over the top 20-18, where the score held until the final blow.

The No. 7 seeded Middlesex next meets No. 3 seeded Beaumont in the semifinals at Infinity Park. Beaumont (Calif.) heads into the match following a convincing 37-5 victory over Wichita on Sunday.

RESULTS

East
Danbury 30, Blacksburg 27 - Round of 8
Middlesex 20, Lexington 18 - Round of 8
Pensacola 31, Cleveland Eastern Suburbs 29 - Consolation
Hilton Head 22, Harrisburg 8 - Consolation

West
Beaumont 37, Wichita 5 - Round of 8
Northern State 33, Fort Worth 7 - Round of 8
Phoenix 31, Budd Bay 5 - Consolation
Mission 31, Eagle Rock 12 – Consolation

May 30: Men’s Club Championships – Glendale, Colo.
Semifinal – Northern State vs. Danbury
Semifinal – Beaumont vs. Middlesex

For results from Saturday May 16, go here.

from USA Rugby:

Division I, II, III Playoffs Kick Off to Exciting Start in Austin, Columbia

BOULDER, Colo – The field of competitors still in the hunt for the 2009 USA Rugby Men’s Club Championship title has been narrowed to eight teams in Divisions I, II and III, following a day of intense regional playoffs in Austin, Texas and Columbia, S.C.

WEST REGIONAL PLAYOFFS – AUSTIN, TEXAS

In a day hampered by rain and mud, the teams at Austin’s Burr field kicked into high gear and battled through the elements for a coveted shot at advancing to the Club Championships in Glendale, Colo., on May 30-31.

The tightest match of the day came in the Division I Men’s contest, as last year’s runners up, the Glendale Raptors went head-to-head with 2008 semifinalists Olympic Club. Withstanding the sloppy playing conditions, both sides executed well defensively, only allowing one try a piece to put the game at 7-5 in Olympic Club’s favor with time ticking down. However, with just under 10 minutes left to play, the Raptors were awarded a clutch penalty kick opportunity.

With the possible fate of his team on his shoulders, Glendale’s Mike Graham successfully kicked for three and the Raptors held on to eke out an 8-7 victory over the OC. The Raptors next meet Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon for a chance to play on their home field for the second year in a row. The Blackjacks earned their way into the Round of 8 match-up versus Glendale after knocking off Houston Athletic Club 13-5.

Also still in the championships race are the Gentlemen of Aspen, who secured a convincing 25-5 victory over Provo when the playoffs kicked off early Saturday morning. Aspen now advances to face Los Angeles at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Los Angeles heads into the match on the heels of a 23-0 shutout of Shreveport in the Round of 16.

In the Division II Men’s competition, the Albuquerque Aardvarks pulled off the greatest upset of the day, bouncing the defending champion Red Mountain from the tournament early, in a 12-5 final tally. The Aardvarks will be put to the test on Sunday against a strong team from Tempe, which held North County (San Diego) scoreless in its playoffs opener.

Still keeping their hopes alive for a championship berth, No. 1 seeded East Palo Alto pushed past the St. Louis Bombers 16-5 and now meet Back Bay (Orange County) RFC at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The California team played through the sloppiest of conditions in the final game of the day on Saturday, earning a convincing 45-5 victory over San Antonio.

Finally, the Division III competition showcased evenly balanced match-ups throughout opening round. California’s Beaumont RFC ousted Budd Bay (Wash.) from the competition, in a 27-15 when play got underway on Saturday and will play Wichita when the tournament resumes on Sunday. The Kansas team held off Phoenix to earn an 18-12 win in the Round of 16.

Northern State (S.D.) put down last year’s fifth place finishers Eagle Rock (Los Angeles), 26-12 to advance to a Round of 8 meeting versus Fort Worth on Sunday. Fort Worth held California’s Mission Rugby to just one try to win its opening match 13-7.

DAY 1 RESULTS: MEN’S DI, II, & III CLUB PLAYOFFS - West Regional – Burr Field, Austin, TX

DI
Aspen 25, Provo 5
Los Angeles 23, Shreveport 0
Glendale 8, Olympic Club 7
Las Vegas 13, Houston 5

DII
Tempe 34, North County 0
Albuquerque Aardvarks 12, Red Mountain 5
East Palo Alto 16, St. Louis Bombers 5
Back Bay 45, San Antonio 5

DIII
Beaumont 27, Budd Bay 15
Wichita 18, Phoenix 12
Fort Worth 13, Mission 7
Northern State 26, Eagle Rock 12

EAST REGIONAL PLAYOFFS – COLUMBIA, S.C.

Over the on the East Coast, the playoff battles raged in full force and the day one matches Columbia’s Lexington/Gibson Road Soccer Complex set the stage for a thrilling Round of 8 competition on Sunday, as the contest is narrowed further to the Colorado-bound semifinalists.

Filling the void left by the promotion of last year’s Men’s Club champion, the Georgia-based Life University, which is now meeting great success in the Rugby Super League, both Atlanta teams advance to the next round of play in the Division I contest.

Atlanta Old White kicked off the competition with a narrow 23-19 margin over Media Rugby Club and now faces 2008 semifinalist Pearl City (Iowa) in the round of 16. This should prove a trying task for Atlanta, as Pearl City heads into the game rolling on the momentum of its 43-0 shutout versus New Haven.

Likewise, the Atlanta Renegades charged past Old Blue (N.Y.), in a dominating 37-10 final tally and earned a second round match-up versus Detroit on Sunday. The Tradesmen held off Mystic River (Boston) 25-15 to keep their championship hopes alive.

In Division II, 2008 runners up Brandywine look to reclaim a spot in the final and faceoff against Indianapolis in the Round of 8 on Sunday, following a big 32-14 victory over the South Shore Anchors (Boston). Indy steadily built its lead and handled Baton Rouge 53-12 in its playoff opener.

The Milwaukee Harlequins also keep their eyes locked firmly on the Championship round, following a 34-10 win over Tampa Bay and will meet Lanscaster on Sunday afternoon. Lancaster bumped off Providence 34-15 in the closing match of day one to remain in the hunt.

Semifinalists in 2008, the Middlesex Barbarians (Mass.) still remain on track to surpass their previous performance after a 44-22 defeat of Harrisburg (Pa.). Middlesex will see Lexington in its Round of 8 match-up tomorrow.

Blacksburg (Va.) and Danbury are also set to face off as the remaining DIII contenders from the East Regional. After leading 24-0 at the half, Blacksburg held off a second half surge from Cleveland Eastern suburbs for a 29-19 victory. Danbury defeated Pensacola 19-3 to earn a spot in the Round of 8.

DAY 1 RESULTS: MEN’S DI, II, & III CLUB PLAYOFFS - East Regional – Lexington/Gibson Road Soccer Complex, Columbia, SC

DI
Atlanta Old White 23, Media 19
Pearl City 43, New Haven 0
Atlanta Renegades 37, Old Blue 10
Detroit Tradesmen 25, Mystic River 15

DII
Brandywine 32, South Shore 14
Indianapolis 53, Baton Rouge 12
Milwaukee Harlequins 34, Tampa Bay Krewe 10
Lancaster 34, Providence 15

DIII
Danbury 19, Pensacola 3
Blacksburg 29, Cleveland Eastern Suburbs 19
Middlesex 44, Harrisburg 22
Lexington 15, Hilton Head 7


The Girl and I will be at the fields tomorrow in Austin touch judging and will post scores LIVE. Mike from South Carolina Rugby Examiner will be in Lexington and will send me scores as well!


UPDATE 7:19pm: Thanks to Mike (@rugbyblog) for the twitter updates on the East bracker! My twitter updates on the West bracket are found at @scrumhalblog and are also on Facebook.

Austin, Columbia host Division I, II & III regional competitions

BOULDER, Colo. – The championships race flips into high gear for the top 48 Division I, II and III senior teams in nation when USA Rugby’s National Guard Men’s Club Playoffs get underway on May 16-17.

Unlike last season, when all men’s clubs converged in one location, the 2009 playoffs structure has split into two qualifying regions, with eight teams from each respective division heading to Austin, Texas for the West playoff rounds and the remaining 24 teams traveling to Columbia, S.C., for the East playoff rounds.

The top four finishers from each division will advance to the USA Rugby National Guard Men’s Club Championships, which once again return to Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo., on May 30-31. The Men’s Club Championship event will be held in conjunction with the Rugby Super League Final, which caps off the first day of competition in the stadium, with a 7 p.m. (MST) kickoff on May 30.

*Please see below for venue-specific information and a complete schedule of events.

Austin Rugby Club and the City of Austin welcome eight teams from each division to Burr Field, home of the Austin Blacks RFC, for what is sure to be an action-packed weekend of rugby at the the Western Regional Playoffs.

Five of the eight teams competing for a semifinalist spot in Division I return to the tournament seeking redemption from last year. Perhaps the toughest DI match-up in day one puts 2008 championship runners up, the Glendale Raptors (Colo.), who missed out on the title by just one point, against semifinalists Olympic Club (San Francisco).

Also back in action this year are the Gentlemen of Aspen, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, who were bumped from last year’s playoffs by eventual champions Life University. Rounding out the competition are Provo, which meets Aspen when the tournament kicks off on Saturday morning, Shreveport and Houston Athletic Club.

Leading the Men’s Division II field of competitors is the defending champion Red Mountain team (Mesa, Ariz.), which shut down Brandywine 41-18 in the final to take the 2008 crown. The North County Gurkhas (San Diego) also return in 2009 and meet Tempe in their first match at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The expanded Division III bracket features last year’s fifth and sixth place finishers Eagle Rock (Los Angeles) and Fort Worth. Eagle Rock meets Northern State (S.D.) in its playoffs opener, while Fort Worth is set to take on California team Mission Rugby (Palo Alto) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

MATCH SCHEDULE (Color & Field # Denote Divisions):

We had three delays due to heavy heavy rain and lightening so scores are a little late, but up!

Saturday Matches
Los Angeles vs Shreveport 23 - 10
Olympic Club vs Glendale 7 - 8
Las Vegas vs Houston 13 - 5
Tempe vs North County 34 - 0
Red Mountain vs Albuqueque Aadrvarks 5 - 12
East Palo Alto vs St. Louis Bombers 16 - 5
San Antonio vs Back Bay 5 - 45
Beaumont vs Budd Bay 27 - 15
Phenoix vs Wichita 12 - 18
MIssion vs Ft. Worth 7 - 13
Eagle Rock vs Northern State 12 - 26
Aspen vs Provo 25 - 5

Sunday Matches
Aspen 15, Los Angeles 7 - Round of 8
Las Vegas 27, Glendale 22 - Round of 8
Provo, 67, Shreveport 17 - Consolation
Olympic Club 48, Houston Athletic Club 13 – Consolation
Albuquerque Aardvarks 15, Tempe 5 - Round of 8
East Palo Alto 26, Back Bay 11 - Round of 8
Red Mountain 41, North County 14 - Consolation
St. Louis Bombers 73, San Antonio 0 – Consolation
Beaumont 37, Wichita 5 - Round of 8
Northern State 33, Fort Worth 7 - Round of 8
Phoenix 31, Budd Bay 5 - Consolation
Mission 31, Eagle Rock 12 – Consolation

East Regional – Lexington/Gibson Road Soccer Complex, Columbia, SC

Olde Grey RFC plays host to the remaining 24 playoff contenders, split among the three divisions in the East Regional Playoffs at the Lexington/Gibson Road Soccer Complex in Columbia, S.C.

Leading the charge in the Division I contest is 2008 semifinalist Pearl City (Muscatine, Iowa), which faces off against New Haven when it commences its 2009 playoff journey on Saturday afternoon. After finishing out of championships contention last year, Boston’s Mystic River seeks redemption in this year’s playoffs and takes on the Detroit Tradesmen in day one.

The promotion of last year’s Division I Club Champions Life University to the Rugby Super League for the 2009 season has opened the door for two other Atlanta teams in the playoffs: Atlanta Old White, which meets Media Rugby (Pa.) when DI competition kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the Atlanta Renegades, which square off versus New York’s Old Blue RFC at 1:30 p.m.

After a disappointing end to its Division II Championship final showing versus Red Mountain last season, Brandywine RFC (Pa.) hopes to battle its way back to the title round and starts its playoff run versus Boston’s South Shore Anchors, the eleventh place DII finishers in 2008.

Likewise, 2008 Division III semifinalists Middlesex (Mass.) hope to best their previous performance and kick off this year’s championship bid with a match versus Harrisburg (Pa.). In its first playoffs outing, Cleveland Eastern Suburbs meets Blacksburg (Va.) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

MATCH SCHEDULE (Color & Field # Denote Divisions):

Saturday Matches
Media vs Atlanta Old White 23 to 19
New Haven vs Pearl City 43 - 0
Old Blue vs Atlanta Renegades 10 - 37
Mystic River vs Detroit Tradesmen 25 - 15
Brandywine vs South Shore 32 to 14
Baton Rouge vs Indianapolis 13 - 53
Milwaukee Harlequins vs Tampa Bay Krewe 34 - 10
Providence vs Lancaster 10 - 34
Danbury vs Pensacola 19 to 3
Cleveland Eastern Suburbs vs Blacksburg 19 - 29
Middlesex vs Harrisburg 44 - 22
Hilton Head vs Lexington 7 - 15

Sunday Matches
Pearl City 41, Atlanta Old White 11 - Round of 8
Atlanta Renegades 24, Detroit Tradesmen 17 - Round of 8
Old Blue 29, Mystic River 10 – Consolation
Media 60, New Haven 12 - Consolation
Indianapolis 16, Brandywine 10 - Round of 8
Lancaster 44, Milwaukee Harlequins 10 - Round of 8
South Shore, 42, Baton Rouge 8 - Consolation
Tampa Bay Krewe 38, Providence 13- Consolation
Danbury 30, Blacksburg 27 - Round of 8
Middlesex 20, Lexington 18 - Round of 8
Pensacola 31, Cleveland Eastern Suburbs 29 - Consolation
Hilton Head 22, Harrisburg 8 - Consolation

UPDATE 7:19pm: Thanks to Mike (@rugbyblog) for the twitter updates on the East bracker! My twitter updates on the West bracket are found at @scrumhalblog and are also on Facebook.

Thanks to Magnitude 15s for submitting their tournament to the Rugby Tournament Listing at Your Scrumhalf Connection. Submit your rugby tournament TODAY!

Magnitude 15 - May 22, 2009
Seattle Quake Rugby | Bi-Annual Rugby Tournament


About the Tournament: 10 of North America’s most competitive predominantly gay rugby clubs will participate in the 2009 Magnitude 15’s biennial rugby union tournament. Teams from Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Diego will visit Seattle, WA from May 22-24, 2009 to participate two full days of competitive rugby union football.

The Seattle Quake Rugby Football Club has hosted this event since 2003 and this year has opened up the tournament to all IGRAB teams from the United States and Canada. In addition, the Quake will be live-blogging the tournament in order to bring a greater awareness to the highly competitive game of rugby union football as played by mostly gay teams here in North America.

The Quake will have bloggers on site at the tournament on both Saturday and Sunday 05/23 and 05/24. According to Jeff Wilson, “The intent is to have scores, photos and some live video posted to the www.magnitude15.org live as it happens.” According to Wilson, The blog will be less of a play by play and more of a stream of consciousness but in a structured format. The quake are no strangers to using social media as a means to …also have a twitter account set up and have created a “hashtag” called (#mag15), which will allow players and fans to post content about the tournament on the live blog. The intent here is to promote the “hashtag” at our opening night kick-off party and get fans on site “tweeting” about the matches and the event as it happens”.

Attending teams so far:

Seattle Quake A
Seattle Quake B
Minneapolis Meyham
Gotham City Knights (New York)
Phoenix Storm
San Francisco Fog A
San Francisco Fog B
Dallas Diablos
Los Angeles Rebellion
San Diego Armada

If you have any scores, videos, photos etc from this Tournament I would love to post them, please send them to me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

Thanks to Hertfordshire Women's Rugby Blog for submitting their tournament to the Rugby Tournament Listing at Your Scrumhalf Connection. Submit your rugby tournament TODAY!

Herts Sevens 2009: Old Albanians, 17th May

In keeping with tradition the venue changes each year, so it is the turn of the OA Saints at OA Rugby to host this prestigious event on Sunday 17th May 2009. Clubs may enter U12, U15 and U18 teams and there will be up to 16 teams in each age group. This is an open tournament and is potentially the biggest Girls Seven’s festival in the East and East Midland Regions this season.

Our key objective remains the same as last year which is to provide a festival where as many
girls from Hertfordshire – and neighbouring counties - can take part as possible, so entries
from combined teams from more than one club are possible, as is a “Barbarian” side at each
age group.

Please note however that places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first
served basis. Once 16 teams have applied at each age group, entries will be closed.

Proposed Registration 11.00am (TBC)
Timings: First Match 12:00am (TBC)
Finish 5:00pm (TBC)

Age groups: Girls playing in the Under-12 event should have been aged 11 or under on 1st
September 2008.

Girls playing in the Under-15 event should have been between the ages of 12
and 14 on 1st September 2008.

Girls playing in the Under-18 event should have been between the ages of 15
and 17 on 1st September 2008.

Format: The planned format will be 4 pools, teams will then progress to Cup, Plate,
Bowl or Shield semi-finals, finals and play-offs. The intention is that there will
be at least four games per team.

If you have any scores, videos, photos etc from this Tournament I would love to post them, please send them to me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

Thanks to Amsterdam 7s for submitting their tournament to the Rugby Tournament Listing at Your Scrumhalf Connection. Submit your rugby tournament TODAY!


38th Edition of the Amsterdam Sevens

The Ladies 7s Tournament format has not yet been finalised. We will probably play a 16 team format but this could change. On Saturday the 16 teams play in 4 pools of 4. Like the Men's 7s, the pools are seeded so on Saturday you could be playing against the top national sides.

The top two teams from each of the Saturday pools go through to the main tournament, the Ladies Silver Pier, on Sunday. They play in two pools of four teams on Sunday morning. The top two teams from each Sunday Morning Pool play cross semi-finals (first in pool 1 plays second in pool 2 and visa versa). The Final of the Ladies Silver Pier is the penultimate game of the weekend and there is prize money for the winners and the runners up.

The teams finishing third and fourth in the Saturday Pools play for the Ladies Plate on Sunday. They go straight into the knock-out phase at the quarter-final stage.

Women's Teams

Wooden Spoon
Susies Valkyries
Moody Cows
Pink Ba-bas
AAC
Czech Republic
Germany Ladies
Sabbie Mobili
Norwegian Raiderettes

Men's Teams

Too many to list, check out the site for more info.

If you have any scores, videos, photos etc from this Tournament I would love to post them, please send them to me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

Thanks to Okaloosa Rugby for submitting their tournament to the Rugby Tournament Listing at Your Scrumhalf Connection. Submit your rugby tournament TODAY!


On SR 83A off Hwy 20; off Hwy 331 between I10 and Hwy 98
Freeport, Florida

PUB CRAWL - Friday May 15th

We recently have been sponsored grandly by Cheers Pub on Eglin Parkway in Shalimar, we will have special drink discounts there, more details later. In Fort Walton Beach we suggest, Scullys and Coasters as other Rugby Friendly drinking establishments. In Destin, KJ’s, AJ’s and Hogs Breath.

Pub Crawl time and locations: (subject to change) ALL places serve food before 10 !!

6:00 Cheers: 1270 Eglin Pkwy #B (around back), Shalimar, 850-651-2740, U19 ok
7:00 Scully’s: 200 Eglin Pkwy NE Fort Walton Bch, 850-864-1127, U19 ok
8:30 Ft Walton Bch downtown strip on 98; Coasters, Fockers, Tiki Bar, & more
9:30 HelenBack: 114 Amberjack Rd, Okaloosa Island, 850-796-1451

The following are all walking distance of each other:
11:00 Water Grill: 56 Harbor Blvd, Destin, 850-837-6531
12:00 AJ’s ($5 cover, military free), 116 Hwy 98, Destin.. a lot of cougars there.
12:30 KJ’s, with a BOAT RACE !!!!!! 306 E. Hwy. 98, Destin, FL (850) 837-4723

GAME DAY - Saturday May 16th

8:00 – 8.30 Team Check in at Freeport Sports Complex
9:00 Pool Games begin
15:30 Semi Finals
16:00 Finals
17:30 Tournament Party at KJ’s on Destin Harbor behind the Boathouse and east of AJ’s.

Contacts:
Tom Alderton (850) 863 -8969
Rich Rummel (850) 217-1285

If you have any scores, videos, photos etc from this Tournament I would love to post them, please send them to me at scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com.

I would like to officially welcome the first ever post of a YSC Intern! Intern Ashley plays for Keystone rugby in Philly. Before playing with Keystone she played for Penn State for 5 years. Ashley approached me in February about possibly writing for my blog for a few months and so the idea of YSC Interns came about. I appreciate the offer Ashley! Here is Ashley's first blog post:

Last weekend was the 32nd annual Rites of Spring Tournament held in Baltimore, Maryland. The tourney was open to both men and women’s teams-however women’s clubs were significantly underrepresented. There were at the very least 15 men’s clubs competing, which were divided into both premier and social divisions. Conversely, there were only 5 women’s teams registered-all in the social division. Two of those five were Division I, the others-Division II.

The women’s teams included Keystone (Philly), Maryland Stingers, Morris (New Jersey), Chesapeake (Baltimore) and Rochester (NY).

Saturday’s round robin set up the matches for Sunday’s semi-finals and final. However both Rochester and Morris decided on Sunday morning to forfeit. With two out of five teams having dropped out, this left even less opportunity for the remaining teams to compete that day.

There were a few men’s teams who also dropped out, but considering they started out with a lot more teams, those who left didn’t hurt or hinder their amount of play nearly as much as they did with the women’s teams.

This left only Keystone, Chesapeake and the Stingers to play for the tourney championship. Keystone was given a “bye” since they were in first place, which left Chesapeake and the Stingers to battle for a spot in the final. The Stingers prevailed against Chesapeake but lost to Keystone in the final.

It was a great shame that there weren’t more women’s teams at the Rites of Spring Tournament. They are a great opportunity to play a lot of rugby- which is why many teams travel hours to be able to participate. They’re also are a great way to fill an often “casual” spring season and provide a great arena in which to actually players can put all they learned in practice to use.

It can’t be said with any certainty whether the lack of women’s teams at the Rites of Spring was an isolated incident or if it’s an ongoing trend among tournaments. I guess I’ll have to wait until the next one and see. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Results

Men's Premier:
1st Place: MD Exiles
2nd Place: PAC B
3rd Place: Richmond Lions

Men's Social:
1st Place: Washington Renegades
2nd Place: Washington Irish
3rd Place: Towson/Drexel

Women's Division:
1st Place: Keystone
2nd Place: MD Stingers
3rd Place: Chesapeake

As the spring rugby season comes to a close, the weather is starting to get warmer (finally in cities other than Texas) and the craze for summer 7s is starting to buzz.
 
I want to take this moment and congratulate all the graduating 2009 rugby players.  Whether graduating kindergarten (if overseas), high school or college this is an exciting time in your life; a fresh start, a new beginning, and most importantly an exciting adventure.  You’ve accomplished many things so far in your life even with all the bumps in the road.  The
re is much more to come!
 
I want to take this time not only to congratulate you all, but to remind you of one thing that made this time so special and so unforgettable….Rugby.  A sport that is a part of your life, a part of your family, a part of you.  Please remember this experience and carry it with you in your next adventures.
 
I received an email a few weeks ago from the USA Rugby Membership Department and I want to share it with all our readers.  It included a breakdown of all the CIPP registered rugby players in the nation broken down by league (club, collegiate, high school, etc.).  It even divided the numbers between men and women.  Here are the stats:
 
Since 8/15/08, 81,920 Club & Individual Members have registered with USA Rugby.

21,878          Adult members  (Female 3,612; Male 18,266)

28,827          College members (Female 10,230; Male 18,597)

24,253          HS/U19 members (Female 5,133; Male 19,120)

3,388            Youth/U15 members (Female 173; Male 3,215)

1,377            Referee Members (Female 204; Male 1,173)
 
** You can always access real-time information on any specific TU or LAU from USA Rugby. 

So, here is my shout-out to all the ladies.  Please continue to play after college and help support this game for future generations.  The numbers don’t lie.  There are 10,000 collegiate players right now, so why aren’t there more women club players?  It’s not even half!  We need to keep this sport alive by continuing to play, coaching, and refereeing. 

When you start thinking about walking away from the sport that has brought you so much… road trips…rookie skits… boat races… 6 am practices… All-Star events… National Championships… laughs… loves…and friends.  Think about if you had never started this adventure.

To the Rugby Class of 2009…. Carpi Rugby!




Thanks for reading! This is The Girl's FIRST blog!  You can find me on Twitter and Facebook .



Image credit: Stacey Bridges, Texas A&M

from American Rugby News:

ESPNU is scheduled to broadcast a highlights show of the college playoffs Tuesday, May 12 at 7pm EDT.

The highlights package will be an hour long show covering the full series of both men's and women's Divisions I and II championships.

The show will feature highlights of BYU's thrilling victory over Cal in the men’s DI national championship game.

ESPNU will also replay the BYU v Utah National Guard Game of the Week, which was played on March 27 prior to the highlights show at 5pm EDT.

The Women’s Division I Championship match will be show in its entirety on ESPNU on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. (ET) and the Men’s Division I Championship will be shown at 9 p.m. (ET).

Check your local guide for channel and provider availability of ESPNU as air times are subject to change.