Bleacher Report - Articles by Wendy Young

WPL Spotlight: Minnesota Valkyries Coach and Player Interviews

Wendy Young — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:30:55 -0400

This next piece is part of our series of spotlights that are being done so that we can all gain a bit more insight into each team's respective coaching staff and key players. Read below for more info on the Minnesota Valkyries!

Coaches Interview: Barb Fugate, Martha Daines, Jane Tierney

YSC: What team do you coach and how long have you been coaching?

Barb: MN Valkyries, and in terms of how long, I'd guess more than 10 years. I am not the head coach , per se, but am co-coaching with Martha Daines and Jane Tierney.

YSC: What year was your club established and who established it?

Barb: It was originally the University of Minnesota, established in the late 1970's; we segregated from the UofM team in the mid-'90s to become the Valkyries.

Jane: I’m going to guess that we split from the UofM in about 1990. We adopted the name Valkyries circa 1993 (we then went back to the UofM to form the true college side in 1993-1994). The first years of the Valkyries were made up of almost all alums of the former UofM team.

YSC: Is there a specific style of play that you’re trying to instill in your team? As a coach do you have a specific area of expertise (i.e.: forwards, backs, kicking, scrumhalves etc.)?

Jane: Our coaching staff are students of the game. We may each have areas of focus, but we see rugby as a 1-15 affair. We have worked hard to know the parts of the game OUTSIDE of our area of focus.

YSC: What are your expectations for the WPL?

Jane: A positive for the for the WPL is that it will raise the level of play, not only for the top teams and players, but also for D1 & D2 teams who may want to join the league. A potential negative with the WPL is that the next layers of clubs (D1 and D2) will lose too many key players to WPL clubs and will struggle for a while to remain viable.

YSC: What specific preparations, training camps etc, will your team be participating in to prepare for their upcoming WPL games?

Barb: We held an out-of-town training camp, Aug 22-23.

Player Profile : Kristy Lear

Name: Kristy Lear
Nickname: Lear
Height/Weight: 5'7" and 140 lbs
Birthplace: Osceola, WI
Current Team/How long have you played for your current team?: MN Valkyries, three years
Past teams?: University of Minnesota, Minnesota U-23 Selects, Midwest U-23, USA U-23, Midwest, USA-A, USA
Primary Position/Secondary Position: Inside/Outside Center or Wing
Occupation: University of Minnesota Admissions Counselor for the College of Education and Human Development
Superstition/Pre-game Ritual?: To hurry up and wait. I will be the first one ready and anxiously waiting to play the game.
When I retire from rugby I will...: be six feet under.
If I had a private jet I would...: take flying lessons so I can learn to do those cool loop-de-loops and then fly my rugby team all over the world to travel and play games.
Who do you predict will be in the final for the 2016 Women's 7s Olympics Games?: USA vs South Africa.

Rugby Video Monday: Week Four WPL Videos

Wendy Young — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:28:32 -0400

In a continuing partnership with USA Rugby, YSC is proud to bring you the Week Four Women's Premier League videos. Thank you to all the teams for your commitment to highlighting women's rugby and continuing to use technology to further the game.

Week Four: NYRC vs. BEANTOWN on Oct. 4 from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

Week Four Berkeley vs. Minnesota first half from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

Week Four: Berkeley vs. Minnesota second half from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

Week Four: Amazons at ORSU 2009 from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

Week Four: Keystone at DCFuries first half from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

Week Four: Keystone at DCFuries second half from Women's Premier League Rugby on Vimeo .

WPL Match Reports/Coach and Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: WPL Videos
8/31/2009: ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (YSC Intern Ashley )
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: WPL Week 1 Match Reports
9/8/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Jan Rutkowski and Player Kelly Seary from Beantown
9/8/2009: Week 1 WPL Videos
9/10/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Ryan Dunnett and Player Caroline White from New York
9/14/2009: WPL Week 2 Match Reports
9/17/2009: WPL Spotlight: Keystone: Player Profile Rashida Stamps
9/21/2009: Week 2 WPL Videos
9/29/2009: Week 3 Match Reports
10/5/2009: Week 3 WPL Videos
10/6/2009: Week 4 Match Reports
10/12/2009: Week 4 Videos

Other Rugby Video Mondays

10/12/2009: Week 4 WPL Videos
10/5/2009: Week 3 WPL Videos
9/28/2009: Why Do I Play Rugby?
9/21/2009: Week 2 WPL Videos
9/14/2009: Week 1 WPL Videos
9/8/2009: Austin Valkyries vs Texas A&M University - Sep 5, 2009
8/31/2009: Full NASCs Results and Archived Video?
8/24/2009: USA vs France & England vs Canada Archived Videos
8/19/2009: Nations Cup Rugby - England vs South Africa & USA vs Canada TODAY!
8/10/2009: Nations Cup Video LIVE!
8/3/2009: Rugby Video Monday: ESPY Awards Highlights 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela

Please keep sending me your favorite videos to wendy@scrumhalfconnection.com ! Make sure to check out the YSC VimeoChannel 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.

Rugby Family Celebrates Inclusion of Rugby in the Olympics

Wendy Young — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:21:48 -0400

The global Rugby family are celebrating the announcement that Rugby Sevens will be included at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

An overwhelming vote in favour of inclusion by the International Olympic Committee members at the 121st Session in Copenhagen means that the world's top men's and women's Rugby players will have the opportunity to compete for an Olympic Gold medal, the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

Bernard Lapasset, President of the International Rugby Board, said: "This is a historic moment for our sport and for the global Rugby community, who wereunited in support of our campaign."

"We are excited and honoured to be joining the Olympic Games and I would like to thank the IOC members for believing in our Olympic vision and our values and recognising that Rugby Sevens is a perfect fit for the Olympic Games."

"The Olympic Games will be the pinnacle of the sport for all our athletes and the Rugby family. The best men's and women's players in the world are excited to be able to showcase their talent on the world's greatest sporting stage."

"We are now looking forward to working in partnership with the IOC to develop and implement a Rugby Sevens tournament in Rio that will reach out to new audiences and inspire a new generation of sports fans around the world," added Lapasset.

VIDEO: WATCH RUGBY SEVENS' NEW 'REACHING OUT' FILM >>

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION SCRIPT >>

Watch the Olympic Vote for Golf or Rugby Live TOMORROW!

Wendy Young — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:24:07 -0400

The IRB has been advised by the International Olympic Committee that the Golf and Rugby presentations, as well as the announcement of the decision, will be streamed live on the internet at www.olympic.org this Friday, October 9.

Rugby Sevens will present at 1125 approx. (Copenhagen Local Time) - the presentation is 20 minutes long followed by a 10 minute Question & Answer Session.

After the Q&A session, the Rugby delegation will leave the session room and the IOC will vote by secret ballot. Once the vote is taken, Golf and Rugby will be allowed back into the session room for the announcement.

Although exact timings are subject to change and the presentation may be delayed, the below is an approximate schedule of events:

1125 Copenhagen - Rugby Presentation - streamed
1155 Copenhagen - IOC Vote - streamed
1200-1215 Copenhagen - IOC Announcement - streamed

GOOD LUCK TO ALL RUGGERS!

Rugby In The Olympics: VOTE NOW!

Wendy Young — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:42:27 -0400

On Friday, Oct. 9, the IOC will vote on whether to include Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Olympic Games program.

As part of its final push, the IRB is urging the global rugby family to get behind the campaign and register its support in a poll running on online Olympic publication www.insidethegames.biz. The poll can be found on the right hand side of the home page.

The results of the poll will be published on Thursday in the lead up to the IOC vote and ahead of the IRB's final presentation to the 106 IOC members at its Session in Copenhagen. Please register your vote today and forward this email to fellow members of the Rugby family, friends and colleagues.

Together we can make the Olympic dream a reality!

WPL Week 4 Match Reports

Wendy Young — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:22:37 -0400

Welcome to the Week 4 Match Reports by YSC Interns and YSC Guest bloggers! Thanks again for the match reports and keep up the good work everyone. I am still waiting for two match reports but will update as soon as I receive them.

Washington DC Furies vs Keystone
By: Margaret McElligott

On a windy day on their home pitch, the Washington Furies nearly upset Keystone, but dropped the close match, 24-19. They did not trail until the final five minutes of the game.

The wind’s impact was apparent from the start, with Keystone kicking into a strong headwind. The teams traded lineouts and the first scrum of the match made clear that Keystone’s pack vastly outweighed the Furies, who made quick adjustments to account for the difference.

The Furies pressed deeper into Keystone territory, helped by four early penalties on the visitors. A smart decision by Keystone to call fair catch inside the 22 gave the team an opportunity to clear the ball, but the Furies brought it back down. Flyhalf Mere Baker used a deceptive fake on the left side in the 13th minute to flash between Keystone defenders and dish to outside center Beth Noto for the first try of the match. Fullback Emily Miller made the conversion to give the Furies an early 7-0 lead.

Keystone responded with a furious, pounding attack into Furies territory, using packs of large-bodied forwards to advance the ball and punish the Furies’ defense. Two penalties on the Furies pushed them back even further, but Keystone was called for holding on inside the 5-meter line, giving the Furies a little more breathing room. In the 25th minute, Keystone flyhalf Ines Rodriguez found a gap in the Furies’ defense, darting through space and finally offloading to flanker Alison Worman for the un-touched try. The conversion was no good, with wind a constant problem, and the Furies maintained a precious 7-5 lead.

And soon the lead would grow. The Furies struck back within three minutes, when Baker created a hole up the right side and Miller touched the ball down for a try in the far-right corner of the try zone. The conversion was no good, bringing the score to 12-5.

Keystone pounded the ball back down to a scrum at the Furies five-meter line, but the Furies defense held. In the 35th minute, Keystone poached the ball off a Furies scrum and Devon Boyle got the try up the left side. Ines Rodriguez made the conversion, bringing the match to a 12-12 tie.

The Furies would get one more good look before the half, but Baker’s looping kick to the far right side of the try zone bounced out the end before the pursuing backs could chase it down.

Keystone took advantage of the wind at the start of the second half, sending their kicks sailing into Furies territory, but sloppy play by the backs—dropped passes and knock ons—gave the Furies the opportunity to clear the ball. The Furies kept up the pressure, tackling Keystone players behind the gain line and forcing them into errors. Starting with a kick by lock Liz Hirschhorn, the Furies moved the ball downfield with team support and would be first to strike in the second half. In the 54th minute, Noto broke free to score the try and Miller made the conversion to put the Furies out in front again, 19-12.

Keystone responded. The visitors moved the ball for the long series of phases at the try line and were held up in the try zone. In the 65th minute, Farrah Douglas scored on the right side off the scrum, but Keystone missed the conversion and trailed the Furies, 19-17, with 15 minutes left in the match.

The closing minutes were fast and furious. A brilliant kick by Keystone rolled into touch just outside the Furies’ try line. The Furies successfully defended twice before Keystone’s Kim Magrini scored off the back of the scrum in the 76th minute, putting her team ahead for the first time that day. Rodriguez kicked the conversion and Keystone led, 24-19.

It was all they would need. The Furies pushed hard in the final minutes, but Keystone’s defense held for the win.

“We definitely played more aggressively, but I think the biggest difference was that we started to believe as a team that we could play at that level,” Furies head coach Nancy Fitz said. “I think that we’ve definitely turned a corner…People started to believe that, yeah, I can beat that person and we can beat that team. And from an execution point of view, we made fewer mistakes and we did a better job capitalizing on theirs.”

Keystone vs DC Furies
By: Ashley Nesby

Keystone won its game against the Furies. But it wasn’t pretty. The intense wind caused many errant passes and mishandling of the ball. As was expected, and has been shown in their previous matches, the Furies came out extremely physical and played hard from the minute the whistle blew. Keystone was more relaxed in their play and paid for it.

The teams traded try for try all match long. The Furies, with the wind advantage, scored the first try of the match which they converted, taking the lead 7-0.

Keystone wasn’t shocked or phased as they knew te potential that the Furies had to score if given the chance. Playing their style of rugby, utilizing every woman on the pitch, Keystone was able to force itself back down towards their line. A little more than halfway through the first half, flanker Allison Worman broke through the Furies defense for the unconverted try, putting Keystone on the board, 7-5.

The Furies, playing a very confident game, scored yet again in the right corner, increasing their lead to 12-5.

In keeping with the “I score, you score” theme of the day, Keystone fired back-this time taking full advantage of their forwards’ ability to dominate over their opposites. In the closing minutes of the first half, flanker Devon Boyle stole the ball off a Furies scrum and powered through the defensive line for the try. Ines Rodriguez made the conversion to tie the game, 12-12.

Keystone took advantage of the wind in the second half and sent booming kicks into Furies territory. Unfortunately, they were not able to capitalize on the field position and turned the ball over. It was the Furies who scored first in the second half as well, pushing their lead to 19-12.

Keystone wasn’t done yet either. Their offense took it to the Furies defensive line and was able to get into the try zone twice-only to have the ball held up both times. However, the third time was the charm as Farrah Douglas burst through for the try. The conversion was no good and Keystone still trailed 19-17.

With less than ten minutes left in the match, a beautiful kick by Rodriguez put Keystone within 5 meters of the try zone. With less than 10 minutes left in the match weighing heavily on their minds, Keystone knew it was now or never. They decided the time was now. Kim Magrini scored off the back of the scrum with less than 4 minutes remaining.

Keystone’s defense made sure that was the last score of the match and held on for the win. They’ll use the upcoming practices and weekend off to correct the issues highlighted during this close match. Next up: Keystone vs. New York on Randall’s Island on October 18.

Amazons v ORSU
By: Garrett Hoffman

The weather was cool and damp for the ORSU vs. Amazon kickoff on Sunday. The Zons started off strong with a drive that provided a nice backline attack setting up a Lynelle Kugler try at the 3:00 mark in the far corner. But three minutes later the Zons committed two key offsides penalties that put ORSU in penalty kick range putting the score 5-3 at the 6:00 mark. The ORSU team followed up the restart and put up a long stronghold within their 10 meters producing four unsuccessful Amazon drives until ORSU kicked out to the 22 which the Zons recovered. With two forward offload passes Kugler again found space and offloaded to Jenny Kruger who dished off to Colleen Tjosvold just before being tackled into touch and Tjosvold touched down for 5. The conversion kick was slotted by Nicole Benjamin putting the score at half 12-3.

The second half started out with the ref’s whistle getting involved in the penalty parade for both sides. ORSU got two quick calls setting up an Amazon penalty kick by Radtke that put the score at 15-3. Then the colors really started flying as ORSU outside center got her second not releasing yellow card which turned red and sent her off at the 47:00. In just 5 short minutes the Amazons would be down a player as the Tonnie Wulff took a ref issued time-out for ten minutes. With subs and blood subs flying off of both benches the second half was quite active and put several players out of position on both sides. ORSU’s Beckett Royce took advantage of the disorganization and made a huge 50m break through two Amazons only to give a bad pass that bounced into the hands of Rebecca Radtke who timed a perfect offload to a jet set Tjosvold who burned up the sideline for a 70 meter try at 67:00. 17-3 Amazons.

With the sense of urgency on the Zons to get one more try for that beloved bonus point and ORSU playing aggressive defense, the contact points got a bit chippy and the ref started singing his whistle and sending out yellow greeting cards again—this time the ORSU #12 got hit with the sin bin just as the Zons were pushing ORSU back. With a Amazon scrum on the five meter line the Zons put on a great offensive push—Radtke to Kugler with a well won forward ruck which set up Radtke to deliver to Kruger for a drive rucked again by forwards giving Abby Rager another beautifully clean ball to spin to Radtke yet again who dove in on the far corner just as game time expired. Final score Amazons 25 – ORSU 3.

ORSU vs Twin City Amazons
By: Angelique Jackson

The match began on even footing with the Amazons driving Or.S.U. down the field continually with their awesome rucking. Score. No kick but that is alright as the match was young. Though, for the Jesters it may have only confirmed their worries as the U.S.A. Eagle Ashley Kmiecik was not playing and San Juanita Moreno had twisted her ankle badly only the week prior. Due to Kmiecik’s absence flanker Beckett Royce had moved out of the forward line to fill-in as the fly-half.

Though their lines were fractured, the Jesters sauntered on confidently till San Juanita was given a yellow card for not rolling away. The half arrived with San Juanita in the bin and the score 12 to 3 in favor of the Amazons. Just after the break, scrumhalf Ramey Marshall was carded and San Juanita was carded for a second time after apparently again failing to roll away, officially sending her out of the match and leaving Or.S.U. at thirteen players to fifteen. Fortunately, Oregon has been scouting the local universities with some success. Liz Kilgore, a rookie to club ball, confidently moved in to temporarily substitute as the Scrumhalf. Under her direction, the team proceeded to fight a hard battle leaving a lot of ground behind them.

The Jesters were left wondering if San Juanita Moreno will be suspended from next weeks Women’s Premier League match against the Valkyries?

Final score: Amazons 25 ORSU 3

New York vs Beantown

By: Becca Fritz

A rainy Saturday gave way to a beautiful seventy-degree Sunday; perfect Rugby weather for second match between the Red Sox and Yankees of the rugby world, Beantown and New York Women.

Like any good Beantown-New York match-up, the game moved incredibly fast and was very physical from the very first kick-off. One spectator commented that “each ruck is like a mini war”. It may have been these “wars” that caused NY to lose both their starting flyhalf and number seven, Hedwig Aerts and Phaidra Knight, respectively, to injury in the first half. It was around this time that Vaneesha McGee, New York’s number fourteen was sin-binned. With their defense weakened, Beantown scored the first try of the game. In the remaining sixty-something minutes, Town scored another two times. This being said, neither team allowed the other to stay within their half for very long. When New York made it to our try zone, “we did exactly what we said we were going to do, we didn’t let them scoring get to us. Instead, we used it to fuel the fire, it was pretty sweet to watch, actually” said one B-side player after the women from Boston beat out the ladies from The Big Apple, 19-17.

In two weeks, Beantown will host Keystone for their fourth WPL match of the season.

Roster:
1 Shannon Wallace
2 Mari Wallace
3 Sharyn Wacht
4 Jamie Burke
5 Sharon Blaney
6 Kristin Bonomo
7 Liz Terry
8 Melanie Denham
9 Kitt Wagner
10 Kelly Seary
11 Yancy Graf
12 Emilie Bydwell
13 Amy Daniels
14 Renee Astphan
15 Katie Dowty
16 Emily Jones
17 Rachael Gorab
18 Erika Mullen
19 Katy Augustyn
20 Jackie Hwang
21 Ashley Snyder
22 Jamie Howard
23 Kate Orlin

NYRC v. Beantown
By: Jillian Brooks

On a perfect fall Sunday afternoon, one made for apple picking and foliage peeping, two teams, Beantown and New York Rugby, took the pitch for what was a highly anticipated battle. Rivalry much? Yikes. Needless to say, that among the fans and Manhattan city line was a crisp intensity in the air, waiting for the right moment to set itself loose on the pitch. That moment arrived immediately with the first crushing tackle of the game.

The teams fought back and forth for the better part of the first half, nearly thirty minutes of volleying. Finally, Beantown’s Amy Daniels broke the defense to put the first points on the board. Following the Beantown try and a devastating injury to a New York player, Maura Weikman entered the game to kick for points putting the score at 3-5. Quickly after the field goal, Vanesha McGee added a try to the New York side, and Weikman again knocked in field goal. With New York up at half, 10-5, both teams set to the sidelines to hydrate, discuss strategy, and adjust to injuries.

The second half was under way quickly with Yancy Graf of Beantown scoring to tie up the game, and Ashley Snyder nailing in a deep kick to put Beantown up, 10-12. It seemed before those points were even tallied on the score sheets, New York’s Jenna Flateman responded with a try of her own. Weikman knocking in another conversion, New York was up 17-12 early in the second half. Another quick response try came from Beantown’s Emily Jones, with conversion from Ashley Snyder. Beantown found themselves on top on the scoreboard once again, and that’s where they would remain for the following twenty minutes of the game.

In addition to the players, the trainer’s seemed to get quite a workout of their own. Both teams having several key players leave the game prematurely. To say this match up was entertaining to watch would be an understatement. It was brilliant rugby. New York is set to match up against Keystone in two weeks time, a game that proves to be as intense as this one.

Point Totals:

Beanttown
Amy Daniels
Yancy Graf
Emily Jones
Ashley Snyder (2 – conversions)

NYRC
Vanesha McGee
Jenna Flateman
Maura Weikman (2 conversions, 1 PT)

Valkyries vs Berkeley
By: Phoebe Boone

The All Blues played their toughest match of the season on Sunday against a revamped Valkyries side. With flyhalf Steph Bruce out and wing Nathalie Marchino moving to outside center, they were a bit curious to see if the success they've had so far this season would continue. But the changes in their back line did little to slow the All Blues attack. Ruth Bryson did a superb job at flyhalf and her defensive pressure was crucial to the All Blues success. The first 23 minutes of the match were nail biting as both teams attacked and defended incredibly well, both pushing for tries. But Bryson found space out wide in the 23rd and 25th minutes and tries were scored by outside center Nat Marchino and wing Vix Folayan after recovering Bryson's kicks over the Valkyrie wings.

But the Valkyries weren't going to let the All Blues have the the match. Valkyrie flyhalf Hannah Stolba crossed the line in the 31st minute and converted her own try, making the score 10-7. Two more tries were traded before half: one from All Blues inside center Kelly Griffin who found a hole in the center and sped her way into the try zone, and one by Valkyries winger Tracy Call out wide. Score at half was 17-12 (the closest half time score the All Blues have seen all season).

But the All Blues found their rhythm after the restart and the entire team was rejuvenated when the forward pack walked a scrum into the try zone for 8-man Blair Groefsema to touch the ball down. Stolba found her way across the line again in the 49th minute, making the score 24-17. But the All Blues didn't give up and posted two more tries before the game was through. Marchino saw her second try in the 58th minute and Folayan completed her set after fullbacvk Ashley English broke through the line, offloaded to Griffin and Folayan picked the ball and ran up the sideline to score.

Final score: 34-17. More photos from the match can be found here.

WPL Match Reports/Coach & Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: WPL Videos
8/31/2009: ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (YSC Intern Ashley)
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: WPL Week 1 Match Reports
9/8/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Jan Rutkowski and Player Kelly Seary from Beantown
9/8/2009: Week 1 WPL Videos
9/10/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Ryan Dunnett and Player Caroline White from New York
9/14/2009: WPL Week 2 Match Reports
9/17/2009: WPL Spotlight: Keystone: Player Profile Rashida Stamps
9/21/2009: Week 2 WPL Videos
9/29/2009: Week 3 Match Reports
10/5/2009: Week 3 WPL Videos
10/6/2009: Week 4 Match Reports

West D1 & D2 Championships Day One Writeup

Wendy Young — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:26:01 -0400

D1 Day 2 results can be found here.

Video from Day One and Day Two will be posted later this afternoon on my Vimeo Channel!

Photos from Shalay Mefford can be viewed here.

In Dallas, Texas, today we kicked off the West Women's Championships. The rain and snow curse of Ted Hill has been broken and we welcomed in sunny skies with a high hitting 90 all during game play. The heat and humidity was a little adjustment for the women up north. But game on!

Game One paired Glendale with St. Louis. St. Louis came out firing and took a quick lead just four minutes after KO. Glendale's number eight went weak side off a scrum and after a slight handling error popped the ball to St. Louis.

Once St. Louis got the ball to number 15 she was gone 50 meters for a try. St. Louis looked good, and they keep the game tied for some time until Glendale settled in. That's when the Glendale machine got to work.

Glendale won 37 – 7. Kudos to St. Louis, who moved the ball around extremely well and played a hard fought match.

Game Two had TX locals Austin against Black Ice. West Comp Committee's own Traci Schmidtke had numerous hard runs that put Austin into scoring positions (kudos Traci!). Wendy Young glided around the pitch like a skillful number nine should. B

lack Ice ran hard and until the last seven minutes of the game had themselves in a position to win if they scored. But Austin scored three quick tries in those seven minutes off Black Ice handling errors, and Austin won 34 -15.

Game Tree was a TX slug out. Houston Athletic Rugby Club Women and the newly formed Dallas Diablos Women hit the field and one another. While Houston prevailed, the Diablos women knocked some heads.

Numerous HARC Women left the game with injures and made comments of how hard Dallas hit. In the end, it's not how hard you hit; it's how many points you score. The inexperience showed with Dallas, and HARC won 41 – 0.

Tomorrows "game o' the day" will be the 12:30 KO of Austin vs Glendale. With temperatures in the 90's and rising humidity levels, it will be a game of "who recovers the best tonight" and "who has heart". These are the top two women's teams, and we will find out tomorrow "who is the Best in the West".

That is it from Dallas.

Good day!

Ted Hill

West RU

Day Two results can be found here.

Cheatham County Central High School (CCRFC) Girls Announce Coach Search

Wendy Young — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:14:41 -0400

From my Inbox:

Thank you so much for your response. I coached the girls in their first year last year but now am not able to coach full time. They are a part of the Middle TN rugby conference and are located at Cheatham County Central High School. They are a great bunch of girls that love the sport and I hate to see them lose this. For many of them, rugby is the only positive thing they are a part of.

This is their website: http://cheathamcentralrugby.webs.com

If you are interesting in coaching this girls HS team please email YSC at wendy@scrumhalfconnection.com so I can pass on their contact information.

USA Rugby Announces Change in Under-20 Women's National Team Eligibility

Wendy Young — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:55:00 -0400

From USA Rugby:

BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby has announced changes to its age eligibility requirements pertaining to the Under-20 Women’s National Team for the 2009-10 season.

To be eligible for the Women Under-20’s squad for the upcoming season, players must be under 20 years old on Sept. 1, 2009. This is a change to the prior date of Jan. 1, 2010.

“Both the England and Wales Under-20 programs use the Sept. 1 date and this change will put us on the same page as those programs,” said USA Under-20 Women’s Coach Bryn Chivers. “Furthermore, there is another benefit to the change as we also have the opportunity to align the eligibility criteria for the Territorial Union Under-19 programs with the Girls’ Under-19 National Championships.”

When asked about the eligibility change, Alex Williams, the Women’s High Performance Director added, “While the final match highlighted the attention England has been putting into their Under-20 program, our U-20s are coming off an overall successful Nations Cup and it’s important for us to use the same eligibility criteria as the team ahead of us and the teams that are now chasing us.”

For more information on the Women’s Under-20s, please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/womens_u20 or contact Bryn Chivers.

Austin Valkyries Announce Coach Search

Wendy Young — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:35:00 -0400

The Austin Valkyries, based in Austin, TX, are a competitive Division 1 Women's Rugby Team.

Our current coaching staff is retiring and so we are actively seeking knowledgeable rugby individuals who will be committed to building an effective and championship-caliber program beginning in Spring 2010.

Candidates are sought for the Head and Assistant Coach positions at this time.

Responsibilities include:

Developing and instructing drills for all levels of athletes
Preparing and running team practices
Developing overall and subunit team strategies
Offering constructive feedback to players
Squad selections
Attending scheduled games and practices

The Valkyries are comprised of a mix of elite, developmental, and beginner athletes. A number of our players represent the US Women's Developmental sides, as well as territorial select-sides in both XV's and VII's. Additionally, the club consistently draws individuals new to rugby.

We are able to compensate on the potential coach's needs and our resources.

For more background on our team please visit our Web site at http://austinvalkyries.com.

Please direct all inquiries to president@austinvalkyries.com and be sure to include your coaching CV/resume.

Women's National DII Rugby Championship: Seeking Bid Hosts

Wendy Young — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:47:00 -0400

All,

The Women's National DII Championship committee is seeking bids to host the National DII Championship (www.wdiirugby.org) on November 7/8, 2009. The bid packet can be found at: http://www.wdiirugby.org/guidelines.htm. Please note that due to increased participation this year, two fields are necessary in order to host.

Please return any bids to Nancy Campbell at ndenni01@bellsouth.net by September 30, 2009.

I am happy to answer any questions. Feel free to pass this request for bids to any organization you think might be interested. Men's clubs are welcome to bid.

Nancy Campbell

Your Scrumhalf Connection is happy to announce that they have just been added to the D2 Committee and will be helping plan this event. Look for more news as YSC covers the event and helps coordinate this great event!

WPL Player Profile: Coach Pete Steinberg and Player Rashida Stamps

Wendy Young — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:29:00 -0400

Coach Interview: Peter Steinberg (previosuly posted here)

Player Interview: Rashida Stamps

Full Name: Rashida Stamps
Nickname; Ra Ra
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 158 pounds
Birthplace: Philadelphia
How long have you played for Keystone? Three years (this season will be my fourth season)
Past team(s): None
Occupation: Health and Physical Educator
Do you have any superstitions or pre-game rituals?: I always make sure I look nice in my uniform (jersey tucked, socks pulled up, one jersey button fastened).
When I retire from rugby I will...: Probably play softball or ultimate frisbee. If I suck, I'll play for the OLDE GIRLS!
If I had a private jet I would...: Cram my entire team inside and go to the Carnival in Brazil.
Who do you predict will be in the final for the 2016 Women's 7s Olympic Games?: The USA and England.

WPL Match Reports/Coach and Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: WPL Videos
8/31/2009: ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (YSC Intern Ashley)
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: WPL Week 1 Match Reports
9/8/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Jan Rutkowski and Player Kelly Seary from Beantown
9/10/2009: WPL Spotlight: Coach Ryan Dunnett and Player Caroline White from New York
9/14/2009: WPL Week 2 Match Reports
9/17/2009: WPL Spotlight: Keystone: Player Profile Rashida Stamps

USA Rugby Names Women's Playoffs, Championship Details for 2009-2010

Wendy Young — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:55:00 -0400

BOULDER, Colo.—USA Rugby has officially named the 2009 Women’s Division I Club Playoffs and Championships and Women’s Premier League Championship event locations and verified details for these events and those taking place in 2010.

On October 24-25, USA Rugby will join Boston Women and Old Gold in hosting the Women’s Division I Playoffs at NARA Park in Acton, Mass.

The 12 Division I Women’s Rugby Teams emerging from the Competitive Region playoff process will be converging on the area for the chance to go on to the Division I Championships in November.

On November 6-8, USA Rugby will be working with the San Francisco Fog to host both the Women’s Division I Club Championships and the Women’s Premier League Championships.

The four clubs victorious in October’s Division I playoffs will compete for the Women’s Division I national title while all eight member teams of the Women’s Premier League will compete in the WPL Championship.

Inaugural WPL league play kicked off last weekend and will determine final seeding for the WPL Championship, with the top four teams competing for the Cup and Plate and the bottom four teams competing for the Bowl on San Francisco’s Treasure Island in November.

In 2010, the Division I Playoffs will again feature 12 of the best women’s teams from across the nation; while the Championships see the top four teams compete for highest honors and will again be played in conjunction with the Women’s Premier League Championships.

The 2010 Women’s Playoffs are scheduled for on October 30-31 with the Championship event slated for November 13-14.

USA Rugby has yet to choose a location for either 2010 Women events, and is still accepting bid applications for these two tournaments.

If an organization feels it can host a successful USA Rugby Championship Tournament, USA Rugby requests that it submits the bid questionnaire as soon as possible. If your location, facilities and surrounding amenities meet the initial criteria USA Rugby has for the event, we will ask you to then complete the extensive bid package for the event.

For more information on the National Championship Series, please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/Championships or contact Lindsay Tiernan at ltiernan@usarugby.org.

To bid on an event, please check out the bid packet by clicking on the following link http://www.usarugby.org/media/EDocs/2010_Championship_Bid_questionnaire.doc

WPL Master Scoreboard by YSC
Div 1 Master Scoreboard by YSC

USA Rugby: Advanced Coaching Course 2010

Wendy Young — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:50:00 -0400

Advanced Coaching Course 2010

Applications being accepted September 15, 2009

After a very successful 2009 Advanced Coaching Course (ACC), USA Rugby is now soliciting applications for 2010.

There has already been a high level of interest in this course, due in part to the excellent reviews it received from previous attendees, and while there is no guarantee of USA Rugby Coaching appointments as a result of attending this course, the ACC is a significant part of USA Rugby’s Coach Development pathway.

The ACC focuses on coach, player, and team development, supported by the latest techniques. The course is closely aligned with the IRB Level III course, which in turn is aligned with the Level III courses offered in England, Scotland, Whales, and New Zealand.

The ACC consists of three weekend sessions spread throughout the year and a commitment to extensive course work. The performance of each coach is then assessed by IRB licensed Coach Educators and each coach will be assigned a mentor.

In 2010, USA Rugby will be offering two ACC courses; one for HS/Collegiate Coaches and the second for Club/Select Side Coaches. This course is a progression of the latest CDP course, so preference will be given to coaches that have completed the Developing Rugby Skills courses.

Please contact the USA Rugby National Office for more information on those courses. The schedule for the course has not been confirmed, however the three weekends will be in the Jan/Feb, June/July, and Nov/Dec timeframes.

Coaches who are interested in applying for the ACC should contact Mollie McCarthy at USA Rugby (mmccarthy@usarugby.org) for an application form. The numbers in the course are limited to ensure the best experience for the coach attendees. Each application will receive full consideration by the selection panel.

2500 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302

Phone 303.539.0300 Fax 303.539.0311

Referee Course: Tampa, FL—Oct 4, 2009

Wendy Young — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:45:00 -0400

Level 1 Referee Course
Sunday, October 4, 2009—9am-5pm
USF, Tampa, Florida

Description: The Florida Rugby Referee Association will be holding a Level 1 Officiating Course. The purpose of this introductory course is to enable officials to acquire basic skills to officiate safe, enjoyable competition.

This course is required for anyone who wishes to referee any match that could potentially lead to a national championship. Students who have passed the exam and refereed three games will then be eligible to have the course cost reimbursed by FRU.

Cost: $65.00 Checks can be made payable to FRRA.

Course Information: The Level 1 Course is the basic referee’s course. It covers the referee’s priorities, provides an introduction to the laws of the game, risk management, as well as examining scrums, rucks/mauls, tackles, line-outs, offside, and advantage, with focus on the critical aspects of the game and how to referee them.

The course does not go through the laws of the game page by page. There is an open book test at the end of the course, which students will take and have marked the same day, so you will know when you leave whether or not you have passed.

Attendees will need to wear comfortable clothing suitable for both classroom and on the field practical sessions.

How to register: Participants are required to confirm their attendance ASAP. To confirm attendance please email rugbyreffl@aol.com; include your name, address (postal, city, state, zip code), date of birth, contact e-mail address, daytime phone number. A follow-up e-mail will be sent to confirm your attendance.

Gerry FitzGerald
754-245-0215(cell)

USA Rugby: Division 1 Club Women's Rugby Standings

Wendy Young — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:27:00 -0400

Gathering the information for the Division 1 Club Women's games is not proving very easy and so I have put together what I can find.

Feel free to let me know if any standings are incorrect as some of this is guess work. It looks like Competitive Region 1 & Competitive Region 3 are doing "league matches" and then the best teams according to their point system will represent at the playoffs.

Competitive Region 2 is a little more complicated as the old West teams (Glendale, Austin, Black Ice, and Sabres) are required to play three league matches and then will meet for a Central Region Tournament with Chicago and Chicago Northshore in a few weeks to determine their seeds for Playoffs.

Thanks to YSC intern Angelique for providing the CR1 info. The info from CR3 can be found on their blog here.

UPDATE: A few people have asked questions about how the seeds for each competitive region will be determined ... this is directly from the USA Rugby press release: "Each CR will receive a minimum of two of the 12 seeds; the Competitions Committee will allocate the remaining six seeds. The championship bracket will use a standard 16-team structure, with the top four seeded teams receiving a bye in the first round."

Competitive Region 1 (Pacific & Southern California)
Competitive Region 2 (West & Midwest)
Competitive Region 3 (Mid Atlantic, Northeast, & South)
USA Rugby D1 Playoffs - Oct 24-25 - Acton, MA
USA Rugby D1 Championships - Nov 6-8 - San Francisco

WPL Match Report: Keystone vs DC Furies—Sept 6, 2009

Wendy Young — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0400

Thanks to YSC Intern Ashley for her continued work with this blog, this week she brings us the writeup from Keystone's first WPL match against the DC Furies. Look for her match report each week as she reports on the Keystone rugby team.

Keystone Women Won their WPL Season
Opener Against the DC Furies

By: Ashley Nesby

Keystone women won their WPL season opener against the DC Furies, 38-8 Sunday. However, the score does not reflect the physical battle waged by the Furies. From the first whistle, their physicality outmatched that of Keystone. They were winning rucks and were the primary keepers of possession for the first 15 minutes of the match.

Albeit, the Furies had the ball in hand, they were not able to break the gain line. Keystone soon capitalized on this by matching and beating the Furies’ intensity and physicality with their forward pack, allowing them to win clean ball and giving their backs great opportunities to execute their plays.

While the score reached into the upper 30’s, it was evident from both sides, that their team chemistry and timing had been affected by the early start of the season, missing players, team cohesion etc. Both were plagued with dropped balls, misread plays and simple mistakes.

The difference was Keystone was able to recover and make up for the mishaps and mishandles by sticking to their game plan and reading their opponents weaknesses and exploiting them.

That combined with the skill level of both their forward pack and their backs allowed them run away with the game. It is certain that both teams will be looking to clean up their play in preparation for next week’s matches. Keystone will face New York at their home pitch on Randall’s Island.

Scored:
Ines Rodriguez
Rashida Stamps
Kim Magrini
Jen Sinkler (2)

Coversions:
Ines Rodriguez (5)

Penality Kick:
Ines Rodriguez

WPL Match Reports/Coach & Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (by YSC Intern Ashley)
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: Amazons vs ORSU Match Report (by YSC Intern Garrett)
9/7/2009: Minnesota Valkyries vs Berkeley Match Report (by YSC Intern Jenny)
9/7/2009: New York vs Beantown Match Report (by YSC Intern Becca)
9/7/2009: Keystone vs DC Furies Match Report (by YSC Intern Ashley)

WPL Match Report: Beantown vs New York—Sep 5, 2009

Wendy Young — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:50:00 -0400

Welcome to YSC Intern Becca Fritz! She will be bringing us coverage for Beantown and their games during the WPL. See below for her first post covering Beantown vs New York.

Beantown Hosts New York in their
First Women's Premiership Game
By: Becca Fritz

It was a different kind of morning, it wasn't just a normal Beantown, New York game, it was the first Beantown, New York Women's Premier League match and everyone felt the difference. The excitement in the air was actually palpable covering the field with a blanket of anxious-anticipation. From the sidelines, I got the treat of being able to watch the two starting sides suit up and take the field behind Dana Teagarden, who is inarguably the best female ref in the United States. The sheer presence of the amazing talent before me left this U-19'er completely starstruck.

The game started with New York kicking off to begin a super physical game, with each advance quickly followed by breakdowns and turnovers every few yards. The first half of the game was played mostly in Beantown's half of the field, testing their defensive skills, which up until about minute eleven held strong. It was then that New York's crazy fast No. 14, Vanesha McGee made her first breakaway of the game off the back of a set piece only to be taken down by Beantown Flyhalf, Kelly Seary at the 15m line.

Much to the dismay of the Beantown bench, the game remained in Beantown's half for the rest of the first quarter. Just past the twenty minute mark, New York's McGee made her second breakaway, dodging Beantown's last line of defense and scoring the first try of the game. Beantown, hungry for a win, evened the game up not five minutes after the restart. Beantown's Scrumhalf, Kittery Wagner picked up a lose ball and quickly dished it off to number two, Emily Jones who carried it a good ten meters before making a quick pass off to fullback Katie Dowty to tie the game. The rest of the half finished with breakdown after breakdown with no significant yardage gained for either side. The half ended with a yellow card given to Town's inside-center Emilie Bydwell for holding.

At the start of the second half fresh legs were added to both sides but the intensity of the first half was beginning to take a toll on both teams with a series of minutes taken for various reasons. Beantown's outside center, Amy Daniels capitalized on the fatigue and scored off a breakaway with the first conversion of the game made by Emily Jones. McGee followed up with her second, and NY's final try of the game, with no conversion made. For the rest of the half, Beantown remained in New York's half. About twenty minutes in, to bring Beantown ahead by another five points, Fullback Katie Dowty made her second try of the game which was also converted making the score 19-10.

The last try of the game was made about thirty-five minutes into the second half by Beantown's former sin-binner, Emilie Bydwell. The fourth try of the game gave Beantown the extra point in the over all standings and the conversion brought Beantown to the final score of twenty-six, a sixteen point lead over New York.

Beantown will meet the D.C. Furies at home, next Sunday.

WPL Match Reports/Coach & Player Interviews

WPL Rugby Match Report: Minnesota Valkyries vs. Berkeley All-Blues

Wendy Young — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:47:00 -0400

Welcome to YSC Intern Jenny Menke's report! She will be bringing us coverage for the Minnesota Valkyries and their games during the WPL. See below for her first post covering the Valkyries vs. Berkeley.

The Minnesota Valkyries' first Women’s Premier League match was held Sunday at Columbia Heights in Minneapolis against the Berkeley All-Blues.

The Valkyries opened strongly against their opponents, attacking the All-Blues’ deep into their own half and setting up Christy Ringgenberg for the penalty kick opportunity. Ringgenberg missed her kick, pushing the Valks back again and opening up for Berkeley’s attack. At half, the score lay at 0-19 with the All-Blues scoring three tries and two conversions.

Unable to respond to Berkeley’s speed on the outside, the Valkyries gave up three more tries and finished the game at 0-38. Minnesota, never a team to give up in a game, displayed ferocious tenacity and heart during the last 10 minutes, stopping Berkeley’s pack from advancing over the try line.

Accolades are given to the Valkyrie reserves who entered the game: Sarah Walsh and Sarah Chobot came in at half, inspiring a forward attack that put Berkeley on its back foot. Tracy Call made a number of try-saving tackles on the sideline, allowing her support time to arrive and control the attack. Meredith Mrachek and Rachel McCabe, both new to the pack, proved they will bring strength to the squad.

The Minnesota Valkyries next take on ORSU in Portland on Sept. 13.

Minnesota Roster

1. Libby Berg
2. Laura Gill
3. Jen Triemstra
4. Jenny Menke
5. Garnet Towne
6. Gabe Fidelman
7. Kristin Zdanczewicz
8. Angie Heifort
9. Katy Hertel
10. Mel Kanuk
11. Dez Markovich
12. Kristy Lear
13. Lauren Felton
14. Sarah Reuter
15. Christy Ringgenberg
16. Rachel McCabe (for 3 at 76)
17. Sarah Walsh (for 8 at half)
18. Sarah Chobot (for 6 at half)
19. Sarah Roehl (for 4 at 72)
20. Tracy Call (for 14 at 28)
21. Justina DeBruzzi
22. Meredith Mrachek (for 2 at 56)

WPL Match Reports/Coach and Player Interviews

Your Scrumhalf Connection—Women's Rugby Blog. Daily posts about rugby across the world! Read the blog at yourscrumhalfconnection.com and follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/scrumhalblog.

WPL Match Report: Twin City Amazons vs ORSU - Sep 6, 2009

Wendy Young — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:14:00 -0400

YSC would like to welcome new YSC Intern Garrett Hoffman to the blog! Garrett will be covering the Amazons and their journey through the WPL. Read below for the first match report covering the Twin City Amazons and ORSU.

WPL Match Report: Twin City Amazons vs. ORSU - Sep 6, 2009 By: Garrett Hoffman

With their first premiership win under their belts, the Twin Cities Amazons rejoice, celebrate and relax in the afternoon sun in Eagan, Minnesota. Their victory over ORSU, however, was anything but easy to attain.

The strong and agile ORSU players hit the pitch hard, scoring their first try within the first five minutes. The Amazons answered quickly with a solid run off of a line out ending in a try scored by outside center Lynelle Kugler making the score 5-5. The Amazons came back hard after their first try.

Veteran scrumhalf Rebecca Radtke fed the forwards the ball which allowed them to drive into the try zone resulting in a diving score by Radtke to make the score 10-5. ORSU answered with a solid back line run tying the game up with minutes left in the first half.

The Amazons forwards would not give up and dominated the ORSU pack, driving 20 meters to the try zone. Prop Rachel Maas ended the drive with a diving try in the closing seconds of the first half making the score 15-10.

ORSU began the second half much like the first, hitting the pitch hard and scoring quickly with a run by their No. 6 tying the game at 15. In a brilliant substitution by Amazon Coach Roger Bruggemeyer, powerhouse Jenny “Mamma” Kruger came in at flanker. Kruger scored immediately giving the Amazons the lead once again.

In the 57th minute of the match, Radtke again picked the ball out of a ruck and flew into the try zone making the score 25-15. At this point, the Amazons looked strong and energetic while the ORSU players were struggling to keep up.

With 20 minutes left in the match the Amazons made another brilliant run. Radtke picked the ball out of a ruck and tossed it to Kingzett who hit Kruger screaming through a gap. After a difficult tackle by an ORSU player Kruger tossed the ball to Kingzett who got the ball to Nicole Benjamin leading to another Amazon try.

Flyhalf Sylvia Braaten made the conversion making the score 32-15. With 15 minutes left in the match, ORSU picked up their speed and scored two quick tries and one conversion which left the Amazons stunned and frustrated.

In the end however, the Amazons kept their heads, held back their opposition and left the pitch with a hard-earned win over ORSU 32-27.

WPL Match Reports/Coach & Player Interviews

WPL—Women's Premier League Master Page

Wendy Young — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:03:00 -0400

Welcome to the WPL main page, here you will find all the scores, schedule, match reports and player/coach interviews. Come back here often as it will be updated daily!

WPL Match Reports/Coach and Player Interviews

8/31/2009: Master WPL Scoreboard
8/31/2009: ORSU vs. Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)
9/1/2009: Overview of WPL Teams (by YSC Intern Ashley)
9/3/2009: Coaching Spotlight: Keystone
9/7/2009: Amazons vs. ORSU Match Report (by YSC Intern Garrett)
9/7/2009: Minnesota Valkyries vs. Berkeley Match Report (by YSC Intern Jenny)
9/7/2009: New York vs. Beantown Match Report (by YSC Intern Becca)
9/7/2009: Keystone vs. DC Furies Match Report (by YSC Intern Ashley)

WPL Spotlight: Keystone Coaching Staff

Wendy Young — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:36:00 -0400

This is the first of several spotlights that is being done by YSC so that we can gain a bit more insight into each teams respective coaching staff. Also there will be player spotlights coming as well from each team! Read below for a bit more insight into the coaching staff of Keystone Rugby!

YSC: What team in the WPL do you coach and how long have you been coaching them?

Keystone: The coaches for Keystone are Peter Steinberg, Peter Baggetta and Chris Ryan. Total coaching experience is greater than 50 years (I started very young!).

YSC: What year was your club established and who established it?

Keystone: Club was founded seven years ago by local players looking for a competitive environment to play rugby.

YSC: Is there a specific style of play that your trying to instill in your team?

Keystone: We are looking to play a flexible style, but it will be based on playing a fast paced game.

YSC: As a coach do you have a specific area of expertise (ie: forwards, backs, kicking, scrumhalves etc.)?
Keystone: The responsibilities will split this way Peter Steinberg (Attack/Lineouts), Peter Baggetta (Defense/Scrums), Chris Ryan (Skill development/Back attack)

YSC: What are you doing as a coach to involve your local community in the newly formed WPL?

Keystone: We have a good relationship with our local community that provide us the fields and we hope to offer summer youth camps next year. This year we plan to hold skill clinics for the local community. We already held a kicking clinic with a professional coach from Australia.

YSC: What are your expectations for the WPL?

Keystone: We don't really have any. This is a trial year for us and what happens this year will help us determine whether we want to continue in the future.

YSC: What specific preparations, training camps etc, will your team be participating in to prepare for their upcoming WPL games?

Keystone: The games start too early for us to be well prepared for our games. We have had a one day training camp for the team, but the start of the season needs to be pushed back. We were heavily affected with the All-Star 7s tournament.

YSC: Throughout the season, how will you continue to keep your team on the top of their game?

Keystone: We will target games that we want to win and cycle towards them. This means cycling our training and our practice program with that in mind.

YSC: Where do you see the WPL in 5 years? 10?

Keystone: It will be interesting to see if it lasts beyond one year. Next year the World Cup players will probably not be playing, and the extensive travel that is required is already effecting players ability to commit. This will make it tough on the WPL teams to be able to get players of the quality that makes the WPL worthwhile.

YSC: If you could send a message to all of your alumni and fans, what would it say?
Keystone: Come watch us play!

Other WPL Spotlights:

Overview of WPL Teams (by YSC Intern Ashley)

ORSU vs Mudhens Friendly Match Report (pre WPL season, by Intern Angelique)

Women's Rugby: Emerald City Mudhens-Oregon Sports Union Match Report:

Wendy Young — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:26:00 -0400

Welcome to our newest YSC Intern! Angelique will be reporting on the upcoming ORSU games for the Women's Premiership League. Check out the article below for a pre-season look at ORSU as they played the Mudhens on Aug. 29, 2009.

By: Angelique "JACK" Jackson, Seattle, Emerald City Mudhens

The efficiency of the Oregon Sports Union is something to be admired. It is no mystery why ORSU is part of the USA Women's Premier League (WPL), comprised of the top 8 women's rugby teams in the nation.

Included in the Red Conference along with them are the Berkeley All-Blues, Minnesota Valkyries, and the Twin City Amazons. Despite their elite ranking, they annually extend an offer to host a "friendly" match with the Seattle based Emerald City Mudhens.

In an effort to create a learning environment for new players on both sides, ORSU, on a muggy Saturday, exchanged players to fill in gaps in the Mudhen lineup and broke the standard 40-minute halves into 20-minute sets.

Throughout the match, coaches, referees, and veteran players worked with those that are less experienced for the sake learning what rugby is all about: honor through hard work.

Erica Horne of the Emerald City Mudhens was heard explaining to her team the importance of working beyond your aerobic complex to further your capabilities.

Emerald City scored in the first twenty; one to ORSU's three tries. The Oregon Sports Union, despite the ball being controlled by the Hens for more than 60 percent of the game, continually divided the Hens defense.

Each time, ORSU's players made an clean break through the Mudhens' forwards for a try only to then further their prowess with each conversion kick.

Once, in the ultimate show of superiority, San Juanita ran, untouched, down the try-zone to touch the ball down between the posts. In a word: ouch.

Though the Emerald City Mudhens are not part of the WPL, they have been doing much to earn their stripes in the women's rugby community, recently earning fifth place at the inaugural USA Women's Sevens Tournament in San Francisco.

The dedication committed to that title reared its beautiful face in the final 20 when the Hens' Kammi Lopez tore through ORSU's defense for a final try.

This match seemed to be a great beginning to 15s. Rookies were "bitten by the rugby-bug" as Becky Garland of the Mudhens said, boots were put back in their bags, congratulations were exchanged, and once again two rugby teams walked off of the pitch looking forward to a social, despite anything that may have happened on the pitch.

Here is to the rest of the season!

Race on to host 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup Announced

Wendy Young — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:20:00 -0400

from IRB.com:

The tender process has begun for the hosting of the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup

The race to host women’s rugby's showpiece tournament has kicked off, after the International Rugby Board launched the tender process for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014.

Unions are invited to tender for the premier 15-a-side tournament, a process that reflects the exponential growth in profile and appeal of a tournament that continues to elevate the Women’s Game to new heights.

“The phenomenal growth of Women’s Rugby World Cup since its inaugural tournament in 1991 is a major success story for the Women’s Game,” said RWCL Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“Burgeoning participation, the introduction of Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens and ever increasing standards of competition mean that the Women’s Game has never enjoyed such a strong global profile and the launching of this tender process is another significant milestone for the Women’s Game,” continued Lapasset.

Interested Unions have until 30 October to formally express an interest in tendering for the right to host the tournament. Rugby World Cup Limited will analyse the tenders, prior to the IRB Council selecting the Host Union for WRWC 2014 at its meeting on 12 May 2010.

Women's Rugby World Cup 2010

Preparations continue for the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup to date in England 2010, with the start of the tournament less than a year away. Pool matches begin on Friday 20 August and the Final is scheduled for Sunday 5 September, in London.

The tournament in England will be the sixth Women’s Rugby World Cup, following earlier editions in Canada, Spain, Netherlands, Scotland and Wales.

“With the exceptionally successful inaugural Women’s RWC Sevens earlier this year, a high profile Women’s RWC tournament in England next year, potential Olympic Games inclusion from 2016 and now the launch of a global tender for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014, these are incredibly exciting times for the Women’s Game,” said IRB Women’s Development Manager Susan Carty.

“Planning and preparation for England 2010 is at an advanced stage, qualification is well under way with 11 teams already qualified and I am sure that the RFU will deliver a wonderful showcase for Women’s Rugby around the world, reaching out to new fans and taking the profile of the Game to a new level. The global Rugby family looks forward to what promises to be another landmark event for the Women’s Game.

“There are more countries than ever playing Women’s Rugby, with 16 teams participating in the qualification process for WRWC 2010, compared to 8 in 2006,” added Carty.

“Any World Cup obviously is very special and I was lucky enough to be involved in the last one, but to have it on home soil really does add that extra something,” said Catherine Spencer, the England Women’s Captain.

Previous Women’s RWC Champions

Year (Venue); Winner; Runner-Up

2006 (Canada); New Zealand; England

2002 (Spain); New Zealand; England

1998 (Netherlands); New Zealand; USA

1994 (Scotland); England; USA

1991 (Wales) USA; England

Rugby Video Monday: Full NASC Results and Archived Video

Wendy Young — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:54:00 -0400

The weekend was full of great quality rugby and it was almost all available on the new Ustream USA Rugby site (They had generator problems all weekend so some games were missed or partially availablle. This includes the Women's final, we only saw about 8 minutes of it).

Northeast Women, West Men Take Home Titles at All-Star Sevens

from USA Rugby:

NEW YORK—Following two days of stiff competition on Randall’s Island in New York City, the Northeast women’s team and the West men’s side walked away with their respective All-Star Sevens Championship titles, earning themselves bragging rights throughout the next year as they both finished the tournament undefeated.

The Northeast Rugby Union (NRU) Women’s All-Star Team worked the Pacific Rugby Union in its first round on Sunday, beating the Grizzlies 12-5 and moving on to meet the Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) Women’s Team in the final after the Mid-Atlantic team successfully handled the USA Development side earlier in the day.

The Women’s Championship match actually saw the local side get off to a slow start as MARFU scored first and the Northeast found itself trailing for the first time all weekend. The Northeast wound up taking back the lead in the second half, however, scoring its second unconverted try of the match and holding its Mid-Atlantic competition scoreless for over 15 minutes of play. (Finals in the All-Star Championships consisted of 10 minute halves.)

The NRU has now secured their fourth title in five years, continuing their domination of opponents with great team work and a consistent aggressive style.

“Obviously we are very happy,” Northeast Women’s Coach Chris Ryan said. “It was a really good week and we couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. We had a lot of local support and MetNY hosted a great event. Hopefully there are many more like this in the future.”

Unfortunately, the local Northeast men didn’t have the same success as the women. NRU lost their semifinal match after a last-second try by the Pacific Men gave them a three point lead and the win.

The Northeast actually had the game in its grasp within the last minute of play in its match against Pacific. Following a penalty within Pacific’s 22 in which one of the players was sent off, the Northeast decidedly should have gone for the try, but attempted a penalty kick instead. Pacific would come back in the very next play and score a try to end the game, 27-24.

“It was a very disappointing way to end a game we could have won,” Northeast Men’s Coach Sean Horan said. “But for the team to come this far is a great accomplishment. Unfortunately, a couple mistakes hurt us, several missed tackles directly led to several of their tries, but in sevens these things happen. All in all, the guys put forth a great team effort and I’m proud of them.”

In the other Cup Semifinals, the West faced the Mid-Atlantic in a similarly close match that came down to a last minute effort. In the end, however, the West walked away with it, winning 14-12 to advance to the cup finals where they faced the Pacific side. MARFU went on to win against the Northeast to take home the Men’s Plate.

Following such a tough match against the Northeast, the Pacific side may have been a bit worn down; and in the Men’s Championship finals, the West proved it had much more in the tank, jumping out to an early 21-0 lead.

The Grizzlies attempted a comeback, but it was too little too late and could only come within seven, losing 28-19 to last year’s runners-up.

Besides taking second last year, this will mark the West’s third Championship title since the beginning of this event, nine years ago. And with a majority of this year’s players coming from two of its more dominant Colorado sevens teams—Aspen and the Denver Barbarians—the West’s Coach Sean Knight acknowledges the fact that this gives an All-Star team a powerful advantage.

“The team that learns how to play together the quickest has a great advantage over its opponents,” Knight said. “We are excited to finish on top and really owe it to an entire team effort.”

In the Bowl bracket, the Midwest won the men’s final over the U.S. Collegiate side, 29-5, while on the women’s side, the Midwest fell hard in the final to the South, 34-0.

For more information and tournament photos go to www.newyorkallstarsevens.org.

The Metropolitan New York Rugby Football Union is a non-profit organization whose vision is to elevate the sport of Rugby within the New York area. With a mission of attracting, facilitation and supporting the economic and social vitality of the greater metro area, the Metropolitan New York Rugby Football Union works to draw premier domestic and international sporting events to the NYC market. For more information visit www.metnyrfu.org.

Other Rugby Video Mondays

8/24/2009: USA vs France & England vs Canada Archived Videos
8/19/2009: Nations Cup Rugby - England vs South Africa & USA vs Canada TODAY!
8/10/2009: Nations Cup Video LIVE!
8/3/2009: Rugby Video Monday: ESPY Awards Highlights 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela
7/27/2009: Still no USA vs Canada Video?
7/20/2009: Bloodfest 7s Final - Satiated Beavers vs Phatties
7/13/2009: Tyra McGrady USA U20 Try against Wales
7/6/2009: USA A vs Canada A Video & Great Defense by USA Women's Nation Team Player...Mel Denham

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

In the Beginning: A Milestone for Women's Rugby Blog

Wendy Young — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:04:00 -0400

For some reason I am quite reflective today...when I first started this blog on March 31, 2006 I had no idea it would be as successful as it is today.

The blog has changed quite a bit from the initial idea which was to blog mainly about teams in the Western Rugby Union. Branching out from that small market to covering all women's rugby in the US and even starting to cover some International rugby has really changed the focus.

I often receive letters from you asking if I really have another job as it seems impossible that two people could cover so much rugby. I do have a full-time job and I play and referee rugby regularly. The hours can be long and the effort draining but once we receive a kind letter from a reader we know it is all worth it. Your letters are very appreciated as they help bring clarity to the whole process.

The goal is to support Women's Rugby period...to provide news, photos, videos, scores, match reports and everything that is associated with rugby. On that note we also welcome letters with constructive criticism as you help shape the focus as well.

Recently we brought on a few Interns and they have helped lighten the load and have brought thrilling and exciting topics as guest bloggers. Thank you for volunteering to help support YSC and women's rugby! I look forward to the new Women's Premiership Partnership with USA Rugby and with that we will be welcoming a few new interns.

We still need two or three more interns to help with the WPL, if you are interested email me!

A few weeks ago we passed the 1,000 post mark on this blog and I was too busy reporting on the Nations Cup in Canada to celebrate that milestone! 1,000 posts about women's rugby...many blogs can't even say they have 30 posts on women's rugby!

Another exciting milestone is that last year in June the page counter broke 100,000 visitors. This month we have we are already closing in on 300,000 visitors! I can't tell you how excited and pumped it makes me to see continuing visitors and all the new visitors to this site.

Overall this blog has grown so much from where I started it and that has only come with the help of the YOU! Thank you for the support and please keep spreading the good word about what we are trying to do at Your Scrumhalf Connection.

Welcome to the 2009 USA Rugby All Star Sevens - LIVE scores by YSC

Wendy Young — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:24:00 -0400

Welcome to the 2009 USA Rugby All Star Sevens

I have a few players that are helping send in scores...but the more the merrier! Please feel free to text me scores, pictures, details, etc. at 405.802.2490!

They just announced that some of the games will be available to watch online here.

Welcome to New York!

On behalf of Metropolitan New York Rugby Union’s Host Committee, I am happy to welcome USA Rugby and its All Star Sevens Tournament to New York. This website will be the central resource for information before, during, and after the tournament.

The competition will be held on new high-quality artificial turf fields on Randall’s Island. We worked with New York City government to ensure these and other fields fit regulation rugby dimensions, markings and goal posts.

Both the match field and a warm-up field are dedicated to the tournament all day on Saturday, August 29 and on Sunday, August 30th. One field is available for practice from 1-6 pm on Thursday, August 27 and Friday, August 28th.

A charity rugby match between the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department will be held on Saturday on an adjacent field. Information about the facilities is posted here.

There will be bleachers, tents, port-o-johns, food service, a videotaping service and medical professionals on call at the tournament site.

We have reserved blocks of hotel rooms at the Marriott East Side, located at Lexington Avenue at 51st Street in Manhattan and at the Fitzpatrick Hotels at East 44th Street and East 57th Street. Details and discount codes are located here.

We plan to update this website with results from the tournament. Subscribers to Facebook and Twitter can stay up to date with results and social events. We will be issuing all the usual publicity to media outlets in the area as well.

Welcome to New York, we hope you enjoy your visit, and look forward to hosting USA Rugby and its All Stars in future.

Rosters

MARFU
Mere Baker/Washington
Stacy Bennett/NOVA
Elizabeth Black/NOVA
Brenna Costello/Washington  
Dana Creager/NOVA  
CJ Hildreth/NOVA  
Lauren Hoeck/NOVA  
Katie Miller/NOVA  
Elizabeth Noto/Washington
Emily Record/Philadelphia  
Elizabeth White/Washington

Coach: Nancy Fitz

Midwest
Craig, Maggie/Chicago North Shore 
Freidheim, Alison/Chicago North Shore
Helmer, Nicole/Chicago Women 
Jarem, Steph/Chicago North Shore 
Jones, Chalene/Grand Valley State University Women
Limberg, Jackie/Wisconsin Women 
Lui, Jenny/Chicago North Shore 
Meyer, Katie/Wisconsin Women
Neuens, Corrie/Chicago Women 
Tjosvold, Colleen/Twin City Amazons 
Torii, Devin/Chicago North Shore

Coach: John McGeachy

Northeast
Ida Bernstein/Keystone 
Rebecca Brafman/NYRFC
Kate M Daley/Keystone 
Katy Dowty/Beantown 
Jenna Flateman/NYRF
C Daniela Mogro/NYRFC  
Maria Muscara/NYRFC  
Alison Price/NYRFC  
Ines Rodriguez/Keystone
Jen Sinkler/Keystone 
JoAnne Ward/Albany  
Dana Wasserman/Suffolk

Coach: Chris Ryan

Pacific
Ruth Bryson/Berkeley All Blues  
Elaine Gardner/Berkeley All Blues  
Maddy Glainyk/At large  
Kelly Griffin/Berkeley All Blues  
Hillary Hegener/Berkeley All Blues  
Allyson Hemstreet/Berkeley All Blues  
Ardia Kelker/San Francisco Fog  
Erin Kobashigawa/Berkeley All Blues  
Katrina Logan/Berkeley All Blues  
Elaine Schlarbe/ORSU  
Lee Salgado/At Large  
Jossy Tseng/Berkeley All Blues

Coach: Laura Cabrera

South
Annie Antar/Atlanta Harlequins  
Leah Barnes/Atlanta Harlequins
Corrie Coates/Florida State University
Julie Freese/Charleston 
Patty Jervey/Atlanta Harlequins
Tasha Mannino-Dickson/Atlanta Harlequins 
Ashley Mitchell/University of Central Florida 
Pat Neder/Atlanta Harlequins
Cara Nocero/Atlanta Harlequins 
Danielle O’Mahoney/Auburn University 
Lindsey Stephenson/Orlando 
Becky Urion/Orlando

Coach: Mike May

West
Bagley, Meredith/Austin Valkyries  
Coder, Penny/St Louis Sabres  
Gregorich, Claire/Glendale  
Kuchar, Jennifer/St Louis Sabres  
Lucia, Jessica/Colorado University  
Nelson, Jennifer/Kansas City Jazz  
Pavao, Kathryn/Glendale  
Pheil, Christiane/Colorado University  
Ruiz, Kandis/Kansas City Jazz  
Swenton, Jennifer/Houston  
Whitman, Heidi/Austin Valkyries

Coach: Laura Hertel

August FREE RAFFLE Winners Announced!

Wendy Young — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:55:00 -0400

Congratulations to the 11 winners (yes, we said 10, but now 11 have won!) below as you have won an item from the August Rugby Grab Bag Raffle!

Next month we will be having another raffle so stay tuned!

Please email me your preferred size of tee shirt (mens/womens) and please also send me your postal address.

Kristin Padukiewicz - Washington, D.C.
Nancy Scuri - Long Island, NY
Randall Stuart - Corpus Christi, TX
Christiane Pheil - Denver, CO
Kayla Hammond - Las Cruces, NM
Elysia Saundry - Vancouver, BC
Tom Gillon - West Yorkshire, UK

Dayme Hinton - Dalzell, SC

Erica Martin - Baton Rouge, LA
Mckenzie Hawkins - Memphis, TN
Anne Hugs Korzenecki - Chicago, IL

The map below shows all the current YSC Rugby Raffle winners!

View YSC Raffle Winners in a larger map

Hit ABC Show Casting For Rugby Families!

Wendy Young — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:08:00 -0400

From my inbox:

Hi There!

My name is Lauren Zins and I am an associate producer for the ABC hit series Wife Swap. I am reaching out to you today because this season, we are in search of rugby loving families (parents, kids, or both) to feature in an episode. Families who participate in this documentary-style program are given a unique opportunity to share their beliefs and lifestyles with another family. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience that can be life-changing for everyone. If after reading this email, you'd like to learn more, please don't hesitate to contact me. In addition, please feel free to pass this posting along to whomever you think would be interested in taking part in this experience.

For every family you refer that appears on our show, we will give you $1,000 as a sign of our gratitude.

Each week on Wife Swap, the mothers from two families with different values and belief systems will exchange lives.

It’s an amazing family experience and opportunity to learn how others lead their lives. Half of the week, mom lives the life of the family she is staying with. After making her observations, she introduces several "rule changes," where she implements rules and activities that are important to her family.

It's a positive experience for people to not only learn but teach about other families and other ways of life.

Wife Swap airs on Disney owned ABC television on Fridays at 8 pm- the family hour!

If you are a two-parent family with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 17 living at home, and you think your family would make terrific TV, contact us to be a part of this groundbreaking show!

To apply or get information about the show

Please contact: LAUREN ZINS

Call: 646-747-7959

Email: casting.laurenzins@gmail.com

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE

Rugby Video Monday: USA vs. France; England vs. Canada Archived Videos

Wendy Young — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:03:00 -0400

The 2009 Nations Cup Rugby Tournament concluded this weekend and due to technical difficulties and weather...matches were not available live. Through several spectators present at the tournament, Julie McCoy, Alex Williams, CoachingRugby, and a few others we were able to keep everyone updated with scores on Facebook and Twitter. But now you can view the archived videos below!

USA vs. France

England vs. Canada

For full rosters and schedule of Nations Cup 2009, go here.
8/10: USA vs England Match Report
8/10: France vs South Africa Match Report
8/13: Canada vs South Africa Match Report
8/13: England vs France Match Report
8/16: Canada vs France Match Report
8/16: USA vs South Africa Match Report
8/19: England vs South Africa Match Report
8/19: Canada vs USA Match Report
8/22: USA vs France Match Report
8/22: England vs Canada Match Report

**Submit Your Letter of Encouragement to the USA Eagles!

Other Rugby Video Mondays:
8/19/2009: Nations Cup Rugby - England vs South Africa & USA vs Canada TODAY!
8/10/2009: Nations Cup Video LIVE!
8/3/2009: Rugby Video Monday: ESPY Awards Highlights 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela
7/27/2009: Still no USA vs Canada Video?
7/20/2009: Bloodfest 7s Final - Satiated Beavers vs Phatties
7/13/2009: Tyra McGrady USA U20 Try against Wales
7/6/2009: USA A vs Canada A Video & Great Defense by USA Women's Nation Team Player...Mel Denham

Please keep sending me your favorite videos to scrumhalfconnection@gmail.com! Make sure to check out the YSC VimeoChannel or my You Tube 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.