South Doyle Wins Tennessee Boys 7s Title
South Doyle won the Tennessee boys HS 7s title this past weekend, going 5-0 in the championship tournament.
South Doyle was consistent throughout the day, keeping all opponents to one or two tries, and only once scoring fewer than three tries.
South Doyle opened pool play with a 22-12 defeat of Freedom Prep out of Memphis, and then downed McMinn County 24-12 to go 2-0. That left Father Ryan in the way of a perfect 3-0 pool play record, and South Doyle edged them 14-5.
That set up the semifinals, with South Doyle defeating Power Center Academy out of Memphis 34-5. Ravenwood, meanwhile, did as expected and won their pool and semi to make the final. In the championship game, South Doyle won 19-12.
Seattle Launching Single-School HS 7s Competition
(Seattle Rugby Club release) - The Seattle Rugby Club has announced the formation of three new high school rugby clubs, expanding its network of affiliated youth rugby programs in Washington.
Seattle, featuring 130+ club players aged 8-18, launched the initiative based on player interest in representing their high school, and; to drive participation across the city of Seattle among new rugby players.
Working with parents and administrators, high school-based clubs have been approved at Shorecrest, Roosevelt and Nathan Hale High School. Those school clubs will affiliate with Seattle RFC Vikings, to train and play in the spring 2016 15s competition.
Clemson Football Game Offers HS Rugby Preseason Op
The same weekend the Clemson University Tigers football team traveled to Charlotte to play in the ACC Championship - the Charlotte Tigers high school ruby football club headed to Clemson to play.
The Charlotte Tigers were joined by Charlotte Catholic and North Mecklenburg from NC; The Chapin Eagles represented SC; and Alpharetta Phoenix traveled over from GA. All five of these teams came by invitation to make up the inaugural Clemson University High School Preseason Friendly.
Tennessee Boys HS 7s Finals This Weekend
This weekend sees the Tennessee High School 7s championships held at Middle Tennessee State University, with eight teams vying for the title.
The two top contenders have to be the two conference champions coming into the weekend. South Doyle beat Bearden 22-12 in the final of the Smoke Mountain Athletic Conference tournament to take the top seed in Pool A. Meanwhile, Ravenwood defeated Freedom Prep out of Memphis to win their conference.
“We had to work hard to get by the teams from Memphis,” said Ravenwood Head Coach Richard Boone. “We know South Doyle will be tough. We’re smaller this year, so I hope we’ll be quicker!”
EIRA Academies See Growth
Eagle Impact Rugby Academy assemblies have been ongoing throughout the fall around the country, with almost 100 HS teams sending players to six different locations for regular skill training.
EIRA runs regular academies in New York, North Carolina, Washington state, Southern California, Texas, and at Lindenwood University in Missouri.
Each chapter is run by a specific coach, with EIRA Director Salty Thompson overseeing it all. Those coaches work with assistants and also often bring in guest coaches to work with players on specific aspects of rugby play.
ATAVUS Relishes Tennessee Visit
ATAVUS recently sent USA flyhalf/scrumhalf Shalom Suniula and former Eagle prop Shawn Pittman to Tennessee to work with players from Middle Tennessee State University, and high school players from South Doyle and other teams.
Suniula worked with the players on passing skills and decision-making, while Pittman works on contact and forward skills.
Realignment, Growth in Florida School Leagues
Florida Youth Rugby will be unveiling its Boys HS schedules soon, and there have been some significant changes.
In Boys DI, gone are the four pools of four teams each, which provide competitors with a fairly unsatisfactory three-game schedule (and one pool had only three teams).
Replacing that system is ten-team DI competition.
Of the 15 teams in DI in the 2015 season, six have moved down to DII: Mavericks, Cardinal Gibbons, St. Thomas Aquinas, Boca Raton, Pompano Trojans, and Miami.
Those teams 4-23-2 in league play last year. Weston, which won their pool with a 4-0 record in 2015, has merged with the West Pines to create the West Pines Wolfhounds, and the Wolfhounds will remain in DI.
The only new team in DI is the Okapi Wanderers.
EIRA NY Well Underway
The new New York chapter of the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy finished up its third session this past weekend.
Ten coaches took care of 40 players, working with them in enhancing rugby skills and decision-making. Guest coaches Mike Petri, Nick Discala, and Dave Katz of the NYAC men's club joined the result group of coaches, headed up by Matt Persanis.
Gonzaga Hosts 2016 Jesuit Classic
Gonzaga HS in the DC area is once again hosting the Jesuit Rugby Classic at Morven Park (http://www.morvenparksports.org/Fields/626605.html) in Leesburg, Va.
The tournament will be held April 16-17, 2016. Four championship grass fields side-by-side will be used, and teams will compete in three divisions - Varsity, JV and Freshman.
The playing fee is $350 for Varsity and JV, and $300 for a Freshman team. Programs that enter all three divisions pay $900. The fee includes dinner on Saturday after the games.
Last year five nationally-ranked teams competed in the Varsity Division.
To enter, contact Gonzaga Director of Rugby Lee Kelly at 301-613-1950 or email at lee.kelly@ecoscribesolutions.com.
Fallbrook HS on the Field for Upcoming Season
Fallbrook High School's boys rugby team will compete in the SoCal Varsity Red conference as scheduled this season.
The team reached an agreement with the Fallbrook school district over a series of issues that threatened to sideline the team. The agreement is not permanent, as the program and the school and school district will meet again prio to the 2016-17 season to hash out further details.
But the team, which won the Varsity Red Conference in the 2014-15 season, will play this season.
Herrriman HS Looking to Host Visitors
The Herriman Rugby team in Utah is looking to host a high-level boys HS team this coming season.
Herriman is a perennial national contender and is looking to strengthen its schedule and is offering a top-notch hosting experience. The team can provide a high-quality venue and will either billet players or help with hotel arrangements. In addition, the team will help teams plan leisure activites over and above the promised rugby games.
Branham Awarded Loane Medal
Former High School All American and Fallbrook HS captain, and current University of Arizona freshman Steven Branham was presented with the Mark Loane Medal Thursday evening in New York.
The Mark Loane Medal is sponsored by the University of Queensland Academy in America Foundation, and is presented to the top high school rugby player in the United States. Branham, who was Goff Rugby Report's HS Player of the Year, was selected for 2015.
SoCal Varsity White Schedule Set
The Southern California Varsity White Boys HS conference schedule has been set.
The comeptition involves single-school teams from around the region - the teams have a threshhold of a minimum percentage of players on the roster from one specific school.
Defending champion St. John Bosco starts its season a week before Christmas on December 19. But the league as a whole starts on December 11, with 2014-15 Runners-up View Park Prep facing Wilson HS in the opener.
SoCal Varsity Red Schedule Set
The Southern Califlornia Varsity Red Boys HS conference has finalized its schedule.
The conference is made up of seven single-school teams in the San Diego area the operate in accordance with California interscholastic athletic rules. Last year, Fallbrook HS won the conference, defeating Torrey Pines in the final. This year, the teams involved are Fallbrook, Torrey Pines, Cathedral, La Costa Canyon, St. Augustine, Del Norte, and Poway.
The season begins in December with a round-robin involving La Costa Canyon, Cathedral, St. Augustine, and Del Norte.
The regular season starts a week later and runs into February. The playoffs finish in March.
Herriman Wins Utah Boys Fall 7s
Herriman Gold defeated a determined Portneuf All Valley out of Idaho and a tough United team to win the 2015 Fall Utah Youth Rugby Boys HS 7s championship.
