We're Proud of Rugby Sportsmanship, So Let's Practice It
I’ve been spending a lot of time this spring and summer attending and writing about rugby tournaments for young people, and I think it’s time for a refresher course in making rugby proud.
Let’s be our better selves.
Players
Every now and then the players start to get chest-thumpy and say or do something they shouldn’t. Almost always, the situation happens when Team A thinks it’s all going to go their way … and then it doesn’t. Angry, scared of losing, and maybe a little bit embarrassed, the players start to act out. Team B responds …
Bay Area Wins Two Against Touring Sides
The Bay Area HS All-Stars played two touring sides this July and came away convincing winners in both games.
Bay Area defeated St. Peters College out of Gore, New Zealand 29-7 led by some strong work from Marshall Ferris at flyhalf and Jeffrey Briez at scrumhalf. Carlos Gomez, Christian Bucklin, Jason Severance, Tala Talapusi, and DJ Alapati all scored tries for the Bay Area team.
Prop Alex Lopeti and Elijah Tafo-Braganza (who was named player of the game) led a strong effort up front.
In the second game,Wisbech College in England met up with the Bay Area team and found it a tough go, as the Americans won 97-10.
The Summer of Eagle Impact Rugby Academy
The development of an international touring 15s team at the high school level has been a rousing success.
Eagle Impact Rugby Academy, which is a Goff Rugby Report supporter (full disclosure) has succeeded superbly in a way no one expected. Sure, running a pair of EIRA teams out to British Columbia to act as feeders to the HS All Americans in 2016 seemed like a pretty straightforward idea. It worked nicely, as the EIRA U16s and U17s won all of their games on that trip.
But this year, things got a lot more complicated. Under President Robin Reid, Director Salty Thompson, and Assistant Director Brendan Keane, EIRA took on a massive series of tasks, namely:
Vote For Your Top HS Player Of The Year
Who is the top Boys HS player in the nation?
Goff Rugby Report in partnership with FloRugby already listed a group of over 300 players who deserve consideration, now we want you to vote on who you think should receive top honors.
We've narrowed our search down to seven players
Vote for your favorite here »
South 2 Makes RAN Consolation Final
The USA South Team 2 defeated Turks & Caicos 44-7 to book a place in the consolation final of the Rugby Americas North U19 Championships.
In a game held over from Wednesday due to bad weather, the Panthers showcased some nice open field running and smart execution on some designed plays. Before the game, program director Mark Williams said "I think South 2 is poised to open it up," and that is what happened.
Turks & Caicos in fact started the scoring, breaking through on a bit of a defensive breakdown to take a 7-0 lead. However, the South game right back and ran a snappy loop move off the back of the scrum to set up center Doug Vawter for a try. Moments later, wing Thomas Montgomery, Jr. raced down the sideline to score in the corner. He was taken down by the neck as he scored, so it should ave been a penalty try, but the try stood nonetheless.
Cooperation Between Academies Lauded On EIRA Tour To Ireland
Eagle Impact Rugby Academy is taking a select team to Ireland to play three matches, and one of the notable things about it is that Atavus is partially involved.
While EIRA and Atavus are still doing their own things in terms of fielding select sides and training players, the two organizations have been cooperating during the just-started EIRA tour of Ireland. Atavus sponsored two players for the trip, and also has sponsored the team's trip to the the Giant's Causeway.
It's something that USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne supports wholeheartedly.
"Collaboration and partnership for the benefit of our student-athletes is the secret sauce," said Payne. "These two organizations have comitted to that notion, and the most important asset in our landscape, our young athletes, are the beneficiaries. Let it be contagious to all!"
7s Latest - HS Winners Surfside, New Haven
The West Chester Turks Head Boys HS 7s team won the Surfside 7s High School Division over the weekend. West Chester defeated Downingtown, NJ Blaze, and Shanahan HS to make the final, and then defeated DMV in the championship game.
The Turks Head team defeated Downingtown 44-0, Blaze 26-7, and Shanahan 32-5. In the final they beat DMV 17-5 for a total points for-and-against of 119-17.
The Turks Head team was (pictured above): Front row, L to R: Co-Captain Mike Salloum, Mike Carneiro, Wesley Reindel, Ritchie Ferraro, Sam Rudisill, Drew Speraw; Back row, L to R: Coach Tim Jaques, Coach Lou Raymond, Aiden Ballas, Ronan Carter, Colin Wexler, Sean MacLaney, Co-Captain Dan Brown, John Dormann, Brian Shiple DO / Team Trainer
RAN U19s Latest
Trinidad & Tobago won big and Mexico escaped in a tight one in Day Two action at the Rugby Americas North U19 Championships.
On Saturday, USA Rugby South won in convincing fashion 46-0 over Jamaica, and Bermuda edged Cayman Islands 15-10. Sunday, Trinidad & Tobago won 41-0 over Turks & Caicos. That left Mexico to face USA Rugby South 2. This supposedly less experienced team managed to hand with the 2015 champs Mexico all the way through.
Mexico scored in the 10th minute to take a 7-0 lead. The South kicked into the Mexico 22 and chased and looked to put Mexico under all sorts of pressure. But fullback Rodrigo Gonzalez got the ball, stayed on his feet, and got out of a cuple of tackles to run up the middle and set up his wing for a coast-to-coast try.
Rugby Maryland Beats Welsh Tourists
In sweltering triple-digit temperatures, Rugby Maryland welcomed Bryntirion Comprehensive from Bridgend, Wales as part of the Welsh school's USA tour.
USA South U19s Lineup For Jamaica
The South 1 team is set to face Jamaica in the Rugby Americas North U19 men's competition Saturday.
Here is the South lineup. A large percentage of this team participated in last year's event, which the South won.
Downes Scholarship Winners Baere and Slack
San Diego, CA - The United States Rugby Foundation has announced that its Graham Downes Scholarship recipients are Ian Slack and Jackson Baere.
They both exemplify outstanding skills, leadership, character on and off the pitch, and a true dedication to the sport. They join a prestigious list of young rugby players who have been honored as recipients of the Graham Downes Rugby Scholarship: Ben Pinkelman (2014), Hanco Germishuys and Brian Nault (2015), and Kenneth "Chuck" Wallace and Patrick French (2016).
As recipients of the Graham Downes Rugby Scholarship, Baere and Slack will be provided a once in a lifetime opportunity: round trip airfare to Durban, South Africa; four weeks of professional instruction under some of the world's top coaches at the Sharks Academy in Durban; and accommodations.
Evolution 7s Looking Sharp
The Evolution Academy won the Blackfoot 7s this past weekend, winning the U18 select-side bracket with a team of Under 16s.
This was something of a marker for Evolution, which will be going on to the NAI 7s in Salt Lake City in August. (The NAI 7s will be live-streamed by FloRugby Here, August 4-5.)
Evolution outscored opponents 230-12 in going 5-0.
Head Coach Wesley van Tonder said his team is fit and skilled, and he likes his chances in Salt Lake City.
Ethan van Tonder captained the squad and was a standout, scoring nine tries and kicking at a 90% accuracy rate.
Co-captain Kyle van Tonder (Ethan's brother) was co-captain, while Zach Irwin, Jake Anderson, Tyson Bradford, Clint Hersey, and Tyler Williams all had special moments.
Rugby Maryland Face Welsh Tourists
Rugby Maryland will host Bryntirion Comprehensive High School from Bridgend, Wales Thursday, July 13 at Timberlawn Park in Rockville, Md.
The Maryland team is the same that finished 4th at the Northeast RCT, with three additions. EIRA Academy player Cory Levy, Ahmad Bitang, who goes to school in Kenya but is USA-qualified, and Georgetown Prep flanker Jake Hagy all augment the Maryland.
HS 7s Latest
High School Summer 7s is becoming a bigger and bigger phenomenon around the country, as players finish their 15s seasons and simply want more.
Rugby PA has a robust season underway, with the Dragons Breath 7s rounding out June.
Coventry won the HS Boys bracket in that tournament, with Whitehorse taking the HS Girls. Media won the Junior bracket, with Doylestown taking the Middle School Girls and Conestoga the Youth.
Meanwhile, the Denver 7s welcomed HS Boys teams from Colorado and elsewhere, and in fact it was elsewhere that won it, with the Rio Rancho Revels from New Mexico taking the title in dramatic fashion. See more coverage of the Denver 7s, including video, here.
Payette 7s in Idaho Offers Exciting Competitive Options
The Evolution 7s Rugby Academy is hosting the Payette River 7s Invitational July 21-22 at the Emett Sports Complex in Emmett, Idaho.
For more on the tournament or to enter, call 208-602-2462, or email evo7sidaho@gmail.com.
With the support of Rugby Idaho, this is a tournament for HS rugby programs looking to find some high-level competition.
Brackets include: Varsity Boys (Grades 11 and 12), Varsity Girls, JV Boys (Grade 9 and 10) and JV Girls, and also Middle School (Grades 7 and 8).
