South RCT Scores
Scores and standings from the South Regional Cup Tournament in Marietta, Ga.
Check back for score and update throughout the weekend.
Link to Scores from Rocky Mountain Challenge
Link to Scores from Northeat RCT
Kwete Brothers Shine Through Rugby in New Home
Plenty of impressive young rugby talent will be on display this coming weekend at various HS all-star tournaments, but it’s unlikely any of those players has the backstory of the Kwete brothers.
Suiting up for the Arizona Bobcats this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Classic, Oliver, Eloi, and Cosmas Kwete are all three loaded with talent, and some life-changing experiences.
South RCT Under Way
The South RCT is set to kick off Friday evening.
With limited field space at Life University, the tournament has to cover three days, and that offers some options for teams who might struggle with depth.
Check Scores Here.
The South RCT is a showcase this year for how splintered select side efforts are in Florida. Four different programs will field seven separate teams (all boys - no girls in Marietta as they opted for Charlotte). There's ARE, the South Florida Lightning, and Florida Elite Dragons. The Okapi Wanderers, runners up in the state championship this years as a stand-alone club, will also participate.
Northeast RCT About to Kick Off
After a period where it seemed we might not have a Northeast RCT at all, we actually have a very compelling tournament.
The key to the rescue of this event was changing the fee structure. USA Rugby has decreed that official Regional Cup Tournaments should charge $450 per team. However, those fees were based on Colorado standards for hotel room costs for refs, fees for medical support, and field fees. In the Northeast, those costs are much higher. So a compromise was met, whereby all teams that entered agreed to an additional $350 donation to the host organization.
That donation might seem like a lot, but it's cheaper than 30 plane tickets to another location. The compromise was met, and the games are on.
BC High Wins Masachusetts
Boston College High capped off a perfect season with a 60-19 win over St. John’s Prep in a repeat of the previous year’s championship game.
Just like in the 2016 season, the teams' only prior meeting was the first week of action. This year, the Championship was sanctioned by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Aassociation (MIAA), the Massachusetts varsity governing body, and the match was played on a beautiful day at Endicott College on a wide pitch.
BC High No. 8 Griffin Gildea scored the first two tries, the second of which came from a charged down kick by flyhallf Nick Sommer. Inside center Lucien Haikal scooped up the ball and was chased down by St. John’s defenders, only to find Gildea in support for the offload and try.
Final HS Single-School Rankings Analysis
Goff Rugby Report and FloRugby have concluded the Boys Single-School Rankings with the final rankings offering of the 2016-17 season.
Right at the end of the rankings period, we have been moving teams in and out of the Top 50, and even the Top 5. This final week was no different.
Championship weekends in Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut, and Massachusetts prompted moves. In addition, Kahuku's tour of New Zealand reminded us of something we knew all along ... the Raiders are awesome.
Northeast RCT Scores
Scores and standings from the Northeast Regional Cup Tournament in Rahway, NJ.
Check back for score and update throughout the weekend.
Link to Scores from Rocky Mountain Challenge
Rocky Mountain Rebels, 5785 Join All-Star Forces
Two Colorado-based all-star teams are joining forces for the summer.
The Rocky Mountain Rebels and 5785 have begun working together, playing 15s under the 5785 moniker and 7s as the Rebels.
The partnership was set up by coaches Amy Rusert (5785) and than Pougnet (Rocky Mountain).
“We will be collectively recruiting the top players in the region to play in the top showcases all around the country this summer,” said Pougnet.
That includes the Rocky Mountain Challenge this coming weekend in Aurora, CO, which will be live-streamed by FloRugby. The Rebels will compete at the Victoria International 7s in July, and the North American Invitational 7s in Salt Lake City, August 4-5.
HS All-Star Teams at RCTs
Here are the latest team lists for the Regional Cup Tournaments coming in the next two weeks.
Five HS all-star tournaments will be held throughout the country, with state-base all-star teams, and select teams sponsored by various organizations, as well as a few HS clubs that decided they didn't want the season to finish just yet.
Of these tournaments, the biggest appears to be the Rocky Mountain Challenge, which will be live-streamed by FloRugby. For more on that go here.
Here's the list:
Northeast
Jun 17-18, 2017. Rahway, NJ
Edina Takes Minnesota
After a regular Minnesota Youth Rugby season where Eagan seemed to be in control, Edina emerged as state champs with a 22-10 defeat of Eagan in the MYR playoffs this past weekend.
Edina sneaked up on some observers (Goff Rugby Report included) in part because of a middling set of results at the Border Battle at hte beginning of the season. Head Coach Rob Thoresen said h tested some younger players in that event.
St. Ignatius Wins Ohio
St. Ignatius defeated St. Edward 17-7 this past weekend to win the Rugby Ohio Boys DI title.
Also on the weekend, Brunswick defeated Lakota for the DIAA championship, St. Joseph defeated Hudson to win the girls DI championship, Walnut Hill took the girls DII title over Medina, Perrysburg edged Rocky River, Ignatius beat St. Ed in the B-side final, and St. Edward took the U16 final over Ignatius.
In the Boys DI final, Ignatius really controlled the run of play in the first half. St. Edward had a tough time even getting to the Ignatius 22-meter-line.
"For the first time all season we got the backline that we had planned on playing this year with," said St. Ignatius Head Coach Dan Arbeznik.
DMV Takes HS 7s at CRC
DMV United won the Boys HS 7s Elite Bracket at the CRC 7s weekend, defeating the Utah Cannibals 26-14 in the final.
DMV, which draws from teams in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area (hence the name), defeated West Shore, Rhino Rugby Academy, and Greenwich in a very tough Pool A on Saturday, and then took down West Chester Turks Head 26-0 in the semis.
Utah, meanwhile, edged Rhino 10-7 in the semis.
DMV's defense was superb through much of the tournament, while Jesse Capriotti and Chase Schor Haskin led the offensive effort. Capriotti scored two tries in the final, including one when Schor Haskin nabbed a restart in the air and offloaded to Capriotti for the try. Schor Haskin and Capriotti scored five tries apiece over the course of the weekend.
Rugby NY Finals - Xavier, Pelham, Keio
Xavier HS defeated Fordham Prep 29-12 Sunday to win the Rugby NY Boys DI final.
Xavier got by Canisius 38-12 on Saturday to make the final. Seniors Jack Manzo and Nick Gonzalez each scored a pair of tries and junior Alex Jebaily slotted four conversions. On Sunday, Eoin Sansavero sliced through for tries at seven and 15 minutes. Jebaily converted the first one, added a penalty a few minutes later, and Xavier led 15-0. Fordham battled with some good work in the forwards and an effective 8-9 combination.
Boys 7s Latest From CRC
LaSalle, Malvern Prep,, Downingtown, and Salesianum lead the Boys HS Open 7s at the CRC after all four went 3-0 Friday.
Of the teams that didn't top their pools, Eagle Mountain (12-10 losers to LaSalle), and Media (20-21 losers to Downingtown) might feel they don't have far to go to overcome that deficit. Those teams, plus Union and Bishop Shanahan made the top eight.
