Jervey Among 14 into IRB Hall of Fame
Legendary USA women's national team player Patty Jervey, who holds or held virtually every Eagle record at one point, has been named along with 14 others to the IRB Hall of Fame.
Jervey, who, oddly, is yet to be named to the USA Rugby Hall of Fame, is still the USA's all-time leader in tries and points. She is also the first rugby player to appear in five World Cups, and was part of the USA team that won the Rugby World Cup Women's in 1991.
She is one of six women to be inducted this year.
Americans Overseas - Who Played and Samu Rumors
The USA Men's National Team traded the availability of some overseas pros for the New Zealand test match for giving those players up for part or all of the rest of November.
That doesn't mean they played. Blaine Scully and Eric Fry weren't used as Leicester won and Newcastle lost in LV= cup action. Samu Manoa likewise wasn't used as Northampton won.
The Saracens players were more active, since the club played two games this past weekend. Chris Wyles started for Saracens as they beat a touring Western Province team. Meanwhile, Thretton Palamo started at inside center and Hayden Smith started at lock for Saracens as they beat the Ospreys out of Wales 21-9 in LV= Cup action.
This was a big deal for Palamo, who is now available for the last two games of the USA November matches.
Inside the 22 - So That Worked Out
Pros Wyles and LaValla starting, but Fry, Manoa, Smith, Scully all not playing this weekend. Did they need tackle bag holders?
Selects 7s Looks to Las Vegas
The Selects is an elite touring team for 7s that will be playing at the Las Vegas Invitational next February.
Under Dom Budzisz the team brings together promising young players from clubs, colleges, high schools, and the military to get seen in the Men's Elite 7s.
Some of the Selects players have gone on to get places with Olympic Development Academies and even a look from the USA team.
The Selects enters multple teams in multiple divisions at the LVI, and the last two years has put in four squads. That is the plan also for 2015.
Here's a list of some of the players - many still in college - who have been linked with the Selects team.
Big Rugby Crowd Brings Big Business
It’s easy to bemoan when a sport becomes a business, but business in sports can be a good thing. Certainly any athlete who is paid a lot of money to play a game has to think that when a sport becomes big business, that athlete benefits.
In rugby in America, there isn’t that big business connection yet. There are little increments of improvement, but you haven’t seen the millions injected into the game, and that’s because the numbers have to be there. And that, of course, is where Chicago comes in. Soldier Field sold out with 61,500 fans paying to see the All Blacks play the USA (and, as noted by much of the local media, they stayed through the whole game).
Many, perhaps the majority, of those 61,500 fans came from out of town. They stayed in hotels, they ate at restaurants, and they stopped (so we heard) at taverns. They spent money.
Las Vegas Teetering on World Series Edge The French Press Agency has reported that the Singapore Rugby Union has inked a four-year deal with the International Rugby World for the city to be a stop on the HSBC Sevens World Series, and that Las Vegas is one of three cities to be cut from the circuit, however the report may not be completely correct. Singapore has a stunning new national stadium which was completed in June and hosted the World Club 10s earlier this year. It can hold up to 55,000 for a rugby event.
Championship XV Edges Canada
Canada opened up their November tour with a 28-23 loss to a squad of players from the Greene King IPA Championship league.
The Championship is England's 2nd division pro league and features many up-and-coming players, pros from around Europe and the world, and longtime professionals. It was that experience and savvy that saw the Championship XV through.
Canada started well and took and early lead when flanker Kyle Gilmour scored from a lineout. But the Championship team replied through No. 8 Mark Bright. In a back-and-forth match Canada retook the lead and were ahead 11-7. Then a Nick Blevins try made it 18-7.
The Championship team replied in the second half. Fullback Jack Tovey capped off a nice movement, and then flanker Marco Mana finished off another odd-man rush to make it 21-18 Championship.
NBC-Universal Announces RWC Coverage
Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports Group today announced how they will cover the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
All four USA pool matches will be shown live, as will the opening match, the semifinals, the final, and the 3rd/4th match.
Coverage begins September 19, 2015, with the final being October 31, 2015.
In addition to broadcast and cable TV coverage, all 48 of the tournament’s matches will be made available LIVE on a pay-per-view basis from leading cable, satellite and IPTV providers.
Umaga Heads Up ARCA Event
Click on the image below for more. Tana Umaga, Charles Riechelman, and Christian Cullen, all former All Black stars, are in Chicago to work with the American Rugby Coached Association to provide tools for rugby coaches.
Friday night before Saturday's USA v All Blacks game they will hold a three-hour session which gives you USA Rugby Professional Development Credits.
Click below for info or go to www.arcarugby.com
Read Leads All Blacks v USA
The All Blacks team to play the United States this weekend has been named, with the All Blacks selectors unveiling a team combining young All Blacks talent and experienced heads for the historic match at Soldier Field, Chicago.
The match this Saturday 1 November is a 61,500 capacity sell-out with the All Blacks playing in front of a record attendance for a rugby match in the USA.
New Zealand Starting XV (Caps in parentheses)
1. Joe Moody (5)
2. Nathan Harris (1)
3. Charlie Faumuina (23)
4. Jeremy Thrush (9)
5. Patrick Tuipulotu (4)
6. Victor Vito (24)
7. Sam Cane (20)
8. Kieran Read (69)
9. TJ Perenara (7)
10. Aaron Cruden (35)
11. Charles Piutau (11)
12. Sonny Bill Williams (19)
13. Ryan Crotty (9)
14. Cory Jane (52)
15. Israel Dagg (44)
USAR to Announce Business Move
USA Rugby is expected to announce on Friday a new business initiative.
This comes on the heels of the partnership announced with IMG to promote and develop college championships, but does not appear to be related. According to sources, USA Rugby will create a for-profit offshoot that would presumably have more leeway in developing major events on the heels of the USA v New Zealand game.
USA Rugby would remain the national governing body and a non-profit, but changes are expected in how the organization makes money outside of membership dues and grants.
USA Rugby and IMG Partner for College NatsAs originally reported by the Sports Business Journal, USA Rugb has announced that the organization is partnering with international sports marketing firm IMG in a 10-year deal to market, promote, and develop the college national championships.
All Blacks Name Squad
New Zealand has named its squad for its tour of the USA and UK.
The All Blacks will face off with the USA November 1 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Forwards
Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington, 24 Tests)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty, 1)
Keven Mealamu (Auckland, 120)
Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury, 33)
Charlie Faumuina (Auckland, 22)
Ben Franks (Hawke's Bay, 37)
Owen Franks (Canterbury, 63)
Joe Moody (Canterbury, 5)
Locks
Brodie Retallick (Bay of Plenty, 33)
Luke Romano (Canterbury, 16)
Jeremy Thrush (Wellington, 4)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, 5)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury, 60)
Americans Overseas Get Try-Happy
It was a big weekend for tries by USA players overseas, as three Aviva Premiership players scored to help their teams win.
Samu Manoa scored three tries as he started at No. 8 for Northampton against Sale. The Saints won 43-10. Manoa scored with an athletic play nabbing an overthrown lineout, and then capped off two mauls to complete his hat trick. He was, as usual, a complete monster on the field and remains one of the dominant players in the league.
Meanwhile Chris Wyles scored a try when he blocked a kick and was in from long range as Saracens defeated Gloucester 28-21. That try was a key one was t the time Gloucester led 13-3 and were attacking once again. The try from Wyles, with Charlie Hodgson's conversion, make it 13-10, and moments later another try would put Saracens up to stay.
