Archive for the ‘High School’ Category

MTSU RUGBY CAMP

September 13-14, 2008

Special Guest - Eddie O’Sullivan
International Head Coach of Ireland from 2001 - 2007. Eddie is respected as one of the most professionally thorough and innovative coaches in World rugby and made history by leading Ireland to three Triple Crown victories in four years (2004,2006 & 2007). After taking charge he dramatically changed the fortunes and style of Ireland’s National rugby team and became their most successful ever coach with a win/loss of 50-28.

MTSU Rugby is proud to host Eddie O’Sullivan and invites coaches and players from Tennessee High School Rugby, local colleges and clubs to share in this unique opportunity. Eddie first came to MTSU in 1998 to present the first USA Rugby level 2 Coaches Course. He is an outstanding speaker, educator and motivator. It is a rare opportunity that coaches and players can actually learn from an international coach.

New Coach at MTSU!!! — This season MTSU Rugby welcomes John Keepa to the coaching staff. John is from New Zealand and holds an IRB level 2 Coach Certification as well as an advanced coaching certificate from IRANZ. He has a Bachelor Degree in Business from Massey University with his major being sports management. He is a professional sports trainer and has won New Zealand body building championships. John will be a great addition to MTSU and the entire rugby community.

Fees:
Coaches — $90 for all sessions

(Single session on Saturday at $40 each; Sunday only $45)

*Players — $50 for all sessions

(Single session on Saturday $20; Sunday only $25)

*Only a limited number of player participants can be accepted - advance payment and reservation is required. Additional players and day of show walk-ins can attend as observers, but may not get to participate in session. Players should be prepared for contact, dressed in rugby shorts, jersey and mouthpiece. Players must be CIPP Registered, equipped with drinks and pre-tapped etc. Eat sensible especially at lunch breaks.

All checks should be made payable to MTSU Rugby and can be mailed in advance to

Mark Williams

1461 Battleground Dr.

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

615-895-0477

For more information contact me via e-mail if at all possible.

Mark

mwilliams@rsucontractors.com

If you do not have a link to this Excellent foundation I commend it. Great piece on Cameron Dolan of Naples to whom FRU sends its congratulations.

August 2008

Dear Rugby Supporter:
The United States Rugby Football Foundation invites you to explore the latest news from the USRFF, the Foundation for the Rugby Community.

USRFF Names 2008 Developmental Grant Recipients

The United States Rugby Football Foundation is pleased to announce that Hanno Dirksen, Kevin Kimble and Cameron Dolan have been selected as this year’s Developmental Grant recipients entitling them to participate in the Advanced Player’s Course at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand.

Hanno Dirksen plays his rugby in Atlanta for the U19 Trojans. The 17 year old back has represented the US at the U17 and U18 levels. Hanno showed his versatility at last week’s North America 4 competition with outstanding performances at wing, flyhalf and center. He was so impressive that he was called into the USA National Team assembly in Charleston, SC for the upcoming Clermont-Auvergne match. Read more about Hanno.

 www.usrugbyfoundation.org

Kevin Kimble is an exceptional athlete from New Rochelle, NY who will be attending Penn State in the fall. Kevin played for the US U17s and U18s and was player of the tour for the U18s when they toured England playing Bedford, Northampton, and Doncaster last year. “Kevin is a backrow player with an enormous workrate and unlimited potential,” said USA U18s coach Mike Diamantopoulos. Read more about Kevin.

 www.usrugbyfoundation.org

Cam Dolan is from Florida where he excelled playing not only high school rugby but senior men’s rugby this past year. Cam also spent time playing rugby in England in 2007 and was a member of the USA U17 and U18 national squads. “Cameron is big, strong and athletic second rower with a bright future in the sport,” said USA Rugby High Performance Director Matt Sherman. Cam has been offered a scholarship to attend Life University in the fall. Read more about Cam.

 www.usrugbyfoundation.org

This is the fourth year that the USRFF has sent promising high school players to New Zealand to participate at the IRANZ’s Advanced Student Course. Four of the six who’ve received Developmental Grants, Scott LaValla, Taylor Mokate, Hamish Roberts and Shawn Pittman, represented the US at this year’s U20 World Championships. LaValla and Pittman also played for the Falcons at the recently completed NA4 competition.

“We are pleased to continue sending some of the country’s promising young players abroad to help develop their game,” said USRFF Executive Director Brian Vizard. “Hanno, Cam and Kevin were all highly recommended and I’m sure they’ll do themselves and the U.S. rugby community proud.”

The USRFF would like to thank David and Eileen Hovey for their generous contribution in making this year’s Developmental Grants possible; TravelCorp for providing the domestic airfare; and USA National Team coach Scott Johnson for allowing Hanno to take time off from the National Team assembly to attend IRANZ. The player’s leave today and will return on August 15.

Support the USRFF

To learn more about the United States Rugby Football Foundation or to make a contribution, go to www.usrugbyfoundation.org or call Executive Director Brian Vizard at 619-233-0765. Thank you for your interest in the USRFF.

Third Party Liability Insurance

This is a great piece on liability from USARugby. Too few people understand the implications of not being CIPPED - urge you to read this as club  officials and individuals. 

Please keep in mind that all individual and club registration will expire on August 31, 2008 and Certificates of Liability Insurance will expire on September 1, 2008. New certificates will need to be issued after this date and will grant coverage from September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009. Before members submit an electronic request for a certificate, the club must be registered and have at least 15 individuals registered in order to be granted coverage. For more information, please visit:

 www.usarugby.org/goto/Liability_Insurance

 Q: How does liability insurance benefit my club and me?

A: The benefit may not be easily apparent to everyone. What members should understand is that the owners/operators of most all fields and facilities will require a large liability insurance policy such as this to even allow a club access. Without such a policy in place, most Parks & Recreation Departments and other public fields and facilities, including meeting spaces, would be off-limits for use. Independent insurance would be very difficult to obtain, as insurance underwriters are generally unwilling to write coverage for stand alone rugby operations. Most clubs are dependent at some point in the season on public facilities, even if their home pitch is on school grounds and already covered.

 Q: As a coach, am I covered for any liability in the case of an injury to a player on my club, or to an opposing club player?

A: The coverage provides legal defense should a coach be sued by a player in event of a player injury. Coaches are insured under the General Liability policy.

 Q: As a referee, am I covered for any liability in the case of an injury to a player on either club in a match I am officiating? What about a referee assignor or other administrator who has responsibility for match officials, etc.?

A: The coverage provides legal defense should a referee or administrator be sued by a player in event of a player injury. Referees/Officials are insured under the General Liability policy.

 Q: What are the ramifications if I decide not to CIPP register my club and its players?

A: If a club decides not to CIPP register, then they do not have any insurance through USA Rugby. It will be difficult or impossible for a facility to allow you to hold a competition or practice, as they generally require proof of insurance. Additionally, the individual members of the club can be held personally liable for any damage to the field for injuries players may sustain as a result of their participation.

Q: What if my club is registered, but I find out the opposing club or its players are not?

A: USA Rugby advises you not to compete in any match against non-CIPP registered opponents. You should notify your Local Area and Territorial Union officials and contact the Club official to find out why they are not registered. If the LAU or TU do not support your decision not to play the match, you should contact the USA Rugby National Office. If you play the match and the opposing club is not CIPP registered, you could forfeit coverage for your club.

USA Maccabiah rugby team, is seeking Jewish rugby players to attend a tryout held in Chicago on August 15th-17th.  Anyone interested should go to www.maccabiusa.com and fill out and application.  Details of the training are also on that website.

Making the team and traveling to Israel is a great experience of Jewish culture, heritage, camaraderie, and a very high level of rugby competition.  I have been three times and highly encourage anyone interested in trying out.  If you don’t make it, at least you know what you will have to go up against next time.  You can also get a hold of me if you need more info.

Thanks,

Greg Van De Grift

This is probably the nearest course for aspiring coaches in the near term.

Remember the FRU will pay course fees upon evidence of passing/qualifying.

Mobile , Ala. — In anticipation of USA Rugby granting Deep
South?s application, the prospective CDP workshop will be held on
September 27-28, 2008 in New Orleans , Louisiana . As of this
release, the two-day workshop will only feature the Introducing Rugby
component. If enough requests are received, Deep South Rugby Union
will petition to add the Developing Rugby course component.The cost of the two-day workshop is $125 and will be held on
Tulane University ’s campus. Interested individuals should have
already registered in the Coach’s Portal, if not do so immediately.
Hopefully you have also started/completed your modules. The more Deep
South or South members registered on the Coaches Portal and actively
working through the modules, the better the chance Deep South has of
securing this event.

A discounted rate of $99/night has been reserved at the Holiday
Inn Express French Quarter, 221 Carondelet Street , New Orleans ,
Louisiana , 505-962-0800. Please refer to “Deep South Rugby” when
reserving your room. The rooms will be held until September 8th.

Please confirm/reconfirm your intention to enroll in this CDP event to
Jennie Alwell (jea013@bellsouth.net) as soon as possible.

Jennie E. Alwell

Secretary

Deep South Rugby
__._,_.___

The course will start at 8:30 am & we should be finished by 5 PM. Earlier if you are quick at exam’s.

The exam will be conducted on site using an open Law book. All students taking the exam will be supplied with a Law book & other goodies.

Location: Senate Chambers, Main Building. Look for someone who looks lost with a rugby shirt and you will be at the right place. If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding the location, please give Coach John a call on his cell at 561-702-8009.

FAU
Glades Road
Boca Raton

COST: $35 PER PERSON IF TAKING THE EXAM.

We will break for lunch, which can be had at the cafe in FAU.

ANYONE IS WELCOME TO SIT IN ON THE COURSE AT NO CHARGE.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

I-95 : Exit at Glades Road and go east approximately 1/2 mile. The entrance to FAU will be on the left.

Florida’s Turnpike: Exit at Glades Road and go east approximately 4 miles. The entrance to FAU will be on the left, approximately 1/2 mile east of I-95.

If you need to contact me do so by email or my cell 754 245 0215

Look forward to seeing you there.

Gerry FitzGerald

USA Rugby, Glendale Rugby to Host Youth Academy Prior to North America 4 Finals 

BOULDER, Colo. - In the midst of NA4 tournament events between top U.S. and Canadian Men’s Rugby athletes, America’s future elite ruggers will also have a chance to show off their talents at Glendale’s Infinity Park, when USA Rugby partners with Glendale Rugby Club to host the Glendale Raptor Youth Academy on Wednesday, July 30 - Friday, August 1.

Under-10 through Under-19 athletes from across the nation are invited to join elite level coaches and USA Rugby athletes for instruction on a full range of rugby skills, which encompasses both contact and non-contact training, over a three-day span.

Instructed by Glendale and USA Rugby staff, with special appearances from North America 4 athletes and other top U.S. coaches, the academy will work to build the all-around rugby abilities of the young athletes from the fundamentals through overall conditioning.

Training sessions will target individual skills such as evasive running, passing, kicking and communication, as well as team skills like back play, the scrum and the lineout. Further skill-building sessions include position decision-making, ruck/maul and set play.

“USA Rugby is excited to partner with the city of Glendale to give young athletes an opportunity to interact with many of our country’s greatest rugby players and specialists,” said USA Rugby Youth Manager Katie Wurst. “The academy will be a great way of linking local grass roots development with high performance programming.”

The cost to register is $150, and includes a t-shirt, certificate of participation, academy play book, professional instruction, lunch each day, sponsor giveaway package and two tickets to the North America 4 matches at Infinity Park, Glendale on August 2.

For more information, contact USA Rugby Youth Manager Katie Wurst at kwurst@usarugby.org or Glendale Rugby Youth Coordinator Jenna Anderson at janderson@glendale.co.us or 303.639.4713. For more information on the NA4 Tournament, please visit www.narugby.com.

2009 Championship DatesCollege Round of 16 April 17,18 & 19

College Finals May 1 & 2

Men’s Club Playoffs rd of 16 May 16 & 17

HS & U19 Championships May 29, 30, 31

Men’s club finals May 30 & 31

Women’s club TBD

Thought I would send you a report on this past weekends results from the South Florida Select Side U - 20 teams results in the Pittsburgh Challenge Cup . First and foremost Coaches Bill Marts , Don Stramanak and Jeff Oxenrider all should be Congratulated for a job well done. The team finished in second place.
This is the third year that these gentlemen took it upon their own initiative to put a traveling squad together and compete against other upper level teams throughout the country. Because of their respective efforts the very first year drew attention to Florida Youth rugby. The result was some of our athletes were chosen to go to U.S.A. Rugby camps and several have now played for the U-17 ,18 and 19 U.S.A. Junior Eagles Teams respectively, playing both abroad and here in the United States.
Several of our teams have now had players recognized as stand out players and they include , Trojans , Brevard Red Eyes , Naples and now Weston. Those players that have been selected and played at the Junior Eagle level and or recently selected are Cameron Dolan ; Brandon Grey ; Brian Hussey ; Shane Young ; Wes Haughton ; Jamie Penca and recently invited to a camp Alex Tucci.
There have been several others that have been invited to camps to compete at the highest levels. In their ( Florida’s ) inaugural year they placed last , the second year , fourth and this year placed second . Each year with major improvements noted by many.

The Coaches had several practices with the 26 player roster that traveled to Pittsburgh and they gelled as a unit and an observer may have thought that this team had played together as a unit all season long. They all worked well and in unison while they competed for top honors at the tournament. The coaches were able to move players in many positions and each athlete performed well and complimented and supported each other in each game.

South Florida soundly defeated Minnesota in the first game and served as a terrific beginning as that team defeated Florida one year ago in Baltimore. They went on to the second game and demonstrated good sound fundamentals against EPRU ( Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union ) and defeated them which brought the first day to a close with a 2 - 0 record. The second day of competition made it very clear that South Florida needed to win in order to play for a Title match. Florida was matched up against Met New York for the first match of the day which they won before going on to lose a close final to North Carolina.

Players from all the various teams that participated put in an outstanding effort. Those teams were from Trojan Rugby ; North East Nomads ; Weston Rugby ; Jupiter Rugby ; Tampa Bay Pelicans ; North Broward Prep and Naples Bears. Some of the other payers were from F.S.U. ; U.C.F.; Edison College , and F.G.C.U. .

An example of the impact that the tour had on both the players , coaches and fans can be summed up in a letter written by the President of the Delaware Rugby Foundation Jerry Humphrey to the organizer Kurt Mockenhaupt of the Potomac Rugby Foundation when he said ” A special nod, in my opinion , should go to both Florida and Carolina programs. The parental support shown as well as the concentration on solid rugby tradition by these two groups makes me want to do more. I was especially proud to see the Florida team line up to cheer for a fallen opponent on the main field “. Florida displayed both class and great sportsmanship in spite of several obstacles. Each young man had terrific learning lessons and all of the young men showed mature attitudes throughout the tour. Florida Rugby can be proud of their teams !

The effort and experience that the Coaches displayed in their handling of all the details of a traveling side and the demeanor and the appreciation that the players responded with was a terrific example of the strides and gains for Florida Youth Rugby in our short four year history. Each player got to experience a higher level of rugby while others got a sense of what the game has to offer besides playing for their individual teams. The boys bonded and by the end of the tournament one would think that these young men have known each other their entire lives. Each gained a new love for the game and a respect for the athletes that play it. The venue that we played at was the same location that the U.S.A.Rugby held the High School Championships. It was held at the Pittsburgh Harlequins Founders Field. They were tremendous hosts and have awesome facilities. Additionally , our South Florida Select Side U- 20 team was also the first and probably the last Rugby team to ever play and practice on the Pittsburgh Steelers playing field in their home stadium. They also got to tour the facility and experience the players locker rooms as well as the private sky boxes and press rooms. They now know what it is like to play in a stadium that sits in excess of 63,000 fans. They got to run the field , which no other group ever has been privileged to do. The Coaches thank Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive tackle Chris Hoke for giving the Rugby team special access and privileges while visiting. The tour was a complete success and the players that traveled walk away with many terrific memories.

A special thanks to the following for thier support of our tour , Sunshine Supplemental Eductional Services ( Tutoring ) , Larry Fox U.S.A.Rugby Coach , Naples Hammerheads Men’s Rugby Club ; Ft. Lauderdale Men’s club ; Ft. Lauderdale Rugby Foundation ; U.S.A.Rugby South ; Florida Rugby Union ; Trojan Rugby Club ; Naples Bears Rugby Club ; ; Pittsburgh Harlequin Rugby Club and Parents of thier High School team ; Pittsburgh Steeler Football Team , specifically Chris Hoke . All the parents and family members that attended .

 In closing , the coaches Bill Marts , Dave Stamanak , and Jeff Oxenrider deserve big Kudos from the entire state of Florida for their time , effort and energy !! Well done.

Cheers,

Steve –

July 1, 2008 

Greetings TU and LAU Administrators!

 We have recently updated some of our Membership Forms. We will now be accepting electronic request forms for players looking to transfer teams and for those requesting dual roles. Members will be able to assign dual roles at the time of membership, but if they acquire another role later on in the season we can accommodate their changes here. We hope that this shift to electronic request forms will help with our turn around rate and aid us in our communication with member requests. You can view these valuable administrative forms at the following link:

www.usarugby.org/goto/Membership_Forms

Administrative Tip:

Please keep in mind that all individual and club registration will expire on August 31, 2008 and Certificates of Liability Insurance will expire on September 1, 2008. New certificates will need to be issued after this date and will grant coverage from September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009. Before members submit an electronic request for a certificate, the club must be registered and have at least 15 individuals registered in order to be granted coverage.

Thank you and have a fantastic Fourth of July weekend!

Kristin Richeimer
USA Rugby
Director, Membership Relations