This Saturday, the New York Rugby Club host the 55th annual New York 7s Tournament. A post Thanksgiving tradition since the late 1950s, the tournament will see over 130 teams of all levels and from around the globe participate.
Further details, including travel directions, can be found on the tournament website at newyorkrugbysevens.com. And don't forget to pick up a program which will feature a couple rugby life articles.
SUWRFC at Cherry Blossom Touranment in Washington DC, in the spring of 2013
The Syracuse University Women’s Rugby Football Club is seeking a head coach to lead and instruct the squad of about 35 players. SUWRFC is a DI team in the collegiate women’s DII Empire GU conference, and finished with a record of 5-2 in the fall of 2013. SUWRFC recently went to the American College Rugby Association’s division I sweet 16 playoffs this November to compete against teams such as Norwich and Brown.
Syracuse is looking for a coach to start during the spring 2014 season. The team practices 3 days a week with times TBD in the spring and competes in 3 tournaments on the weekends throughout the spring. We practice 5 days a week during the fall from 5-7pm, with matches on Saturdays.
Previous coaching experience is preferred, but not required, as we welcome anyone with rugby experience who is interested in coaching.
If you are interested or have questions please contact captain Emily Rossi at suwomensrugbyfc@gmail.com
For my latest podcast, I speak with CNN's Bleacher Report columnist Jeff Hull about the current developments in North American rugby. Jeff has been covering rugby since 2006 and has also served as Press Officer for the Canadian men's and women's fifteens and sevens teams. You can learn more about Jeff on his website jeffhull.ca and follow him on twitter @rugbyscribe You can listen to podcast via the player below as well as via iTunes, Stitcher, and Feedburner.
As mentioned in then show, I welcome your feedback! Please post your comments and questions on the podcast below or on twitter, Google+, or Facebook.
Dallen Stanford from Team Canterbury hits the sand to give the gritty Santa Monica "BeachBoks" the Canterbury "Rugby Jersey Challenge". Design your own jersey at www.cccteam.com.
Contact Dallen directly if you're interested in getting the (nearly) indestructible Canterbury jersey for your team: dallen.stanford@canterburyus.com
New episode of State of the Union with a feature on New York City 7s, one of two American teams, taking part in the inaugural World Club 7s Tournament at Twickenham Stadium, UK on 17-18th August 2013.
The Tufts Rugby program is currently recruiting for an assistant coach for the Fall 2013 season. A stipend is available for the right candidate who ideally will specialize in coaching our forwards.
They compete in DII competition against the following programs: Boston University, Coast Guard Academy, Norwich, University of New Hampshire, University of Rhode Island, University of Vermont. They are a very ambitious program and are hoping to gain varsity status here at Tufts.
Practices are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings with games being on a Saturday afternoon. They would like the appointed candidate to attend at least 3 of these 4 weekly events (For high level candidates they may approve just 2 attendances per week).
Basic duties will be as follows:
Coaching of the team, unit (forwards) and individuals
Coaching of the scrum, lineouts, rucks and mauls
Assist with team selection
Assist with team meetings / video analysis sessions (Before and/or after practice)
Develop both rookie and experienced players
To apply for this position please email Head Coach Robin Peers with details of your playing and/or coaching background: robinpeers@hotmail.com . Applications will be treated on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Play Rugby USA to run Mandela Day Event in New York
In honor of Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday, Play Rugby USA has partnered with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to celebrate Mandela Day! On Thursday, July 18, from 12:30pm-4:00pm at the Junior Sports Leadership Academy at The Emily Dickinson School in Harlem, Play Rugby USA participants will be in a number of activities to celebrate Nelson Mandela and his legacy.
First, they will be holding a smoothie competition to educate about and promote the importance of a nutritional diet. After, they will create posters and signs about Mandela and his legacy to hang around the school to create awareness. At the end of the day from 3-4pm, the members of the Play Rugby USA Senior Academy (including two players from the recent Stars vs. Stripes national assembly) will visit the school, sign the posters, and coach the kids through some fun and engaging flag rugby drills. This gives our older players the opportunity to give back to their communities and mentor our younger participants. As Nelson Mandela said, "Sport has the power to change the world".
Who: Play Rugby USA and Mandela Day
What: Mandela Day Celebration. "Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day."
When: July 18, 2013, 12:30pm-4pm
Where: The Emily Dickinson School, 735 West End Avenue, NY, NY 10025
Why: Engage participants of all ages to learn more about Nelson Mandela and spread his legacy through the community.
Contact:
Mark Griffin, Mark.Griffin@PlayRugbyUSA.com, 212-757-3421 x. 101
630 9th Avenue, Suite 809, NY, NY 10036
It was four years ago today that I launched a rugby life. I honestly had no idea where it might lead. All I knew is that I wanted to share the news and stories about rugby in the US.
The original A Rugby Life logo
when I launched in 2009
Over the years, I've met and chatted with some fantastic folks involved in rugby. Many of them have taken part in my podcasts and many have become good friends. I have a fantastic supportive (and ever growing) fan base of people who not only read and listen to my own work but help share with others via my social media streams.
This is only part of the story as a lot of my work also goes on behind the scenes sharing ideas and helping to grow businesses. It's been an interesting journey so far, to say the least, and it's only getting better!
I plan to continue posting to the blog, recording more podcasts, making more friends, and helping more businesses.
In addition, I'm entering the final stretch with my foray into the world of video. As many of you know, I've been working on my news show, "State of the Union", for sometime now. It's been a huge project and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears has gone into it. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally have it completed and ready to share with you. As I discovered over the past four years, good things come to those who wait. In a week's time, I hope that is something true I can share with you.
Thank you for so much for your support the past four years and here's to more rugby goodness to come. Cheers!
American University Women's Rugby is looking for a coach this upcoming Fall 2013-Spring 2014 season. AUWRFC is a competitive DII collegiate club which practices Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5PM-7PM (4PM-6PM during Daylight Savings Time) in the Tenleytown area. Games are generally every Saturday during the season at locations throughout the MD/DC/VA area. The coach's travel expenses will be covered by the team. We also hope to have our assistant coaches stay on board and help out our new head coach as much as possible.
AUWRFC won the PRU Championship this past year and played in Round 32 Playoffs of Nationals. The team is made up of hard-working, motivated young women, and typically has around 20 returners in addition to new rookies that join each year through heavy recruitment. The team's leadership is made up of an Executive Board of 11 players including a president, two captains, a match secretary, treasurer, and others who help the season transition smoothly. There is a lot of talent on this team, and the 2013-2014 season should be another successful year.
Previous leadership and/or coaching experience is desired, but not required, and we welcome recently retired players who are interested in coaching. USA Rugby coaching certification is required, but AUWRFC will help the right person obtain this certification.
If you are interested or have questions regarding this position please contact Grace Cerand (Club President), at auwomensrugbypresident@gmail.com.
Yesterday saw @arugbylife hit the 20,000 follower mark and to celebrate, I held a contest to have folks tweet photos of their "Saturday is a rugby day".
I got four fantastic entries and wanted to share them along with the winner picked by the fabulous Mrs. A Rugby Life, who wins a Bakline T-Shirt of their choosing.
Mrs. A Rugby Life Says "Loved all the entrees but this one was my favorite. The sun evokes the weekend, sunny weather, relaxation and promise/potential. The composition of the photo is nice. The open gate is inviting people in to play together."
Congratulations to Mandy and big thank you to all the folks who submitted entrees!
Lansdowne RFC based in the Bronx, NY is currently looking to hire a new coach. Founded in 1993, they compete in the Empire GU Division II and has a rich history, with a diverse US and international player base, and currently carrying a senior group of over 50 players. A small stipend in available for the ideal candidate. For more information please email the club at: lansdownerfc@gmail.com with the subject line "Lansdowne Coaching Position"
All Blacks legend Michael Jones will be in Manhattan next week for two events in support of AUT University rugby scholarships which send high school kids to New Zealand over the summer. AUT has been sponsoring these scholarships for the last 5 years and they are an incredible experience for the scholarship winners. On Tuesday 16th April, Bill Middleton and AUT University’s Vice Chancellor, Derek McCormack, will host a small private dinner with Michael for no more than 10 people. Tickets and details can be found at www.mjnyVIP.eventbrite.com
On Wednesday 7th April, there is a large event hosted by USA Rugby and AUT University for dinner, drinks and Q&A with Michael, USA Eagles National Coach Mike Tolkin and USA Eagle Mike Petri. Tickets and details can be found at www.mjny.eventbrite.com
As some background, in 2008 a partnership was established between Perry Street Preparatory Public School in Washington DC, (formerly known as Hyde Charter Leadership School) and AUT University, supported by the New Zealand Embassy’s Ambassador’s Shield, which enabled rugby-playing high school students a chance to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study, play rugby and enjoy ‘life’ in New Zealand. In 2009, Alex Pettiford and Salim Lancaster were the first of ten students thus far who have spent six weeks studying and playing rugby in New Zealand while experiencing a unique cultural exchange. The video below is from a CBS 2009 new report that features Hyde Rugby.
Play Rugby USA is holding a 6 Nations Viewing Party as a fundraiser on Saturday March 16th at The Australian NYC, one of the premier bars in the city (20 West 38th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave) starting at 10:00 AM. Come enjoy the final weekend of this year's 6 Nations tournament with a great crowd while supporting a great cause!
3 Matches being played: Italy v. Ireland @ 10:30, Wales v. England @ 1:00, and France v. Scotland @ 4:00 (Cover included in admission price)
Courtesy of Dallen Stanford Rugby Showdown announces new ticket prices and kick-off time!
The Rugby Showdown has released a new ticket pricing structure and later kick-off time to ensure that the rugby community in Southern California can experience the exciting fixture on April 13th.
The South African Golden Lions from Johannesburg, who took part in the 2012 Super 15 Rugby competition, will take on the North American All Stars at Cal State Fullerton. The match is now set to kick-off at 7.30 p.m. Pacific Time at Titan Stadium on Saturday April 13th.
The evening kick-off will certainly help boost attendance figures with several rugby teams in the region competing in the various playoff competitions in Southern California.
“This is indeed excellent news for our match against the Lions. Having a large crowd supporting us will definitely add to the excitement of this clash,” said flanker Todd Clever, the North American All Stars captain.
Another element that will aid this cause is the new ticket prices released by the Rugby Showdown:
Youth $5, Students $10, General Seating $25 and Preferred Seating $35.
For more information and to purchase tickets click here!
The April 13th event will see a festival atmosphere with plenty of action planned for inside and outside Titan Stadium on the beautiful Cal State Fullerton campus.
Several local rugby teams are set to move their playoff matches to this venue, with youth, college, club and old boys fixtures on the schedule. Tournament organizers will be announcing news of the live entertainment in the coming weeks, including a rugby banquet, beer garden and giveaways.
In other news: USA Eagles Head Coach, Mike Tolkin, who will coach the North American All Stars - has released three names of his squad that will face the Golden Lions.
These players include Andrew Suniula, Shaun Davies and Graham Harriman.
“Andrew is a hard running veteran centre who brings leadership to the squad. Shaun is a dynamic and feisty young player who got his first taste of international rugby last summer. Graham broke into the Eagles this fall after a promising campaign in the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC). He is a good technical lock who has a bright future,” said Tolkin.
Andrew Suniula ( Credit: www.rugbyphoto.com / Gary Coldwells )
Suniula (centre) – who comes from a strong rugby background with Eagle brothers Roland and Shalom – has been capped 15 times for the USA Eagles, and played at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The powerful center is a great addition for the team, providing excellent go-forward ball, and is solid on defense.
Davies (scrum half) – the All-American from Brigham Young University (BYU) earned his first cap for the USA Eagles last year, and is an up and coming talent in the number 9 jersey.
Harriman (lock) – played for the USA Selects in 2012 at the ARC, and has also attended the Sharks Academy in Durban, South Africa. Harriman currently plays for the Chicago Griffins with teammate Andrew Suniula.
“This game brings a great competitive opportunity for our HP (High Performance) players to be involved in during their domestic season. It also gives the fans an opportunity to watch a great professional organization in their back yard. It will be a brilliant evening, “ enthused Tolkin.
As I mentioned recently, I have been actively working on a new podcast series. Well the wait is over! I am proud to introduce "The State of Play", a topical discussion show with stateside based rugby commentators and personalties on topics related to US rugby. For my first show, I sit down with Curtis Reed, the founder and editor of This is American Rugby, to discuss the National 15s and 7s sides, and the impact of professionalism in and outside the states.
For the first Spotlight podcast of 2013, I had the pleasure to chat with Mollie McCarthy, the new head coach for the Mens and Womens rugby programs at Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL.
Mollie McCarthy
We chat about Mollie's early playing days and her extensive coach career which included 4 years as the coach development manager with USA Rugby. We also get an insight into her move to Alabama and what her future plans are for the development of college rugby there.
I have been working away behind the scenes on several new things which includes developing a second podcast series I hope to debut at the end of this month.
I will continue to keep doing the existing series, but as the new one is slightly different in nature, I want to separate them name wise. The new one's name is under wraps, but the existing one is now going to be called Spotlight.
The first of the Spotlight interviews for this year is coming right up...so stay tuned!
This Saturday, the New York Rugby Club host the 55th annual New York 7s Tournament. A post Thanksgiving tradition since the late 1950s, the tournament will see over 130 teams of all levels and from around the globe participate.
