Asad Ziar: Rugby in Afghanistan

Special Report for A Rugby Life by Asad Ziar, CEO, Afghanistan Rugby Federation.  

After the rugby was introduced into Afghanistan, I saw many locals fall in love with it from day one.  I have seen many leave other sports clubs to come and join in a game that they’d never heard of before.  Rugby perfectly suited their physical and robust nature as well as having a pretty similar DNA to the national sport of Buzkashi (minus the dead goat).

As the force behind the development and progress of rugby, I have been traveling the country spreading the word and opening up rugby clubs wherever I can.  This is a huge undertaking for Afghanistan Rugby Federation ( ARF ) and have also been teaching everyone the game from kids to adults, giving them the basic skills they need to play.  

I am also very committed to introducing rugby to each and every kid in Afghanistan.   My aim is to support the youth, both boys and girls, who are choosing rugby against a backdrop of violence, conflict and suffering.  I'm not making judgments about the war, or about individuals.  It’s all about the sport, doing something positive, and having fun.   The positive aspect of this is that we will attract our new generation towards rugby while providing them the opportunity to not to be part of the violence, war, and drug addiction.   

I know this it is only possible with the help from people around the world. 
I encourage you to check our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/afgrugbyaz and appreciate your support!

Zimbabwe's Mbare Rugby Academy

Special Report by Benedict Chanakira

When you hear people mention Mbare, a suburb of Harare in Zimbabwe, images of poverty, crime and filth often come to mind.  There is not many good things to say about the area, but amongst the rough lies several gems: its famous market, Zimbabwe’s biggest and most successful soccer team, Dynamos; and the Mbare Rugby Academy.

Mbare Rugby Academy (Credit: www.lilfordia.com)

In 2007 Milton Rankeni and Victor Pekani decided to develop the game with the help of Zimbabwe Rugby Union. With little to no funds they have managed to produce a handful of players for the Zimbabwe under 13, under16, under 18 and 7′s teams. The coaches that assist Victor and Milton are all volunteers and all hold the same vision and dream: to grow the game in Zimbabwe, bring out the best in under-priviledged kids who are all required to be in school and be studying.   

I decided to visit the team at the Harare Sports Club for one of their scheduled training sessions held on Sundays, which typically has in excess of 150 players in attendance. The ratio of girls to boys is 30 -70.  The five coaches are split between the three groups of fourty-five players who run drills with the players who range in age from five to twenty one.   I was particularly surprised not only at the high skill levels, which was rather impressive, but also the size of the players. All quite small, and hardly a difference between the backs and the forwards.   Size aside, the adcademy has had some great sucesses with wins over St Georges under 16s,  development of several National age-group side players, and a successful showing at the Middelburg 7s tournament.

With a tour to South Africa later in the year, the future sucess of the academy looks bright.

The Harvey School seeking Girls Varsity Rugby Coach

The Harvey School is a private grade 6-12 in Katonah, NY. It is seeking a Girls Rugby Varsity Head Coach, which provides a salary of $3,000-4,000, depending on experience and background. The starting date is February 24, 2014.

The ideal candidate will have coaching experience with high school age girls and an education background (not a must). Solid fundamental rugby knowledge is needed, as all girls will be new to the game. Patience and excellent communication skills are required. Practice times would be 330-440 every day of the week.

Interested candidates should contact Mark Brandon, Athletic Director, who may be reached via email using mbrandon@harveyschool.org

Play Rugby USA runs event in Harlem to celebrate Mandela Day

Courtesy of Mark Griffin, PlayRugbyUSA.com

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

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

All Blacks Legend Michael Jones in NYC for two events next week

Michael Jone
(Courtesy of Samoan Bios)

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. 

Join Play Rugby USA at the Australian to watch the 6 Nations!

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)
• Hot Lunch Buffet
• 2 Drink Tickets
• Happy hour drink specials throughout the day

Purchase Tickets here!

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Bryan.Vale@PlayRugbyUSA.com

Q&A with Taking Flight Rugby Winner Darrin Curle

Taking Flight Winners James Saddler (Left)
and Darrin Curle (Right) with USA Eagle Zack Test (Middle)

In the second part of a special report for A Rugby Life, Bakline's Rob Schnabel catches up with the Taking Flight rugby's 2nd inaugural winner Darrin Curle to chat about the Serevi camp and his experiences over the weekend

Rob: What was your experience being at Infinity Park?

Darrin: Infinity Park was awesome. It was lovely to see a field and stadium like that dedicated to just rugby! It is a great environment and was lots of fun. The facilities are great and it’s a great example of how the game is moving forward in America. It’s an inspiration for me to keep playing the game.

Rob: Being in the camp and watching the tournament.

Darrin: The camp was great all the coaches where very friendly and knew what they were doing. They were willing to take you aside and comment on something you were not doing correctly and giving tips on your game. I was able to spend some one on one time with most coaches which was great and very helpful with focusing on smaller aspects on my game. It was lovely watching the tournament and being able to learn while I watched that level of rugby.

Rob: What was your reaction when you realized you won?

Darrin: I was so excited and happy. I had put so much into my rugby this year and it made all the hard work and effort pay off. I was like “no way! “ I went around telling everybody and explaining it to everyone. It was just pure joy and excitement. It was just unbelievable to think that Santi, Ben and Serevi where going to be there to coach us up.

Rob: Towards the end of the camp, how it was taking part? Beneficial? Improvements?
Darrin: My game defiantly improved, such as my kicking game that I learnt more on when I had some one on one time with Santi. But it’s more than that. It was great making new friends and contacts with the rugby world. Being able to spend some time with and meeting Santi, Ben and Serevi was an unforgettable experience. I will defiantly take what I learnt at the camp and apply it to my game here in Coos Bay. 

Rob: What are your future rugby ambitions?
Darrin: Playing for my country and being able to represent America is my dream. 2016 Olympics is what I’m focused on and is what I’m shooting for. The whole experience in Denver helped my take one more step towards my dream.

You can check out Darrin's winning entry over on Youtube and to learn more about the Taking Flight Rugby Program, head on over to takingflightrugby.com

Q&A with Taking Flight Rugby Winner James Sadler

Taking Flight Winners Darrin Curle (Left) and
James Sadler (Right) with Rob Schnabel (Middle)

As part of special report for A Rugby Life, Bakline's Rob Schnabel headed out to Rugbytown USA to join the Taking Flight rugby inaugural winners for a rugby filled weekend with Serevi.  

While he was out there, he got the chance to sit down with the lads and chat about their experience at the camp and their future ambitions.  

First up, James Sadler.


Rob: What was your experience being at Infinity Park?

James: Being at Infinity Park was a great experience! In Oregon, we do not exactly have the state of the art facilities when it comes to rugby only areas, and it was an amazing experience to see the lifeblood of rugby at such a great place with good weather! 

Rob:  Being in the camp and watching the tournament.

James: The camp wasn't very "advanced" but I really enjoyed myself and had a great time while also learning a lot more about the nescary skills you need to master in order to truly improve your game. Watching the tournament was an experience that I will not forget for some time, It was my first time watching professional rugby from pitch-side seats and I really had a great time! 

Rob:  What was your reaction when you realized you won?

James: I had just came back from work about midnight one night and just so happen to check my email at that time and at first I was in complete shock. I told my family and they were all very happy for me and from that time on until I landed in Denver I was just ecstatic and full of excitement for such a great experience. 

Rob:  Towards the end of the camp, how it was taking part? Beneficial? Improvements?

James: The camp progressively got more intense and more beneficial throughout the end of the two days and really helped me to self-evaluate my skills and also receive good constructive criticism from some the world's best players of all time. 

Rob:  What are your future rugby ambitions?

James: My future rugby ambitions are to start soon for my team at Western Oregon University but hopefully over time with hard work and dedication get on the radar for the US Men's National Team and also receive international contracts like Todd Clever.  

You can check out James's winning entry over on Youtube and to learn more about the Taking Flight Rugby Program, head on over to takingflightrugby.com.  After the break, Q&A with our second winner, Darrin Curle.

Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Darrin Curle and James Saddler!

The Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship this year was geared on sending two winners (between ages 16-21) to the Serevi Rugbytown Sevens & Camp August 11th, 2012 in Glendale, Colorado!  The Scholarship included airfare, hotel, admission fees, Bakline gear and a Serevi gear kit to both the tournament and training camp that Serevi is hosting!

Darrin and James submitted the winning entries via their YouTube application. Check them out here >> http://www.youtube.com/user/takingflightrugby

Darrin and James represent the future of America’s rugby. Their hard work on the field and off is instrumental to leadership and taking initiative to do what is necessary to refine, improve and never stop learning.

Myself and my Taking Flight partners, Bakline and H2H Rugby, are extremely proud of their efforts and look forward to working with them to have a rewarding experience with one of the best rugby training camps in the USA with Serevi.

To learn more about our scholarship and how to apply, please visit the Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship site. We’ll be announcing a new camp and competition for video entries soon!

If you’re interested in partnering with our scholarship to help shape the rugby future of our youth, contact us here.

Serevi Takes Academy Programming Global In Partnership with the Bermuda Rugby Football Union

Courtesy of Serevi Rugby

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Serevi Takes Academy Programming Global In Partnership with the Bermuda Rugby Football Union

(June 22, 2012) SEATTLE – Serevi™ today officially announced the first in an ongoing series of global Academies designed to deliver elite, high performance rugby programming to up and coming rugby nations. The June 27-July 1st session in partnership with the Bermuda Rugby Football Union will include a Rugby Coaching Clinic, a two-day youth Training Camp and a two day Sevens Academy with Bermuda’s Senior and U-19 men’s national teams.

Play Rugby USA Cocktail Benefit - June 14th, New York, NY

On June 14, Play Rugby USA and event partners HSBC, Diageo, and Saatchi & Saatchi will be hosting the the NYC Rugby Cup Cocktail Benefit on June 14th. This event helps to raise funds for Play Rugby USA, which strives to achieve its mission of "Developing Youth Through Rugby" by working with over 2,000 children per week in NYC alone! The event includes a full open bar and Hor D'oeurves from Provence en Boite, silent auction and raffle, and a VIP cocktail hour on the 16th floor. Tickets are $100 for General Admission, and $150 for VIP. 

Full event details are below, and tickets can be purchased at http://www.2012nycrugbycup.charityhappenings.org/

What: NYC Rugby Cup Cocktail Benefit

Where: Saatchi & Saatchi SSpace, 375 Hudson Street

When: June 14th, 2012, 7-11PM (VIP Cocktail Hour from 6-7)

Event features:

• VIP Reception, with HM British Consul General Danny Lopez, 16th Floor, 6pm - 7pm
• Main Reception, SSpace (ground floor) 7pm - 11pm.
• Full open bar & Hor D'oeurves
• Silent Auction and Raffle
• Internship Graduation and Awards.
• HM British Consul General, Danny Lopez - London 2012.

Play Rugby USA partners with HSBC and Hope For The Warriors on NYC Rugby Cup

Courtesy of my good friends over at Play Rugby USA

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Play Rugby USA partners with HSBC and Hope For The Warriors® on NYC Rugby Cup- Presented by HSBC New York, NY- June 9, 2012- Play Rugby USA, the largest rugby based youth development organization in the nation, will be hosting the NYC Rugby Cup- Presented by HSBC on June 9th, 2012. This event is the culminating tournament for the season and will feature 72 teams and 900 players participating in a one day tournament. The theme of the event is Premiership Rugby, the world’s foremost domestic rugby competition based in England. As a cross-cultural component, each school must create and bring a banner that includes details about its adopted city and club’s culture and history. 2012 Event Ambassadors in attendance include John Layfield, former world champion wrestler and current financial analyst for Fox News and Danny Lopez, the British Consul-General of New York. Hope For The Warriors® will also be partnering on the event, providing a service component for the children. The teams will be able to visit a Hope For The Warriors® booth, interact with veterans, and write letters to troops serving overseas. Adding to the military presence at the event, West Point Rugby is partnering with Play Rugby USA to offer afternoon activities to schools eliminated from the competition, run by cadets.

Introducing Taking Flight, American Rugby Camp Scholarship Contest

I am excited to announce this morning the launch of Taking Flight, a US rugby camp scholarship contest that myself, Rob Schnabel of Bakline, and the great folks at H2H Media (John and Ken) have been working hard on for the past few months. I have no doubt that part of the success of rugby in the states lies in youth rugby. I hope that this contest will help create more exposure for all the youngsters, their teams, and their schools that play, but also all the great organizations which promote youth rugby. 

Its a important element of the sport and one I'm passionate about. Check out the press release below and please spread the word!

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Presented by 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAKING FLIGHT AMERICAN RUGBY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST LAUNCHES IN THE US

H2H Video Competition To Find America’s Future Rugby Stars

NEW YORK, New York - June 7th 2012 - Bakline, A Rugby Life and H2H Media proudly announced the launch of Taking Flight,  a rugby scholarship contest to give the next generation of America’s men and women Eagles an opportunity unlike any before to attend elite training camps in the USA.  

Two winners (one male, one female) will get the chance to attend one of the top US Rugby Camps hosted by Serevi Rugby.

The two athletes will attend the Serevi Rugbytown Training Camp, a two-day camp taking place at Infinity Park in Glendale, CA on August 9th and 10th.  On August 11th, they get to show what they learned as they take part in the climax of the weekend’s festivities with a 7s tournament.   The winners will have the cost of their flights, accommodation in Glendale, and camp covered.

Play Rugby USA Presents Premiership Rugby Road Show

Courtesy of Play Rugby USA

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As part of a partnership around the NYC Rugby Cup and the launch of the Play Rugby USA Academy, we are extremely excited to announce that Premiership Rugby is coming to New York at the end of May to visit programs around the city and travel with us to the USA Sevens CRC's in Philadelphia! This "Premiership Rugby Roadshow" represents the first exciting offering of our PRUSA Academy, an elite player development program established by PRUSA to retain and develop its highest performing athletes, along with other aspiring rugby players from around New York City.

Podcast Episode 19: Lawrence Almagno (Rhode Island Rebellion RLFC, USARL)

For the latest podcast, ARL switches codes as I talk about rugby league in the US with Lawrence Almango, the CEO of Rhode Island Rebellion RLFC and a tour de force behind the youth development of the sport for the USA Rugby League (USARL).

We talk about Lawrence's early rugby career playing both union and league, the formation of Rhode Island Rebellion, and how through rugby, he his helping the inner city youth of Providence have a bright future.

You can listen to the podcast on the player below or head on over to iTunes, our Facebook page, or Feedburner.

As mentioned in the podcast, you can learn more about the Rebellion at their homepage (rebellion-rugby.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RebellionRugby).  To learn more more some of the up and coming events Lawrence talks about, check our the events page http://rebellion-rugby.com/index.php/rebellion-event-tickets/event-tickets

Lawrence Almango (right) with Shayla Belanger (left)
of the Institute for the Study of  Practice of
Non-Violence Extreme Sports Division

Also, if you would like to donate to the fund rasier to see Lawrence's head & face shaved at the USARL's International 9's Tournament in Rhode Island, please visit http://ayrla.org/ayrla_rebellion.html.

100% of the money raised will go to the Program that is partnered with American Youth Rugby League Association (AYRLA) for the work re-entry program.

Play Rugby USA 2012 Calendar now on sale

PRE-SALE of Play Rugby USA's inaugural calendar for 2012 highlighting some inspirational images of youth engagement in the program and PRUSA's core values for each month. A great way to give back to the program while putting a smile on your face every morning! 

Click HERE to order your copy online!!

100% of net proceeds benefit Play Rugby USA's mission of "Developing Youth through Rugby". 

We will place all orders for this item on December 15th and notify you via email upon shipping. 

Website: www.playrugbyusa.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PlayRugbyUSA

Twitter: twitter.com/Play_Rugby_USA

Rugby Santa 2011: Try Time!

This time last year, Coach Burke of the Oakland Warthogs and I rucked over an idea to get OLD Rugby players to donate unused/retired gear to YOUNG Rugby players. The response last from last year's Rugby Santa forced my business partner to ask me to stop having stuff sent to the office. We literally couldn't get down our hall. Let's do that again, yes? 

After the Silly Season, "The Girl" at YourScrumHalfConnection.com came up with TRY Donation Program: Tomorrow's Rugby Youth. 

Madak.com designs gave us a logo, and BOOM, we were in business.  
 If you have old gear, please contact Kevin at RuckingInsurance.com for a mailing address. If you're a youth program in need of gear, again contact Kevin. And, be sure to visit the Rugby-Related Businesses that help us promote this last year: 

ARugbyLife.com 

PakisCorner.com 

RugbyAmerica.org

ScrumHalfConnection.com

RugbyAthletic.com 

AGiantAwakens.com 

The PCRFU 

Ruckie The Moose 

RuckingInsurance.com

USA Rugby: 2012 Youth Development Conference Registration Now Open

Courtesy of USA Rugby

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USA Rugby is extremely excited to announce that registration for the 2012 Youth Development Conference is now open! This conference welcomes coaches, referees, and administrators from all over the country to participate in professional development opportunities focused on growing youth and high school rugby.

Who

Anyone interested in learning about current youth and high school best practices and new USA Rugby initiatives for 2012

Where

Atlanta, Georgia

When

January 27th-29th

Cost*

Early Bird (Now until January 8th): $100

General (January 8th-26th): $125

Walk In (January 27th): $175

*Includes breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, lunch on Saturday, and dinner on Saturday

What to Expect

• Cutting edge coaching techniques from the Men's, Women's, and Age-Grade National Team coaches
• 2012 USA Rugby initiatives from Nigel Melville
• USA Rugby youth and high school best practice sharing
• 2012 Women's Coaching Conference
• The 'Try Zone' exhibition hall featuring products and services
• The 'Admission Hall' exhibition area featuring collegiate rugby programs from around the country
• Networking with over 200 of the countries most involved youth and high school members
• Representatives from all 28 State Based Rugby Organizations

To sponsor, exhibit, or advertise at the 2012 Youth Development Conference CLICK HERE!

Further Information:
Ian Jaray | Youth Development Administrator | USA Rugby | ijaray@usarugby.org

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Proud Partners of USA Rugby

Podcast Episode 17: Stuart Krohn & Dennis Lovelace (Scrum - Rugby in the Inner City)

Following the theme of youth rugby in California with our last podcast, in this episode I talk to Los Angeles based former International player Stuart Krohn and Filmmaker Dennis Lovelace. Stuart is the Director of the Inner City Education Foundation Public Schools (ICEF) Rugby Program that serves schools in the South LA area. The rugby program caught the eye of Dennis, who in collaboration with Stuart and ICEF, is currently filming a documentary about the program called “SCRUM - Rugby in the Inner City". 

We talk about how the program and film respectively got started, and the impact Stuart and Dennis's partnership has had on the lives of the kids involved.

You can listen to the podcast on the player below or head on over to iTunes, our Facebook page, or our RSS Feed.  To learn more about ICEF visit http://icefla.org.  For more on “SCRUM - Rugby in the Inner City" visit http://scrummovie.com/

Podcast Episode 16: Ryan Burke (Oakland Warthogs)

In the latest podcast episode, I talk to Ryan Burke, President and co-founder of the Oakland Warthogs, a Californian based youth rugby program.

Ryan talks about how the program came about, the difficulties that they deal with, and how the local community has been helping rally behind their cause.  Ryan also gives an insight into the daily struggles many of the kids face and shares the success stories, such as Jose Pena (see video below) that is driving them to change their lives for the better. 

You can catch the interview on the player below or head on over to iTunes, our Facebook page, or our RSS Feed.  To learn more about the Oakland Warthogs check out their website at www.oaklandwarthogsrfc.com