Northeast Rugby Union : News

Men's Club Playoff format announced

The Northeast Rugby Union Board of Directors have approved the following format for the 2010 NRU Men's Club playoffs.

NRU Men’s D1 Playoffs

All MetNY and NERFU regular season league games shall be played before the first weekend of the month of November (this year, played on or before 11/6/10)
MetNY #1 (home) plays NERFU #4 and NERFU #1 (home) plays MetNY #4 for the cross over/playoff match on 11/13/10. Additionally, MetNY #2 (home) plays NERFU #3 and MetNY #3 plays NERFU #2 (home) for the cross over/playoff match on 11/13/10.
Losers of crossovers are done
The winning LAU teams from the 11/13/10 cross over/playoff matches proceed to play the following weekend for the NRU championship (this year, 11/20-21/10 at Randall’s Island, NY)
On Saturday, the NRU #1 seed plays NRU #3/4 seed from the opposite LAU and #2 seed plays #3/4 seed from the opposite LAU. (If there are 3 teams from any given LAU, #1 of that union plays #3 of that union, with the other union playing #2 of the dominating Union).
NRU tournament seeds are first base upon LAU finish. If both LAU #1’s earn a seat to the NRU tournament, the #1 seed goes to which team made it further to the USA Championship (This year would be NERFU, Mystic River). If both LAU’s made it to the same level of match in the USA Championship, then the team with a better point differential in the final match will be the #1 NRU seed.
Winners on Saturday play the next day on Sunday for the NRU #1 & NRU #2 seed to Nationals at a time determined by the availability of the fields and schedule announced prior.
Losers on Saturday will play the next day on Sunday for the NRU #3 & NRU #4 seed at a time determined by the availability of the fields and schedule announced prior.
Both Saturday winners will host MARFU (#3 and #4) by seed in the Spring (probably 4/30/11)
Both Saturday losers will play at MARFU (#1 and #2) by seed in the Spring (probably 4/30/11)
The winners of the 4/30/2011 playoff matches will advance to the USARFU Sweet 16 National Championships (location to be determined by USARFU).

NRU Men’s D2 Playoffs

All MetNY and NERFU league games shall be played on or before the first weekend of the month of November (this year, played 11/6/10)
Crossover Matches on the second Saturday in November (this year, 11/13/10)
MetNY #1 (home) plays NERFU #4 and NERFU #1 (home) play MetNY #4 for the cross over/playoff match on 11/13/10. Additionally, MetNY #2 (home) plays NERFU #3 and MetNY #3 plays NERFU #2 (home) for the cross over/playoff match on 11/13/10.
Losers of crossovers are done
The winning LAU teams from the 11/13/10 cross over/playoff matches proceed to play the following weekend for the NRU championship (this year, 11/20-21/10 at Randall’s Island, NY)
On Saturday, the NRU #1 seed plays NRU #3/4 seed from the opposite LAU and #2 seed plays #3/4 seed from the opposite LAU. (If there are 3 teams from any given LAU, #1 of that union plays #3 of that union, with the other union playing #2 of the dominating Union.)
NRU tournament seeds are first base upon LAU finish. If both LAU #1’s earn a seat to the NRU tournament, the #1 seed goes to which team made it further to the USA Championship (This year would be NERFU, Middlesex). If both LAU’s made it to the same level of match in the USA Championship, then the team with a better point differential in the final match will be the #1 NRU seed.
Winners on Saturday play the next day on Sunday for the NRU #1 & NRU #2 seed at a time determined by the availability of the fields and schedule announced prior.
Losers on Saturday will be scheduled and have the opportunity to play the next day on Sunday for the NRU consolation but ultimately are done advancing to USARFU Playoffs in the Spring.
Saturday winners only travel to USARFU Playoffs in the Spring

NRU Men’s D3 Playoffs

Each of the 3 LAU's (Met NY, New England and New York) get 2 teams in the NRU Men's Club D3 playoffs for a total of 6, seeded within their LAU based on the LAU finish. Teams are seeded based on the order of finish from the previous year’s NRU finish.
Top two seeds get a bye in the preliminary round. In the preliminary round, played on the second Saturday in November, (this year, 11/13/10), the #3 plays against the #5 or #6 and the #4 plays against the remaining team.
Teams from the same LAU cannot play each other in the preliminary round and exact pairings will be based on travel considerations as determined by the NRU Men’s Director. In general, the higher seed shall have home field advantage in the preliminary round except that the top seed from each LAU is guaranteed either a bye or a home match in the first round of the playoffs (i.e., if 2 teams from the same LAU are seeded #5 and #6 then the #5 seed gets a home match).
The winners of the 2 preliminary matches will advance to the final 4 weekend along with the #1 and #2 seeds on the third weekend in November. (this year, 11/20-21/10 at Randall’s Island, NY) The pairings for the Saturday semifinals will be such that teams from the same LAU do not play each other and that the #1 seed will play against the lowest-seeded of the participating teams that is possible without forcing teams from the same LAU to play each other. The #2 seed will play against the remaining opponent. On Sunday, the winners of these matches will advance to the championship final and the losers will have be scheduled and have the opportunity to play for consolation. Teams from the same LAU may play each other in finals.
The top two teams continue to the next spring’s USARFU competition in the order they finished.

Additionally, the NRU Board approved the following motions:

Dates for the Fall 2010 Men’s Senior NRU Playoffs will be at Randalls Island, NY on 11/20 & 11/21/10.
Crossover/preliminary matches are to be played on 11/13/2010.
In all matches under the supervision of the NRU, metal studded cleats shall not be worn on artificial turf, provided three full days notice of the type of pitch surface has been provided by the host team/organization to visiting sides that have never played on the scheduled pitch with an artificial surface, unless permission to wear metal studded cleats during the match has been provided in writing by the host team/organization.

All questions and inquiries regarding the NRU Men's Club playoffs should be directed to NRU Men's VP Dan Mayton at vpmen@northeastrugby.org.

NRU seeking hosts for 2010 Collegiate Championships

Syracuse, NY - The Northeast Rugby Union is soliciting bids to host the 2010 NRU College Championships for the Men's Division II and Women's Division I and II Final Fours.

The Championships will be held on November 13th and 14th. Host bids are due NO later than September 15, 2010 with selections being made by September 22, 2010. As always, the NRU provides a limited stipend to the successful host.

Bid proposals should include the following:

Map of tournament site
Local hotel information
Number of fields available (minimum of three fields required)
Warm-up space availability
Confirmation of required field restraints / goal pads / flags
Parking availability
Rest Room facilities confirmation
Security (necessary on college campus)
EMT (confirmation)
Tent for NRU Rugby officials / referees
Concession proposals
Previous hosting experience (LAU championships, tournaments, NRU events, etc.)
Sponsorship / revenue plans
Plans for local host PR / Media exposure
Any other pertinent information

Please submit all bids to NRU College VP Greg Fehrman at vpcollege@northeastrugby.org

NYSRRS to host Level I Officiating Course

Syracuse, NY - The NYS Rugby Referee's Society is offering a Level I Officiating course Sunday July 11 in Syracuse NY.

The course will run from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm and will be led by Instructor Sean McKenna, sean.mckenna@kodak.com. The fee for the course is $50.00.

The Level 1 Officiating Course is the basic refereeing course. There are no prerequisites for attending this course and it is the sole training vehicle for the education of entry level referees as certified USA Rugby referees.

The Level 1 Course covers the referee's priorities, provides an introduction to the Laws, and examines scrums, ruck/mauls, tackles, line-outs, offside, and advantage with focus on the critical parts and how to referee them.

When a student has completed this course, and the accompanying test, they are ready to begin refereeing safely. Students that do not pass will be given opportunities to retest onsite. The objective is to ensure Law knowledge, not to weed people out.

Upon completion of the course and successful passing of the open book test, you will be certified as a referee and can begin to officiate matches.

Please wear clothing suitable for activity, as we will be having practical session work throughout.

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS PREFERRED
For individuals who are registered with USA Rugby (CIPPed) you may register and pay online by going to the site www.usarugby.org and then enter the site. At the top, find Referees> then at the upper right "Register for a Referee Training course" and go to the date and site you wish to register for.

If you are not currently a USA Rugby member, you will be offered a chance to register at the site www.usarugby.org. Once you have registered (become CIPPed), you can follow the instructions above with regard to registration. Please note that USA Rugby membership is required to receive certification as a L1 official.

Once you register PLEASE LET THE INSTRUCTOR KNOW YOU HAVE SIGNED UP via email

We recommend you register not later than July 5 so that we may order the correct amount of materials to have for the classes. [Late comers will eventually get the materials, but they will be shipped later and not available for the class. REGISTER EARLY!]

Refereeing in New York State, outside of NYC
For those who wish to officiate rugby matches in New York State, outside of the Metropolitan NY area, please bring a check for $50 payable to the New York State Rugby Referee's Society (NYSRRS).

NERFU Hosting USA Rugby Coaching Certification

North Adams, MA - The New England Rugby Football Union is pleased to announce that it will be hosting two USA Rugby Coaching Certification Workshops on August 14th & 15th, 2010 on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA.

USA Rugby's Coach Development Program USA Rugby's Coach Development Program (CDP is designed to meet the needs of American Rugby coaches. Partnerships with the International Rugby Board (IRB), the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) have allowed USA Rugby to make significant improvements to the program.

The two workshops currently offered by USA Rugby are:
1. Introducing Rugby
2. Developing Rugby Skills

Both workshops are two days and run simultaneously on both the Saturday (9am-5pm) and Sunday (9am-4pm) of the given weekend.

Coaches receive a manual and coaching gift upon arrival and will need to bring a pen or pencil to take notes. A portion of the workshops is group work within the classroom but the majority is on the pitch (weather permitting) or in a gym. Coaches will be asked to role-play as players during portions of the practical sessions. Please be ready to partake in physical activity both days inside and/or outside. Make sure you wear active clothing, proper shoes or cleats, and weather related attire.

You can sign up for the program via the USA Rugby website www.usarugby.org

Special Accommodation & Meals Package
Because this workshop will be conducted all-day Saturday & Sunday, there is a Special Accommodation & Meals Package available from NERFU. This includes two nights housing on Friday & Saturday night in a single room on campus with linen, breakfast and lunch both Saturday and Sunday, and admission to the 2010 NERFU Coaches Dinner on Saturday night with a special dinner speaker to be announced soon. (Proper Dress Required)

All for only $130.00

You can sign up for this offer on the NERFU website; www.NERFU.org

If you have any questions; please to not hesitate to ask.

Glenn Lawson
W: 413 662-5326
H: 413 443-4837
F: 413 662-5286
E: Glenn.Lawson@mcla.edu

USA Rugby warns of possible IRB scam

Boulder, CO - USA Rugby President Nigel Melville is warning clubs and administrators in the US to be on the lookout for fraud solicitations appearing to come directly from the IRB.

In an email to the seven territorial presidents, Melville writes:

From: Nigel Melville <nmelville@usarugby.org>
Subject: [TU-PRES] FW: WARNING NOTICE - ALLEGED FRAUD
To: "TU Presidents" <usar-tu-pres@usarugby.org>, usar-bod2@usarugby.org
Date: Friday, June 25, 2010, 1:12 PM

All,

Please see attached, this scam has been circulating for some time, we have continued to pass on each incident to the IRB who have been gathering data...please pass on to anyone who you feel should know, we will post and circulate to our database.

Nigel

USA Rugby cautions anyone receiving such a letter to immediately notify USA Rugby. A sample of the letter being distributed is available as a download.

NRU U23 All-Star needs our help

Dear Friends,

Most of you already know of the horrible injury that Vassar sophomore Krissa-Marie Wiechmann sustained last Friday. If not, please feel free to go to the link below and get a brief overview. We are launching an appeal for donations to assist her and her family with the costs associated with her care and rehabilitation.

To see the Page, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?pages%2FHelp-Get-Krissa-Wiechmann-To-The-Mayo-Clinic%2F127476427285029&mid=281d1d6G268f1602G4dda057G49&n_m=tobrown%40vassar.edu

I hope and trust that all the VC Rugby Community will help Krissa at this most difficult of times. I will update the page regularly and hopefully she will be able to return to Vassar for the fall semester.

Thank you to President Hill, Dean Kitzinger, Dean Roelke, Dean Brown, AD Sharon Beverly, and all those of the administration who have assisted these past few days.

Sincerely,

Tony Brown
Men's & Women's Rugby Coach
Senior Lecturer Physical Education
http://www.vassarathletics.com

Old Blue to host 7's Tournament July 10

New York, NY - An open letter from Old Blue RFC to all Northeast 7's teams:

As the President of Old Blue RFC, I wanted to take this opportunity to extend a formal invitation to the member clubs of NERFU to come participate in the Old Blue 7s which this year will take place on Ward’s Island in New York City on July 10. Please see the attached flyer and registration form or the www.oldbluerugby.com website for more information.

This year the competition will be better than ever. We have six divisions – Mens and Womens Premier, Mens and Womens Club, and for the first time Mens and Womens Under-19. Moreover, social events have been planned around the Tournament.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or Old Blue VP Rich Luthmann at rluthmann@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you in New York City.

Regards,

Tim Neale

President
Old Blue RFC

NRU Women win USA U23 Championship

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The women of the Northeast Rugby Union (NRU) won the Under-23 National All-Star Championship on Sunday at the University of California – Santa Barbara.

In the Tier 1 title game, NRU defeated the Midwest Thunderbirds 25-12. NRU scored within moments of the starting whistle in an attempt to put the Thunderbirds away early. A quick try in reply from the outstanding Thunderbird wing, Tyra McGrady, was not enough to stop the clinical NRU side, whose dangerous backline tormented the Midwest all day.

NRU scrumhalf, Alyssa Baccarella, contributed heavily to her side’s victory and her precise passing game allowed the Northeast to attack the Thunderbird defense effectively and often. For Baccarella’s efforts, she earned the title of the tournament’s Most Valuable Player by National Team selectors.

The Tier 2 final between the Pacific Coast Grizzlies and the USA Under-20s was so closely fought that two overtime periods were necessary to determine a winner. The Grizzlies gave the Eagles a physical game, but the national side squeaked out a win in the closing seconds of overtime as Eagle captain Katie Johnson crossed the line for a try. The game was a promotion match, so the Under-20s will move up to Tier 1 for next year’s competition.

In the Tier 1 consolation match, the West defeated the Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) women 37-18. The West will remain in Tier 1 next year, but MARFU will drop to Tier 2.

The SoCal Griffins took on the South in the Tier 2 consolation match, shutting out the Southern women 16-0.

Sunday’s Results

Tier 1 Finals – Northeast 25, Midwest 12

Tier 1 Consolations – MARFU 18, West 37

Tier 2 Finals – Pacific Coast 18, USA U20s – 22

Tier 2 Consolations – SoCal 16, South 0

Tournament MVP - Alyssa Baccarella (Northeast #9)

UPDATED: Men's Club 7's Qualifying Tournaments Announced

New York, NY - Northeast Rugby Union 7's Director Sean Horan has announced the 2010 NRU Men's Club 7's Qualifying Tournament schedule:

June 19 - Rockaway 7's, Rockaway NY (Replaces the Village lions tourney on June 26)
July 10 - Old Blue 7's, Randall's Island NYC
July 17 - Springfield 7's, Springfield MA.
July 24 - Newport 7's, NRU Championship

The top three teams will advance to the 2010 USA Rugby Club 7's Championships held later this summer.

For more information, please contact NRU 7's Director Sean Horan

Click here to view the complete NRU 7's Tournament Rules

NRU Senior Women win national All-Star Championship

BLAINE, MN. – The USA Rugby Women’s All-Star 15s Championships wrapped up on Sunday with the Northeast reclaiming the title from the Pacific Coast at the National Sports Complex in Blaine, Minn.

The Championship game saw a rematch of last year’s finalists, Northeast and Pacific Coast battling it out for the title. The Northeast controlled a majority of the match and came out the victors 34-14 to claim their second title in three years and fourth overall National All-Star Championship title since its inception.

In the consolation Tier A match, the Collegiate All-Americans couldn’t compete against a strong Midwest Territorial Union (TU), losing in a 65-0 thrashing.

Next up it was South versus Southern Cal in the Tier B final. With both teams looking to move up to Tier A, it was ultimately the Southern Cal side that would pull off the win, beating the South, 18-13.

In the Tier B consolation, the Mid-Atlantic TU also ran away with the match against the West, winning 50-5.

Inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational Set For Debut June 4-6

COLUMBUS, OH - The first-ever USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational, a Rugby Sevens round-robin tournament featuring 16 historically significant collegiate rugby teams, is set for competition from June 4-6 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Rugby Sevens features seven players per team playing on the same size pitch as a 15’s match and offers non-stop action where speed, high scoring and athleticism rule the day. The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational will be broadcast live on NBC on Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6 from 4-6 pm ET and Universal Sports on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET.

“We’ve brought together the best-of-the-best for the inaugural USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational,” said Dan Lyle, Tournament Director USA 7’s Rugby. “It’s a great opportunity to expose the sport to a mass audience in anticipation of inclusion in the Olympics.”

Rugby Sevens will be an Olympic sport starting in 2016 and the USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational offers fans a preview of the talent pool available for the U.S. Olympic team.

The USA 7’s Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational features 16 Division I collegiate traditional powers, including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Army, Bowling Green, University of California at Berkeley, Dartmouth, University of Florida, Harvard, Indiana University, Navy, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, San Diego State, University of Tennessee, and the University of Utah.

“Rugby Sevens is such a fast-paced sport that once you watch it you get to appreciate how much endurance and skill it takes to play the game,” said Ohio State head coach Tom Rooney. “Creating a tournament to match up the best of the best on the University level is a great way to showcase the sport to a growing fan base.”

Broadcast Schedule:

NBC Sports live coverage from 4:00-6:00pm ET on June 5 and 6
Universal Sports live coverage from 2:00-4:00pm ET on June 5 and 6
NBC Mobile live simulcast from 4:00-6:00pm ET on June 5 and 6
Hulu.com full event coverage available on-demand in HD quality video

View the NBC promo here

USA Rugby seeking host bids for Womens 7's Championship

Boston, MA - USA Rugby is looking for a club(s) to host the 2010 Women’s Club National 7s Championship.

For those that attended the first annual Championship last year, it was well hosted by the San Francisco Fog, but due to other commitments they cannot host the event this year. The event will only be “unofficial” for one more year because USA Rugby is planning to pick up the Women’s 7s Nationals as an official event in 2011.

Details are being negotiated, USA Rugby may be able to help the host team this year with Gatorade, Game Balls, Training Supplies.

The date for the Championship can be either Aug 7-8 or Aug 14-15 depending on the host location’s preference. (If the event had been San Fran we were trying to mimic the men’s event, which is why we suggested Aug 14-15, but Aug 7-8 might work better for a lot of women’s teams because it won’t interfere with the Fall 15s Season).

If your club is interested in hosting the event, please contact Stacy Bennett at 571-235-3442 or stacy.c.bennett@saic.com by Friday June, 4. The organizing committee would like to announce the Date and Location by Monday, June 7.

The USA Rugby Championship Bid Questionnaire is attached as a download. Thank you for your consideration.

2010 College Playoff Seeds Announced

Syracuse, NY - In a unanimous vote, the NRU Board of Directors approved the seeds for the 2010 NRU Collegiate Playoffs.

Like USA Rugby, NRU playoff seeds are based on previous year's results and an NRU requirement that each LAU champion receive a top seed and a home match in the NRU Quarterfinals.

Last year was one of the NRU's most competitive playoffs in recent history" said NRU College VP Greg Fehrman. "We also had a great showing at the USARFU Championships sending at least one team to the round of 4 in all four divisions."

Quarterfinal matches will be the weekend of November 6th, 2010 at the home of the higher seed. Semifinal and championship match dates and locations TBD.

2010 Northeast Rugby Union
Collegiate Playoff Seeds

	Men's D1*	Men's D2	Women's D1	Women's D2
1	NERFU 1	NERFU 1	NERFU 1	NERFU 1
2	NYS 1	NERFU 2	NERFU 2	Met NY 1
3	Ivy 1	Met NY 1	NERFU 3	NERFU 2
4	Met NY 1	NYS 1	NYS 1	NYS 1
5	NYS 2	NERFU 3	NERFU 4	NERFU 3
6	NERFU 2	NERFU 4	NYS 2	NYS 2
7	Ivy 2	Met NY 2	NERFU 5	NERFU 4
8	NYS 3	NYS 2	NYS 3	Met NY 2

* Men's D1 Playoff seeds subject to change pending the structure of the proposed College Premier League

2011 NRU AGM date announced

Albany, NY - The Northeast Rugby Union's Board of Directors has voted to hold it's next annual general meeting on Saturday January 15, 2011.

Per the NRU By-Laws, the meeting will be held in New York state at a location to be determined somewhere in the Albany area.

The meeting will begin promptly at 12:00 noon.

NRU Announces 2010 Senior Women's All-Stars

Providence, RI - Head Coach Richard Ashfield has announced the players selected to the 2010 Northeast Rugby Union Women's Senior All-Star team.

After a match this weekend with MARFU, the team will continue to train in preparation for the USA Rugby Senior Women's NASCs in Blaine, MN on May 28-30.

Congratulations to all selected players:

Amy Daniels - Beantown
Christina Hobson - New York
Claudia Braymer - Albany
Emilie Bydwell - Beantown
Hedwig Aerts - New York
Jamie Burke - Beantown
JoAnne Ward Kos - Albany
Kathleen Ryan - Village Lions
Katie Dowty - Beantown
Katy Augustyn - Beantown
Kim Magrini - Keystone
Kittery Wagner - Beantown
Kristin Bonomo - Beantown
Lara Vivolo - New York
Maurin Wallace - Beantown
Melanie Denham - Beantown
Phaidra Knight - New York
Rebecca Brafman - New York
Renee Astphan - Beantown
Rosie Miesner - New York
Sharon Blaney - Beantown
Sharyn Wacht - Beantown
Vanesha McGee - New York

UPDATED: NRU Boys High School & U19 Complete Results

West Point, NY - On a beautiful May day, Xavier High School (METNY) cruised to a 60-0 victory over Bishop Hendricken (NERFU) in the HS division of the NRU play-offs. From the opening whistle, it was one way traffic for defending NRU HS champions, Xavier. In the second match McQuaid (NYS) pulled off a mild upset over Greenwich HS (METNY). Greenwich held a slim 11-10 lead at the half but McQuaid's huge, mobile forwards took control of the match and they ran out to a 31-11 victory. Xavier and McQuaid meet at 10:30AM on Mothers Day to decide who will go to the USA HS Championships

In the U19 boys division, defending NRU champions, Union (METNY) survived a scare beating a very tough Fairfield (NERFU) side, 24-5. Fairfield held Union to a scoreless tie in the first half but the Union side made good use of abundant second half position to score three converted tries and and a penalty kick. In the second U19 match, Fairport (NYS) looked to be headed for its third straight NRU final as they controlled most of the first half play.against Morris (METNY). However, an injury time try by Morris changed the momentum and Morris stormed to a 35-17 win, completely dominating Fairport. On Sunday at noon, Morris and Union play in a rematch of their METNY Championship natch of last Tuesday which was won by Union. The winner of this match gets the big prize of a trip to the USA U19 Championships.

UPDATE: Sunday Championship Results:

Boys U19 Day 2
3rd place: Fairfield (NERFU) 14 Fairport (NYS) 10. Fairport had a 10-0 half time lead but couldn't hold on.
Championship: Union (METNY) 29 Morris (METNY) 14

Boys High School Day 2
3rd place: Greenwich (METNY) 15 Bishop Hendricken (NERFU) 10
Championship: Xavier (METNY) 41 McQuaid (NYS) 5

Xavier and Union each make their 3rd straight appearance in the USA Championships.

NRU Youth Rugby Championships - May 8-9, 2010

New York, NY - The NRU Boys and Girls High School & U19 Championships will be held May 8-9 in Rochester, NY and West Point, NY. Hosts for this weekends championships are the Rochester Aardvarks men's Rugby Club, and Army Men's Rugby Club.

NRU Girls U19 Championships
Aardvark Park
Rochester, NY

Local Contact:
Randall Johnson
randall.rugby@gmail.com

Match Schedule:

Saturday

2:00 PM Field 1 Fairport Essex

4:00 PM Field 1 Portland Elizabeth

Sunday

10:00 AM Field 1 Loser game 1 vs. Loser game 2 (3^rd/4^th place)

12:00 PM Field 1 Winner game1vs. Winner game 2 (1^st/2^nd place)

NRU Boys High School & U19 Championships

United States Military Academy
West Point, NY

NOTE: The United States Military is an active Army Base. ALL visitors (players, coaches, fans, etc.) must present proper photo identification before being admitted on campus.

Local Contacts:

Rich Pohlidal – Army Men’s Rugby
richard.pohlidal@usma.edu

Lex Maccubbin - Met NY Youth Director
lexmaccubbin@yahoo.com

Match Schedule:
Saturday
10:30 AM- Match 1- (HS) Xavier vs Bishop Hendricken
11:45 AM- Match 2- (U19) Union vs Fairfield RFC
1:00 PM- Match 3- (HS) Greenwich vs McQuaid
2:15 PM- Match 4- (U19) Fairport vs Morris

Sunday

9:00 AM- Match 5- (HS) Loser Match #1 vs Loser Match #3 (3rd place)

10:00 AM- Match 6- (U19) Loser Match #2 vs Loser Match #4 (3rd place)

10:30 AM- Match 7- (HS) Winner Match #1 vs Winner Match #3 (1st place)
12:00 Noon- Match 8- (U19) Winner Match #2 vs Winner Match #4 (1st place)

For a complete list of all upcoming NRU Events, check out the NRU Calendar

Philippine Rugby Football Union East Coast Tryouts

New York, NY - The Philippine Rugby Football Union is looking for both Men and Women rugby players of Filipino heritage based in North America to trial for their National Teams.

The men's team will be holding trials in New York City the weekend of April 17th in preparation for Asian 5 Nations Div. 2 (Philippines, China, India and Thailand).

The women's 7s team will be holding trials for East Coast-based players in May in preparation for the Asian Rugby Football Union 7s Championships in China this July.

Interested parties should contact North American Rep Clay Luraschi at prfuna@gmail.com

USCRA Collegiate Rugby Survey - All clubs encouraged to reply

Dear Collegiate Rugby Community,

This is the first in a series of surveys (link at end of message) designed to capture critical information from all college rugby teams across the country. The primary topics in this survey deal with the administrative/reporting structures of collegiate rugby clubs, rugby club budget items, and the availability of liability and medical insurance for college rugby clubs. Future surveys will investigate player and coach recruitment and development, competitive structures, etc.

Please be assured that the financial information provided will be kept confidential; reporting will consist of the means, medians, and ranges for each category without reference to any specific schools.

Please feel free to distribute the survey to as many college rugby teams as possible, it is ok if we get back multiple responses from each team although obviously we need to get back at least one per team and a complete data set across the country would be optimal. The availability of this dataset will assist the USCRA with its goal to engage college rugby administrators and promote the acceptance and standing of rugby on college campuses.

Contact me if you have any questions or concerns,

Sincerely,

Craig Coates
ccoates@tamu.edu
Chair, Interim USCRA Board

The complete survey #1 can be found here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R3GL637

NRU All-Star teams calendars announced

Albany, NY - Tryout and training schedules have been announced foe the NRU Men's College, Women's U23 and Senior Women's All-Stars.

Men's College All-Stars:

Saturday April 24 Fitness Training - SUNY Albany
Sunday April 25 NRU Cup - Dick Green Fld. Albany, NY
Saturday May 1 Training Camp #1 Buffalo, NY
Sunday May 2 Training Match vs. Buffalo Rugby Club Buffalo, NY
Saturday May 8 Training Camp #2, match vs. Old Blue New York, NY
Sunday May 9th Squad Training Vassar College
Saturday May 29 Tour Squad Camp Boston, MA (by invite only, camp runs thru Monday May 31)

Form more information about the Men's College All-Stars, please visit the NRU Men's College All-Stars page.

Women's U23 All-Stars:

Sun Mar 14 - Skills Clinic - MIT, Boston, MA
Sun March 21 - Beantown Clinic - Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Sun April 11 - Skills Clinic - Poughkeepsie, NY
Sat/Sun April 17/18 - The Beast of the East*
Sat April 24 - Big Apple Clinic - NYC*
Sun April 25 - NERFU cup – UMASS Amherst
Sat May 8 - Squad training - Location TBA
Sat May 15 - Squad training - Location TBA
Sat May 22 - game vs Village Lions – NYC
Sat June 5th – Game vs Beantown – Boston
Thu-Sun, June 10-13 – ITT's – Location TBA (Includes travel days)

*These two events are observation venues for the coaching staff. Let us know if your team is participating.

If you would like to attend a tryout/skills clinic please email the following information to nru.u23@gmail.com.

Name
CIPP #
School/Club
Positions
Date of Birth
Tryout date(s) you will be attending

There will be a nominal fee for each skill clinic

Senior Women's All-Stars:

Sun April 11 - Skills Clinic/Open Tryout - Poughkeepsie, NY (* There will be a nominal fee for Skills Clinic)

By Invite Only:

April 25 - Squad Training - UMASS, Amherst, MA
Sun May 9 - Game vs. Ontario - Syracuse, NY
Sun May 16 - Game vs. MARFU - Denville, NJ
May 27-30 - USA Rugby NASC's ("ITTs") – Location TBA
(includes travel days)
July 23^rd + 25^th – Games vs. USA - Maine

If you would like to attend a tryout please email the following information to nru.seniorxv@gmail.com

Name
CIPP #
School/Club
Positions
Date of Birth
Attending Skills Clinic/Tryout: Y/N
Invite-Only Venue Availability

The complete calendar of events can be found on the NRU Events Calendar