Seattle Saracens Repeat As Women's DI Champions

June 4, 2016, 6:13 pm

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The Seattle Saracens are repeat women's DI champions after defeating Chicago North Shore 36-19. The match was closer than the final score let on with Seattle scoring some late points but overall the Saracens were the better team on the day as they took advantage of their chances and came up with big scores in big moments. Now with two titles in convincing fashion there is no question that the Saracens have a claim as the top team in the country.

It was though before the match that Chicago would try to come in and take points early and often whenever they could get them. Instead, it was Seattle that would employ that strategy as Carly MacKinnon hit three early penalties to give Seattle a 9-0 lead with 15 minutes played. Not only did they put points up on the board but they put Chicago North Shore under enough pressure that they came close to getting a card.

Take the jump to read more.
Credit to North Shore who stayed patient and worked their way back into the match. Finding themselves near the line they used their forwards to rumble over the line and see prop Kadie Sanford scored the match's first try. With the conversion the score as 9-7 to Seattle.

But just as they had done all match Seattle came right back to push near the line themselves. That pressure eventually caught up with Chicago as they saw Alex Borowsky sent to the bin for repeat infringements. With the woman advantage Seattle used their set play to get the ball to Rose Baker who scored to make the score 14-7.

Chicago had an opportunity to put more points on the board with a penalty but they were off and instead it was Kristine Sommer that would score a try for Seattle. Naima Reddick did well to initially punch through the defense and then after a few phases the ball went to Ashley Kmiecik who made a nifty offload to Sommer for the try. At the half Seattle led 19-7.

Kelsi Stockert, who came on as a second half sub put Seattle in the drivers seat once again as she scored off a big run to push Seattle's lead to 26-7. Chicago rebounded using their forwards once again saw Sanford score her second try of the match. They then made it interesting with ten minutes to go when using their own pressure they found Kelsey Reed for the try. Suddenly they were down only 26-19. However, another try from Stockert, thanks to another great offload from Kmiecik, gave Seattle the cushion they would need for the win.

Seattle Saracens

Tries: Baker, Sommer, Stockert (2)
Conversions: MacKinnon (2)
Penalties: MacKinnon (4)

Chicago North Shore

Tries: Sanford (2), Reed
Conversions: Whittinghill (2)

DII

In the DII championship Life West did what they have done all season to beat Wisconsin 66-12. Life West ran out to a strong early start with tries from Angelina Lomu and Catie Benson (twice). That 17-0 lead would have been enough to last them the rest of the match but they weren't finished. Ashley Shaw was able to rebound for Wisconsin to make it 17-7 but then tries from Lomu, Megan Foster, Cameo Motley, Megan Pinson, and Benson again pushed the score to 44-7 at the break. Emily Mastrandrea scored first in the second half to give Wisconsin another try. Lomu for a third time, Jennifer Sever (twice), and Lauren Kenyon finished off the match with tries.  

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Mystic River Beat Austin Blacks In DI Title Thriller

June 4, 2016, 8:47 pm

≫ Next: San Diego Hosts Denver In Massive Match

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Mystic River are the DI champions after defeating the Austin Blacks 45-33 in a very entertaining match at Infinity Park. Both teams came into the match loving to get out a run and they didn't shy away from any of that as each team had a number of great chances and played expansive rugby. The match see-sawed back and forth with Austin holding a halftime lead but in the end it was four tries from Evin O'Driscoll that helped push Mystic River to the title.

Straight for the start the teams got out and ran. Mystic River were on the front foot early and quickly saw Alatasi Tupou push down the pitch. He eventually found a gap, shook off  defenders, and went in for the opening try. He'd miss the conversion but Mystic River led 5-0.

Austin weren't going to go out quietly and they came right back with a run from wing Pierce Reed. He was caught but Mystic River committed a penalty on the play. Former Newcastle Falcon Stephen Jones stepped up to hit the conversion and Austin were right back in it.

Take the jump to read more.
Still, Mystic River came out flying once again. A lot of the team plays together with the Northeast Academy and their 7s skills were on full display as Jared Collinson ran a great line and found O'Driscoll for his first try. Tupou made the conversion and Mystic River were up 12-3.

Austin showed they can play champagne rugby of their own that saw Reed go in at the corner. The conversion was off but once again Austin were back within a try. A few minutes later Austin had a scrum five meters out. Out of that scrum they quickly put the ball into the middle of the pitch and into the hands of Matthew Radzavich. Mystic River thought there might have been crossing but the try counted and Austin took their lead at 15-12.

Tupou and Jones traded penalties as the match moved toward the half. A second try from Radzavich, thanks to a looping pass from Jones, gave Austin a 23-15 advantage. Jones and Tupou then traded penalties again to push the match to 26-18 at halftime.

Like in the first half Mystic River came out strong in the second. Stephen Dazzo had a shout for a try but it was ruled to be a knock-on. Still, they continued to put on the pressure and eventually that patience created a gap that prop Luke Schlotmann used to score. With the conversion Mystic River were within one.

The match then took a decisive turn when Jones was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Vinny Daley after the Mystic winger had made a break. With the advantage O'Driscoll added another try, thanks largely to a no-look pass from Robbie Malneek, and then another off a line out, Mystic River led 37-26.

Things could have gotten away from Austin at that point but when Conor Bertrand scored and Jones converted they were within four at 37-33. A penalty from Tupou made it a converted try difference at 40-33 with seven minutes left. O'Driscoll then added a fourth try to finish off the match.

Mystic River

Tries: Tupou, O'Driscoll (4), Schlotmann,
Conversions: Tupou (3)
Penalties: Tupou (2)

Austin Blacks

Tries: Reed, Radzavich (2), Bertrand
Conversions: Jones (2)
Penalties: Jones (3)

Austin

Forwards: Troy Mussey, John Clery, Sam Rooke, Tyler Terrazone, Tim Howard, Conor Bertrand, Paul Benade, Ngwako Ralepelle; Backs: Zak Triplett, Stephen Jones, Pierce Reed, Austin Byrne, Levi Kereti, Matthew Radzavich, Antonio Winn; Bench: Paul Nieuwoudt, Joseph Taute, Eric Martinez, David Goss, Chris Parker, Diego Sotelo, David Comerford, Rickey Johnson

Mystic River

Forwards: Chris O'Donnell, Michael Bozza, Luke Schlotman, David Mckenna, Joe Hastry, Jon Kokinda, Joseph Shurmaitis, Sean Rafferty; Backs: Gabe Perrone, Robbie Malneek, Stephen Dazzo, Evin O'Driscoll, Alatai Tupou, Vinny Daley, Jared Collinson; Bench: Todd Theodat, Diego Maquieira, Andrew Burns, Gianni Miceli, Michael Armstrong, Franco Liebenberg, Nathan Fox, Chris Frazier

San Diego Hosts Denver In Massive Match

June 5, 2016, 10:35 am

≫ Next: Tempe Runs Away With DII Championship

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The inaugural PRO Rugby season is halfway over and as things stand Denver and San Diego sit at the top of the table. Both were expected to be in that position prior to the season started and so far Denver has delivered with a perfect 5-0 record. San Diego are right behind them with four wins and their only loss coming to Denver a few weeks back. Only three points separate the teams in the standings. Put it all together and today's match has all the trappings of a must-win for each team.

If San Diego, who have a strong home record except for their loss to Denver, can come away with the victory then they will leapfrog Denver into first place. That would put a lot of pressure on Denver to not slip-up the rest of the way. If Denver wins then it creates at least a full match division between the two clubs. It also would give Denver an aura of invincibility that would make them very difficult to overcome the rest of the way.

Take the jump to read more.
Through five games Denver have kept their record perfect and they have shown great depth both across all starting positions and on their bench. The back-row of Peter Dahl, Hanco Germishuys, and Pedrie Wannenburg has been outstanding. Casey Rock and Christian Wiessing have been great at lock. Just to show their depth Brodie Orth and Logan Collins, two players that could start on almost any team, are on the bench.

Where Denver have a major strength is in their front-row. Ben Tarr has been a revelation this year while Chris Baumann continues to improve. A few weeks back it was their front-row and forward group that helped Denver to the win. However, they are coming up against a much improved San Diego forward group. The return of Joe Taufete'e has helped while Jake Ilnicki was a welcome addition last weekend. They are no longer being pushed backward and instead have given the team a platform to attack. Even more, Jean Baptiste-Gobelet and Bruce Thomas come into the team and will give them some extra oomph.

The forwards may do the heavy lifting in the match but where it's going to get fun is in the backs. Both teams are stuffed with talent. The battle between the ageless Mose Timoteo and the scoring hero Charlie Purdon is going to be fantastic to watch. Then there is Kurt Morath against Will Magie in what should be a great battle of kickers. Then look at the wings. Tim Stanfill and Taku Ngwenya for San Diego and Timana Tahu and Mike Garrity for Denver. Through in internationals in the centers and very experienced fullbacks and this match is going to be wide open.

If their previous meeting, a 22-16 win for Denver back in week three, is any indication this match will be close. Each team has won all of their matches since that point with some blowout wins and other close results. Denver in particular had a close result against an improving San Francisco team in their last match. It's going to be very close but we think that San Diego is improved enough in the forwards recently to grab a narrow win. Their backs are playing fantastic rugby at the moment and as Taku Ngwenya has settled into the team he's brought some extra flair that gives his team an edge.

The match starts at 8:00 p.m. et/5:00 p.m. pt and can be seen on prorugby.org and One World Sports.

Denver

Forwards: Ben Tarr, Nick Wallace, Chris Baumann, Casey Rock, Christian Wiessing, Peter Dahl, Hanco Germishuys, Pedrie Wannenburg

Backs: Mose Timoteo, Will Magie, Timana Tahu, Ata Malifa, Chad London, Mike Garrity, Max De Achaval

Bench: Zach Fenoglio, Jake Turnbull, Luke White, Brodie Orth, Logan Collins, Bobby Impson, Martin Knoetze, Dustin Croy

San Diego

Forwards: Hubert Buydens, Joe Taufete'e, Jake Ilnicki, David Dolinar, Tai Tuisamoa, Jean Baptiste-Gobelet, Bruce Thomas, Sione Tuihalamaka

Backs: Charlie Purdon, Kurt Morath, Tim Stanfill, Andrew Suniula, Phil Mackenzie, Taku Ngwenya, Mikey Te'o

Bench: Mikey Sosene-Feagai, Mason Pederson, Brice Schilling, Ian Carpenter, Nikola Bursic, Kalei Konrad, Ben Leatigaga, Pono Haitsuaka

Tempe Runs Away With DII Championship

June 5, 2016, 3:26 pm

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The Tempe Old Devils have been no stranger to the DII national championship match having made the final two years ago and then falling in the semi-finals last year. That experience paid off big time as they used an early surge to overwhelm the Detroit Tradesmen 54-21 at Infinity Park. Tempe played a solid match from start to finish and got key contributions from a number of players, including scrumhalf Alex Taefu, fly-half Iopu Sanonu, and wing Maceo Brown. In particular Brown showed a lot of skill and speed in the game and should be a player to watch in the future.

Detroit would eventually find their rhythm late in the match but by then it was too late as Tempe had gone on an early tear to put the game out of reach shortly after it had started. It began with big prop Kakalia Pule scoring a try after several phases of pick and go. Then it was Brown who collected a long kick and went untouched for the score. Just like that Tempe were up 12-0 with not much time on the clock.

Take the jump to read more.
One of the big problems for Detroit early on was the number of penalties they gave away. Those proved to be costly as they gave Tempe time and territory with the ball. Soon Tempe were over again, this time through Rick Darrow, to take a 19-0 lead. Detroit did have some opportunities but the Old Devil defense stayed strong.

Taefu would be the next to score. It looked like the Tradesmen would finally get a try of their own but the breakaway player spilled the ball. Taefu then scooped it up and ran the other way to push the lead to 24-0 at halftime.

Detroit made a positive start to the second half but they couldn't convert. On the opposite end of the field it looked like they had stopped Tempe from scoring but the clearance kick wasn't a good one and Brown sliced through the defense for his second try. Taefu would add a couple of penalties and Kueli Danielson would have a try to make it 42-0 with 52 minutes played.

It got worse for Detroit when they had a man sent to the bin and soon afterward Lavi Taumoepeau scored to get close to the 50 point mark. The Tradesmen eventually got the on the board when energetic substitute Ismail Bazzi scored and converted his own try. Tempe struck right back through Mike Pettes but Kevin Kregar and Conrad Bontrager finished off the match with efforts for Detroit.

DIII

The Fairfield Yankees are the DIII champions after beating the Euless Texans 41-33. The Yankees ran out to a 10-0 lead early with a try from Matthew Leonard. Brendan Pahulu rebounded with a try for the Texans but then a penalty try and Karl Rempe pushed the lead to 24-5. The Texans scored one more try to make it 27-12 at halftime.

As dominant as the Yankees were in the first half the Texans were nearly as strong in the second half. The Yankees did score first through James Perkins and got another from Rempe but tries from Euless at the end of the match brought the score a respectable eight point margin.

Comeback Win Over San Diego Keeps Denver Perfect

June 5, 2016, 7:25 pm

≫ Next: Cal Claims Fourth Straight CRC

≪ Previous: Tempe Runs Away With DII Championship

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Photo: Connie Hatfield (Pink Shorts Photograph)

Denver move to a perfect 6-0 on the season in the most narrow of fashions with a come from behind 24-23 victory over San Diego at Torero Stadium. Heading into the match both Denver and San Diego has situated themselves at the top of the standings and now with the win Denver are at least a full match clear on points. They are also the only unbeaten team in a season that is halfway over.

The win wasn't always assured as the lead changed hands seven times. It also took a late heads up play from Martin Knoetze to score the winning try and prevent San Diego from gaining the upset. Purely on possession San Diego should have won the match as they had more of the ball in good spots but some missed kicks from the normally automatic Kurt Morath and untimely turnovers cost San Diego an opportunity for the win. That's now two close matches against Denver that San Diego would like to have back. They both happen to be their only two losses on the season.

Take the jump to read more.
Morath had a penalty attempt just a minute into the match but he wasn't able to connect. Only a few minutes later he had another crack from nearly the identical spot as the one before and this time he made no mistake to put San Diego up 3-0.

Denver had a chance to respond when Mose Timoteo was illegally taken out at the breakdown but Magie would miss the first of his two kicks. Morath would miss another attempt of his own and through a quarter of the match it was still 3-0.

Mikey Te'o was dangerous all match and looked to have the first try of the game when he made a long run from his own 30 meter line following a Denver clearing kick but referee Derek Summers correctly called Hubert Buydens for obstruction.

The scoreboard finally ticked over again with five minutes left in the half when Morath made his second of the day. That lead nearly held up until halftime before Denver scored a great try. Hanco Germishuys, who was everywhere on the day, made a great run that drew in the defense right in front of the posts. Timoteo then did a great job to push the ball out wide quickly and into the hands of Max De Achaval who ducked under a tackle for the score. With the conversion Denver led 7-6.

Still, San Diego would head into the half with the lead thanks to another Morath penalty. Ata Malifa was called for a no wrap tackle on Taku Ngwenya. Both players were fine but it spoke to the number of hard hits in the match. Malifa was shown a yellow and San Diego lead at halftime 9-7.

In the second half Magie and Morath traded more penalties while Malifa was in the bin. In the end San Diego were able to increase their lead to 15-10.

The big break for Denver came shortly after Malifa returned. A lazy pass from San Diego was well read by Christian Wiessing who intercepted the pass and ran in for the try. Like that Denver were back on top 17-15.

Morath would add yet another penalty and San Diego seemed destined to win when Te'o capitalized on the Denver mistake to kick down the middle of the pitch with a great run before passing to Kalei Konrad for the try. However, the conversion would miss creating a gap for Denver at 23-17.

With less than 10 minutes to play Magie put in a kick for territory deep into the San Diego end. It was a good kick made better by a great chase from Martin Knoetze who outran the San Diego defenders, who thought the ball was going into touch and didn't play with urgency, to scoop up the ball and go in for the score. Magie was good on the conversion and now Denver led 24-23. San Diego had their opportunities after the try but Denver did well to wind down the clock and secure the win.

Denver have next weekend off as PRO Rugby takes a partial break for the international calendar while San Diego travel to Ohio.

Denver

Tries: De Achaval, Wiessing
Conversions: Magie (2)
Penalties: Magie

San Diego

Tries: Konrad
Penalties: Morath (5)

Cal Claims Fourth Straight CRC

June 5, 2016, 10:48 pm

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By Brendan Triplett
@brendanUSArugby

The weather held out and the day was perfect for some intense rugby.  Despite some sluggish starts, early in the morning, the Quarter-Finals looked strong and set the stage for the California Golden Bears to close the books on their fourth straight championship title.  On the day the attendance broke all the records, just as we predicted, with a Sunday attendance of 12,378 bringing the event total to 27,224, a 9.72% increase in overall attendance from last year.  To bring this into perspective, the Pro12 Championship game in Scotland featuring Connacht and Leinster had an attendance of 34,550.  We have something to be proud of.

The Golden Bears of course have even more to be proud of with their outstanding trail to glory that seemed to only begin today.  Starting the day early, the Golden Bears faced off against their pool rivals of Arkansas.  This was the second time they faced this team on their road to victory and the Red Wolves looked hungry for an upset.  California started out the quarter-final rather sluggish, allowing the Red Wolves to put up 14 points before deciding to answer back.  What resulted was a 14-14 half with California gaining momentum.  The Golden Bears fought hard in the second half and when they took the lead, Arkansas pulled out the stops and made a push towards the line.  It looked as though they would pull it off and find a way to tie the game up and force the overtime but a chip shot intended to gain some ground landed squarely in the able hands of Russell Webb.  It was a nail in the coffin and closed the door for Arkansas to upset the champions.  Final, 24-14.

Take the jump to read more.

The semifinal showed us a California team that we expected to see, play against Arizona.  Arizona looked good against Life in the Quarters with the first overtime period of the tournament.  They showed incredible determination inside the 22 and a yellow card at the end of the OT period by Conner Mooneyham sealed the win for Arizona to face off against the Golden Bears.  The few hours between matches woke the Golden Bears up and they came together like a team possessed to attack Arizona without compassion.  5 tries, pushed over the line by Russell Webb, William Fuller (2), Anthony Slaber, and Fawzi Kawash destroyed the willpower of Arizona despite a late 2nd half rally by Matt Rogers.  At the end of the match William Fuller put a final touch on the game with a Try and the Golden Bears moved one step closer to their dream. Final, 38-5.

The final made it an all-PAC championship.  UCLA, who made an impact in the early hours of the day against Penn State (PSU).  They were incredibly sharp on the ball and ultimately made fewer errors than their east-coast counterparts.  PSU rallied in the last 5 minutes of the match but it just wasn’t enough and the Bruins passed on to face Kutztown in what was arguably the match of the day.  Kutztown were strong, as everyone expected, and took an early lead that they held onto well into the second half.  UCLA struggled to find their feet against Kutztown’s offense but some impressive footwork from Devin Lim put the match back in reach.  With less than a minute of play left the Bruins’ own Niall Barry got over the line and stole victory from the clutches of defeat.  Enter California, they were not impressed with the early wins by the Bruins and after they gained their momentum, late in the first half, they never stepped off the gas and held UCLA face-down in the pitch for the rest of the test with tries from Jake Goena, Jesse Milne, Patrick Barrientes, and Anthony Salaver (2) ending the game in dramatic form, 31-7 with a win and the Championship title.

In other big matches we have Wisconsin and Indiana in the Plate Final.  The game was good but really got interesting in the second half after a score from the Hoosiers brought the game to within a few points of a win.  In an incredible show of force and skill Wisconsin held onto their lead through several minutes of punishing Indiana attacks and when the dust cleared Indiana beat themselves only meters from the line with a penalty that ended the match.  Scorers for Wisconsin were Luke Hendricks and Jacob Syndergaard.  Final, 7-10.

The Bowl Final between Army and Maryland showed just how strong the Army team is getting after their hiatus from the event.  Torran Raby, the freshman center, scored two tries in the first half, muscling his way through Maryland and over the line.  The Black Knights spent the rest of match playing defense and were incredibly impressive, repelling an onslaught of ragtag attacks on their lines.  They held the line and in the end were rewarded as the Terrapins took a penalty and the match was ended.  Final, 10-0.

The message for all of the developing teams out there is penalties.  Speed on the ball can be adjusted, gameplay can be enhanced, endurance can be worked but in many of these matches the endings came too soon due to careless mistakes and forced errors.  Player development will focus on ball handling and knowing when to hold it and run and when to commit a player and then pass.  It was a great day for match play and the fans showed up en force to see history in the making.  California is the first team to win both the Varsity Cup Championship and the Collegiate Rugby Championship in the same year.  They are holding their heads high and celebrating having won the event 4 times since its inception.  For a look at all the match day scores check out the CRC Score Cards.  What a great day for California and all of the teams that brought their best to the Talen Energy Stadium here in Philadelphia.  Look for big improvements on the teams throughout their upcoming seasons and be ready for an even bigger event next year.  For now, just enjoy the replays and all of the Monday-morning scrumhalfing and as always ruck on!
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Day One Recap

What an incredible day on the pitch.  With the results in we are all looking to tomorrow to see the epic finale as the powerhouses come head to head and fight for the crown as the 2016 CRC Champions.

First lets look at the day.  The attendance was incredible; with a 14,846 fans moving from the fan-zone to the stadium itself.  The record for all previous years, on day one, has been broken.  Penn Mutual expected this, if you recall from our interview with them, and all of the hard work has come to fruition.  Look back to prior year.  In 2015 the attendance for both days was 24,813, with a almost equal attendance on both days.  If we are to follow the same trajectory then the prior year attendance will be smashed by the thousands.  And why not?  We are seeing schools become more competitive, the field expand, and the sport garner more attention and funding then ever before.  It is only fitting that the collegiate level championships pull this kind of attention.

Now, onto the day.  There were several teams that performed as we expected them and even more teams that either fared better or worse than we had originally predicted.  University of California was flawless, as usual with only a short stutter step with Arkansas after blanking Maryland and Tennessee.  Arkansas walked away with second place in the pool in what was an easier to predict pool and not one to really bet any big money on.  Kutztown never failed to disappoint, taking first place in the pool, and solid pool play between Indiana, Notre Dame, and Boston ended with Indiana taking second place despite the three-way tie on points and wins.  Arizona came out on top blanking everyone but Saint Joseph’s who were the second place wonder children of the tournament and arguably showed the most heart to take their position in the quarterfinals.  Incredible speed on the ball and an experienced and tested team, Saint Joe’s showed their own flavor and let the country know that they are here to stay and contend.  Pool D showed incredible gamesmanship with Life, Penn State and Virginia all fighting for their lives against one another and a point differential putting Life and Penn State at the top of the pool.  UCLA didn’t let anyone stand a chance and held everyone off to only offering up 7 points all day long.  They took their top position with Wisconsin taking second in the pool.  Pool F disappointed the Temple fans who only a short time ago were celebrating a successful start of the season tourney win.  They lost out in what some are calling the pool of death as being one of the strongest teams to walk away without a quarterfinal spot.  Dartmouth and Utah kept their game ball strong walking away with first and second in their pool respectively.

The much-anticipated Army v Navy game was good in its own right as both teams are still developing and Army is returning from a hiatus.  With The Knights taking the win this year the two teams are all squared up 2-2 in wins against each other in the four years that they have faced off.  This is of course not counting the win of the Military Memorial Cup in 2012 by Army.  There seems to be a rivalry here that is more evenly matched than that of another contact sport rivalry match and we look forward to seeing just how hard they come at each other next year.

It promises to be another great day of ball if the thunderstorms don’t stop gameplay.  We hope they wont because every rugby player has war stories of playing in the mud and wouldn’t it just make the event that much more spectacular.  Get to the match are at least watch on NBC and get ready for some good game ball.  This is what it is all about… home teams, rivalries, blood, sweat, and tears.  Wake up early and brave the weather all day for what promises to be the best record-breaking tournament ever.  Ruck on!

Opening Kick

June 6, 2016, 8:00 am

≫ Next: Denver To Host Club 7s Nationals

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Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location. It is brought to you everyday by Rugby Marketplace, your independent rugby store! 

National Teams/PRO Rugby:

The Rugby Republic has an excellent Q&A with Eagles co-captain Blaine Scully.

Nate Ebner has drawn the interest of his teammates on the Patriots as he tries to make Rio.

It was the narrowest of margins but Denver came away with another win in San Diego.

The local paper in Youngstown has a look a local boy Chris Schade who play for Ohio.

Club/College:

The club championships were handed out over the weekend. Mystic River beat the Austin Blacks in a thrilling DI final. Evin O'Driscoll had four tries for the club.

Take the jump to read more.

The Seattle Saracens are repeat women's champions as they beat Chicago North Shore.

Down in DII the Tempe Old Devils jumped on the Detroit Tradesmen early to score the win.

Cal have won the CRC for the fourth time in a row after putting in a dominating display. A recap of day one can be found here.

Doug Coil has the full rundown of results while Rugby Today named their Dream Team from the tournament.

The Life Women took home the women's bracket.

World:

RBS is set to end their sponsorship of the Six Nations after next season.

The playoffs in the Top 14 are set with Clermont and Toulon getting first round byes. 

Denver To Host Club 7s Nationals

June 6, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: ODA Selects Take Home Inaugural Rugby Utah 7s State Championship

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Denver is set to host this year's Club 7s Nationals. Dick's Sporting Goods Park will host the tournament on August 13-14th only days after rugby in the Olympics has awarded medals. The tournament will be the first time that an American audience will have the chance to watch 7s after it's Olympic debut and organizers are hoping to capitalize on that momentum. The announcement for the tournament came during the Club Championships over the weekend.

USARugbyTV should be streaming the action from Denver but it wouldn't be a shock to see The Rugby Channel pick up the tournament but that's speculation on our part. Tickets for one day are $15.00 with a two day pass going up to $25.00. There will also be a Challenge Cup for interested teams attached to the tournament.

Take the jump to read more.

Like in year's past each region will be awarded two berths. At the moment it doesn't look like Hawaii will get a special exemption on the men's and instead the South will get two spots. However, that could change as things progress and there is an exemption on the women's side.

Here is what the pools will likely be:

Men

Pool A: Pacific North 1, Red River 1, Frontier 2, South 2
Pool B: Frontier 1, Mid-Atlantic 2, Pacific South 1, Red River 2
Pool C: Atlantic North 1, Mid-Atlantic 1, Midwest 2, Pacific North 2
Pool D: Midwest 1, Atlantic North 2, South 1, Pacific South 2

Women

Pool A: Red River 1, Atlantic North 1, Pacific South 2, South 2
Pool B: Pacific North 1, Midwest 2, Frontier 1, Red River 2
Pool C: Pacific South 1, Midwest 1, Mid-Atlantic 2, Atlantic North 2
Pool D: Pacific North 2, Mid-Atlantic 1, Hawaii 1, South 1

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ODA Selects Take Home Inaugural Rugby Utah 7s State Championship

June 6, 2016, 12:00 pm

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Press Release

Salt Lake City, UT—Rugby Utah, the state’s sanctioned governing body for the sport, crowned its 2016 7s State Champion at the Salt Lake City Regional Athletic Center after the ODA Selects beat the West Valley Lions by the score of 57-10.

The ODA Selects had a mixed day finishing tied for the top of their pool after a 2-1 start, but hit their stride in the knock-our rounds. The ODA Selects took the #1 seed out of Pool B on points differential and leveraged that into the State Championship title.

With many of the ODA regulars back playing with their parent clubs the ODA Selects were a mixed group at the disposal of ODA Head Coach Ben Nicholls. And with the mixed group, it seemed, as the tournament went on, improved game-by-game.

Take the jump to read more.

“Today was a positive start to the 7s season,” Nicholls said, “There was a lot of raw talent on show today with many exciting prospective players. Our Selects team did a great job against some great teams and we’re looking forward to bringing back some of our core ODA players and strengthen it with adding some of the talent we saw in display today.”

Topping Pool A were the West Valley Lions coached by former USA National Team member Joe Lomu. The Lions ran away with the #1 seed out of Pool A going undefeated against the Royals, Spartans and Park City Haggis.

The semifinals were won handily by both the Lions and the ODA Selects by beating Southern Utah 7s (20-12) and Park City Haggis (38-10) respectively.

The title match was a hotly anticipated match, but it was the ODA Selects that scored early and often to eventually run away with the win led by a duo of hat-trick scorers in the form of former University of Utah All American Don Pati and current BYU All American Josh Anderson.

Despite their loss in the title match Lomu and the Lions held their heads high and spoke to the success of the inaugural Rugby Utah 7s State Championship.

“I’m super proud of the boys today.” Lomu said, “We had an inexperienced team but a whole lot of heart and talent. We’re excited about being a part of Rugby Utah and USA Rugby after our club has for a long time been a social club. This tournament was a great start to that. We have a lot of work to do, but I’m confident that our guys can compete at a high level.”
All match results can be found at https://www.rugbyutah.com/high-performance/rugby-utah-state-7s-championship/.

PRO Rugby Unveils Team Names

June 6, 2016, 12:53 pm

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One of the biggest features of engagement PRO Rugby touted prior to the start of the season was that fans were going to be able to name each team. Now after thousands of submissions and thousands of votes the verdict is in. From now on the teams will be know as:

Denver Stampede
Sacramento Express
San Francisco Rush
San Diego Breakers
Ohio Aviators

Each team name reflects something about the city or state it represents. For Sacramento it's their rail history or the terminus of the Pony Express. For San Francisco it's all about the Gold Rush of 1849. The Breakers deals with the ocean and the Aviators is a reference to the Wright brothers, who were from Ohio. The Stampede is a western theme for Colorado.

What do you think of the names?

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

June 6, 2016, 2:00 pm

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Eagles Abroad is brought to you by Grubber, makers of fine sporting apparel. 

Samu Manoa took another big step in his recovery from injury over the weekend going 61 minutes for Toulon as they stomped on Bordeaux. Toulon were going to be in the playoffs regardless of the result on Sunday but the emphatic win assured them a bye in the first round. Both Dave Ryan and Gagi Bazadze played for their clubs even though neither are going to the playoffs. Ryan came off the bench and Bazadze started. Bazadze and La Rochelle were relegated. Christian Ostberg and Aurillac nearly replaced them but they lost the D2 final. Elsewhere, the Super Rugby teams had the weekend off. In fact, they have the whole month off. Some players were set to be involved in the Shute Shield but some matches were rained out. 

Take the jump to read more.
Australia:

Super Rugby

Marcel Brache and the Western Force had the weekend off.

James Hilterbrand and the Waratahs had the weekend off. He will play with Manly in the Shute Shield instead.

Shute Shield

James McMahon, Paula Hafoka, Chris Chapman, James King, and Sydney University lost to Eastwood 19-6 on Saturday.

Kevin Reed, James Hilterbrand, and Manly had their match against the Eastern Suburbs postponed.

New Zealand:

Super Rugby

Toni Pulu and the Chiefs had the weekend off.

Tony Lamborn and the Hurricanes had the weekend off.

Other

Michelle Wong is training and playing with Sydenham.


Devin Ibanez is training and playing with Glenfield.

British Isles:

Aviva Premiership

Chris Wyles, Titi Lamositele, and Saracens have finished their season.

Todd Clever, Eric Fry, Paddy Ryan and Newcastle have finished their season. Clever and Fry won't be returning to Newcastle. David Tameilau and Nick Civetta are joining the club next year.

Guinness Pro12 

AJ MacGinty and Connacht have finished their season. He is moving to Sale next year.

Greg Peterson and Glasgow have finished their season.

Callum Black and Ulster have finished their season.

Sam Underhill and the Ospreys have finished their season.

Cam Dolan, Blaine Scully, and Cardiff have finished their season.

National League 1

Derek Lipscomb and Blackheath have finished their season.

Ronnie McLean and Richmond have finished their season.

Other

Ollie Drew plays with Bournemouth University.

Louis Mulholland plays with Bath University and occasionally with Cheshunt. 

Dan Hostetler plays with Cardiff University.

All Ireland League

Tim Maupin, Conor Kearns, Jake Feury, Will Sims, Oisin Brady, and Ian Kinsley, and Trinity have finished their season.

Ross Deacon and Lansdowne have finished their season.

Liam Bourke and UCD have finished their season.

Liam Murphy and Clontarf have finished their season.

Gearoid McDonald and Dundalk have finished their season.

France:

Top 14

Samu Manoa started and played 61 minutes for Toulon as they beat Bordeaux 44-3 on Sunday.

Dave Ryan came off the bench and played 27 minutes for Agen as they beat Oyonnax 23-19 on Sunday.

Gagi Bazadze started and played 41 minutes for La Rochelle as they lost to Clermont 57-8 on Sunday.

Pro D2

Christian Ostberg was not in the line-up for Aurillac as they lost to Bayonne 21-16 on Saturday.

Federale 1

Seta Tuilevuka and ROC La Voulte-Valence have finished their season.

Mate Moeakiola and Castanet have finished their season.

Other

Victor Camptat plays for the Brive Reserves.

Mose Fualaau plays for the Clermont Academy.

Inaki Basauri plays for Stade Nantais.

Japan:

Super Rugby

Andrew Durutalo and the Sunwolves had the weekend off. Durutalo has finished his time with the Sunwolves even though the team has matches remaining.

Other:

BC Premier League

Graham Harriman and James Bay have finished their season.

Other

Alex Aronson is playing and training in the Philippines.

Club 7s Nationals Qualifier Schedules

June 6, 2016, 4:00 pm

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Earlier today we relayed that the Club 7s Nationals were going to be held in Mid-August in Colorado. To help gain a more clear picture of what's coming up this summer we thought we'd share the various qualifiers from around the country. Some regions, like the Pacific North, South and the Midwest have separate regional qualifiers before an overall championship. Others, like the Pacific South, Atlantic North, and Frontier all have series in which an aggregate winner is crowned champion.

Pacific South

*The Pacific South is a four leg series with an aggregate winner.

June 18 - OMBAC 7s
June 25 - Beach City 7s
July 16 - Sunsplash 7s
July 23 - SaMo 7s

Take the jump to read more.

Pacific North

June 11 - Modesto 7s
June 25 - Sacramento 7s
July 9 - Silicon Valley 7s
July 9 - Can-Am 7s
July 16 ​- Roy Lucas 7s
July 23 - SFGG 7s
July 30 - Pacific North 7s Championship (San Francisco)

Midwest

June 11 - Cin City 7s (East) 

June 18 - Madtown Rugby 7s (West)

​June 25 - Minnesota 7s (West)

July 9 - Rock 'n' Roll 7s (East)

July 16 - Ducks 7s (West)

July 23 - Rock Hard 7s (East)

​July 30 - Midwest 7s Championship (Lemont, Illinois)

South

June 11 - Renegade 7s (Georgia)

June 18 - Fiji 7s (Florida)

June 18 - NOLA 7s (True South)

June 25 - Todd Miller 7s (Florida)

June 25 - Vulcan 7s (True South) 

July 9 - Invasion 7s (Florida)

July 9 - Tennessee 7s (True South) 

July 16 - Music City 7s (True South) 

July 23 - South 7s Championship (TBD in the Carolinas)

Frontier

*The Frontier has a three leg series with an aggregate winner.

June 25 - Denver 7s

July 9 - Heartland 7s 

July 23 - Pioneer 7s 

Red River

*The Red River has a three leg series with an aggregate winner.

June 25 - RRRC Far North 7s

July 9 - Cowtown 7s 

July 23 - RRRC South 7s 

Atlantic North

*The Atlantic North is a four leg series with an aggregate winner. 

June 18 - Monmouth 7s

June 25 - Newport 7s

July 9 - Hell Gate 7s 

July 16 - Saratoga 7s

Mid-Atlantic

*The Mid-Atlantic is a four leg series with an aggregate winner. 

June 25 - Blue Ball 7s 

July 9 - Battlefield 7s 

July 16 - Slug 7s 

July 23 - Monk Vaughn 7s 

Opening Kick

June 7, 2016, 8:00 am

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Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location. It is brought to you everyday by Rugby Marketplace, your independent rugby store! 

National Teams/PRO Rugby:

PRO Rugby has unveiled the team names for each of their five clubs.

The season is over for Americans in Europe. We examine their season with some numbers.

You asked the questions, we answer on everything from the Eagles to PRO Rugby and more.

Women Eagles head coach Pete Steinberg blogs about how team selection is increasingly more difficult.

Club/College:

The dates and location of the Club 7s Nationals has been set. The tournament will take place in Denver in August.

Take the jump to read more.

Here is a look at the qualifier schedules while you can find out more about the tournament at usaclub7s.com.

Atavus was very busy over the weekend holding coaching clinics and seeing their all-stars take on the British Army.

The Utah ODA came away with the first state 7s championship in Utah.

This Is Ohio Rugby has another great edition of I Am Ohio Rugby.

The ECRC looks at how some of their teams did in 7s play.

Alex Goff shares why it's so important for players to use their real name in CMS.

Jackie Finlan has named Life West her breakout club of the season.

This is pretty cool. Someone made jersey designs for individual states.

Canada:

Canada have named their squad for their upcoming summer series.

World:

Sad news as Benn Robinson has been forced to retire through injury.

Planet Rugby has their latest edition of Loose Pass.

There were some upsets on day one of the World Junior Championship.

Project players in Ireland are coming under increased scrutiny.

Italy has named their team to play Argentina this weekend. 

Q&A: Answers To Your Questions

June 7, 2016, 12:50 pm

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≪ Previous: Opening Kick

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Thanks to everyone who sent in some questions for our latest Q&A. As always the fans sounded in which great questions about PRO Rugby, the Eagles, The Rugby Channel, and more.

SJSUVC1: What is the attendance numbers thus far in PRO Rugby?

TIAR: According to our calculations, which are nearly all based on estimates, the league average is 1914.4 fans per match. It had been about 2000 until two weeks ago when it dipped under that number for the first time. Sacrament is leading the way with an average of 2466 fans although that is boosted by a big crowd week one. Denver is next at 2323 followed by San Diego at 2000, and Ohio at 1750. San Francisco is last at 1033. There is no question that attendance has gone down after the first week and while these aren't earth shattering numbers it does show that people are going to come out and watch rugby. Further, some of these matches were held on Mother's Day or Memorial Day Weekend, not the greatest times to hold matches. A bright spot for the attendance is that Denver still has six more home matches and Sacramento has three. 

Take the jump to read more.

Matt Hudson: Are there concerns about the viability of PRO Rugby at this point in the season (mixed attendance, loss of AOL broadcasting, few hundred fans tuning in on Youtube). Will the venture run out of money and fold or are the pockets deep enough?

TIAR: One of the things that I always have to remind myself is that PRO Rugby is treating year one very much as a test year. Take sponsorships for example. The league has been approached but unless the absolutely right deal came along right now they want to wait until the offseason when they have a full package to present to sponsors. Because it's a test year they have't put as much into marketing as they normally would and the AOL broadcast was always week to week. The explanation I was given (just relaying what I was told here) was that viewership was so high on AOL that the league decided rather than giving their product away they'd pull it in house and get the views directed toward their own site. In terms of running out of money it was budgeted for three years and they are committed to that. There are definitely concerns with declining attendance but when the league comes back next year expect to see more in terms of outreach.

SJSUVC1: Will PRO Rugby and The Rugby Channel work things out soon? Will we see games on there this season or is YouTube pretty much it? In your opinion, it's a long shot to see ESPN or FS1 sign on soon. Could there eventually be a second TV partner signed for next year or later and who would you think it would be?

TIAR: Since we're talking about PRO Rugby and attracting more viewers this is a good segue question. It's highly doubtful PRO and The Rugby Channel get together. Unless TRC is willing to either pay to show PRO Rugby matches or at least give them a cut of the subscription why would PRO Rugby give them their product for free? It doesn't make sense to simply give a channel that not that many people see the rights to your games without money. If you are going to give it away you may as well do it on ESPN3 where there are more viewers. It's possible they go to another network next year but I haven't heard anything. 

I should take the time here to say that I like the idea of The Rugby Channel. Some of suggested that I'm against it. That couldn't be further from the truth. I think from a technical perspective they've done a great job of putting it together on a short timeframe. The broadcasts have been excellent. Where they have fallen short in a big way in my opinion is content. Showing the PRO12 won't get that many people excited and airing previously free events like the Women's Sevens Series for money don't make much sense. We need more people watching the women's Eagles, not less. 

Juju: What are the chances the summer Eagles tests will be available to the public at large, and not to a premium website that no non-rugby person will watch?

There is almost zero chance that the Eagles tests will be available on anything but TRC. The channel was touted as being an over the top network that would provide things like the PRO12 and the Six Nations, both of which were sorely lacking good coverage in the United States. It would also have old Eagles matches, etc. From that standpoint it's a good concept. Throw in some original content (like Dallen Stanford's recap but more of that) and it would be something people would want. 

The decision to put the Eagles matches on the channel makes less sense. Can anyone name a reason why the Eagles matches would be put on the network other than in an attempt to force folks to subscribe? Seriously, we'll hand out a TIAR scarf to whoever can give a logical reason. It makes no sense to take your product away from ESPN3 where it was available on things like Apple TV and had more of a chance for someone to discover the sport in order to put it on a paid online channel in which many of your own supporters probably aren't willing to shell out the money (the first month is free but it's weird to advertise a service as "you can sign up and get your free month and then cancel!). Yes, it could drive people to the stadium but that's unlikely unless you live nearby. Instead, it's basically a way for U.S.A. Rugby, through RIM and The Rugby Channel, to get fans that can't attend the match in person to shell out money for the privilege of watching the Eagles. Putting the summer test matches behind a paywall shrinks rugby in America, not help it grow. 

Obviously I've just spent several paragraphs on this topic but to me it's one of the most frustrating elements of American rugby in the past few years. Here you have this great idea and potentially great idea being executed so poorly (not the technical side of it) and essentially being turned into a money grab. 

Brian Jackson: Much importance is given to College rugby in the USA and it's role in the development of the sport but are there any stats on player drop out rate after graduation? 

TIAR: Not that I'm aware of. However, I do know that there are statistics which say students that are involved in clubs do tend to graduate more than those that don't.

Unknown: Any insight as to why Nick Wallace retired from international rugby? (I saw that report on Goff Rugby Report)

Payton Sanders: I heard John Quill retired from international Rugby, any insight? 

TIAR: I'm not sure the specifics on either of those two players but my guess is that at least for Nick Wallace it became a situation where it was hard to balance life, work, and rugby. That happens more than you think for the domestic guys. There have been plenty of talented players that can't make it work due to other commitments.

Conor: Why hasn't there been an East Coast Eagles match in 3 years?

Great question and one that's pretty logical when you think about it. The past three years have seen the Eagles play in the Pacific Nations Cup. Because those teams are close to the West Coast it makes sense from a travel perspective. It also makes sense because there are large Fijian, Samoan, Tonga, and Japanese populations on the West Coast as well. Anyone who was at the Sacramento double-header last year would have told you half the crowd was there for Fiji. 

The other obstacle, and this is something PRO Rugby found, is that there aren't that many appropriate venues in the Northeast. They either need to be natural grass or have the right kind of turf. That leaves only a handful of stadiums that are in large centers and if they are too expensive or booked up it forces U.S.A. Rugby to look somewhere else. We wouldn't be shocked to see World Cup qualifying on the East Coast as players will likely have to come in from Europe and they'll want to shorten their travel. I feel for East Coast fans but matches are on the West Coast more out of convenience than anything. 

Charley: Do you have any insight into what is going with the search for a new USARFU CEO?

TIAR: Unfortunately no. 

Coaches Learn Rugby Tackling From ATAVUS

June 7, 2016, 2:15 pm

≫ Next: Eagles Abroad: Recapping The European Season

≪ Previous: Q&A: Answers To Your Questions

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As part of the CRC over the weekend ATAVUS held a couple of seminars for coaches and players. On Friday head of ATAVUS Football Rex Norris and Rutgers University head football coach Chris Ash addressed coaches and taught them rugby-inspired shoulder-led tackling. Then on Sunday on the fields around Talen Energy Stadium ATAVUS coaches and special guests, including former Philadelphia Eagles Ike Reese and Mike Quick led student-athletes and coaches through rugby-inspired tackling techniques.

ATAVUS has been the leader in taking rugby-inspired tackling to others sports having been involved with organizations like the Seattle Seahawks (that have former ATAVUS employee Ben Landry in camp), the University of Washington, and Ohio State.

Take the jump to read more.

ATAVUS All-Stars vs. British Army

Also over the weekend a women's ATAVUS All-Star team took on the British Army. The All-Star program is the next step in the pathway for ATAVUS athletes. After attending camps and being identified by coaches players have an opportunity to go to the next level with all-star play. The idea is that then helps bridge the gap between youth play and the national team level.

The British Army came away with the victory 41-5. Az Nalbandian had the try for the all-stars.

Team: 

NicoleBenedetti

AshleeByrge

KaylaCanett

ScoutCheeks

GionnaCruz

SheilaDecker

AllisonDykes

Gio        Ferguson

MckenzieHawkins

KaylaHunkin-Clark

BridgetKahele

MayaLearned

TaylorMakowski

MelanieMarotta

AznivNalbandian

KatherineRamage

DanielleLee Ramsay

FumieReyes

ToeldteTatjana

AmyVerdonik

AndreaVillanova

AbbyVogel

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Eagles Abroad: Recapping The European Season

June 7, 2016, 3:47 pm

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The season is now over for Americans in Europe with the exception of Samu Manoa and his Toulon team who are in the Top 14 playoffs. Andrew Durutalo is also done with his Super Rugby season. With some many people moving into their summer break or to international duty we thought it would be a good time to individually break down the season for most Eagles and U.S.-eligible players overseas playing in the top competitions.

Chris Wyles (Saracens)

It's hard to have a better season that the one Wyles had for Saracens. Despite having played rugby non-stop in over a year due to the World Cup Wyles showed plenty of energy throughout the year. Overall he played in 28 matches across both the Champions Cup and Premiership and logged over 2000 minutes with 11 tries. But individual accolades aside he was a major part of a team that won the double.

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	8 (8)	5	615
Premiership	20 (19)	6	1506

Take the jump to read more.
Hayden Smith (Saracens)

He didn't see as much time as Wyles but he still managed to appear in half of the Premiership matches for the Sarries. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	1	-	18
Premiership	11 (5)	-	489

Titi Lamositele (Saracens)

Titi Lamositele had a breakout year for Saracens building on a strong World Cup. He played in nearly all of the regular season matches for Saracens gaining two starts in the process. He also played in the Champions Cup for a career high of over 450 minutes. He is still so young so it's likely he sees even more time next season. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	2	-	6
Premiership	18 (2)	-	468

Todd Clever (Newcastle)

Of all the Americans at Newcastle Clever saw the most time but overall it wasn't the best season for the American skipper. He did see time in the 'A' League, just like Lamositele and Smith did with the Saracens. He's now done with Newcastle and it's going to be interesting to see what the next phase in his career holds. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Premiership	7 (2)	-	236

Eric Fry (Newcastle)

Injuries didn't help Fry as did international absences. After a bright start Fry faded toward the end of the year. He'll land at another club but it may not be at the Premiership level. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Premiership	4 (1)	-	114

Paddy Ryan (Newcastle; U.S.-eligible)

One of three U.S.-eligible, Ireland-raised prop brothers Ryan saw time in both the Challenge Cup and Premiership this year but was never able to gain a good rhythm. He's still young enough to keep around. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	2 (1)	-	69
Premiership	4 (1)	-	85

AJ MacGinty (Connacht)

What a season for MacGinty. No one outside the United States thought he was going to blowup in Europe the way he did. He became an invaluable member of Pro12 champions Connacht at the team is upset they are going to lose him to Sale next year. Had injuries not limited some of his participation he would have put up even more numbers. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	3 (3)	No tries, put five penalties and a conversion.	185
Pro12	13 (9)	2 tries, 7 penalties, 8 conversions.	724

Greg Peterson (Glasgow)

Peterson flew under the radar for much of the season but he quietly put together a wonderful season. He played in most of the Pro12 matches for Glasgow and became a player that could be counted on every week. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	2 (1)	-	98
Pro12	15 (8)	2	729

Callum Black (Ulster; U.S.-eligible)

Black was steady as always for Ulster. He even scored his first try as a professional this year. Over three competition he played more than 1000 minutes. He would be a major get for the Eagles even though he is older but Black would have to give up his contract with Ulster to do so. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	4 (1)	-	141
Pro12	18 (12)	1	805
British & Irish Cup	2 (2)	-	132

Sam Underhill (Ospreys; U.S.-eligible)

Underhill is technically eligible for the U.S. but he's going to play for England. 

Cam Dolan (Cardiff) 

In the end Dolan played in 10 matches for Cardiff this season and more in the Welsh Premiership. He only saw fits of time with five Pro12 matches and three Challenge Cup appearances. Time was a bit disappointing for him and he'll have to do better next year. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	3 (1)	-	115
Pro12	5 (3)	1	216
British & Irish Cup	2 (2)	1	139

Blaine Scully (Cardiff)

Injuries were a major factor for Scully this year. If it wasn't one thing it was another. In the end it limited him to only 12 matches but when he did play he almost always started. He finished with nearly 600 minutes of time despite the injuries. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	4 (2)	1	154
Pro12	8 (8)	1	599

Samu Manoa (Toulon)

Like Scully and MacGinty injuries limited Manoa's first season with Toulon. He's back at it but only played nine total matches for the team so far. He's started every single one which should tell you his importance. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Champions Cup	3 (3)	-	166
Top 14	6 (6)	1	414

Dave Ryan (Agen; U.S.-eligible)

Ryan, the brother of Paddy, played a lot of rugby this year for Agen. That shouldn't be too much of a surprise give the amount of rugby that is played in France. He would also be a major get for the Eagles but if it interferes for his contract then it almost certainly won't happen. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	4	-	144
Top 14	23 (12)	-	956

Gagi Bazadze (La Rochelle; U.S.-eligible)

The mystery man of Americans overseas. He's eligible for the U.S. but is Georgian. He played a decent amount of La Rochelle this year but the team was relegated. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Challenge Cup	5 (2)	-	194
Top 14	10 (4)	1	279

Taku Ngwenya (Biarritz)

Before leaving to join San Diego Ngwneya played over 20 matches for Biarritz totaling over 1500 minutes. Over a nine year career he made 370 appearances for the club worth over 18,000 minutes. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Pro D2	21 (20)	9	1566

Christian Ostberg (Aurillac)

A first season for Ostberg in the Pro D2. He spent most of his time playing for the reserve but did get some first team time. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Pro D2	3	-	47

Andrew Durutalo (Sunwolves)

The Sunwolves are going to miss Durutalo. He started in 11 of 12 matches and played over 850 minutes with one try. His work rate impressed a lot of folks around the world. 

Competition	Matches (Starts)	Tries	Minutes
Super Rugby	12 (11)	1	869

Northeast Academy Launches Mentorship Program

June 8, 2016, 11:14 am

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Press Release

New York, NY; (June 8, 2016) – In conjunction with its expanding mission to advance the development of rugby skills beyond the touch lines as well, Northeast Academy is now offering mentorship opportunities for Coaches, Referees and team Administrators.

Beginning June 20th, qualified applicants to the Northeast Academy mentorship program will have an up close and personal opportunity to observe and learn from some of the best staff members in the USAR National Development Academy system. The program will run for eight full weeks and is designed to allow participants direct access to elite level coaches and staff at weekly training sessions in New York City and Boston.

Coaches who are accepted into the program will shadow the likes of 2016 Division 1 National Champion Coach Josh Smith, as he and other high ranking Northeast Academy coaches work with players who are nearing or are already named to USA Rugby High Performance Training Camp rosters.

Take the jump to read more.

Administrative participants will have hands-on opportunities to learn from the Academy’s top-notch team managers as they assist coaches and players through the many aspects of creating and maintaining elite training environments.

Referees joining the program will also be asked to partake in two ways. The first of which is by working with staff and athletes on crucial areas of play where technique and law intermix, such as the tackle and breakdown areas. Additionally, refs will be offered the opportunity to officiate scrimmaging sessions with the Academy’s top-rated athletes in order to continue toward the mastery of their own inherently vital craft.

The summer-long program is an excellent opportunity for ambitious rugby staffers to observe the nuances of communication, application and progressions at the top levels of rugby in America.

Applications for the Northeast Academy mentorship program can be submitted simply by filling out the linked form below.

Northeast Academy Mentorship Program Application Form

Northeast Academy

The Northeast Academy, with training squads in New York City, Boston and Buffalo, is a National Development Academy that has been sanctioned by USA Rugby as the official Academy (Men & Women) in the Northeast of America and as a designated pathway to the USA Eagles National Team selection. The purpose of the Academy is to identify, develop and prepare Sevens rugby players with the intention of placing ambitious athletes onto the USA National teams and future USA Olympic teams. The Academy will provide athletes with top level coaching, physical preparation, and playing competition to accelerate their personal development as Sevens players in line with current USA Eagles High Performance criteria.

Eagles In Camp: Key Questions and Goals

June 8, 2016, 3:46 pm

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The Eagles are in camp in San Diego busy getting ready for their matches against Italy and Russia later in the month. Head coach John Mitchell is now about a half a year into his tenure with the team and during that time has had the ARC as well as time to scout out the American rugby landscape. Now he and the team face a step up with their first summer series and match against a Tier I nation. So what should be the goals and what are some key questions for the team heading into the summer?

How Deep Are The Eagles?

If you look at the ARC in the two matches in which the Eagles had what is close to their full squad (Blaine Scully, Todd Clever, Cam Dolan all in but no AJ MacGinty or Samu Manoa) they did well against Argentina and Canada. Against Chile in which they kept many of those players but took a step down in competition they still did well. However, it was when they lost most of the "known" quantities on the team that they struggled to do much against either Brazil or Uruguay in a pair of losses.

Take the jump to read more.

While it's certainly embarrassing to lose to Brazil these kind of struggles aren't that unexpected at the start of a new World Cup cycle. Think back to the original ARC in 2012. The U.S. finished winless in that tournament and didn't look that great. However, when you look at the roster for that tournament you see names like Nick Wallace, Zach Fenoglio, John Quill, Cam Dolan, and Shaun Davies getting their first major opportunity to show what they can do. The who team may have struggled but at lead then head coach Mike Tolkin found some players that were capable of stepping up.

That's what the ARC has done for John Mitchell and what this summer series could also help to do. The ARC did a good job of seeing which players were cut out for international rugby period and now the summer is going to see if the likes of Aladdin Schirmer, Brodie Orth, Mikey Te'o, and others who did well in the ARC can hold up against better opposition. If the U.S. can gain more clarity in regards to depth this early in the cycle that is a goal accomplished.

Who Is Going To Step Up For Key Players?

Samu Manoa is taking a break this summer to play in the Top 14 playoffs as well as to rest up after an injury riddled season. Eric Fry simply wasn't picked for the team for whatever reason. Those are two big holes that the Eagles need to figure out who is going to step up. Titi Lamositele is firmly entrenched in one of the starting prop positions but who is going to be next to him is a big question. Chris Baumann and Ollie Kilifi made it to the World Cup and should be the prime candidates but don't count out Angus MacLellan.

For Manoa, Tony Lamborn looks like a natural fill-in but it's safe to say that the competition for positions in the locks and the back-row is going to be incredibly fierce. The same goes for scrumhalf and back-up fly-half, both positions that need players to take a step up. At scrumahalf Nate Augspurger, Shaun Davies, Mikey Te'o, and Shalom Suniula are all options. It's interesting that Tom Bliss wasn't picked even though he later picked up a concussion. At back-up fly-half you have Suniula, Will Holder, and James Bird all fighting it out.

What Would Be An Acceptable Record?

The U.S. is expected to lose to Italy and expected to beat Russia. Does that mean that a 1-1 record would be acceptable? If you are being realistic the answer is probably yes. While Italy is undergoing a bit of a transition themselves and have been one of the weaker, if not the weakest, Tier I nation in recent times they still have a solid team full of professionals. Players like Luke McLean, Edoardo Gori, Quintin Geldenhuys, and Leonardo Ghirarldini have 50 caps or more. Sergio Parisse and Martin Castrogiovanni may not be around but they are still a Tier I nation and will not be wanting a loss to the Eagles. Aan upset win over Italy would be nice but it's not expected.

Russia on the other hand should be much easier to beat. They missed out on the World Cup last year and have a squad of nearly all domestic players. With only two games it's unlikely that the U.S. puts out a fairly green team against Russia but you can expect some of the newer players to see good time. A loss to Russia should sent up red flags all over the place, especially considering that the team lost to Brazil and Uruguay as well. Being competitive against Italy with a chance to win and then a solid victory over Russia would constitute a good summer.

Manoa Returning To Northampton?

June 9, 2016, 11:20 pm

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A report out of England is suggesting that Samu Manoa could be leaving Toulon this summer to return to Northampton, the club that gave him his professional start. The news was first reported by a local Northampton paper.  Injuries have limited Manoa to less than the number he would like this year but when he did play for Toulon he was an automatic starter. With the summer off he could be healthy and ready to go for next year. However, he could also find his way back to England if that is what his young family wants.  Given Manoa's high salary in comparison to English salaries the smart money is that he is staying put at least for another year.

What do you think? Should Manoa return to Northampton or should he play on with Toulon? 

Opening Kick

June 10, 2016, 8:00 am

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Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location. It is brought to you everyday by Rugby Marketplace, your independent rugby store! 

National Teams/PRO Rugby:

The Eagles 15s side is in camp in San Diego. We look at some key questions surrounding the team this summer.

Apparently talks have been held to bring Samu Manoa back to Northampton.

Julie Foudy sat down with Perry Baker while Madison Hughes says Nate Ebner has a shot at the Olympics.

The Bro Bible says the U.S. Rugby team is "The Most Savage Sports Team To Watch This Summer."

Santa Barbara Rugby Academy has been announced as the latest official ODA.

Meanwhile, the Northeast Academy has launched a mentorship program.

San Diego picked up a big signing recently with Zach Pangelinan joining the team.

Take the jump to read more.

The latest Red, White, and Black Eye podcast is out talking all things Eagles.

Hayden Smith talks about his retirement in a recent podcast.

Club/College:

Doug Coil was recently in Alaska and he has a must-read article about rugby in the state.

Alex Solomon has more on some DI-A grads who played at the club championships.

The New Mexico Highlands won the NSCRO 7s title last weekend. The all tournament team was almost named.

The Rugby Republic has more on one player and his journey to play for the Maccabi team.

Gift Time Rugby shares some tips for increasing the relevance of your club.

Canada:

Both Japan and Canada have named their starting line-ups for Saturday's match.

Patrick Johnston has more on Jamie Cudmore and his storied career.

World:

The All Blacks have named their team to play Wales. England and Ireland have done the same as have South Africa, Argentina, and Australia.

Toulon have confirmed the signing of Ayumu Goromaru while George Smith has signed with the Reds.