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Thursday, 26 May 2011 19:42    PDF Print Write e-mail
Painful Memories as 7s Team Turns to Scotland
Sevens - USA Sevens Men

Nese Malifa got a rude welcoming from Portugal, as did everyone else. Ian Muir photoYou get the feeling that the USA 7s team players might feel at home in the dreary, wet weather in Edinburgh.

After getting a long talk about taking care of the ball, not forcing passes, and being content with taking five minutes to score a try, the Eagles finished off their London 7s by … throwing the ball away. They staggered out of London 1-4, and angry at themselves for losing the wrong way.

Unfazed, Head Coach Al Caravelli has returned to his mantra of ball retention, and told RUGBYMag.com that the players have been focused all week leading up to the Edinburgh 7s.

“Training has been good,” said the coach. “The guys have been sharp. They know it’s going to be tough this week. To beat one of the top teams you have to play a flawless game.”

And you have to put distractions behind you. Perhaps the Eagles didn’t do that so well last week – a couple of rough calls, including a knock-on in-goal that was given as a try – contributed to their loss to England. Then they came back against Argentina, but were somewhat annoyed at themselves for having left it so late.

It was if the ghosts of their own self-doubt and frustration affected their performance against France, Spain and Portugal, all losses.

“We are at the point where we simply should not lose to non-core teams,” said Caravelli, bluntly. “They are all good teams, but we did not play well against them.”

So on to Edinburgh, where the USA plays Samoa, Fiji and Scotland. The Americans match up relatively well against Samoa but have only beaten them once. Against Fiji they are 2-14.

“We have to control the ball,” said Caravelli. “You cannot afford to make mistakes at this level, and it will take all 12 players to accomplish what we need to accomplish.”

Look for Caravelli to make some lineup changes, also, as he assesses players for the Pan-Am Games in October.


Notes: The USA is currently 11th in the HSBC Sevens World Series standings. A place in the top 12 means an invitation back as a core team, meaning they play in all eight tournaments in 2011-2012. The USA is currently 11th with 10 points. Kenya and Scotland are only two points ahead at 12, and so could be caught. Meanwhile, Portugal and Russia are two points behind at 8, France at 6 and Canada at 5.



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Written by Pat Clifton    Thursday, 26 May 2011 19:02    PDF Print Write e-mail
Larrimer Cup a CRC Warmup
Sevens - Collegiate Sevens

Like Subaru 7s did last week, Saturday’s Larrimer Cup gives some Collegiate Rugby Championship teams the opportunity to get a quality 7s run in before next weekend's nationally televised event.

CRC teams Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame are joined by Michigan in their quest for the first Larrimer College Cup. The Nittany Lions are hoping to pick up their second 7s tournament win in as many weeks, as they claimed the Subaru 7s title. Ohio State and Penn State's Larrimer confrontation will serve as a preview of what's to come in Philly, as they're pitted against each other in Pool B of the CRC.

Playing for the Men’s Division Cup are Kalamazoo, Columbus, Louisville and 1823.

The tournament is named for Terry Larrimer. A prominent Columbus attorney, Larrimer played for Princeton, Michigan, SudAmericano, Ohio State, Scioto Valley and several touring sides.

His distinguished rugby career spanned more than two decades and five continents. The Larrimer Cup celebrates his passion for the game and a cause that he grew to champion with equal enthusiasm -- finding a cure for cancer.

All proceeds from the tournament are being donated to the Columbus Foundation, where a scholarship has been established in Larrimer’s name.

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Written by RUGBYMag Staff    Wednesday, 01 June 2011 17:47    PDF Print Write e-mail
Fighting Irish Ready for CRC
Sevens - Collegiate Sevens

Notre Dame sends All American Nick Civetta onto the 7s field along with several enthusiastic Irish hoping to improve on last year's 11th-place finish at the USA 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship.

Andrew Mullen, who has been a tackling machine for Notre Dame all season, is a key member of this team, as is the 6-8 Civetta. Bobby Manfreda is a speedy wing whose father played rugby for Notre Dame, while former Jesuit (Sacramento) flyhalf Sean Peterson (another second-generation rugby player) will hope to open up some holes for his teammates.

Notre Dame roster:

Nick Civetta
William Henry
Alex Macomber
Robert Manfreda
Sean Mitchell
Andrew Mullen
Anrew O'Connor
Christopher Pesigan
Sean Peterson
Tyler Plantz
Kevin Ritt
Nicholas Severyn

The Collegiate Rugby Championship, June 4-5 at PPL Park in Philadelphia, will be aired live on NBC both days. Irish punk band The Dropkick Murphy's will be performing a free post-match concert at PPL Park June 4. For more info, visit usasevenscrc.com.

Broadcast Schedule:
• NBC Sports live coverage from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 4 and 5
• Versus live coverage from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET on June 4 and 5
• Versus bonus coverage from 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET on June 4
• NBC Mobile live simulcast from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ET on June 4 and 5
• Hulu.com full event coverage available on-demand in HD quality video

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Written by RUGBYMag.com News Release    Thursday, 26 May 2011 19:10    PDF Print Write e-mail
RMC Expanding as Top Age-Grade All-Star Comp
School Age - Boys

The Rocky Mountain Challenge (RMC), America’s Premier Under-17 & Under-19 Rugby Tournament, will again field All-Star Rugby teams from across America.

 

Teams already committed and expected to compete include Florida, Southern California, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Heart of America (Kansas City area), Oklahoma, and Colorado. Most states will field two teams, both a U-19 and a U-17 team.  According to Jeff Calhoun, the RMC’s Tournament Director, “This will be the largest representation of prep rugby talent in our Tournament history.”

 

In addition, four women’s U-19 teams will join the field this year, as well as exhibitions of youth rugby (ages 5-15) and “Old Boy” rugby (ages 35+).

 

“We are gratified and excited to see so many teams committed to this year’s Tournament,” said Tournament Director, Jeff Calhoun.  “This group of teams is our largest ever, and a testament to the growth of rugby in the US.  Rugby is the fastest growing youth sport in America, and rugby will be played in the 2016 Olympics as a new sport.” The players for that team will be selected from all-star teams such as the ones playing at the RMC.  Selectors from USA Rugby will be attending the RMC to evaluate the all-star players.

“The Challenge is a great showcase for teams and players from all parts of the US.  It’s a wonderful opportunity for more people to learn about our growing sport and get more young people involved.”

 

“Come out to the Aurora Sports Park and watch great kids play great rugby”   Calhoun declared.

 

About the RMC

The Tournament has two competitive divisions.  One division teams players under the age of 17 and the second division teams players under the age of 19.   The Texas U-19 team won its division last year, while Utah club took the crown in the U-17 division.

 

The Rocky Mountain Challenge is one of five Regional Tournaments supported by USA Rugby and is a key part of the process that will ultimately lead to consideration for the National USA U-20/U-18 selection pool for international team play in 2010.

 

The weekend event will feature over 30 matches on 5 fields between the participating teams, with preliminary rounds on Saturday June 18, and the semifinals and championship games played on Sunday, June 19.  A banquet, honoring all players, will be held on Saturday night, June 19 at the Crown Plaza Hotel at 15500 E. 40th Ave. just off I-70.

Ticket Information:

Tickets for the Rocky Mountain Challenge are $5.00 per person, with free admission for anyone under the age of 12. Tickets are sold at the Aurora Sports Park gate on the days of the event.   The Aurora Sports Park is located at 18601 Sports Park Drive, just off Colfax Avenue, 3 blocks east of Tower.  Parking is free.

The Rocky Mountain Challenge is supported by USA Rugby, the Boulder, CO based national governing body for rugby in the US.

 

For more information, visit http://www.rmu19c.com/, or contact Jeff Calhoun at 720-924-0660.  ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

 

2011 Tournament Information

Saturday & Sunday, June 18-19,

At the Aurora Sports Park

 

Tickets available at the gate, $5.00 per person, kids under 12 free

 

Player Ages U17 (Under 17 years old) & U19 (Under 19 years old)

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Written by Alex Goff    Thursday, 26 May 2011 17:52    PDF Print Write e-mail
GoffonRugby: Everyone is Offside
RUGBYmag Premier - Columns and Opinions

At the recent College Premier Division semifinal, the University of California got into some serious early penalty trouble by being offside repeatedly.

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