Elite Schedule Update

The Women's Elite bracket and pool remains the same with some field scheduling updates due to the significant changes in the Men's Elite bracket:

Friday January 24th
Field 25

***800 French Missfits v Stars***

820 Atlantis v Trinidad & Tobago 7s

840 Maple Leafs v Aptoella

900 Japan 1 v Serpientes

920 #25 QF Cup #1 vs #8

940 #26 QF Cup #4 vs. #5

1000 #27 QF Cup #3 C vs. #6

1020 #28 QF Cup #2 vs. #7

1040 French Missfits v Trinidad & Tobago 7s

***1100 Atlantis v Stars***

1120 Maple Leafs v Serpientes

1140 Japan 1 v Aptoella

1200 #33 SF Cup Loser #25 vs. Loser #26

1220 #34 SF Cup Loser #27 vs. Loser #28

1240

100

120 French Missfits v Atlantis

***140 Stars v Trinidad & Tobago 7s***

200 Maple Leafs v Japan 1

220 Aptoella v Serpientes

240 USA TRAINING

Women's Elite

Men's Elite

Saturday January 25th

Field 23

 

800 #29 Cup QF 1st Pool A vs.4th Pool B

820 #30 Cup QF 2nd Pool B vs. 3rd Pool A

840 #31 Cup QF 2nd Pool A vs. 3rd Pool B

900 #32 Cup QF 1st Pool B vs 4th Pool A

920

940

1000 #37 SF Plate Loser #29 vs. Loser #30

1020 #38 SF Plate Loser #31 vs. Loser #32

1040 #39 SF Cup Winner #29 vs. Winner #30

1100 #40 SF Cup Winner #31 vs. Winner #32

1120

1140 #41 7/8 Loser #37 v Loser #38

1200 #42 5/6 Winner #37 v Winner #38

1220 #43 3/4 Place Loser #39 v Loser #40

 

Sunday January 26th

Sam Boyd Stadium 

 

#44 Cup Final Winner #39 vs. Winner #40

Open Pool/Schedule Updates

In true rugby go-with-the-flow fashion, just as I was editing the Open and Elite pool posts, we received emails from the tournaments with some pool & bracket changes as some teams dropped while new ones registered.

The Women's Open format has also changed from a Bracket A/Bracket B with 12 teams each feeding into their own brackets Bowl and Cup quarterfinals and beyond into one Women's Open bracket with a more complicated playoff format.

In our open pool the Redlands have been replaced by BYU Too! and game times/locations stay the same (920am vs Team Lola, 1220pm vs BYU Too! and 300pm vs Youngbloodz). Some other teams have backed out and been replaced with perhaps the most noticeable absence being the Berkeley All Blues (unless they renamed themselves for Vegas?) :

Pool A Team LOLA BYU Too! Stars Youngbloodz Pool B Michigan Mutts Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks Brigham Young University Dark and Stormy
Pool C
C1
Black Mambas
Seattle Breakers
Laie Parkside Lions

Pool D
Anchorage Arctic Foxes
Alcohooligans
Rock
Japan Select B
 
Pool E
Dog River Howlers
Maryland Exiles
Coven RFC
US Combined Services Women


Pool F
Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club
Minnesota Tundra
Raptors
The Royals

Thursday January 23rd
Field 17

800 Michigan Mutts v Brigham Young University

820 Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks v Dark and Stormy

840 C1 v Seattle Breakers

900 Black Mambas v Laie Parkside Lions

***920 Team Lola v Stars***

940 BYU Too! v Youngbloodz

1000 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Rock

1020 Alcohooligans v Japan Select B

1040 Michigan Mutts v Dark and Stormy

1100 Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks v Brigham Young University

1120 C1 v Laie Parkside Lions

1140 Black Mambas v Seattle Breakers

1200 Team Lola v Youngbloodz

***1220 BYU Too! v Stars***

1240 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Japan Select B

100 Alcohooligans v Rock

120 Michigan Mutts v Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks

140 Brigham Young University v Dark and Stormy

200 C1 v Black Mambas

220 Seattle Breakers v Laie Parkside Lions

240 Team Lola v BYU Too!

***300 Stars v Youngbloodz***

320 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Alcohooligans

340 Rock v Japan Select B

 
Thursday January 23rd
Field 18

840 Dog River Howlers v Coven WRFC

900 Maryland Exiles v US Combined Service Women

920 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v Raptors

940 Minnesota Tundra v The Royals

1000

1020

1040

1100

1120 Dog River Howlers v US Combined Service Women

1140 Maryland Exiles v Coven WRFC

1200 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v The Royals

1220 Minnesota Tundra v Raptors

1240

100

120

140

200 Dog River Howlers v Maryland Exiles

220 Coven WRFC v US Combined Service Women

240 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v Minnesota Tundra

300 Raptors v The Royals

Friday January 24th
Field 17

800 #25 QF Bowl #1 vs #8

820 #26 QF Bowl #4 vs. #5

840 #27 QF Bowl #3 C vs. #6

900 #28 QF Bowl #2 vs. #7

920 #29 Plate QF #1vs. #8

940 #30 Plate QF #4 vs. #5

1000 #31 Plate QF #3 vs. #6

1020 #32 Plate QF #2 vs #7

1040 #33 SF Shield Loser #25 vs. Loser #26

1100 #34 SF Shield Loser #27 vs. Loser #28

1120 #35 SF Bowl Winner #25 vs. Winner #26

1140 #36 SF Bowl Winner #27 vs. Winner #28

1200 #37 SF Plate Winner #29 vs. Winner #30

1220 #38 SF Plate Winner #31 vs. Winner #32

1240 #39 SF Plate Loser #29 vs. Loser #30

100 #40 SF Plate Loser #31 vs. Loser #32

120

140 #41 Bowl Final Winner #35 vs. Winner #36

200 #42 Plate Final Winner #37 vs. Winner #38

Friday January 24th

Field 18

900 #25 QF Cup #1 vs #8

920 #26 QF Cup #4 vs. #5

940 #27 QF Cup #3 C vs. #6

1000 #28 QF Cup #2 vs. #7

1020

1040

1100

1120

1140 #33 SF Cup Loser #25 vs. Loser #26

1200 #34 SF Cup Loser #27 vs. Loser #28

1220 #39 A SF Cup Winner #25 vs. Winner #26

1240 #40 A SF Cup Winner #27 vs. Winner #28

100

120

140

200

220 Cup 3/4 Loser #39 vs. Loser #40

240 Cup Final Winner #30 vs. Winner #40

Stars Elite Schedule and Preview

The Las Vegas Invitational Women's Elite brackets were also released this week! Games will take place on the Star Nursery Fields next to Sam Boyd Stadium (note: could there BE a better sign? Stars playing on Star fields?). 

Pool A
French Missfits
Atlantis
Stars
Trinidad & Tobago

Pool B
Maple Leafs
Japan
Aptoella
Serpientes

The French Missfits are a Canadian side of university players/alums. My dear Beaver friend and teammate Tiera Reynolds (who played for the Canada at the last two World University Games) will be with them and if her talent is any indicator, this could be a formidable opponent. Atlantis is a familiar name with developing/former USA 7s players in their mix; last year their team had a big revival to honor founder/coach/rugby legend Emil Signes and it seems the momentum continues. Their recent Tobago tour saw them in the championship match against the Maple Leafs. Trinidad & Tobago fix to be the weakest team in the Elite pools but have been developing their program and have been committed to traveling to as many tournaments as possible.

In Pool B the Maple Leafs (The Canadian National Team) are clear favorites coming off their 2nd place Rugby World Cup finish, the 2013 NACRA championship, and a 4th place finish in the Dubai WSWS. The championship and additional opportunity to play in Tobago in December certainly doesn't hurt as their program continues to develop new players recently bringing several U-20 and U-18 speedsters in the mix. Japan return to the LVI with a disciplined program and we're looking forward to a joint practice session/scrimmage with them on Thursday morning. Aptoella are solid contenders helmed by Barbara Mervin; their team is full of former Canada 7s and 15s talent out of the Vancouver area (I was set to play with their team at Calgary Stampede 7s but a near achilles tear prevented me from taking the field. Got to "camp" with the amazing ladies though and support from the sidelines). Rounding out Pool B are the Serpientes - Team Mexico. I got to meet their men at the LVI in 2012 (and someone still owes me a t-shirt from a polo trade!) and saw the men's side again at Lakefront 7s that same year. The women traveled to Calgary one week later and played well - winning some surprising upsets over Canadian 7s sides. They have some US based talent from the university ranks and it should be interesting to see how they travel and what they show.

Friday also gives us the opportunity to watch the men's elite games; their pool play finishes in the morning and quarterfinals matches kick off in the afternoon. Rugby Magazine is sure to have great previews and coverage of the men's draw.

Friday Schedule
Pitch 25

***800 French Missfits v Stars***

820 Atlantis v Trinidad & Tobago 7s

840 Maple Leafs v Aptoella

900 Japan 1 v Serpientes

920 Serevi Selects v E2

940 1823 v Mana Utah Selects

1000 US Falcons v Chicago Lions

1020 Mexico v The Selects

1040 French Missfits v Trinidad & Tobago 7s

***1100 Atlantis v Stars***

1120 Maple Leafs v Serpientes

1140 Japan 1 v Aptoella

1200 #25 QF Bowl 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool B

1220 #28 QF Bowl 3rd Pool B vs. 4th Pool A

1240#29 Cup QF 1st Pool A vs. 2nd Pool B

100 #32 Cup QF 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool A

120 French Missfits v Atlantis

***140 Stars v Trinidad & Tobago 7s***

200 Maple Leafs v Japan 1

220 Aptoella v Serpientes

240 USA TRAINING

Women Elite 7s

Men Elite 7s

Saturday Schedule

Pitch 23 

800 #29 Cup QF 1st Pool A vs.4th Pool B

820 #30 Cup QF 2nd Pool B vs. 3rd Pool A

840 #31 Cup QF 2nd Pool A vs. 3rd Pool B

900 #32 Cup QF 1st Pool B vs 4th Pool A

920

940

1000 #37 SF Plate Loser #29 vs. Loser #30

1020 #38 SF Plate Loser #31 vs. Loser #32

1040 #39 SF Cup Winner #29 vs. Winner #30

1100 #40 SF Cup Winner #31 vs. Winner #32

1120

1140 #41 7/8 Loser #37 v Loser #38

1200 #42 5/6 Winner #37 v Winner #38

1220 #43 3/4 Place Loser #39 v Loser #40

Sunday

Inside Sam Boyd Stadium between iRB matches, time TBD

#44 Cup Final Winner #39 vs. Winner #40

Stars Open Pool Preview & Game Schedules

Our timeline is finally shaping up (though still waiting on practice field confirmation as the final missing piece!) as USA Sevens sent out the Open and Elite pools/game schedules this week. There are some teams/times subject to change as the Redlands team in our open bracket was our Australians' original side that is no longer traveling.


Women's Open: Bracket A 

Pool A
Team LOLA
Redland's Women's Rugby 7s
Stars
Youngbloodz

Pool B
Michigan Mutts
Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks
Brigham Young University
Dark and Stormy

Pool C
Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club
Minnesota Monstaurs
Raptors
All Blues

Notable in this bracket are the All Blues team which won the USA Rugby National 7s Championship this past August (and whom my Chicago Lions Women's teams gave a good run for their money in a hotly contested pool play match with some questionable refereeing, Lions lost 22-19. The entire tournament Berkeley only had 29 points scored against them in 6 matches so we can safely say we were their toughest competition!). The Raptors if they are indeed Glendale's A-side studs will make for an exciting matchup though this could also be the Raptors 7s team based out of Chicago that's comprised of UIC alumnae and friends. That team played a more social 7s tournament schedule the last few summers but fared well and made/won a few finals. Brigham Young University beat my Beavers team in the women's open semifinals last year 10-7 on a last second play, while the Youngbloodz women placed 5th at 7s Nationals but are traveling minus a few current/former 7s Eagles but do count some current college All-Americans in their ranks. The Youngbloodz are a program I know quite from the last 2 summers of Midwest 7s. In 2012 Chicago North Shore and the Youngbloodz met in every Midwest tournament final and frequently squared off in pool play. This past summer my Lions team played them 14 times over the course of Midwest 7s tournaments. We met again at 7s nationals in the Plate semifinal - another hotly contested match in which we lost in an OT that never should have happened. Again poor refereeing where a clearly missed conversion kick was counted good but that's another story for another time and place!

Women's Open Bracket B

Pool A
Dog River Howlers
Maryland Exiles
Coven RFC
US Combined Services Women

Pool B
Tucson Women's Rugby
Black Mambas
Seattle Breakers
Laie Parkside Lions

Pool C
Anchorage Arctic Foxes
Alcohooligans
Rock
Japan 2

Notable here are the Dog River Howlers (our Wednesday practice/scrimmage opponents), a Canadian touring side that I've played several times at both the Las Vegas Invitational and Calgary Stampede 7s. They also recently toured Tobago, faring well, and usually count several current/former Team Canada 15s and 7s players on their rosters. The US Combined Services resurrected their program at last years LVI and 7s Nationals (another team my Lions met and defeated in pool play) and have counted contracted 7s Eagle Shaina Turley from their ranks. The Seattle Breakers have consistently played great 7s, coming in 3nd at Club 7s National in 2012 (narrowly beating my Chicago North Shore team in pool play that year) and they always travel well to the LVI. Their ties to Serevi have paid off and they were again a fixture at 7s Nationals in 2013. Rock may be the sister team to a men's side from Newfoundland that I've seen at Stampede 7s and could show well, though I'd expect Japan 2 to take that pool.

Schedule:
Silver Bowl Fields (across the street from the stadium)
Field 17 

Thursday, January 23rd

800 Michigan Mutts v Brigham Young University

820 Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks v Dark and Stormy

840 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v Raptors

900 Minnesota Monstars v All Blues

***920 Team Lola v Stars***

940 Redlands Women's Rugby 7's v Youngbloodz

1000

1020

1040 Michigan Mutts v Dark and Stormy

1100 Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks v Brigham Young University

1120 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v All Blues

1140 Minnesota Monstars v Raptors

1200 Team Lola v Youngbloodz

***1220 Redlands Women's Rugby 7s v Stars***

1240

100

120 Michigan Mutts v Las Vegas Lady Blackjacks

140 Brigham Young University v Dark and Stormy

200 Kalihi Raiders Rugby Club v Minnesota Monstars

220 Raptors v All Blues

240 Team Lola v Redlands Women's Rugby 7's

***300 Stars v Youngbloodz***

Field 18

800 Tucson Women's Rugby v Seattle Breakers

820 Black Mambas v Laie Parkside Lions

840 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Rock

900 Alcohooligans v Japan 2

920 Dog River Howlers v Coven WRFC

940 Maryland Exiles v US Combined Service Women

1000

1020

1040 Tucson Women's Rugby v Laie Parkside Lions

1100 Black Mambas v Seattle Breakers

1120 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Japan 2

1140 Alcohooligans v Rock

1200 Dog River Howlers v US Combined Service Women

1220 Maryland Exiles v Coven WRFC

1240

100

120 Tucson Women's Rugby v Black Mambas

140 Seattle Breakers v Laie Parkside Lions

200 Anchorage Arctic Foxes v Alcohooligans

220 Rock v Japan 2

240 Dog River Howlers v Maryland Exiles

300 Coven WRFC v US Combined Service Women

Friday January 24th Schedule
This appears to be the same schedule on both fields with Cup, Plate, Bowl, Shield in each bracket and then an overall Bracket A winner vs Bracket B winner championship match.
Fields 17 & 18

800 #27 QF Bowl #9 vs. #12

820 #28 QF Bowl #10 vs. 4th #11

840 #29 Cup QF #1 vs. #8

900 #30 Cup QF #4 vs. #5

920 #31 Cup QF #3 vs. #6

940 #32 Cup QF #2 vs #7

1000

1020 #34 Shield Loser #27 vs. Loser #28

1040

1100 #36 SF Bowl Winner #27 vs. Winner #28

1120 #37 SF Plate Loser #29 vs. Loser #30

1140 #38 SF Plate Loser #31 vs. Loser #32

1200 #39 SF Cup Winner #29 vs. Winner #30

1220 #40 SF Cup Winner #31 vs. Winner #32

1240

100

120

140

200

#44 Cup Final Winner #39 vs. Winner #40

220

240

300

320

340 WINNER A v WINNER B