Sunday, January 12, 2014

Extra Oomph: All About Kim



Kim is another of our Florida collegiate players but she plays for FAU's biggest rival, Florida International University. Eyal spoke highly of her skills at flyhalf and wanted to try to find a space for her on the team, especially as she has been working with Serevi trainers to better her rugby skills.. As a few players had to drop from our roster, it was a quick and easy choice to offer her a spot on the Stars. Can't wait to see how she elevates the team and inspires teammates!

In her words:
 
Sports are the best! Throughout my life, I would always annoy my family and friends to do anything sport related with me; of course, I always ended up being that person who would beg for another game or 2 when everybody else called it a day.  I’ve convinced myself that no one loves playing sports more than I do, I may be wrong, but one thing is for sure,  I can’t get enough of it. A past time that stands out the most to me was when I would play football with my two brothers. My older brother would be all time quarterback and I would go against my twin brother one on one. We would play tackle and it was always so intense!  We did this for years, mostly every Sunday; I loved it! 


I always loved the thrill of competition and especially the adrenaline that came from tackling.  I always hated the fact that the only thing offered to women was flag football in grade school so when I first found out that tackling was involved in rugby I got super excited and could not believe it. 


Needless to say,  I got into Rugby hardcore. I started playing in September of 2012 and I always think to   I cannot get enough of rugby. I often get these huge cravings in the middle of the night to just do anything with rugby, and I will grab my rugby balls like at 1 AM and go to the park. Just even watching rugby excites the heck out of me. It’s such a beautiful game.  I love how creative you can be on the field, the teamwork it involves, the roughness, I love every single thing about it. I know rugby will for sure be a part of my future and that alone makes me love life. 



Without rugby I really think life would suck -  I don’t know if that’s pathetic, but I do not care, I love rugby! I especially love the friendships and bonds that are made through having teammates. Getting better makes rugby more fun, it sucks to suck, so really that’s enough reason for me to train hard, but my teammates and coaches definitely help me add that extra oomph to my training. Not only do I train for myself, I train for them. I think to myself “Damn if only I knew about rugby earlier in life, I know I for sure would be doing huge things with it by now,” but really that only drives me to work even harder.


Playing high level and for the Stars is going to mean a lot for me. As I mentioned before, I love the thrill of competition! There is no greater feeling than the adrenaline that comes from good competition- when you have to work really hard for something and you finally get it; for example, a hard earned try in a really close match. Just thinking about it is such an awesome feeling!   



I know this experience will drive me to love rugby even more and I’m positive it will give me an even greater zeal for rugby.  I’ll be able to compare myself to some of the greatest female rugby athletes and see where and how I can improve.  The best part is that I will also get to play with them.  It definitely will give me a new goal to work up to and I’m so excited for it. I know it will give me an even greater motivation for training. I can’t wait!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Why the Women's Eagles Aren't Playing at USA Sevens and Why It's a Damn Dirty Shame

In response to my post about the gender gap in rugby 7s where I lamented the fact that the USA Women will not be at the LVI tournament this year, quite a few people tweeted me this article from Rugby Magazine. It is a shame the Eagles won't be there not only to display their athleticism but also for the missed fan interaction, marketing opportunities, PR, and the chance to work with local rugby programs and give back to the game as the attention to Rugby 7s in Las Vegas is far greater than that of the Houston iRB World Series stop (which had to take some desperate steps with discount coupon websites to try and fill seats) or Atlanta (which has gone pretty under promoted this year in a very minor college stadium).

With a new contracted squad of 18 players and several more Eagles hopefuls in the pipelines (plus recent alums whose contracts have not been renewed in the past year) the Stars and Stripes teams certainly could have lived on. The player pool is there though rumor had it that the current Eagles team didn't *want* to go to Las Vegas.

Hopefully some of the women still make the trip to be the face of the #tryonrugby and #workforit campaigns. Otherwise this could be a slippery slope validating the argument that no one cares about women's 7s/women's sports, leading to why even bother investing in/promoting the game, to why bother hosting in the US, to why pay these players to train for only a few tournaments a year and on and on ad nasueum.

If no one knows about the game then how can they go and see it? Why would the general population pay money to fill a stadium? Vegas offers the clear chance to attract and motivate the fan base with sell out crowds in attendance - all of those paying CIPP dues dreaming of making the Eagles/Olympics/World Cup and the greater US population that still doesn't know (or only is vaguely aware of rugby through its stereotyped drinking culture) that women's rugby exists. Given that we have such a high performing women's 7s program with intelligent athletes with unique backstories, shouldn't we get to know and see them play more? And how will the 6 players not selected for tours, especially the crossover athletes that earned contracts, develop their on-field vision, tactics, recognition,  and decision making skills unless they play in real games against unpredictable competition?

Canada sent solid sides to the World University Games where they placed 3rd, to the NACRA championships where they outscored opponents 273-0 on their way to the title, winning again at Tobago 7s (while a development team, the roster included captain and perennial World Player of the Year contender Jen Kish), and are sending a team to Las Vegas.  Our women participated only in the World University Games with little press/fanfare and disappointing results -  according to the team's facebook page it looks like they went 1-3 beating Italy while falling to Brazil, China, Great Britain in pool play. Scouring the WUG website shows we then lost to Japan 10-5 in the 9th/10th place match. Game reports, or even a summary article about the event, are absent from the USA Rugby website. USA sent the Naval Academy team along with 3 women from other programs which suggests a lack of organization and consideration in building a women's collegiate 7s program where the best athletes have a chance to compete for a spot.

Further, Canada currently sits in 4th place to the USA's 7th place in current iRB standings. Canada's 2nd place finish at the World Cup and 3rd place WSWS finish last year both place higher than the USA side. It is a fairly safe hypothesis that the fact that they play more rugby is the driving factor in their success. As they develop their players, especially with U-18 and U-20 players getting opportunities to play in the smaller developmental tournaments, their program will only continue to thrive. Plus the recent infusion of money into the rugby 7s program, bringing the women's teams budget to a total of 1.7 million CAD, via the Own the Podium initiative means that USA Rugby has a lot of catching up to do.

A final note - Given that the men's Elite Cup has imploded due to clashes of men's club egos and the creation of the Pacific Rugby Premiership, couldn't the 5 figure amount of money allocated for it be assigned to the women's 7s team?

Suggitt Explains USA Women Absence in Vegas
Written by Alex Goff    Thursday, 09 January 2014 15:07 
Sevens - USA Sevens Women

The USA women's 7s program will not send a team to the Las Vegas Invitational Jan 23-26.

USA White in action in 2013. Ian Muir photo.
            USA White in action in 2013. Ian Muir photo.
This decision ends a run that started in 2004, when the USA 7s was in Carson, Calif. Every year, there has been a women's 7s game at the stadium during the USA 7s - sometimes an exhibition, but usually the championship game of the Women's Elite 7s at the LVI.

Last year, for the first time ever, no USA women's team played in the stadium, as the Maple Leafs I and Maples Leafs II made the final. Neither the USA or Canada are really allowed to send a full national team to the LVI, and so send teams called the Maple Leafs, the Stars and the Stripes, or USA White and USA Blue, to compete.

This year, though, there will be no USA White or USA Blue. USA Head Coach Ric Suggitt said the decision was down to money and timing."We didn't have the budget for it," said Suggitt. "We want to go. But it's not so simple as just getting on a bus out to Vegas. It does cost money, and we don't have a host union paying for us. There's only so much money to go around."

Suggitt also said that with the Houston 7s in mid-February, the timing was bad.

"It doesn't work for our periodization," he said. "To play and then train and play again three weeks later doesn't really work for us."

In fact, Canada made the same decision, except they are sending a young Maple Leafs development team to take on the likes of Japan and Mexico. Suggitt said he'd love to do that, but wasn't able to this time.

"What we do have is some development teams going there outside of the USA team, and that's going to be good for the program," said Suggitt. Atlantis and the Stars are giving up-and-comers exposure against teams from Canada, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, Japan, and France.

But it does seem a shame for USA fans that they won't see their women's national team, or close to it, play in Las Vegas, and it's a shame those players won't get a chance to play in front of a big crowd in the stadium. The USA 7s and the LVI have always given high-profile playing opportunities to the USA women's teams. When it doesn't happen this time, it's because USA Rugby opted not to go.

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