Wisconsin Rugby Alumnae Named All Americans

USA Rugby has named the Collegiate All Americans for Division II. Two Alumnae of Wisconsin High School Rugby Clubs have made the cut: Kati McCormick, No. 8, who is an alumna of Kettle Moraine Girls RFC, and Brittany Biedenbender, wing, who is an alumna of Vernon Girls RFC. Both players currently play for the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee team.

Congratulatios to all those players named All Americans:

1st Team All-American – Division II
Prop: Laura Greenlee (Duluth University)
Prop: Kaci Darso (Western Washington University)
Hooker: Sadie Borneman (Duluth University)
Lock: Brittany Myers (Shippensburg University)
Lock: Brittany Rineman (Shippensburg University)
Flanker: Caila Ney (Milwaukee University)
Flanker: Tiffany Gjestvang (Duluth University)
Number 8: Kati McCormick (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee)
Scrum-half: Mari Scamp (East Carolina University)
Fly-Half: Sybil Taunton (Norwich University)
Inside Center: Jenna Boggi (Shippensburg University)
Outside Center: Kerilee Shirey (Shippensburg University)
Wing: Michelle Jeffcoat (Shippensburg University)
Wing: Brittany Biedenbender (University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee)
Fullback: Natalie Monroig (Shippensburg University)

The Cup...

Negotiations between CMHS and BBRFC broke down today shortly after the joint purchase of the newly named Founders' Cup, a competition commemorating the rivalry between these two clubs.

Disputes regarding the engraving of club names on the Cup, the details of financing trophy polish, and whether coaching staffs would be required to wear kilts at Founders' Cup matches reached a frenzied pitch, leaving in doubt whether differences could be resolved prior to the August 30, 2008 fixture.

Given the short-time frame left prior to the start of the season, the Parties have considered the selection of a neutral arbitrator to resolve these disputes. However, no agreement was reached and the negotiations are at a standstill.

CMHRFC rejects BBRFC's claim to primacy...

Following the issuance of the challenge to a grudge match, officials from CMHRFC responded to the fully justified comments of the BBRFC. The CMHRFC front office issued the following brief press release regarding the potential grudge match:

Officials contend that Catholic Memorial Girls Rugby first staked their claim to Minooka Park a decade ago, many years before the founding of the BBRFC. In a seldom remembered piece of Wisconsin rugby history, several witnesses, including a current representatives of involved parties, were present in Oct 1998 as DSHA lost to the Crusaders at Minooka Park. Minooka Park will forever be associated with the Crusaders!

In addition, the CHMRFC officials threatened legal action, in response to the BBRFC comments, in the following statement:

Councillors for CMHS are also seeking an injunction based on slander and libel for all references to Catholic as a "junior" and "upstart club." Documents will be shown exhibiting the club's deep roots in the community dating back a decade or more. Officials contend they can show an unbroken line of CMH rugby players from 1998 to the present day, who retain and preserved the rights of one of Wisconsin's founding clubs, not some 'upstart club' as some have erroneously referred to them as.

It is hoped that the parties can reach a formal arrangement which will resolve these concerns before the opening of the season.

A formal challenge...

Catholic Memorial High School RFC, angered by the fact that Brookfield Bruisers RFC has tortiously interfered with the contract of its assistant coaches and induced that coach to break his contract for permanent service, has challenged the BBRFC to a grudge match.

The BBRFC is shocked by the audacity of the upstart, and junior club, CMHRFC which has repeatedly wronged the BBRFC by wearing the BBRFC's home color jersey and usurping the BBRFC's home pitch.

To resolve this simmering rivalry, the parties are in negotiations for a formalized competition to resolve the differences between the clubs. The BBRFC has put on offer a trophy of unsurpassed value, if CMHRFC believes that it is up the the challenge.

It is hoped that negotiations regarding the competition will conclude prior to the pre-season fixture, scheduled for August 30, 2008, as this is the only scheduled meeting between these two foes during the Fall 2008 conference season.

Lakefront 7s Results

The official standings and results should be out soon on the Harlequin RFC's webiste. While I don't know the scores, the results are in and our neighbor's to the south put on a brilliant display of their 7s skills defeating Vernon's two entries and Brookfield decisively in each match. St. Charles Girls Rugby Club from Illinois swept their Wisconsin competition. The injury plagued Brookfield ended with a 1-2 result, playing close matches to its cross county rivals Vernon.

All and all, it was a great day down at the lake. Thanks to the Harlequins for keeping the high school girls competition going. Hopefully, we'll have pictures of the action to post soon.

DSHA Player Gets Capped for South Africa Tour

Here is a press release from USA Rugby about our U20 Women's' National Team. Congratulations to Maggie Reidy of our own Divine Savior Holy Angels, who earned a place as a starting second row for the Eagle's tour of South Africa this past weekend. Below is the press release from USA Ruby, announcing the full lineout for the match and here is a link to Women's Rugby Review's coverage of the the Eagles 37-7 defeat to South Africa.

Thanks to Tom Schmitt for passing along the following press release:

June 20, 2008
USA Under-20 Women’s National Team Select for Lineup
for South Africa Debut
NELSPRUIT, South Africa – The USA Under-20
Women’s National Team announced today the team set to play the South Africa U-20 WNT on Saturday, June 21. The game will be played at the Nelspruit Rugby School at 3 p.m. local time.

“The quality of the players on this team is much higher than previous years and this made selections difficult,” said U-20 WNT Head Coach Bryn Chivers. “The South African side is new this year and while they have played a couple of games in the last month, we know little about them with the exception of the handful of players from their Senior 15s and Sevens squads.”

“We know they will be big in the tight five with and fast in the back three,” added Chivers.

Under-20 Women’s National Team Backs Coach Tasha Bishop thinks the squad will be up for the challenge and this will make for a very enjoyable game of rugby with interesting speed matchups across the backline.

Forwards coach Sue Oldenburg sees at the size of the South African forwards as a potential obstacle in the set, but is confident that the U.S. pack will offer their own challenge with their speed in the open field play.

The U-20 Women are scheduled to play two additional games in Nelspruit, capital of the South African province of Mpumalanga. The team meets another test against the South Africa Under-20 Women on June 28, and also has a match versus the Mpumalanga Senior Women on June 25.

The USA Under-20 Women selected to face South Africa are:

1 Rachel Sommer, West Linn, OR

2 Brittany Woodard, Hyde School, DC

3 Jay Marie Hill, Stanford

4 Anneke Brand, Texas Tech

5 Maggie Reidy, Divine Savior Holy Angels, WI

6 CandaceBarley, Maryville, TN

7 Katie Johnson, Hopkins, MN

8 Alex Hartley, Brown

9 BriAnna Barto, Summit, CO

10 Lisa Henneman (C), Seattle Women

11 Tyra McGrady, Indiana

12 Marie Timm, USMA

13 Catherine Turnerdrown, Riverton,UT

14 Seymi Salami, State College, PA

15 Sadie Anderson, Fort Collins, CO

16 Joanna Kitlinski, Grand Valley State

17 Tayo Mafe, Michigan State

18 Mallory Ives, Colorado State

19 Jozy Gesner, Summit, CO

20 Catherine Parkhill, Armstrong, MN

21 Kayla Morisoli, San Jose State

22 Blaine Martin, Brown

Wisconsin U19 to Play Exhibition at the Churchill Cup

The Wisconsin Women's U19 Selectside will be playing an exhibition match against the Indiana Women's U19 selectside at this weekend's Churchill Cup, an international competition featuring USA Eagles, Argentina, Canada, Ireland, England, and Scotland. The match time is set from 2:10 to 2:45 p.m. at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. If you are interested in going down to support our Wisconsin selectiside, contact the U19 select coach, Scott Prunkle at u19selectcoach[at]gmail.com for more information.

Good luck and congratulations to our starting 15:

1 - Julia Thorne (DSHA / UW-Milwaukee)
2 - McKenna Smith (Catholic Memorial) / Shannon Capelle (Kettle Moraine)
3 - Cori Jensen (Madison Militia / UW-Milwaukee)
4 - Casey Hamill-Barth (Catholic Memorial) / Morgan Schneider (Muskego)
5 - Cari Berdan (Brookfield Bruisers) / Brittany Bell (Muskego)
6 - Addie Haupert (Muskego) [2009 Captain] / Samantha Capelle (Kettle Moraine)
7 - Elizabeth Perry (Brookfield Bruisers / Winona State University) [2008 Captain]
8 - Amanda Pohle (Catholic Memorial) / Reddiyn Wihongi (Milwaukee Scylla)
9 - Brittany Houston (Vernon / UW-Milwaukee) [2008 Captain] / Emma Pesci (Catholic Memorial) [2009 Captain]
10 - Melissa Ponsegrau (Vernon / University of Wisconsin)
11 - Valerie Seidl (Brookfield Bruisers) [2009 Captain] / Leslie Fickau (Vernon)
12 - Megan Ward (DSHA / Marquette University) [2008 Captain]
13 - Alisa Leoni (Lincoln Way / Marquette University) / Emma Pesci
14 - Samantha Bruni (Vernon)
15 - Andi Broge (Catholic Memorial / University of Dayton)

It is really great to see so many of our High School Girls players and alumni representing Wisconsin!