Sevens Rugby

Did anybody see the USA 7's Rugby broadcast on NBC on both Saturday and Sunday the other weekend? The final between Samoa and New Zealand was as thrilling as rugby gets. Each and every Samoa player looked like a threatening ballcarrier and the skills both teams displayed left those at the offices of WGR speechless. Two weeks later and we're still talking about it. One of our favorite little plays is when the Samoa scrum half would scoop the ball up with one hand as it rolled out the back of the scrum, and then he'd flick it perfectly to his first-receiver.

If you didn't see that final, an instant class, here are some highlights:

While we may be faced with a snow covered day, it's also encouraging to think about summer time in Milwaukee and the 30th Annual Lakefront 7's Tournament. One of the biggest and best 7's events in the country, returns on June 30th. One thing that's been lacking the last two years is a strong high school girls bracket. Few teams registered last year. With the growth of 7's, which is to be played in upcoming Olympic games, it'd be encouraging to see more teams tkae part. All the information, including on-line registration can be found at the tournament website: http://www.lakefront7s.com/

The Rugby Formal

I've encountered my share of rugby formals over the years. Being involved with high school girls rugby in various capacities has helped me appreciate how much pride our student athletes have for their teams and teammates.

One resulting phenomenon is the rugby formal picture. In its various forms it might be a group photo of every girl's bruises while formally attired for a fall homecoming dance. Typically, the girls gather at some point in the evening and snap a large group picture of bumps, bruises, and bouquets. In other forms, the rugby formal picture is the pre-dance huddle, or in this picture from Homecoming 2011, a picture of the pre-dance lineout demonstration. To my knowledge, i have yet to hear of a pre-dance scrum, although perhaps some have tried. Photographic evidence of such an event would surely warrant a special note inthe annals of the Wisconsin Girls Rugby blog.

With the Winter Formal Season in full session and Prom 2012 around the corner, this tradition is sure to continue. Memorable photos can be submitted to the conference blog at: wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com

Midwest Championships April 28-29

The 2012 Girls Midwest Championships will be held the weekend of April 28th-29th at the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Indiana. The fields and are pictured above.

The event, which featured three divisions and 24 teams, returns to Elkhart after a couple of season in Carmel, Indiana. The Carmel hosts did a wonderful job the last few years expanding the tournament and running a smooth event. Now,as the event rotates location, teams will be able to enjoy the top notch facilities Elkhart can offer. Teams are encouraged to attend. It's a unique opportunity to compete against other strong programs from up to seven different states.

The 2012 Championship should continue to have multiple brackets and the lower divisions have open enrollment. Those interested should visit the Midwest Youth Rugby website for detailed info on hotels, locations, and teams involved. Interested teams can also contact the Midwest Youth Director directly (bc@midwestyouthrugby.com )

Snow Rugby

Just because we have a snowstorm in Wisconsin, doesn't mean we don't have to stop playing, as this photo from Finland's famous "Snow Rugby Tournament" demonstrates ....

The Midwest Cross Roads Invitational Festival

The 8th Annual Midwest Cross Roads Invitational is being held April 21 & 22,
2012 at the Des Moines rugby Facilities. The tournament is billed as an event that "will soon be one of the premier girls’ rugby events in the country."

It's held at the outsanding Des Moines’ Rugby Facilities, which includes two fields and their clubhouse along with a third field immediately west of us allowing us to host up to 24
teams. Their clubhouse features four locker rooms with showers, a large social room with kitchen, and two-tiered deck overlooking Bartlett Field. They also offer buffet lunches both days and a buffet dinner Sat. evening – a perfect way to keep your team from
scattering to fast foods.

This is called a festival rather than a tournament as you’ll get three competitive games (Sat morning, Sat. afternoon, and Sunday) but there are no standings kept or trophies awarded. It's a good opportunity to gain experience. Teams typcially come from Minnessota, St. Louis, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

If interested, contact Phil Kaser, the tournament director, Pkaser13@centurylink.net

Applications for National Tournament Sought

Girls HS Teams are being urged to apply to the new National Championships May 12-13 at Stanford in conjunction with the collegiate women's final four.

Teams must fill out an application form by January 15.

Go here for the application former:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFVrcEhpNHdsMVFrVG9lZ1dCcko2Vnc6MQ

Word on the street is that the committee is considering two tiers of competition, if interest for the event is shown in the number of applications submitted. This is similar to how the NIT was run prior to USA Rugby taking it over two years ago. At its peak the NIT had three tiers of competition, with 24 teams competing.

The Committee urges teams to apply as soon as possible to be considered.

Higgin's Award Winner Comments

"Talia is a great ambassador to the sport, her infectious desire to constantly play and improve made her easy to coach. After her sophomore season, she moved back to Milwaukee but would commute four times a week out to Delafield so she could continue playing with her teammates. The time, energy, and passion she commits to the sport are a great example to others and I'm extremely happy that she has continued to play for a top program in college"

Coach Noe, Kettle Moraine Knightmares

And a note about Kaisee:

"Congratulations to Kaisee for this well deserved honor. Kaisee was an integral part of Brookfield RFC's success with both her innate athleticism and her quiet leadership. Kaisee was such a great player, not only because of her strong performances on the field, but because she always provided a positive role model off the field, at practice and team events, building a real sense of team community. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Kaisee, and glad that she is continuing to play at such a high level in the sport. I wish her the best of luck, both on and off the pitch."

Coach Dan, formerly of DS,KM, CMH, Brookfield, and Tosa :)