Girls Rugby NIT 2013 Application Online

Earlier today the online application was unveiled for teams to seek a bid to the girls high school National Invitational Championship.  Interested teams can visit Rugby Magazine and their section for the Girls NIT under "Tournaments."

The tournament is looking to be an even bigger event this year, with its focus on girls high school rugby.  A committee of eight coaches from some of the most respected high school programs in the country selected Milwaukee as the tournament location and will work to determine seeding for the 24 teams, broken into three divisions.

Already those eight teams that form the committee make for an impressive field: the Amazons, Catholic Memorial, Divine Savior Holy Angels, Fallbrook,Kent, New York, Lakewood, and West Carroll.  Perenial state champions like Colorado's Summitt HS and Minnesota's Armstrong have already stated their intent to apply and compete. Others, especially some strong California teams like Fullerton, have expressed interest in competing.  St Joseph's Academy, an all-girls school, is also expected to seek ann invite; they represent in many ways a newer group of up and coming programs that should gain significantly from the experience and competition.

Organizers are expecting to draw the most competitive field of girls high school teams ever assembled in one place, and hope to draw from a wide range of regions including the south in areas like Florida, where Sebastian River has been a past-participant, along with Tennessee, who not that long ago finished a girls 7's season this past November, and who continue to grow.

Girls Rugby National Invitational 2013

2013 Girls’ High School National Invitational Tournament Announced

(image of 2012 "National Champion" trophy awarded by USA Rugby)

     The 14th Annual Girls’ High School National Invitational Tournament (NIT) will be held Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, 2013, in Milwaukee, Wisc. Organized by the National Girls’ Coaches Committee (NGCC), the elite girls’ rugby tournament will return to a 24-team field, comprised of three divisions.
     Opening ceremonies will kick off the event on the morning of Saturday, May 18, to be followed by quarterfinals and semifinals for each of three divisions. The finals for each division will be played Sunday morning and early afternoon.
     The first girls’ NIT was held in 2000 and involved six teams. As a result of increasing competition and the desire for a venue to challenge top high school programs, the event expanded and grew to include 24 top teams in three divisions by 2007. USA Rugby sponsored the national tournament from 2008 through 2012 and contracted the event to 8 teams. With USA Rugby withdrawing sponsorship of both the boys and girls national tournaments in the coming year, the NGCC has reorganized the NIT to continue the tradition of a high school girls national championship tournament.
     Competitive high school girls’ teams wishing to compete must return an application along with a $50 fee no later than Sunday January 13th. A non-refundable entry fee of $500 along with a $500 deposit will be required to accept a bid to the NIT. The deposit will be returned upon arrival at the event. Divisions and seeding will be decided the week of the tournament and take into account current records, strength of schedule, and the most recent regional and state playoff competitions.
Inquiries may be directed to members of the NGCC and tournament hosts. We welcome and encourage those teams with aspirations of high-level play to this highly competitive event entering its 14^th year.

Regards;
The National Girls Coaches Committee
John Klein (DSHA)(Chair)
Andre Bruwer (Lakewood)
Molly Dengler (NYRC)
Sefesi Green (Amazons)
Rex Norris (Kent)
Marin Pinnell (Fallbrook)
Brad Rockwood (West Carroll)
John Waliszewski (Catholic Memorial)
Jackie Finlan (RugbyMag)(Media Liason)

For applications contact John Klein chinnychinchin_2000@yahoo.com
 

WGR alumni awarded Kevin Higgins Scholarship

 

Last week, Catholic Memorial alumni Katie Mueller was awarded a Kevin Higgins College Scholarship. A nice article on Katie, CMH ’12, is re-printed below. Articles on her award can be viewed at the USRugby Foundation and at RugbyMagzine.

Katie becomes the fourth WGR alumni to win this prestigious award and the second from Catholic Memorial High School.  Congratulations!

Katie Mueller -
2012 Kevin Higgins College
Scholarship Grant Recipient

San Diego, CA (December 5, 2012) - Katie Mueller has been playing organized sports for as long as she can remember. First it was basketball where she starred on AAU teams from the sixth grade on. She also played hoops all four years she was at Catholic Memorial High School. Her team was good and so was she as she led CMHS to victory over the number one team in the state of Wisconsin in the regional playoffs. At 6’ tall, she was also a gifted volleyball player playing club and high school volleyball from the ninth grade on.

Excelling in the classroom seemed to be as natural for Katie as excelling on the court. She was one of the top students in her class finishing with a 3.9 GPA.

With what looked like a basketball or volleyball scholarship waiting for her, imagine if you were the coach of the women’s rugby team at Catholic Memorial and you saw Katie approaching you just before the start of the team’s first practice her junior year. Here’s how her coach John Waliszewski remembers that day.

“It was the first day of rugby practice last year. A tall and happy-faced 17 year-old hopped over to me to announce she’d like to join our team. This was a big deal. Katie is one of the best students and best athletes in our school, and now she wanted to join the newest team on campus. What excited me even more is that she is one of the most sincere and caring young adults I’ve ever worked with. Not only did she join the team, but Katie became a captain of the team her senior year, despite only having one year of experience. She is so well respected, works so hard, and communicates so well, that it was clear her teammates would follow her anywhere.”

Katie was named Catholic Memorial’s Rookie of the Year her junior year leading CMHS to a Wisconsin State Runner-Up finish. She won 20 Brickhouse awards that year for individual game achievement in performance or leadership by coaching staff and teammates. She was also named the team’s Defensive Brickhouse Award winner.

As captain of MCHS her senior year, she led her team to the Midwest Championship game as well as 4^thplace finishes in both the 15s and 7s National Championship tournaments.

Despite her success on the rugby pitch, Katie and her family expected her to accept a basketball scholarship to college. But after a conversation with Penn State and U.S. Women’s National Team coach Peter Steinberg following her last rugby game those plans changed. After her strong season at CMHS Katie realized she had the potential to go to the next level in rugby. Her conversation with Coach Steinberg made it even more clear for her.

“Katie is exactly the type of person that USA Rugby is looking to identify and develop to help us compete at the World Cup and Olympics. She is a quality varsity athlete that has chosen rugby over her other sports.”

Penn State is receiving much more than a smart and gifted student athlete. They are getting a well-rounded individual who has given back to her high school and community. She was a member of the National Honor Society her senior year. She has been on her school’s Honor Roll without interruption since the 5^thgrade. She won the Outstanding Academic Achievement-President’s Education Award in the 9^thgrade. She was also featured in the Who’s Who in Middle School and High School in grades 6, 7, 8, and 9.

She was a Student Ambassador for Catholic Memorial her junior and senior years. She volunteered for the CMHS Open House and the CMHS Book Sale all four years of high school. She was a CMHS Girl’s Basketball Camp Coach in grades 9-11. She was a Peer Leader for the sophomore retreat her junior year. She was also in CMHS Leadership Development Program in 10^thgrade.

She was a member of the Auxiliary to the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters her senior year. She volunteered at a number of community events, including: local retirees picnics (from grades 7-11); Charity Mania Booster Club Fundraiser (grades 11-12); Lionel Hoffer Scholarship Bowling Tournament (grades 5-9); Great Milwaukee Muster Volunteer (grade 12); Milwaukee Fire Department Family Campout Children’s games co-coordinator (grades 6-10); and Ronald McDonald House (grades 8-10).

Katie is the only freshman at Penn State that has started every A side match this fall and would have played every minute except for an injury in one match. She is already a leader on her team. Serving in the Air Force is her goal and Katie will soon be immersed in the ROTC program at Penn State. “I hope that my Air Force career and rugby career work together in that I can travel the world serving both my country and enjoying life while playing the beautiful game of rugby.”

Congratulations Katie on being named a 2012 Kevin Higgins College Scholarship recipient.

USA High School All-American Team

    Under new head coach Danielle Miller, USA Rugby recently changed the name of the under 20 Women’s National Team to the Women’s Junior All-American Team (WJAA).  Many teams are not aware of the name change and have missed out on information because of the name confusion.   Also, this summer the first Girls High School All-American team (HSAA) will assemble and compete.  It's our understanding that some of the girls will participate in the Girls High School All-American Team as well as the Women’s Junior All-American Team.  More importantly, having a HSAA team will afford more high school girls the opportunity to experience international competition.

     In past years players worked their way up to the USA u20 WNT through outstanding seasons, and some followed that up with participation on regional select-sides like the Midwest u19 team in a one-off tournament held in November.  Others made the jump directly to the u20 WNT, but that has been happening less and less after the shift to u20 team instead of a u19 team resulted in less high school players in the system.  Hence the need for a Girls HSAA team.

     This past fall there was no Midwest u19 team, making things a little more challenging, especially for high school girls to make the jump.   Regardless, coaches are always on the lookout for up and coming players, regardless of their age and school. Clearly, the USA is currently searching for girls who want to participate in the WJAA and HSAA programs both this year and in the future. 

     In an attempt to see more players, help develop skills, and minimize travel cost, various invitational regional camps are held in March, in the hopes one may find the most advantageous time and location.  Players can be invited to camp by filling out a nomination form.  In total, about 200 girls are invited to the 4 camps.   

The camps are:
March 1-3 Atlanta                                           March 8-10 SoCal
March 15-17 Portland, OR                             March 29-31 East Coast (maybe Penn St., maybe Wash. DC)

The nomination form is available at:
http://form.jotformpro.com/form/23106733350949

The WJAA team will participate in the U20 Nation's Cup this summer in England.  In the past this has involved teams such as Wales, England, Canada, but it could even include South Afrika or the other Celtic ruggers from Scotland and Ireland.

The Rock says ...

Growing up, Saturday mornings werent just for watching cartoons.  There was WWE and WWF wrestling on TV all the time.  Of course, that ultimately led to some wrestling of our own in the basement or out in the backyard.

On of the more famous wrestlers who has been able to crossover to mainstream media in movies and shows is of course, "The Rock".  A man with a strong Samoan ancestry, the Rock is also a rugby fan and has been watching some of the big Heineken Cup games while on location filming a movie in London.

The Rock was recently quoted in a British newspaper talking about rugby.  He says, "I use to live in New Zealand for sometime and I went to school in New Zealand and I played rugby. I have been very lucky, I played American football for a very long time, American professional wrestling for a very long time and had my fair share of action in Hollywood … there is no tougher sport than rugby."

The Rock said he enjoyed watching international rugby particularly the “pre-game rituals”.  It's these unique cultural traditions that rugby has kept part of the experience, even in an era of professional sports where money seems to be more important than other aspects of games.

Even in our little corner of the world, Wisconsin has tried hard to keep and build it's own cultural traditions.  Oak Creek has performed Haka's before matches; other teams like Brookfield have kicked off matches with tie-ins to Milwaukee's proud Irish community ... they had bagpipe playing by their own players a few years ago to kick off matches.  And of course, none of these traditions are as important as the post-match social, with food and drink shared by both teams.

WGR Interactive Calendar

Kettle Moraine Seeks Coach

     The seond-oldest girls high school team in Wisconsin is seeking a coach for the 2013 Spring season and beyond.  The Kettle Moraine Knightmares are the second most successful team in Wisconsin history.  Having made multiple National appearances; they are the only other team to win the State Championship.  They continue to find success, having qualified three years in a row for the Division One Midwest Championship.  KM recently took third place in the Wisconsin State Tournament.  With a dedicated core of players, the nicest practice field in the state, and a well-respected group of leaders, they are one of WGR's strongest programs.

     KM has contributed significantly to the growth of collegiate and women's programs.There are more KM girls playing post-high school than from any other program in Wisconsin.  a quick glance shows there are alumni playingor having recently played  at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, U-Northern Iowa, UW-Platteville, Tulane/New Orleans Women, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Oshkosh, the Milwaukee Scylla, the Oconomowoc Women's team.  KM alumni have helped coach UWM, CMHS, and Wauwatosa, to name a few

     Interested candidates should contact former Coach Jeff Noe or the WGR staff for more information:  wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com .  Coach Noe has offered to help with the transition to a new coach, and to provide administrative support along the way.

New WGR Administration Takes Over

2013 WGR Board of Directors


President: Dan Chanen dan.chanen@gmail.com

VP: Angela Markwald angiedeschaine@hotmail.com

Secretaries: Kayla&Erin Reilly kayla.reilly@marquette.edu

Treasurer: Appointed position, TBD

M-a-l:John Waliszewski jwaliszewski@catholicmemorial.net



WGR Staff:

wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com     Some new faces join an expanded Board of Directors for WGR heading into 2013.  One position remains to be filled, that of WGR treasurer.  A parent volunteer is being sought to balance the representation on the board.  Interested candidates should contact one of the WGR board members directly.

College 7's Live this weekend

WATCH ALL OF THE 2012 COLLEGE 7S GAMES LIVE

 All field 1 and field 2 games will be streamed live on      www.YouTube.com/USARugbyTV. 

Full 2012 College 7s Schedule Here - www.usarugby.org under "College Sevens"

Semi-Finals and finals will be streamed live on ESPN3.  

ESPN3 Live College 7s Schedule | Saturday, December 1, 2012
11:40am - Women’s Cup Semi Final 1
12:00pm - Women’s Cup Semi Final 2
1:00pm - Men’s Cup Semi Final 1
1:20pm - Men’s Cup Semi Final 2
5:30pm - Women’s Cup Final
6:00pm - Men’s Cup Final

Follow all the action @USAEaglesRugby.  
Use hashtag #College7s to join the conversation!

Further Information:
Laura Gill | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | lgill@usarugby.org


P.S.  USA Rugby's Communication Manager, Laura Gill is a former DSHA rugby player who went on to play for the University of Minnessota and then the women's club up there.  Her younger sister also played at DSHA and then UWM Women. 

Where Championship Teams Come From

     A perusal of USA Rugby’s National Championship records reveals that no Midwest women’s team has ever won a division one collegiate national championship.  Iowa St. won the division 2 championship in 2007 and Illinois had a nice division one run in 2003, almost a decade ago.  Winona St had an impressive run to the D2 final last year.   Yet, the dearth of midwest teams in the collegiate championship record-books is surprising, especially in comparison to the high school championships and number of Midwest teams participating.  

     It’s worth noting that championships don’t tell the full story.  What strikes the WGR staff as more significant than the number of championships is the number of girls teams that have sprung up.  It’s partly the result of the grassroots growth from the decade or two prior to this.  The grassroots story of women playing rugby is a rich and storied journey beyond the scope of the word count imposed by WGR’s editor-in-chief. 

     Women’s rugby really starting growing in the mid 1970’s.  In fact, one of the first and most successful women’s teams is the Wisconsin Women's Rugby Club.  They were founded way back in 1975 and have been playing rugby ever-since.  Technically classified as an adult women’s club, so they could draw players from all over, they played in the first women’s club national championship in 1979.

     It’s also interesting to note that the first collegiate women’s championship was held officially in 1991.  Only nine years later, the first high school girls National Invitational Championship was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Girls high school teams first started up in the mid-to-late 1990’s.  Kent, Washington is generally considered the first girls team in the country.  DSHA started a year or two after.   In large part as a result of holding the first NIT in Milwaukee and the publicity it generated, WGR had grown to a full conference of ten teams within the next decade.

For those interested,  Rugby Magazine publishes a list of past National Champions and USA Rugby also publishes the officially recognized championship records on their website.

Women’s DI College
Year Winners Runners-Up
2011 Army Penn State
2010 Penn State Stanford
2009 Penn State Stanford
2008 Stanford Penn State
2007 Penn State Stanford
2006 Stanford Penn State
2005 Stanford Penn State
2004 Penn State Princeton
2003 Air Force Illinois
2002 Air Force Penn State
2001 Chico State Penn State
2000 Penn State Princeton
1999 Stanford Princeton
1998 Radcliffe Penn State
1997 Penn State Princeton
1996 Princeton Penn State
1995 Princeton Penn State
1994 Air Force Boston College
1993 Connecticut Air Force
1992 Boston College Connecticut
1991 Air Force Boston College

Women's DII College
Year Winners Runners-Up
2011 Radcliffe Notre Dame
2010 Washington State Temple
2009 Shippensburg Stonehill
2008 Shippensburg Minnesota-Duluth
2007 Iowa State UC Santa Cruz
2006 UC Santa Cruz Plymouth State
2005 Providence College Temple
2004 Temple Providence College
2003 Dayton Northern Iowa
2002 Northern Iowa Minnesota
2001 Northern Iowa Nevada
2000 Plymouth State East Stroudsburg

The Future of Women's Rugby: an Interview

WGR has had a long-running series of interviews with coaches over the years.  This fall's installment is with the head coach of the top ranked women's collegiate program in Division II.  Winona State Professor Roger Riley took a few moments out of his busy teaching day to answer some questions about rugby and women's rugby in America in particular.

1.When did you become involved in coaching women’s rugby?

     I had been coaching men’s teams for a number of years but when I moved to Ithaca College in upstate New York, I was not coaching any team. The women’s rugby club president approached me after the word got out that I was a rugby enthusiast. As a  department chairperson at Ithaca, I was a little hesitant because of the time required by coaching. My first questions was, “how many days per week do you practice” and the answer was “five.” I was impressed that these women were organizing themselves to practice five days per week so I thought I had better get on-board. I started coaching three days per week but felt guilty when they were practicing five. Therefore, I started going every day. It turned out to be a very positive experience and I have enjoyed coaching women’s college teams ever since.

2.How has women’s collegiate rugby changed over the years?

     Women’s collegiate rugby has changed vastly in the last few years. It has evolved from being a social sport to a very serious sporting enterprise at a number of universities. Women’s rugby is seen as one way to address the imbalance between men’s and women’s sports on campus with the 800 pound gorilla being the huge numbers on men’s football teams. There are currently six universities that have women’s rugby as an NCAA varsity sport and many more are heading in that direction. Just a couple of months ago, Harvard announced varsity status for their women’s rugby team and many people expect the rest of the Ivy League to follow suit. These events coupled with the USA Rugby, NCAA Initiative are heading women’s rugby into the mainstream of varsity sports. Right now, women’s rugby is considered an NCAA Emerging Sport and will get full NCAA status when 40 universities grant their teams varsity status.

     On another front, Rugby Sevens has been accepted as an Olympic sport for men and women, starting with the 2016 games in Brazil. Therefore, the United States Olympic Committee have granted eight traineeships to the top USA women’s seven’s players. They get paid a small stipend and train year round in San Diego. More recently, that number was increased to 12 although the extra players have yet to be chosen. Finally, the USA Women’s National 15s team is seeing exciting changes under a new coaching staff and they have been doing very well. They are on a tour of Italy and France right now.  

3. What direction do you see women’s collegiate rugby headed in America?

     I see women’s collegiate rugby becoming a fully-fledged NCAA sport with opportunities at Division I, II, and III schools. At Winona State University (DII) we expect to be varsity within a few years and I have already had talks with our Athletic Director. My next step is to prepare a budget for the first five years of operation. Penn State (and to some extent Stanford) are the perennial powerhouses in DI women’s rugby but they will be challenged by many developing teams. Just this year, a Division III school won the National Collegiate Championship in Sevens, beating many DI schools. That team is a varsity sport on their campus and they have a full-time coach.

     The key problem is finding enough coaches for the growing number of women’s collegiate teams. With parental involvement being big at the high school level, there seems to be many coaches and resources at that level.  At the varsity level, many universities are spread to the distant corners of their states and sometimes they are in locations where there is no other rugby and therefore no coaches.

4. What’s the role of 7’s and Olympic rugby in America? 

     Seven’s will put rugby on the map in the USA! With Olympic exposure on television and the national women’s sevens team already being in the top four in the world, the rest of the USA will get to see our beloved game on an international stage. With Sevens being such a high intensity and high octane sport, the American sporting public will quickly fall in love. My one concern is that a focus on Sevens alone will divert needed resources away from the fifteens game.

5. Do you have a “favorite” rugby player and why?

     Never having been a flanker when I played, I have always loved the kamikaze style, intelligence and athleticism of top flankers. Therefore I have always admired Richie McCaw, the captain of New Zealand, my native country. His pursuit angles are terrific, his tackling is very positive rather than destructive and his poaching of the ball is second to none. He is an absolute pest to other teams when trying to run their respective offenses. Most of all, he is a great leader and one that leads by example rather than words.

     As for women players, I really enjoy the play of Amanda Kingsett and Lynelle Kugler, a flanker and center respectively for the Twin City Amazons. They are strong, intelligent and irrepressible on the field. On my own team our flyhalf senior, Ashley Nelson, has so many skills and determination. She succeeds on the field and also academically. As a professor, that makes me very happy.

6.  Any other thoughts or comments on rugby matters you’d like to share?

     It is thrilling to see the high school girls game develop so rapidly around the country. Just recently I was at the Wisconsin Girls High School Championships to recruit players.  I was with a coach from another university and we turned to each other and remarked that the top teams would beat many collegiate teams right now. The level of individual skill and the precise nature of game plans were marvelous to see.  The same thing is happening in Minnesota although Illinois is coming along more slowly. In Iowa they have just started developing a league in Des Moines.

Appleton Youth Rugby

It's always exciting to hear of new rugby programs developing around the state.  Whether it's girls or boys teams at any level, one tends to lead to the growth of the other.  Anyone with relatives, friends, or connections to the Appleton area may be interested in the "three headed dragon" of Appleton North, West, and East.

An excerpt from their webpage:

"The Appleton Dragon Rugby Club was established in 2012 as part of an effort of the Fox Valley Youth Rugby Foundation to generate a greater appreciation for the sport of Rugby.  On rainy fall afternoon, a few good men brought together years of “what if” hopes and dreams to form a new tradition in Appleton.

The three-headed dragon and cardinal directions of West, North, and East represent each of Appleton’s three high schools.  The team colors were chosen in part, based on their meaning in traditional heraldry. In heraldry, yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Green indicates growth and hope. While purple is associated with power and ambition. It is the hope and ambition of the founding members of this club to instill the ideals of honor and valor in the future leaders of Appleton."

Some profound stuff!  Check out more at:
http://appletonrugby.wordpress.com/about/

Check out their first team meetig on Nov 25th.  The grandfather of WGR would be proud.  They even have a Latin motto:

                                                        VIRTUTIS PROPTER FRATERNITAS!

Great Waters Women's Rugby

GREAT WATERS WOMEN'S RUGBY CONFERENCE
Congrats to UW-Lacrosse on earning the inaugural Great Waters Conference Championship!

TEAM	PTS	W	L	D	BP 4+	BP	TRYS	GMS
UW-Lacrosse	37	7	0	1	7	-	86	8
UW-Platteville	35	7	1	0	7	-	63	8
UW-Eau Claire	34	6	1	1	7	1	78	8
UW-Oshkosh	26	5	3	0	6	1	70	8
UW-Stevens Point	19	4	4	0	3	-	46	8
UW-Stout	14	2	5	1	3	1	31	8
UW-Whitewater	9	1	5	2	1	-	15	8
Marquette	7	1	6	1	1	-	19	8
Northern Michigan	0	0	8	0	-	-	3	8

Nov. 10th
Marquette Univ. 44, Northern Michigan Univ. 5
UW Eau Claire 103, UW Whitewater 0
UW La Crosse 87, UW Stout 7
UW Oshkosh 46, UW Stevens Point 5
UW Platteville-BYE

WGR League Meeting 11/27

Wisconsin Girls Rugby will hold their semi-annual coaches scheduling meeting on Tuesday November 27th at the Wauwatosa School District Offices.

Anyone interested in beginning a new team or a new event should contact WGR (wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com) to be included on the league agenda. Spring scheudles are ironed out at this meeting.  Guests from the Wisconsin Referee Society and the Illinois Youth Rugby Assocation's girls programs may be on hand as well.

Of particular note is the discussion of how 7's fits into the development of rugby, along with the structure of competitive seasons across the country.   The Iowa Youth Rugby Association ran a Fall 7's league for high school girls for the first time in 2012. 7's is rapidly expanding on the collegiate and club level as well, in conjunction with the upcoming Olympic games. 

At the same time, most states currently play girls rugby in the spring, along with boys high school rugby.  Other states, like Wisconsin and Colorado play their girls conference season in the fall.  Another state, Kansas, recently got on board with having their 15's season played in the Fall.

Of concern to many coaches is that 15's rugby allows for all types of athletes to participate, whereas 7's may limit the otherwise broad appeal of those who enjoy participating in rugby.  Where 7's fits in the picture, long term, remains to be seen.  Is it strictly a summer sport or will it expand to a fall or spring sport?

Badgers Win Big Ten 7's

The University of Wisconsin men's team won the Big Ten 7's Championships this weekend, their second consecutive title held down at Ohio St. Saturday.  It's always good to see Bucky Badger beat Michigan St. and the rest of the big conference!  UW defeated Penn St 33-14 in the final.

The victory means they've again qualified for the BIG CRC ... The Collegiate Rugby Championships held at PPL Park in Philadelphia, broadcast on NBC sports.  They'll also play in USA Rugby's Collegiate 7's finals in December.

Some of the matches can be viewed on Ohio State's online ustream channel.

Full Scores:
Pool Play
Wisconsin 38-0 Michigan State
Penn State 36-5 Iowa
Ohio State 29-0 Illinois
Michigan 38-15 Indiana
Michigan State 31-17 Nebraska
Iowa 26-0 Minnesota
Purdue 29-19 Illinois
Michigan 31-5 Northwestern
Wisconsin 29-5 Nebraska
Penn State 24-0 Minnesota
Purdue 26-22 Ohio State
Northwestern 17-15 Indiana

Bracket Play
Cup Quarters: Wisconsin 31-12 Iowa
Cup Quarters: Ohio State 12-10 Michigan
Cup Quarters: Penn State 59-0 Michigan State
Cup Quarters: Purdue 26-0 Northwestern
Bowl Semis: Indiana 38-5 Nebraska
Bowl Semis: Illinois 31-12 Minnesota
Plate Semis: Iowa 50-5 Northwestern
Plate Semis: Michigan State 26-12 Michigan
Cup Semis: Penn State 22-7 Ohio State
Cup Semis: Wisconsin 17-0 Purdue
Bowl Final: Illinois 32-5 Indiana
Plate Final: Iowa 24-21 Michigan State
3rd/4th: Ohio State 22-12 Purdue
Final: Wisconsin 33-14 Penn State

Great Waters Women's D2 Collegiate Scores

Nov. 3rd
UW Platteville 28, UW Eau Claire 25
UW Stout 43, Marquette Univ. 5
UW Stevens Point 136, Northern Michigan Univ. 0
UW La Crosse 29, UW Oshkosh 5
UW Whitewater-BYE

Nov. 10th
The Final Weekend of Games
Northern Michigan Univ. @ Marquette Univ.
UW Whitewater @ UW Eau Claire
UW Stout @ UW La Crosse
UW Stevens Point @ UW Oshkosh
UW Platteville-BYE

2012 Pics

Special thanks go out to St John's Northwestern Military Academy and their bagpipe corps.  They provided some GREAT pre-match and halftime entertainment.  The atmosphere they helped create was special.  We hope to see you again next year!

 

 

 

 

Pictured: Oak Creek's Anisa Feto runs throgh tackles in her team's upset victory over Brookfield

 

 

Pictured: Brookfield's tighthead prop, Savannah Porter, charges through the Brookfield defense.

 

 

Pictured:  DSHA senior Morgan Harris, supported by junior Tierra Henry, on the run in the final.

 

Pictured:  CMHS senior Ellen Moyer

International Women's Sevens Series

The official website for the IRB Women's Sevens World Series was unveiled this week.  It features great video clips and tournament highlights in the buildup to rugby in the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

The series schedule includes a stop in America, which is a significant boost to the game in America.  Couple that with the Las Vegas Sevens in February for men's international teams and it's clear to see why Sevens is taking off in the states.

IRB Women’s Sevens World Series
Round 1 – UAE: Dubai, November 30 – December 1, 2012 – 7he Sevens Stadium
Round 2 – USA: Houston, Texas, 1-2 February, 2013 - BBVA Compass Stadium
Round 3 – China: Guangzhou, 30-31 March 2013 - Guangzhou University Town Stadium
Round 4 – Netherlands: Amsterdam, 17-18 May 2013 - NRCA Stadium

Here are the highlights from last year's London Sevens ... the second match in particular features some sparkling rugby!

High School Girls National Tournament

In 2013 USA Rugby will officially end its run sponsoring the high school girls rugby national tournament.  USA Rugby first took over the National Tournament in 2008 from the group of grassroots coaches and administrators around the country who had first come together to build the event.  The first High School Girls National Invitational Championship was held in Milwaukee in June of 2000.  Then, six teams came together to compete and raise the level of play of girls rugby. 

This news does not come as a surprise to most coaches, as USA Rugby has been committing its emphasis and money to other things like Olympic 7’s rugby.    

Many coaches look at this as an opportunity to grow the game and improve the event, as coaches around the country are committed to holding a National Invitational Championship Tournament.  There will be a National Tournament in 2013; it just won’t be run by USA Rugby.  The boys high school national tournament will undergo a similar change.

The year before USA Rugby took over the girls NIT, 24 teams competed in three divisions.  In 2008 when USA Rugby took over, the event was shrunk to 8 teams.  USA Rugby’s boys tournament included 16 teams.  Since the first girls NIT, the number of girls teams nationwide has more than doubled.   Interest in the event is stronger than ever, as 17 teams applied for only 8 spots at last year’s USA National Tournament.  Knowing there are more opportunities to get into the event in the future if it expands, should encourage even more teams to apply, especially those strong teams who may not yet be in the top ten.   Increasing the number of participants contributes to making it a richer event, with greater geographical diversity and greater diversity of playing styles.

Highlights from the NIT years from 2000-2008, in addition to growing the event to include 24 teams, included hosting a banquet for all the teams involved:  one featured a Polynesian Luau when the Sacramento Amazons hosted, another was a lobster dinner by the Portland, Maine hosts.  The idea of bringing back some of the camaraderie associated the NIT banquet has been gaining favor among some coaches. 

Expanding the event also makes the seeding decisions easier.  Instead of having to pick only eight teams before someone’s season has even begun, dozens of teams who feel they have a chance to compete at a high level can now commit to the event and fundraise early in the calendar year.  Seeds can be determined the week of the tournament, taking into account any regional and state championships and getting a better picture of who should be ranked where for each division.   The event could conceivably be as large as 32 teams in multiple divisions. 

Another plus to this shift is that high school programs and local youth rugby organizations have more volunteers and energy to invest in running the event than a busy National Office.  When USA Rugby hosted the girls event at Stanford University last year, it was an impressive venue, with professional refereeing, and great competition.  But last week’s State Championship match between CMHS and DSHA drew far more attendance than the 2012 national high school invitational game.  The 2011 National Boys High School Championship between Highland and Utah United famously drew thousands of spectators, as it was held in Utah where fans, family, alumni, and some general rugby fans were drawn to the game.  A girls high school event should take place not just where there is lots of rugby but lots of high school girls rugby in particular, where families and friends and alumni will come out to watch the games. 

State Tournament Photos

To see the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Lake Country Living photo-spread on the State Tournament, visit this link

pictured:  DSHA sophomore Maggie Brennan tackles Memorial's Maggie Wesolowski.

Wisconsin State Champions

The 13th Wisconsin High School Girls Rugby State Championship, and the 6th State Tournament conluded Sunday and saw Divine Svior Holy Angels High School win their 12th State Championship.  It's a remarkable record of excellence hardly ever accomplished in any sport.  Congratulations on acheiving a record of excellence that spans more than a decade.  Congrats to all the girls and coach Klein and his entire staff of coaches:  Boris Turcinovic, Kathryn Maloney, Erin Coogan, and Marie Haas.  Your current freshman were probably all toddlers when you won your first State Championship!  While we at WGR aren't saying you're old, you have, we shall say, longevity.

Other records of note include Catholic Memorial becoming the second team to make back-to-back finals, and Kettle Moraine's success speaks for itself as they've finished in the top three of a very competitive state for three consecutive years.

2012                DSHA                         CMHS                         Kettle Moraine

2011                DSHA                         CMHS                         Kettle Moraine

2010                DSHA                         Kettle Moraine            Brookfield

2009                DSHA                         Brookfield                   Vernon

2008                DSHA                         CMHS                         Vernon

2007                DSHA                         Vernon                         CMHS

2006                DSHA                         Vernon

2005                DSHA                         Vernon

2004                DSHA                         Kettle Moraine

2003                DSHA                         Kettle Moraine

2002                Kettle Moraine            DSHA

2001                DSHA                         Northshore

2000                DSHA                         Kettle Moraine

2012 State Tournament Results

Sunday, Oct 28th ended another remarkable year in Wisconsin Girls Rugby: a slate of drama-filled games, record attendance, and the end of an era.

After a long weekend of rugby,  we wanted to note a few highlights on the day, and only wish we had time for a more detailed recap of the matches:

-Wisconsin Girls Rugby's League Coordinator, Jeff Noe, oversaw his last State Tournament today, in addition to coaching his last game after ten years with the Kettle Moraine girls.  Some days, i just don't know how Coach Noe did it all ... playing Division I rugby for the Milwaukee Harlequins and the Milwaukee Barbarians, being league administrator, heading-up the state tournament, reffing boys high school matches, working as team manager for the USA u20 Women's National team, and coaching an outstanding KM girls program.  After coaching hundreds of girls over the years, the least WGR could do was present him with a nice plaque at the trophy presentation to commemorate his volunteer efforts.  Thanks Noe.  You will be missed.

We also wanted to highlight a comment from one of your girls posted the other day, as it sums up who you are better than any of us on the WGR staff could:

"Noe! I was looking at this blog before our 3rd place game like I do before a lot of games and I saw a letter to all of the players and fans about the state tournament. I was really touched by the effort and attitude section, so I copied it to show to the team. Then, I scrolled down and saw that you wrote it! This honestly didn't suprise me. Everything that you do for the team and Wisconsin rugby reflects the words that you posted in the letter. You have taught me and the girls so much and I will never forget all that you have done. You will always be a member of the Knightmares, no matter where you go. -Libby Schubert, Knightmares :)"

-For the record, Kettle Moraine pulled off one of the upsets of the day as they defeated Vernon 10-5 to win the 3rd Place Match and Wisconsin's third seed to the Midwest Championship.  A long try-line stand defined the heart and emotion with which the KM girls played.  It was also an effort displayed by a tough Vernon team that has a lot to be proud of after a nice, winning season.

-The championship match was a tight first-half battle that kept the crowd and both sidelines on their feet.  CMHS controlled the match in the opening first-half, but found themselves down 5-0 at the halftime break after some great continuity by the Dashers.  DSHA made some halftime adjustments and scored in the first five-minutes of the second-half to take control of the match.  Phenomenol defensive pressure from the Dashers probably turned the tide of the match in their favor.  Congrats to DSHA on a well-earned Championship and some excellent rugby!

-The fifth place match saw Oak Creek pull off another upset on the day, as they unseated the higher-ranked Brookfield/Tosa side 24-0.  An earlier 15-5 conference match gave an indication that this would be a good matchup, and the ensuing rematch did not disappoint.  Both teams gained alot from their experience against top teams and it was an entertaining match.

-In the 7th/8th Place match Menomonee Falls lost to DSHA's JV side 53-10.

-Fond Du Lac played Oak Creek's Jv side in a high-scoring match of 10's.

Championship
DSHA 32  CMHS 0
3rd Place
Vernon 5  Kettle Moraine 10
5th
Brookfield 0  Oak Creek 24
7th
Menomonee Falls 10  DSHA JV 53 
JV Match
Fond Du Lac 31 Oak Creek JV 39

Final Standings and Won/Loss Record:
#1  DSHA 8-0
#2  CMHS 6-2
#3  Kettle Moraine 5-3
#4  Vernon 5-3
#5  Oak Creek 2-5-1
#6  Brookfield 3-5
#7  Menomonee Falls 1-7
#8  Fond Du Lac 0-8

A Letter to our Student Athletes, Parents, and Coaches

from the inside cover of the 2012 State Tournament Program, available on gameday:

Dear rugby players, families, and friends,

Thank you for coming out to support Wisconsin Girls High School Rugby as we celebrate out sixth annual end of season tournament. Wisconsin is known as one of the best leagues for high school girls in the nation as many of the programs have represented the state in Midwest and National tournaments. No other state can claim anywhere near the six different teams Wisconsin has sent to Nationals as well as always finishing fifth or higher in the tournament. This is representative of the talent, and quality of rugby played in Wisconsin as well as the effort and commitment needed by all the teams to compete in an extremely tough league.

Rugby for me is about realizing what you can control and what you cannot. We cannot control the weather. We cannot control the referee. Both of those things must be dealt with by each team. What we can control is our effort and our attitude. We must strive as a league and rugby community to promote a positive attitude that looks to fix mistakes, encourage our teammates, and continue to work together against the opposition. It is the players’ effort and approach to adversity allows them to be successful and deliver their best performance. But it is never a perfect performance and how a team responds to those challenges and setbacks, with a positive attitude and effort, is what can create something memorable.

The crowd needs to remember this as well. Our focus should be on encouraging players to dust themselves off after a missed tackle, or praise an extra effort that results in a turnover. There should be respect for all the teams and the referees that are out competing on the final day of the season.

Thank you again for celebrating our Sixth Annual State Tournament. I hope you will all join me in showing respect, encouragement, and celebration to all the teams and referees after the tremendous amount of work dedicated to a season of rugby. I am looking forward to watching several competitive rugby matches that will mark the conclusion of a great fall rugby season.

Cheers,

Jeff Noe
WI High School Girls Rugby Coordinator

State Championship Sunday

The Wisconsin Girls Rugby State Tournament takes place Sunday Oct 28th @Naga-waukee Park in Delafield.  Arrive early as an overflow crowd is expected to fill the parking lot. 

Match Schedule:
*2:45pm  Award Presentation:  players, coaches, and families are all invited to the concession area*

1pm  Championship:  DSHA (7-0) v CMHS (6-1) field i

11:30am 3rd Place:    Vernon (5-2) v Kettle Moraine (4-3)  field i

11:30am 5th Place:    Brookfield/Tosa (3-4) v Oak Creek (1-5-1)  field ii

10:00am 7th Place:   Menomonee Falls (1-5-1)  v  Fond Du Lac (0-7) field i

10:00am  JV Game:  DSHA JV v Oak Creek/CMH JV  field ii



In other news, scores from last week in the Great Waters Women's Collegiate D2 Conference:

Oct. 20thUW La Crosse 75, UW Stevens Point 0
UW Whitewater 42, Northern Michigan Univ. 0
UW Platteville 34, UW Oshkosh 27
UW Eau Claire 48, UW Stout 7
Marquette Univ.-BYE