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 )