Ahman Green Tries Rugby

Ahman Green is the all-time leading rusher in Green Bay Packer football history.  He passed up legends Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, not to mention my favorite Edgar Bennet and his sidekick Dorsey Levens from the '98 Superbowl team. 

He rushed for 9,205 yards and scored 60 touchdowns in an incredible pro career.  The former Nebraska All-American is one of only two NFL running backs to ever have two touchdown runs of 90 or more yards.  The other is Bo Jackson.

His full career stats can be viewed here:  http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/1432/ahman-green

Green retired from the NFL officially in 2011.  But he hasn't retired from athletics.

What is interesting is that this month Green has been spotted at the Olympic Training facility for a tryout with the USA 7's team.  A more extensive article can be found here on RugbyMag

According to an excerpt from the RugbyMag article USA 7's player/coach Matt Hawkins says, “He’s very interested in giving rugby a go and finding a place within rugby and obviously the 7s group, so he came in yesterday and today and we ran him through his paces.”

“We had a look at where he was at and worked with him to see what opportunities are available, from sort of him being ambassador for us to football players and crossovers, but also giving him an opportunity to sort of give it a shot.”

Olympic Rugby continue to change the landscape of rugby in America.  This story is just another instance of a growing interest in the sport.  Here we go, Rio in 2016!

State Tournament Official Photos

Rick Benavides is WGR's official photographer and he could be seen all day Sunday along the sidelines photographing every match.  He snapped thousands of high quality pictures.  The highlights will be placed in a folder on his website and are available for a small fee that helps cover his costs. 

Please respect Rick's time and follow copyright laws by not taking his photos without permission.  Rick has selected the pictures below as our league's publicity shots and to offer as a sneak preview but not for individual use.  Please don'ttake them or post them on your facebook.

Click here to go to Rick's-Pics to view or purchase pictures from the 2013 State Tournament (available later this week)




Rick also has folders of other girls rugby events he has covered if you are feeling a little nostalgic:
Girls Nationals 2013:

Girls League Season 2009

2013 STATE TOURNAMENT OFFICIAL PHOTOS

Appleton/Fond Du Lac putting in against Brookfield

 



 Brookfield and Appleton/Fond Du Lac tied up in a maul

Kettle Moraine's Courtney Krause attacking; Vernon's Lexi Prushiek the last defender on the right



 

Memorial's Julie Else passing with Beth Pokorny on defense at #10

 

A DSHA v CMHS lineout:

 

DSHA's Pokorny on the run with Memorial's Myra Dillett tackling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 State Tournament Player of the Match Awards

At the conclusion of the match each team's captain's along with their teammates nominate two players from the opposing side worthy of recognition for their impact on the game and their character on the pitch.  They then exchange medals with team captains and recipients before leaving the pitch. 

The 2014 medal recipients during the State Tournament Matches are:
DSHA v CMHS
DSHA  #6 Kayla Pavela; #10 Beth Pokorny

CMHS #2 Alexa Jaeger ; #10 Molly Langhenry

 

Kettle Moraine v  Vernon
KMHS #15 Courtney Krause; #2 Julia Sheckel

Vernon  Lexi Prushiek #20 (scrumhalf); #3 Megan Zettlemier 

 

Oak Creek v DSHA jv

OCHS  Monica Claudio #9; Abby Larch #4 

DSHA  Genevie Ruesch #9; Kately Brost #5

 

Brookfield v Appleton/Fond Du Lac

Brookfield:  Madison Aprahamiah #9; Reina Anderson #17 fullback

Appl/Fond:  Aleah Loll #10 flyhalf; Sarah Herdeman #11

State Tournament Results

It was an amazing day of rugby filled with competitive games.

Championship

DSHA 22. Catholic Memorial 7
Player of the Match Awards, as nominated by each team's players:
DSHA  #6 Kayla Pavela; #10 Beth Pokorny

CMHS #2 Alexa Jaeger ; #10 Molly Langhenry

Tries:
DSHA:  Trowbridge, Holahan, Walker        CMHS:  Else
Conv
DSHA:  Braun (2)                                         CMHS:  Langhenry
Pen:
DSHA:  Braun
 

3rd Place

Kettle Moraine 32  Vernon 10

Player of the Match Awards
KMHS #15 Courtney Krause; #2 Julia Sheckel
 

5th Place

Oak Creek 17  DSHA jv 17 

OT decided after six kicks in favor of OCHS

7th Place

Brookfield 35  Appleton 32

A few pictures from the Final:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Championship Tournament

---STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS SUNDAY OCT 27^th---

Naga-Waukee Park

651 State Highway 83  Hartland, WI 53029

 

3:00pm            Award Ceremony

1:30pm           Championship            DSHA (6-0)    v  CMHS (5-1)                       

12:15pm          3^rd Place Match          Vernon (2-3)       v   KM (3-3)

11:50am          7's Exhibition Match   OCHS                 v  CMHS        

10:45am          5^th Place Match          Oak Creek (2-4)  v  DSHA jv (5-0)

9:30am            7^th Place Match          Brookfield (0-5)   v  Appleton (2-3)

 

Tournament Contacts

         Sponsors/Prgm Ads:            Maggie Perdzock                 maggie.perdzock@gmail.com / 608-692-6244

Wisconsin Girls Rugby         Dan Chanen                          dan.chanen@gmail.com / 414-391-4537

State Semifinal Results

DSHA 101 v  Kettle Moraine 0 Coach Klein noted the improved play of the Knightmares even amidst a game where the Dashers were just more experienced and athletic on the day. A good, hard, clean match. 0

DSHA jv 51 v Brookfield 10
The Dashers depth proved to be impressive as they outscored one of the conference's core teams. In a rebuilding year, Brookfield will face Appleton for the 7th place match next weekend.

CMHS 90 Vernon 0
It was a much different match from last week, even though the score may appear similar. CMHS led 28-0 at half after some tighter defense from Vernon. The Crusaders featured several changes to their starting lineup from the week before. Vernon kept possession even more tightly than before, not using their backline at all for most of the match. The Crusaders defense was sound though and their offense kicked into full gear in the second half. Senior flyer Rebecca Haight was unstoppable with five tries to ine-up her tally from the week before. Vernon's scrumhalf Lexi Prushiek (apologies for the spelling, we know it's not right) was physical, as always, on defense, and kept her composure well, helping keep her young team's focus on possession.

Oak Creek 34 v Appleton 0
Neither team scored in the first ten minutes; there were a lot of knock-ons and penalties on both teams. Oak Creek touched down their first couple of tries by swinging the ball wide to Staci Lisowski, their junior wing. Senior Anisa Feto went on to score a few more tries for the Black Knights with zig-zagging runs, and several other ballcarriers were able to penetrate Appleton/Fond du Lac's defensive line, particularly in the second half. Oak Creek's defense was able to consistently make tackles behind their opponent's gain line.

Appleton/Fond du Lac played a very physical game. Their forwards were able to hold up Oak Creek's mauls and effectively defend short runs off of set pieces, despite giving up a lot of size to the Black Knights' larger pack. Appleton/Fond du Lac's inside center [check her name; I think she wore #11] ran through Oak Creek defenders and chased down several of the opponent's ball carriers throughout the game. Even Appleton/Fond du Lac's newer players - some of whom played at fullback and wing - took and applied more than a few hard hits. By the end of the match, Oak Creek's experience allowed them to sustain more drives and come out on top.

STATE FINALS

130pm  CHAMPIONSHIP    DHSA v CMHS
1215pm 3rd Place  Vernon v Kettle
11:50pm 7's OCHS v CMHS
1045am  5th Place  DSHA jv  v Oak Creek
930am    7th Place  Brookfield v Appleton

State Semifinal Previews

This weekend the revamped State Semifinals take place.  The top four teams have the opportunity to challenge for a medal and in addition, the opportunity to represent Wisconsin at the Midwest Championships in the spring.  Wisconsin has had three teams in the Midwest Championship that last few years and last year we even had a fourth represent.  Wisconsin is anticipating having three again in 2014.  That means this is essentially a double-elimination playoff, for this weekend's losers in the top four, have a chance to qualify for Midwest by winning the 3rd Place match.  Last year also saw WGR's top Division two team, OCHS, play in the Midwest Championship second tier for the first time.

Championship Semis
DSHA v Kettle Moraine  10am Brookfield Soccer Complex (Weyer Rd)
    While DSHA handled KM in their opening week match, it is clear that KM has improved.  Their first week they were adjusting to a new coach.  KM struggled with consistency early in the year and some unfortunate absences in key early season matches.  KM has been playing their best rugby of late, with an impressive scoreline over Oak Creek; in fact, they produced a better scoreline against OCHS than CMHS did.
     DSHA is also playing their best rugby at the moment and they've shown the ability to get better with each match.  They remain a clear favorite to return to their 7th straight final.

CMHS v Vernon 10am Minooka Park
     It's always tough playing the same opponent two weeks in a row, in any sport.   Both teams will be very familiar with what each other does and that may give defenses an edge and make for a tighter match.  CMHS will be the favorite going in, but Vernon always plays the Crusaders hard in this rivalry match.

Consolation Brackets
Brookfield v DSHA jv  12pm Brookfield Soccer (Weyer Rd)
     These playoffs are a chance for teams to play some different clubs and for the Division II teams, after getting some experience early in the year, to play more experienced teams.  The DSHA jv team gets a chance to prove themselves against an established program.  DSHA jv has been extremely strong the last few years, winning two matches in the Midwest Championship bracket last spring.  They could very well come away with another win here.  Brookfield has made several adjustment to their young lineup the last few weeks and could be clicking at the right time.

Oak Creek v Appleton/Fond Du Lac 1130am Minooka Park
     Appleton's impressive debut will conclude with two tough tests against more established teams.  Oak Creek has a chance to end their season on a high note, to end with two consecutive wins, something they haven't been able to do this fall. 

State Tournament Notes:
-This is the 7th Annual State Championship Tournament.  The first tournament was held in 2007.  Prior to that the state champ was determined solely by conference finish.

--Kettle Moraine has a chance to finish in the top three for the fourth consecutive season; the only program besides DS to do so.

--CMHS could become the first team other than DSHA to play in three consecutive state championships, and their fourth in the seven years of the tournament.

--DSHA could play in their unparalleled seventh straight state championship.

-Tournament T-shirt pre-orders are due Sunday. 

-State Records-
2013                Tbd                             Tbd                              Tbd
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

WGR State Tournament Brackets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/14/13

Wisconsin High School Girls Rugby State Tournament

Hartland, WI — The annual Wisconsin High School Girls Rugby (WGR) State Championship Tournament begins Saturday Oct 19^th with the State Semifinals at two host locations.  Playoffs conclude Sunday, October 27^th at Naga-Waukee Park located at 651 State Highway 83, Hartland, WI. Eight high school teams from Southeastern Wisconsin will participate in the final playoff games of the season with the Division 1 Finals at 1:30pm.

---State Semifinals Saturday Oct 19^th---

NORTH REGIONAL

Brookfield Soccer Complex Outdoor Complex

W212N4933 Weyer Road Menomonee Falls WI 53051

10:00am          (#1) DSHA (5-0)                                v          (#4) Kettle Moraine (2-3)

11:30am          (#6) Brookfield (0-4)                                   v          (#7) DSHA jv (4-0)

SOUTH REGIONAL

Minooka Park

1927 E Sunset Dr. Waukesha, WI 53186

 

10:00am          (#2) Catholic Memorial (4-1)            v              (#3) Vernon (2-2)

11:30am          (#5) Oak Creek (1-4)                       v              (#8) Appleton (2-2)

 

---STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS SUNDAY OCT 27^th---

Naga-Waukee Park

651 State Highway 83  Hartland, WI 53029

 

1:30pm            Championship                         3:00pm Award Presentation

12:15pm          3^rd Place Match         

10:45am          5^th Place Match

9:30am            7^th Place Match

 

 

Tournament Contacts

Media:                                   John Waliszewski                 wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com  / 262-501-2780

Sponsors/Prgm Ads:            Maggie Perdzock                 maggie.perdzock@gmail.com / 608-692-6244

Wisconsin Girls Rugby         Dan Chanen                          dan.chanen@gmail.com / 414-391-4537

Wisconsin Girls Rugby Background

The first WGR team was formed at Divine Savior Holy Angels in 1996. The first conference season and State Championship was held in the fall of 2001, with four original clubs. The league has continued to grow and showcase national level talent and competition. The WGR routinely fields teams that compete strongly in the Midwest Girls Rugby Tournament, but also the National High School Girls Rugby Championship Tournament.

Proceeds from the state tournament benefit Wisconsin Girls Rugby (WGR). WGR offers grants to coaches for certification and training, start-up grants for new teams and balls.  WGR also coordinates the annual State Tournament event in an effort to grow the game. The goal for next year is to move to a stadium-type facility to increase the exposure of Girls High School Rugby.

Conference Website:  http://lifelawrugby.blogspot.com/

 

Coach Contact List

Appleton                      Jason Clayton              920-946-8030  Jason.w.clayton@kcc.com

Brookfield                    Neil Grintjes                414-578-9072  neilgrintjes@yahoo.com

Catholic Memorial      John Waliszewski       262-501-2780  jwaliszewski@catholicmemorial.net

DSHA                             John Klein                    414-793-7023  chinnychinchin_2000@yahoo.com

Kettle Moraine            Liz Millman                 262-422-6980  emillman7@gmail.com

Muskego                      Angie Markwald         262-613-9794 angiedeschaine@hotmail.com

Oak Creek                    Chris Kurth                  414-202-5098 c.kurth@ocfsd.org

Vernon                         Joe Zimmerman         262-662-4451 recreation@townofvernon.org

 

Final Conference Results

Thursday Oct 10th
Appleton 10  DSHA jv 62  @Appleton
    Appleton's flyhalf again impressed and helped them cross the line for two tries.  DSHA's jv side has come into their own with their most impressive team performance to date.  It appears they can compete with any side and it'll be interesting to see how they do in the playoffs.  Their jv freshman scrumhalf was singled out by some coaches for her skill and how well she has taken to the role.  She could be a contributor for years to come.

Saturday Oct 12th
Catholic Memorial  81 Vernon  0   930am Minooka
     The Crusaders played a spirited Vernon side who kept possession well but werent able to punch over the tryline.  The Crusaders hit their stride in the second half with captains Wesolowski and Haight each notching four tries.

Brookfield 0 DSHA  95  10am  Brkfld Indoor's Outdoor Soccer Complex, Weyer Rd.
     The Dashers completed another undefeated conference season and earn another conference title to their trophy case.  Congratulations on a stellar regular season.  They will be hosting a playoff doubleheader next week at the new Brookfield Soccer Complex fields.

SUNDAY OCT 13th
Oak Creek v Kettle Moraine  2pm OCHS
   Kettle Moraine takes the fourth seed and a shot at the midwest championship tournament with an impressive 69 to 5 victory.  Flyhalf Cassie Schultz was a menace to the Kights defense all day long.
    The Game of the Week.  Two teams tied in conference square off.  Can Oak Creek make the jump into the top half of the first division?  Can KM continue to build off some good play in recent weeks? 

WGR State Championship Tournament

Program and Sponsorship Details

Dear Rugby Supporters;

 We wish all of you well.  Thank you to those who have supported girls rugby in the past and greetings to those who are new to our offerings.  This year’s Wisconsin High School Girls State Championship will involve nine of our girls programs:  Appleton, Brookfield, Catholic Memorial, DSHA, Fond Du Lac, Kettle Moraine, Muskego, Oak Creek, and Vernon competing on Sunday Oct 27^th at Naga-Waukee Park at 651 State Hwy 83 Hartland, Wisconsin 53029. 

 

Please contact us if interested in more information about the day.  Match schedules will be released next Sunday Oct 20^th.

Sincerely;

Wisconsin Girls Rugby

wisconsingirlsrugby@gmail.com

 

WGR Board of Directors

Dan Chanen

Angie Deschaine

Maggie Perdzock

Kayla Reilly

Erin Reilly

John Waliszewski

 

Advertisement space in our Tournament Program

 

$200     Full Page (7" X 9 1/2 ") 

$100     1/2 Page (7" X 4 1/2")

$50       1/4 Page (3 1/2" X 4 1/2") 

$25       Business Card (3 1/2" X 2 1/4")

 

B&W camera-ready artwork is preferred but we are able to assist in ad creation. Please contact Maryangela Roman at mroman1230@aol.com to reserve your space before Friday, October 18, 2013.

 

Sponsor logo on shirts and banner with 1/2 page ad in brochure: mroman1230@aol.com

 $500 - Please provide high resolution B&W logo .pdf, decal for banner and half page ad layout.  A receipt will be provided for advertising expenses by Wisconsin Girls Rugby.

 

Table space for collegiate rugby recruiters:

$50 (or four volunteers for four hours each) for a table at the tournament to hand out information and interact with parents and players. We will provide the table and championship rugby, you provide the recruitment materials and chairs. Feel free to be creative with hand outs and visual appeal. No t-shirt sales, please.  Volunteers, donors and sponsors will be listed in the back of our brochure but are also encouraged to purchase advertising space in the brochure.

 General information:

 The first WGR team was formed at Divine Savior Holy Angels in 1996. The first conference season and State Championship was held in the fall of 2001, with four original clubs. The league has continued to grow and showcase national level talent and competition. The WGR routinely fields teams that compete strongly in the Midwest Girls Rugby Tournament, but also the National High School Girls Rugby Championship Tournament.

Proceeds from the state tournament benefit Wisconsin Girls Rugby (WGR). WGR offers grants to coaches for certification and training, start-up grants for new teams and balls.  WGR also coordinates the annual State Tournament event in an effort to grow the game. The goal for next year is to move to a stadium-type facility to increase the exposure of Girls High School Rugby.

 

Please contact me with any questions. Thank you!

--
Maggie Perdzock

Wisconsin Girls Rugby, Treasurer

State Tournament T-Shirt Pre-Orders Due Oct 20th

Wisconsin Girls Rugby is accepting pre-orders for state tournament t-shirts.  There will be a limited # available that day.

 

ORDERS ARE DUE BY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013. GIVE ORDER FORM AND CHECK TO YOUR COACH OR MAIL TO: Maggie Perdzock 135 Lake St, Apt 2 Pewaukee, WI 53072.

Contact maggie.perdzock@gmail.com for an order form or with questions.

 

Checks made payable to "Wisconsin Girls Rugby"

 

Short sleeve $12

Long sleeve $18

 

 

 

Fiji Day Rugby

It's Fiji Day on the Polynesian Island and that includes a lot of 7's rugby being played there and in other parts of the world to commemorate their independence and love of rugby.  It's also the centenary of the Fiji Rugby's Union's official founding.  It's a little random from us here at WGR, but it's always good to appreciate the bigger rugby world we're a part of, especially with the growth of sevens.

A nice video here from the IRB on Fijian Rugby.  Some great stories!

Final Conference Matches

The final week of regular season conference matches takes place this week.

Thursday Oct 10th
Appleton v DSHA jv  6pm @Appleton

Muskego v Kettle Moraine  5:30pm

Saturday Oct 12th
Brookfield v DSHA 10am
CMH v Vernon 9:30am  Minooka Park
Oak Creek v Kettle Moraine 2pm Oak Creek High School

WGR Results

Thursday Oct 3rd
Catholic Memorial 71  Kettle Moraine 20
     Crusader Cpt. Maggie Wesolowski scored two tries and helped lead her side on to a victory against a tough Kettle Moraine side that found its way to four tries of their own.   A lot of young players for both sides got a chance to play in a fun, friendly match that began with a special moment of silence and prayer for the Olson family.

Saturday Oct 5th
DSHA 72  Vernon 5
     The Dashers were on fire to begin that match and put in several tries with their blistering pace in the first twenty minutes.  Some key substitutions in the first half showed DSHA could keep their patterns going with their depth.  Vernon's inside center proved to be a good runner, but the inexperience of the rest of their side was not enough to keep pace with the Dashers.

DSHA jv 36  Appleton 5
    Appleton impressed with a talented flyhalf, who helped them notch a try against a DS jv side that has been able to get a lot of matches in this fall. 

Brookfield 5  Oak Creek 66
     According to one of the coach's report, "Good defensive play from junior Emily Winter and the sister act of Jenna and Alyessa Bales" kept Brookfield in the match. Emily crossed over for a try in the first half, and some long scampers from senior Savannah Porter and newcomers Raina Anderson and Mary Sullivan showed the flashes of impressive athleticism on Brookfield's squad.
    For Oak Creek, their backline did most of the scoring: Liz Grall (9-sophomore), Anisa Feto (10-senior), Kayla Kurszewski (13-junior), Tiffany Beneckey (12-senior), and Megan Bird (15-freshman) all had at least one try each. Kandace Fons (7-senior) also scored, and played solid defense with Abby Larch (lock, freshman) in the forwards; both made several tackles behind Brookfield's line of gain.
     Brookfield had trouble establishing defensive lines and some difficulty tackling, but played excellent ball for a team with so many freshmen and new players. They were still hustling back to midfield after the scores near the end of the game, which observers found impressive. They'll be great next year if they can keep that group together.
     Thanks to both coaches for their match reports!

 

Standings (not including non-conference matches)
Division I
DSHA   (4-0)
CMHS   (3-1)
Vernon  (2-1)
Kettle    (1-3)
OCHS   (1-3)
Brkfld   (0-3)

Division 2
DSjv       (3-0)
App/Fdl  (2-1)
Musk      (0-3)

Saturday's D1 Collegiate Match at Minooka Park

Saturday Oct 5th 
UW-Milwaukee hosts the University of Minnesota in a Division I collegiate women's match at Memorial's home pitch, Minooka Park.  Kickoff is scheduled for 10am.  Those without a match that morning should check out what collegiate rugby is like.

A slew of WGR alumns will be playing on both sides, including the Buckvich sisters from Brookfield.

Week 4 Preview

Thursday Oct 3rd
Catholic Memorial (2-1) v Kettle Moraine (1-2) 4:30pm  Minooka Park
    A Knightmare win would put them ahead of CMH in the standings, as they'd hold the head-to-head tie breaker.  KM seems to have stabilized their team under their new coach some recruits have helped to round out their side.  Can CMH rebound from a draining match last weekend?

Saturday Oct 5th
Vernon (2-0) v DSHA (3-0) 10am Vernon Town Hall Park
    The two remaining undefeated conference teams face off in what has to be WGR's GAME OF THE WEEK.  Vernon played DSHA tough last fall on their home pitch and after an impressive match against Oak Creek, go into this game with some momentum.  The Dashers as well are coming off their best half of rugby after a good test.  Two teams in mid-season form should make for a good contest.

DSHA jv (3-0) v Appleton/Fond Du Lac  (2-0)  1130am Vernon Town Hall Park
     The DSHA jv team showed some impressive speed and athleticism and is now really starting to play some rugby and gain experience.  Appleton made an impressive debut to the conference and continues to grow quickly from their matches against experienced sides.

Sunday Oct 6th
Brookfield (0-3) v Oak Creek(0-3) 2pm Brkfld Soccer Complex's Outdoor Fields (Weyer Rd)
    Two teams with a lot of athletes and potential.  Both teams still in the fight for a top four finish and a chance at 'second season' in the playoffs.

Winona St and WGR Alumni

Winona St, two-time National D2 Women's Collegiate finalists, boast several WGR alumni playing in their ranks.

Their recent match report highlights the contributions of Georgia Porter, a junior captain and scrumhalf, formerly of Vernon; along with sophomore flyhalf Katie Dries, from Catholic Memorial.  Katie is CMH's all-time leading points scorer and holds all their kicking records.  She's continued her kicking prowess with Winona.

Winona St won 41-0 over Mankato St. last weekend.  Porter scored a try in the match and Dries converted 3 kicks.

In a somewhat related note, another WGR alumni, Coach Jeff Noe led his Winona St men's collegiate D2 team to a big upset win over UNI on Saturday.  Making the match even more impressive is that it was a road match for them.  Congrats and best of luck No-E.