http://www.rugbyamerica.org/2011/04...sion-surprise-more-close-games-in-rugby-east/ College Premier Division: Surprise! More Close Games in Rugby East April 10, 2011 Another weekend of College Premier Division games and another weekend where the Rugby East Conference proves that they are the conference to watch if you’re in the mood for hard fought, close matchups. With 13 of 14 games in the CPD played already this weekend, only three games were settled by ten points or less. All three of which were in Rugby East. The closest non-Rugby East outcome was a 24-10 win by UCLA over Claremont. Here are the results from College Premier Division games played thus far this weekend. Rugby East Conference Navy 24 Kutztown 20 – Navy keeps pace atop the Rugby East standings and appear on a collision course with Army. Kutztown drops their third game of the season, but has been in every single one of the games. A break here or there and Kutztown could be undefeated. Army 40 Delaware 13 – Army dispatches Delaware rather easily on the road. A game that was expected to be much closer turned out to be the only Rugby East game of the week settled by more than five points. The win keeps Army undefeated on the season and puts them in prime position to reach the CPD playoffs. Dartmouth 34 Rutgers 31 – In the surprise of the weekend, Rutgers came from behind to nearly knock off Dartmouth. Dartmouth didn’t score after the 45th minute when they held a 34-12 lead and appeared to be on their way to a lopsided win. The loss keeps Rutgers winless on the season, but has to be a big shot in the arm for the team. Penn State 22 Ohio State 17 – The Buckeyes capped a week, that included introducing over 7000 kids to rugby in the Columbus area, by nearly upsetting the Nittany Lions. Another fine example of what can be done by a motivated team of rugby enthusiasts. This is the second time in recent weeks that the Buckeyes and Rugby Ohio have teamed up to introduce schools to rugby and then followed with a game with a rival opponent. Kudos to everyone involved. Mid-South Conference Life 55 Notre Dame 3 – Notre Dame had a rough visit to Georgia as Life ran away with a big victory. Life back row forward Cam Dolan scored two tries and Jospeh Cowley scored a whopping 25 points on two tries, six conversions, and one penalty goal to pace the Life attack. LSU 39 Oklahoma 5 – In the battle on two winless teams, LSU finally breaks the ice with a decisive victory over Oklahoma. LSU wing Janek Savage scored three tries for the Tigers. Of concern is the status of USA 7′s and Oklahoma forward Taylor Mokate. Mokate left the game in the 4th minute with an undisclosed injury. Arkansas St. 70 Tennessee 23 – Arkansas State lit up the scoreboard with nine tries against the Volunteers as they stay atop the Mid-South Conference standings. Red Wolves flyhalf Pat Sullivan notched 25 points on three penalty goals and eight conversions. Western Conference Arizona State 29 Wyoming 0 - Arizona State blanked the Cowboys as Wyoming’s scoring problems continue. The Cowboys have scored a total of 18 points in four games this season. Utah 50 Colorado 22 - The Buffaloes made a late charge against the Utes, but it just wasn’t enough. Cameron Loser scored two tries for the Utes while Kevin Barry scored twice for Colorado. BYU 70 Arizona 12 – The Cougars ran away with a big road win over the University of Arizona. Air Force 46 Colorado St. 10 (at Infinity Park) – Air Force remain in the playoff picture in the Western Conference with a solid win over Colorado State. The big test comes next weekend as Air Force takes on Utah on the road. Pacific Conference San Diego State 45 UC Davis 19 – The Aztecs got another big game out of Duncan Kelm as he scored two tries and added five conversions for a total of 20 points in the win over UC Davis. Mike Shea added two tries to bolster the San Diego State scoreline. UCLA 24 Claremont 10 – Flanker David Martini scored two tries for the Bruins as they scored a solid win at home over Claremont.
http://www.usarugby.org/#cc=[Application]\\Structure\\Content\\Brand Resource Center\\Content\\Home\\NewsArchive\\23181D59-12E6-E55C-18DC-022748676972\\23181D59-12E6-E562-0BBB-A41A6F57FF98\\23181D59-12F4-5AC9-2D3E-73F79BAC6298{{Tab:View}} CPD: Round 6 Results David Halvorson Jr. April 11, 2011 College Premier Division - Week 6 Scores and Stats The results from Week 6 play led to no changes at the top of the Division standings; Cal, BYU, Arkansas State, Army and Navy all remained undefeated in CPD play, although Navy had quite the test from a very good Kutztown team. In Mid-South play, LSU received their first CPD victory behind a hat-trick by Jarek Savage, while Life bounced back from a tough defeat to Arkansas State last week with a big win over Notre Dame. In the Rugby East Division, Ohio State obtained every one of their 19 points in a loss to Penn State through the grit of Gareth Willatt, while Army witnessed yet another outstanding performance from Ben Leatigaga who also had a hat-trick. In the "Barnburner" Cal easily defeated St. Mary's 60-34. Three Golden Bears tallied a pair of tries as Cal clinched the Pacific Conference title on Sunday in Moraga. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPD Statistical Leaders through Week 6: Tries: Ryan Roundy, BYU; 17 tries Conversions: Shaun Davies, BYU; 41 conversions Penalty Kicks: William Holder, Army; 8 Penalty Kicks Drop Goals: Four players tied with one each. CPD Stats Portal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boxscores: Arizona State 27 Wyoming 0 Tries: Sandstrom (2), Hughes, Johnston none Conversions: Bulkley (2) none Penalty Kicks: Bulkley none Bookings: none none Utah 50 Colorado 22 Tries: Kimball, Fivas, Loser (2), T.Lauti, S. Lauti Curtis, Tuineau Lahman, Brennan, Barry (2) Conversions: S. Lauti (5) Bricca Penalty Kicks: none none Bookings: Lomu, Peterson (yellows) none BYU 70 Arizona 12 Tries: Lubbe, Webber, Roundy (2), Whippy, Leaaetoa (3), Tilialo, Vimahi (2), Wiscombe none Conversions: Davies (4), Webber none Penalty Kicks: none Getzler (4) Bookings: none none Air Force 46 Colorado State 10 Tries: Schuetze, Gallagher (2), Ruize, Ollis, Warfield, Kinderwater Vieira Conversions: Cleveland (4) Walker Penalty Kicks: Cleveland Walker Bookings: Gallagher Karas San Diego State 45 UC Davis 19 Tries: Kelm (2), Colla, Freeman, Shea (2), Hicks Silva, Harrison, Shively Conversions: Kelm (5) Harrison (2) Penalty Kicks: none none Bookings: Maypole (yellow) none UCLA 24 Claremont 10 Tries: Martini (2), Bragg, McKillen, Bellinger, Bennett Conversions: Pritchard (2) none Penalty Kicks: none none Bookings: Murphy (yellow) none Cal 60 St. Mary's 34 Tries: D. Barrett (2), Bailes, Kelly, Scully (2), Muhn (2), Rooke Cook, Wallace, Heath, Brophy, Brewer Conversions: Bailes (6) Brewer (2), Heath Penalty Kicks: Bailes Heath Bookings: none none Life 56 Notre Dame 3 Tries: Macdonald, Lambert, Grossheider, Dolan (2), Hollis, Cowley (2) none Conversions: Cowley (5) none Penalty Kicks: Cowley (2) Peterson Bookings: none none LSU 39 Oklahoma 5 Tries: Ammerman, Savage (3), Blamemore, Wisecarver Wilkinson Conversions: Alongi (3) none Penalty Kicks: Alongi none Bookings: none Immel, Bachman (yellows) Arkansas St. 70 Tennessee 23 Tries: Swanepoel (2), Potgieter (2), Bates (2), Paterson, Gericke (2) Wilson, Wheeler Conversions: Sullivan (8) Wood (2) Penalty Kicks: Sullivan (3) Wood (3) Bookings: none none Navy 24 Kutztown 20 Tries: Wilson, Burge, Szoch, Bova Frederick, Jessell, Cress Conversions: Arnsberger (2) Acker Penalty Kicks: none Acker Bookings: Varvoutis (yellow) Intrieri (yellow) Army 40 Delaware 13 Tries: Leatigaga (3), Holder, Moten, Hughes, Sanchez Conversions: Holder (3) none Penalty Kicks: Palmer, Holder (2) Kowalski Bookings: Warner (yellow) none Penn State 22 Ohio State 17 Tries: Metcalf, Karas, Hellmann Willatt (2) Conversions: Baker (2) Willatt (2) Penalty Kicks: Baker Willatt Bookings: none none Dartmouth 34 Rutgers 31 Tries: Hogg, Lehmann, Jarvis, Brakeley, Downer Rubenstein, Roblin, Murray, Presby, Taylor Conversions: Fish (3) Beal (3) Penalty Kicks: Fish Willatt Bookings: Fish (yellow) none -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPD Week 7 Schedule (all times local to site) Rugby East Army at Ohio State (1 pm) Navy at Dartmouth (1 pm) Rutgers at Penn State (1 pm) Delaware at Kutztown (1:30 pm) Mid-South LSU at Tennessee (1 pm) Notre Dame at Arkansas State (1 pm) Western Colorado State at Arizona (noon) Air Force at Utah (1 pm) Colorado at Wyoming (1 pm) Pacific Claremont at San Diego State(noon) Cal Poly at UC Davis (1 pm) St. Mary's at Central Washington (1 pm) Follow USA Rugby on Facebook and Twitter (@usaeaglesrugby)
MID-SOUTH 1 Life University 22 2 Arkansas State 19 3 Texas A&M 11 4 Tennessee 9 5 LSU 6 6 Notre Dame 5 7 Oklahoma 0 Pacific 1 Cal 30 2 St. Mary's 3 Central Washington 15 4 San Diego State 15 5 UCLA 10 6 Cal Poly 6 7 Claremont 1 8 UC Davis 0 Rugby East 1 Army 20 2 Navy 20 3 Penn State 13 4 Dartmouth 10 5 Delaware 10 6 Kutztown 9 7 Ohio State 3 8 Rutgers 2 WESTERN 1 BYU 30 2 Arizona State 20 3 Utah 15 4 Air Force 15 5 Colorado 6 6 Arizona Wildcats 5 7 Colorado State 0 8 Wyoming 0
http://www.rugbyamerica.org/2011/04/12/cpd-names-players-of-the-week/ CPD Names Players of the Week April 12, 2011 Rugby East Conference Andrew Hansche, Army, Sr. Tight Head Prop (Kenosha, Wis.) Saturday: Army defeated Delaware 40-13 Coach Notes: Scrummed well, worked hard in tight on defense, worked himself into position to support multiple line breaks, and had a huge 45 meter line break of his own taking the ball at first receiver which set up a try. Previous Rugby East Winners April 2: Tim Acker, Kutztown, Flyhalf March 26: Charlie Grant, Dartmouth, Tight Head Prop March 19: Ryan Goulding, Penn St., Lock March 12: Jimmy Kowalski, Delaware, Fullback March 5: Ricky Neel-Feller, Navy, Scrumhalf _____________________________________________________________________ Mid-South Conference Joe Cowley, Life, Fr., Flyhalf (Charlotte, N.C.) Saturday: Two tries, five conversions and 2 PKs for 26 points in a 56-3 win over Notre Dame. His 26 points is the sixth-best individual total in the CPD this season. Coach Notes: Kicked for territory very well all day long, Previous Mid-South Winners April 2: Pat Sullivan, Arkansas St., Flyhalf March 26: Sam Anderson, Tennessee, Outside Center March 19: Sean Peterson, Notre Dame, Flyhalf March 12: David Caswell, Arkansas St., Wing March 5: Cameron Dolan, Life, No. 8 _____________________________________________________________________ Western Conference Brennan Gallagher, Air Force, Sr. No. 8 (Stockbridge, Ga.) Saturday: Two tries in a 46-10 win over Colorado State Coach Notes: Scored 2 tries playing with an injured hamstring Previous Western Winners April 2: Travis Hughes, Arizona State, No. 8 March 26: Travis Hughes, Arizona State, No. 8 March 19: Ryan Roundy, BYU, No. 8 March 12: Don Pati, Utah, Scrumhalf March 5: Carson Cleveland, Air Force, Flyhalf _____________________________________________________________________ Pacific Conference Mike Shea, San Diego St. Soph., Flanker (Elk Grove, Calif.) Saturday: Two tries in a 45-19 win over UC Davis Coach Notes: 80% positive tackle rate and scored twice. His aggressive play lead to turnovers and his team following his lead. Previous Pacific Winners April 2: Ryan Hamilton, Central Washington, Flyhalf March 26: Andrew Cook, St. Mary’s, Hooker March 19: Joe Brophy, St. Mary’s, No. 8 March 12: Duncan Kelm, San Diego St., Center March 5: Stuart Sharpe, Cal Poly-SLO, Fullback
http://rugbyamerica.net/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog College Rugby Weekend Primer by Ted Hardy, Editor, Rugby America The weekend is nearly upon us and what does that mean? You guessed it… more college rugby to enjoy. There’s no time to waste, so here is a look at some of the college rugby action on tap for this coming weekend. Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference University of Washington (1-6) at Oregon State (6-0) – Washington was finally able to claw itself into the win column with a victory over Simon Fraser, but now have to turn around and travel to face NCRC leader Oregon State. The Beavers need to keep their perfect record intact for their battle with British Columbia next week for what could be the conference title game. Western Washington (3-3) at University of Oregon (1-5) – The Vikings rebounded well from a stinging loss to UBC with a victory over Eastern Washington last weekend. Oregon wasn’t able to muster too much of a fight against Washington State. With the win Western Washington can put a little distance between themselves and Eastern Washington for the fourth spot in the conference standings. University of British Columbia (6-0) at Washington State (5-1) – UBC will be travelling to the Palouse with a motley crew as most students are taking finals, but one can never take UBC lightly as UBC has averaged over 60 points per game with less than 8 allowed. Washington State are ready to test UBC like they haven’t been tested this season. Simon Fraser (1-5) at Eastern Washington (3-3) – The Eagles hosts the Clan in Cheney hoping to reverse course having struggled the last few weeks. Eastern Washington has been hit hard with injuries meanwhile Simon Fraser has only one win on the season and failed to travel two weeks ago to play Washington State. Will the Clan be able to piece together a squad for the long haul to Eastern Washington? Atlantic Coast Rugby League Duke (0-5) at University of Maryland (4-1) – Citing multiple issues that wold have kept them from fielding a full lineup, the Blue Devils have forfeited their game against Maryland this weekend. The victory for the Terps sets up a North Carolina/Maryland battle for the inaugural ACRL Championship. This season has been difficult for Duke as they jumped to Division I from Division III and into a very formidable conference. The experience was valuable for the Blue Devils and signs of improvement were tangible. Wake Forest (1-4) at University of Virginia (4-1) – Another team that has struggled to put together wins, Wake Forest also has much to look forward to with a young lineup that has challenged throughout the season. The Demon Deacons are on the road to face Virginia, who narrowly missed out on the conference title game. The Cavaliers are looking to finish off their season with a strong win at home. North Carolina State (2-3) at Virginia Tech (2-3) – Two teams with identical records face off with more at stake than one might expect. Aside from the pride both programs carry, the winner finishes the season with a .500 record and in the middle of the ACRL standings. South Division University of Georgia (2-4-1) at Kennesaw State (1-5) – The Bulldogs face Kennesaw State in their final game of the season. Georgia has played better in the second half of the season and should finish the season on a high note as they prepare to join the new Southeastern Rugby Conference in 2012. Florida State (3-2-2) at South Carolina (3-3-1) – After losing to rivals Florida last weekend and being put out of playoff contention, the Seminoles face a tough trip to South Carolina. The Gamecocks have had an up and down season and have the opportunity to finish it with a big win over one of the top teams in the conference. Rugby East Conference(CPD) Army (4-0) at Ohio State (0-4) – Army rolls into Columbus atop the Rugby East standings and with the top offense in the conference. Army is averaging just over 40 points per game and look poised to move onto the playoffs. Despite their winless record, the Buckeyes have played very well of late and the team appears to get a little bit better each game. Army is a heavy favorite, but Ohio State will make them earn it. Delaware (2-2) at Kutztown (1-3) – Barring a meltdown by the conference leaders, both Delaware and Kutztown are out of the playoff race. This doesn’t take anything away from what should be a very good game between these Mid-Atlantic rivals. Navy (4-0) at Dartmouth (2-2) – Navy will be tested on Saturday as they travel to face Dartmouth. Navy boasts the stingiest defense in Rugby East and they will face an experienced Dartmouth side that could complicate the playoff race by knocking off undefeated Navy. Rutgers (0-4) at Penn State (3-1) – Penn State is still in the hunt for a playoff spot and they will pay close heed to Rutgers performance last weekend against Dartmouth. Rutgers came from behind to nearly upset the Ivy League Champs. Home field advantage is an important factor for the Nittany Lions, expect them to use it. Mid-South Conference (CPD) LSU (1-3) at Tennessee (2-2) – A light Mid-South schedule this weekend is highlighted by a matchup between two SEC rivals. LSU has struggled this season, but got on track last weekend with a decisive victory over Oklahoma. Tennessee is looking to run the rest of the Mid-South table after losses to Life and Arkansas State. Notre Dame (1-2) at Arkansas State (4-0) – The Fighting Irish face the daunting task of taking on the Red Wolves. Arkansas State is averaging nearly 50 points per game while only giving up 13 points per game. Western Conference (CPD) Air Force (3-1) at Utah (3-1) – In one of the best games on the CPD slate this weekend, Air Force and Utah face off in what might be the game that decides the #2 seed coming out of the Western Conference. This should be a very good game. Colorado (1-4) at Wyoming (0-4) – Colorado hits the road to Wyoming to take on the Cowboys who have struggled like no other team in the conference. Wyoming has scored a paltry 18 points this season while giving up over 64 points per game. The Buffaloes have a golden opportunity to build a little confidence. Colorado State (0-4) at Arizona (1-3) – Another struggling squad, Colorado State, faces the tough task of heading to Arizona to take on the Wildcats. Despite their record, Arizona has not played poorly and have a chance to finish strong in their first CPD season. Pacific Conference (CPD) Cal Poly (1-3) at UC Davis (0-5) – It has been a tough season for UC Davis, but it is coming to a close. Cal Poly comes calling this weekend. Cal Poly is another team looking to finish their season on a high note by rolling off wins in their remaining games. Claremont (0-4) at San Diego State (3-2) – After getting off to a tough start, the Aztecs have bounced back quite well. They will continue their surge this weekend by hosting Claremont who is still looking for their first win of the season. St. Mary’s (4-1) at Central Washington (3-1) – If USA Rugby was still naming their Barnburner of the Week, this would be it. This is THE game that will decide who will be the #2 seed coming out of the Pacific Conference. Both teams are very well coached and play exciting brand of rugby. Home field advantage could come into play for Central Washington. They’ll need it if they’re going to knock off the Gaels. Division II Nationals This weekend kicks off the Division II Men & Women’s Nationals with the Top 16 teams from Division II playing off to determine who advances to the Final 4. Tournament sites include the University of California-San Diego and the Austin Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Florida. Each site hosts a men’s and women’s bracket. San Diego Women’s Pool A: Western Washington, Claremont, Lee University, George Washington Women’s Pool B: Shippensburg, Santa Clara University, Notre Dame, Mesa State Men’s Teams: Sierra College, Wisconsin-Whitewater, St. Louis University, Pepperdine, Rice University, Cal Maritime, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach Florida Women’s Pool C: Washington State, UNC-Charlotte, Stonehill, Winona State Women’s Pool D: Norwich, Mary Washington, Wisonsin-La Crosse, Radcliffe Men’s Teams: Salisbury, Middlebury, University of South Florida, William Paterson, East Carolina, Bentley College University, Saint Joseph’s, Michigan State
Saturday, 16 Apr 2011 Pacific San Diego State 39 - 12 Claremont Aztec Field, San Diego, CA Pacific UC Davis 12 - 48 Cal Poly Russell Fields, Davis, CA Pacific Central Washington 18 - 22 St. Mary's CWU Soccer Complex, Ellensburg, WA Western Utah 34 - 27 Air Force McCarthey Field, Salt Lake City, UT Western Wyoming 17 - 60 Colorado East Mall, Laramie, WY Rugby East Ohio State 15 - 57 Army Fred Beekman Park, Columbus, OH Rugby East Dartmouth 10 - 27 Navy Brophy Field, Hanover, NH Rugby East Penn State 28 - 17 Rutgers West Campus Pitch, State College, PA Mid-South Tennessee 11 - 41 LSU Tennessee Rugby Park, Knoxville, TN Mid-South Arkansas State 70 - 21 Notre Dame ASU Rugby Pitch, Jonesboro, AR Western Arizona Wildcats 55 - 16 Colorado State Murphey Stadium, Tucson, AZ Rugby East Kutztown 32 - 24 Delaware Kutztown Rugby Pitch, Kutztown, PA
MID - SOUTH 1 Arkansas State 24 2 Life University 22 3 Texas A&M 11 4 LSU 11 5 Tennessee 9 6 Notre Dame 5 7 Oklahoma 0 PACIFIC 1 Cal 30 2 St. Mary's 26 3 San Diego State 20 4 Central Washington 16 5 Cal Poly 11 6 UCLA 10 7 Claremont 1 8 UC Davis 0 RUGBY EAST 1 Army 25 2 Navy 25 3 Penn State 18 4 Kutztown 14 5 Delaware 11 6 Dartmouth 10 7 Ohio State 3 8 Rutgers 2 WESTERN 1 BYU 30 2 Arizona State 20 3 Utah 4 Air Force 17 5 Colorado 11 6 Arizona Wildcats 10 7 Colorado State 0 8 Wyoming 0 Friday, 22 Apr 2011 Pacific UCLA (19:00) Central Washington North Athletic Field, Los Angeles, CA Western Colorado State (19:00) Utah CSU Rugby Pitch, Fort Collins, CO Rugby East Rutgers (19:00) Kutztown Sports Club Field, Piscataway, NJ Rugby East Delaware (19:30) Navy Frazier Field, Newark, DE Saturday, 23 Apr 2011 Pacific Cal Poly (13:00) Cal Cal Poly Sports Complex, San Luis Obispo, CA Pacific Claremont (13:00) UC Davis Merritt Field, Claremont, CA Western Wyoming (13:00) Utah East Mall, Laramie, WY Rugby East Dartmouth (13:00) Ohio State Brophy Field, Hanover, NH Rugby East Army (13:00) Penn State Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, NY Mid-South Notre Dame (13:00) Oklahoma West Quad Fields, South Bend, IN Mid-South Arkansas State (13:00) Texas A&M ASU Rugby Pitch, Jonesboro, AR Western Colorado (16:00) Arizona Wildcats Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Western Arizona State (19:00) Air Force ASU Soccer Stadium, Tempe, AZ
Friday, 22 Apr 2011 Pacific UCLA 29 - 55 Central Washington North Athletic Field, Los Angeles, CA Western Colorado State 19 - 74 Utah CSU Rugby Pitch, Fort Collins, CO Rugby East Rutgers 15 - 13 Kutztown Sports Club Field, Piscataway, NJ Rugby East Delaware 19 - 32 Navy Frazier Field, Newark, DE Saturday, 23 Apr 2011 Rugby East Dartmouth 33 - 5 Ohio State Brophy Field, Hanover, NH Pacific Cal Poly 26 - 79 Cal Cal Poly Sports Complex, San Luis Obispo, CA Pacific Claremont 5 - 20 UC Davis Merritt Field, Claremont, CA Western Wyoming 0 - 97 Utah East Mall, Laramie, WY Rugby East Army 50 - 26 Penn State Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, NY Mid-South Notre Dame 20 - 0 Oklahoma West Quad Fields, South Bend, IN Mid-South Arkansas State 52 - 17 Texas A&M ASU Rugby Pitch, Jonesboro, AR Western Colorado 26 - 36 Arizona Wildcats Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Western Arizona State 23 - 21 Air Force ASU Soccer Stadium, Tempe, AZ Saturday, 30 Apr 2011 Pacific Claremont (13:00) Cal Poly Merritt Field, Claremont, CA Pacific Central Washington (13:00) San Diego State CWU Soccer Complex, Ellensburg, WA Pacific St. Mary's (13:00) UCLA Pat Vincent Memorial Field, Moraga, CA Western BYU (13:00) Arizona State South Field, Provo, UT Western Wyoming (13:00) Colorado State East Mall, Laramie, WY Rugby East Penn State (13:00) Delaware West Campus Pitch, State College, PA Rugby East Dartmouth (13:00) Kutztown Brophy Field, Hanover, NH Mid-South Oklahoma (13:00) Life University Al Veile Rugby Complex, Norman, OK Mid-South Notre Dame (13:00) Tennessee West Quad Fields, South Bend, IN Mid-South Texas A&M (14:00) LSU A&M Game Pitch, College Station, TX Western Air Force (16:00) Arizona Wildcats Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Rugby East Army (17:00) Navy Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, NY Rugby East Ohio State (19:30) Rutgers Fred Beekman Park, Columbus, OH
MID-SOUTH 1 Arkansas State 29 2 Life University 22 3 Texas A&M 11 4 LSU 11 5 Notre Dame 9 6 Tennessee 9 7 Oklahoma 0 PACIFIC 1 Cal 35 2 St. Mary's 26 3 Central Washington 21 4 San Diego State 20 5 Cal Poly 12 6 UCLA 7 UC Davis 4 8 Claremont 1 RUGBY EAST 1 Army 30 2 Navy 30 3 Penn State 19 4 Kutztown 15 5 Dartmouth 15 6 Delaware 11 7 Rutgers 6 8 Ohio State 3 WESTERN 1 BYU 30 2 Utah 30 3 Arizona State 25 4 Air Force 18 5 Arizona Wildcats 15 6 Colorado 12 7 Colorado State 0 8 Wyoming 0
Saturday, 30 Apr 2011 Pacific Claremont 31 - 51 Cal Poly Merritt Field, Claremont, CA Pacific Central Washington 36 - 27 San Diego State CWU Soccer Complex, Ellensburg, WA Pacific St. Mary's 41 - 22 UCLA Pat Vincent Memorial Field, Moraga, CA Western BYU 80 - 0 Arizona State South Field, Provo, UT Western Wyoming 12 - 41 Colorado State East Mall, Laramie, WY Rugby East Penn State 42 - 41 Delaware West Campus Pitch, State College, PA Rugby East Dartmouth 15 - 31 Kutztown Brophy Field, Hanover, NH Mid-South Oklahoma 10 - 93 Life University Al Veile Rugby Complex, Norman, OK Mid-South Notre Dame 34 - 5 Tennessee West Quad Fields, South Bend, IN Mid-South Texas A&M 10 - 16 LSU A&M Game Pitch, College Station, TX Western Air Force 29 - 35 Arizona Wildcats Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Rugby East Army 34 - 27 Navy Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, NY Rugby East Ohio State 48 - 22 Rutgers Fred Beekman Park, Columbus, OH Saturday, 07 May 2011 Quarter-Finals Cal (13:00) Life University Pat Vincent Memorial Field, Moraga, CA Quarter-Finals BYU (13:00) Navy South Field, Provo, UT Quarter-Finals Arkansas State (13:00) St. Mary's ASU Rugby Pitch, Jonesboro, AR Sunday, 08 May 2011 Quarter-Finals Army (14:00) Utah Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, NY
MID-SOUTH 1 Arkansas State 29 2 Life University 27 3 LSU 15 4 Notre Dame 14 5 Texas A&M 12 6 Tennessee 9 7 Oklahoma 0 PACIFIC 1 Cal 35 2 St. Mary's 31 3 Central Washington 26 4 San Diego State 21 5 Cal Poly 17 6 UCLA 12 7 UC Davis 4 8 Claremont 2 RUGBY EAST 1 Army 35 2 Navy 32 3 Penn State 24 4 Kutztown 20 5 Dartmouth 15 6 Delaware 13 7 Ohio State 8 8 Rutgers 7 WESTERN 1 BYU 35 2 Utah 30 3 Arizona State 25 4 Air Force 20 5 Arizona Wildcats 20 6 Colorado 12 7 Colorado State 5 8 Wyoming 0
For Immediate Release May 5, 2011 USA Rugby College Premier Division Semifinals and Final to Air on ESPN3.com, ESPNU and ESPN International BOULDER, Colo. — The semifinals and championship game of USA Rugby’s College Premier Division (CPD) will air live exclusively on ESPN3.com and tape delay on ESPNU and ESPN International. The semifinal matches will take place at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo., and will kick off live at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on Saturday May 14 on ESPN3.com. ESPNU will show both matches on same day tape delay basis at 10:30 p.m. and midnight ET. Live CPD Championship game coverage on ESPN3.com will start at 7 p.m. MT on May 21 from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Kickoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. MT. The game will air on ESPNU at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday May 22. The re-air dates and times on ESPN International’s regional carriers have not yet been finalized. Further Information: Jarrod Beckstrom | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | jbeckstrom@usarugby.org
For Immediate Release May 5, 2011 CPD Quarterfinals Get Underway Saturday BOULDER, Colo. – Four thrilling College Premier Division (CPD) matches are set to take place on Saturday May 7 as the postseason gets underway. The top seeds from each of the four conferences earned home field advantage for their performances during the regular season. Four of the eight quarterfinalists from this weekend’s action will advance to the semifinals on May 14. The semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and on tape delay on ESPNU and ESPN International. CPD Quarterfinals – Saturday May 7, 2011 Life University @ University of California – Berkeley (Cal), Pat Vincent Field, St. Mary’s College Campus, 1 p.m. Pacific St. Mary’s College @ Arkansas State, ASU Rugby Pitch, Jonesboro, Ark., 1 p.m. Central Navy @ BYU, BYU South Field, Provo, Utah, 1 p.m. Mountain CPD Quarterfinal – Sunday May 8, 2011 Utah @ Army, Anderson Rugby Complex, West Point, N.Y., 2 p.m. Eastern Life @ Cal Cal, the top seed from the Pacific Conference, will host the second seed from the Mid-South, Life University, on Saturday but as construction is underway on Cal’s facility, the match will be played on St. Mary’s home field. Cal has been absolutely dominant throughout the regular season, scoring 546 points in their seven regular season games (an average 78 points per game). Jack Clark and his staff have created another outstanding Cal side that plays a clinical and disciplined style of rugby featuring an evenly balanced attack. Remarkably, none of Cal’s players are in the top list of try-scorers in the CPD, but the team has over ten players who have scored four or more tries over the course of the season. Blaine Scully, Seamus Kelly, James McTurck, and Dustin Muhn are among Cal’s danger men but Cal is a team that can strike from just about anywhere. Life will lean heavily on its leaders, loose forwards Cam Dolan and Garrett Lambert, to disrupt Cal’s rhythm and spoil ball. Dolan and Lambert have combined for more than 17 tries this season and have proven that they are some of the elite loosies in the competition. St. Mary’s @ Arkansas State The quarterfinal showdown in Jonesboro will be a great matchup. St. Mary’s has an axe to grind with ASU after being eliminated by the Red Wolves in last year’s playoffs, losing by a slim margin. St. Mary’s played Cal tough in their only loss of the season and will need to play with substantial grit to overcome the Red Wolves at home. ASU’s flyhalf, Pat Sullivan, has been the leader and linchpin of the Red Wolves attack with his superior passing and kicking abilities. Sullivan has dotted down six tries this season and has been lethal with the boot as well. If he’s having a good day Saturday, St. Mary’s might have cause for concern. Navy @ BYU Navy lost to Army last week and gave Army the Rugby East title and home field advantage in the quarters. The salt in those still-exposed wounds is that Navy has to play BYU at home now. BYU, led by the CPD’s most dominant eight man Ryan Roundy, will be raring to go in the quarters. Roundy leads the CPD in tries scored, tallying 19 for the Cougars. Modest and still hardworking, Roundy is going to be a hard man to contain for Navy. BYU’s halfbacks have been outstanding and they are given plenty of go-forward ball by their massive forward pack, which certainly helps them unleash the midfield and outside backs. The Navy v. BYU game will be webcast on the BYU Rugby website. Army @ Utah Army will host Utah, the number two seed in the Western Conference, on Sunday for a chance to move into the semis. Army put away Navy to win the Rugby East title and have momentum moving into the postseason. However, Utah has some potent weapons in their arsenal, namely Don Pati and Thretton Palamo (if available). Army also has some weapons of their own in the form of try-scoring machine Ben Leatigaga and the pinpoint kicking of sophomore flyhalf Will Holder. Leatigaga and Holder have been in pique form the last few weeks and both played prominent roles in Army’s conference title-clinching win over Navy. In that game, Leatigaga scored a hat trick and Holder tallied 19 points, scoring two tries, nailing three conversions and a penalty kick. An interesting aspect of this game will be match sharpness. Utah hasn’t played a game since April 23 after smashing the University of Wyoming and Colorado State in successive nights on the road. Army pulled out a win in a nail-biting conference title game last weekend. The winner of Cal v. Life will play the winner of Army v. Utah and the winner of St. Mary’s v. Arkansas State will square off with the winner of BYU v. Navy. The semifinal matches will take place on May 14 at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo., and will kick off at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. Both semifinals will be shown live on ESPN3.com. ESPNU will show both matches on same-day tape delay at 10:30 p.m. and midnight ET. Further Information: Jarrod Beckstrom | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | jbeckstrom@usarugby.org
http://www.usarugby.org/#cc=[Application]\\Structure\\Content\\Brand Resource Center\\Content\\Home\\NewsArchive\\23181D59-12E6-E55C-18DC-022748676972\\23181D59-12E6-E562-0BBB-A41A6F57FF98\\23181D59-12FC-C393-0950-5B7B5933A20E{{Tab:View}} For Immediate Release May 10, 2011 TANTILIZING COLLEGE PREMIER DIVISON SEMIFNALS KICKOFF SATURDAY IN GLENDALE BOULDER, Colo. – Rugby and college sports fans everywhere are in for a treat on Saturday May 14, when the College Premier Division semifinals kickoff at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo. Cal will take on Utah and BYU will play Arkansas State. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com and on same day tape delay on ESPNU. Cal v. Utah kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and BYU v. Arkansas State gets underway at 10 p.m. ET. The ESPNU same-day tape delay of these games will begin at 10:30 p.m. and midnight ET, respectively. Tickets to the game can be purchased at http://www.glendalerugby.com/tickets-and-travel. This past weekend in the CPD Quarterfinals, Cal hosted Life University and put the visiting side away by 33 points to advance to the semis. Thomas Rooke, the Bears’ openside flanker got a hat trick in the encounter and his flyhalf, James Bailes, put on a kicking clinic scoring 13 points with the boot. Rooke and Bailes combined for 28 points and Cal’s hard-charging outside center, Seamus Kelly, and replacement sophomore inside center, Jared Braun, had a try apiece to account for the balance of Cal’s points. Fans can count on watching surgical precision and fast-paced rugby on Saturday when Cal plays a very resolute Utah side in Glendale. Utah had a tall order on Sunday, traveling to West Point to play Army in front of an enthusiastic Army home crowd still hoarse from a fantastic win over Navy the week prior. However, Utah unleashed on the hosts late in the game, scoring 17 points in the final ten minutes to secure their postseason lives. Ute lock Maika Hafoka ignited the scoring rampage and Sione Lauti and Thretton Palamo followed suit. Utah can be a devastating attacking power if they are firing on all cylinders and they had better be against a very strong and experienced Cal team on Saturday. Utah’s only loss of the season was at the hands of fellow semifinalists and in-state rivals, BYU who put in a dominant display over Navy in the quarterfinal in Provo on Saturday. BYU emerged from the regular season without having had a strong challenge, their closest game all season was an 18-point victory over Utah in the season opener. From that point on, like Cal, BYU has been steamrolling their way to the postseason. The postseason, thus far, has been very promising for the Cougars as they hosted Navy Saturday in the CPD Quarterfinals. BYU’s fullback, Andrew Harrison, opened his team’s account and before 30 minutes had elapsed, the Cougars had 29 points on the board to Navy’s five. It was one-way traffic in the second half though and BYU racked up a whopping 64 points in the encounter with a final score of 64-12. Apensia Malani, BYU’s mobile openside, must have decided that Saturday was his day to finally get some CPD points to his name and scored a hat trick against the Midshipmen. BYU will look to overcome their next obstacle in the postseason: the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Arkansas State has overcome some strong competition at home in the form of Life University during the regular season and St. Mary’s in the CPD Quarterfinals. When they face BYU, it will be their strongest competition so far. Aside from a try in the fourth minute, ASU wasn’t able to breach St. Mary’s tryline in the first half, but flyhalf Patrick Sullivan kept his team in the hunt with his boot. St. Mary’s had two first half tries and at halftime it was a one-point ball game. Ten minutes into the second half though, Red Wolves powerful eight man Shaun Potgieter got his side going. Arkansas State largely held St. Mary’s off and gave themselves some breathing room late in the game. St. Mary’s scored only one less try than ASU, a testament to how Sullivan’s ability to add the extras and nail penalty kicks buoyed his team. The clash with BYU this Saturday will be a great battle to watch, especially in the battle of the boot. BYU’s halfback, Shaun Davies, has been as precise as any kicker in the CPD and has had plenty of practice kicking conversions this season. The winning teams from the semifinals will advance to the first ever College Premier Division National Championship. The Championship game will take place at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on May 21. Kickoff is slated for 7:05 p.m. MT. CPD Championship game coverage of the CPD Championship on ESPN3.com will start at 7 p.m. MT on May 21 from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The game will air on ESPNU at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday May 22.
Saturday, 14 May 2011 Semi-Finals Cal 62 - 14 Utah Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Semi-Finals BYU 36 - 15 Arkansas State Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Saturday, 21 May 2011 Championship Cal (19:00) BYU Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...ce-teams&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 RUGBYMag CPD All-Conference Teams Premier Division All-Conference Teams. These selections are a precursor to RUGBYMag.com’s All-Collegiate, and CPD, DI and DII All American selections, which will be released in the coming days. The selections were made using observations from league coaches, game reports, film study, and direct observation by RUGBYMag.com writers, editors, and correspondents. Among the criteria used for selection: players had to have played a significant part of the season – players who were injured or unavailable for most of the season, even if they were outstanding, had trouble making their All-Conference team; in addition, some players were moved to slightly different positions if, in the judgment of RUGBYMag.com, said player could handle that position (this is most noticeable in the backs, where one or two players were shifted from center to wing, for example). “It always seems like, whenever we make these types of selections, some very good players get left off,” said RUGBYMag.com Editor-in-Chief Alex Goff. “This is no exception, even though we were picking All-Conference teams – obviously the All American selections get harder. I especially feel for Central Washington, who did not get a selection on the team despite being an outstanding program, and for some specific players, especially in the back row, where St. Mary’s flanker Rob Carlson, UCLA flanker Dave Martini, and Navy flanker Blake Taylor, who I think could easily have made an all-conference team, but were beaten out.” Leading the selections are s the University of California Golden Bears, which put ten players on the Pacific All-Conference team, while BYU placed seven on the West All-Conference team. “We’ve been saying all year that the East was the most competitive conference in the CPD, and that was borne out in the RUGBYMag.com All-Conference selections, with seven different teams having All-Conference players,” said Goff. The RUGBYMag.com All-Conference Teams are: CPD All-East Team 1 Kallen Ryan Army 2 Chris Karas Penn State 3 Charlie Grant Dartmouth 4 Chris Mullen Delaware 5 Chase Burge Navy 6 Eric Ribenstein Rutgers 7 Paul Jarvis Dartmouth 8 Sean Rohrs Navy 9 Derek Fish Dartmouth 10 Will Holder Army 11 Tim Acker Kutztown 12 Gareth Lourens Kutztown 13 Chris Downer Dartmouth 14 Ben Leatigaga Army 15 James Kowalski Delaware CPD All-South Team 1 Jake Mizell Arkansas State 2 Nardus Wessells Arkansas State 3 Paris Hollis Life 4 Chris Parker Texas A&M 5 Nick Civetta Notre Dame 6 Cameron Dolan Life 7 Garrett Lambert Life 8 Shaun Potgieter Arkansas State 9 Colton Cariaga Life 10 Patrick Sullivan Arkansas State 11 Hunter Leland Texas A&M 12 Benji Goff Tennessee 13 Zac Mizell Arkansas State 14 Caleb Gragg Arkansas State 15 Joe Cowley Life CPD All-West Team 1 Mikey Su'a BYU 2 Ray Forrester BYU 3 Nick Mostyn Utah 4 Viliamia Vimahi BYU 5 Mark Bonham BYU 6 Trevor Kohl Arizona State 7 Travis Hughes Arizona State 8 Ryan Roundy BYU 9 Don Pati Utah 10 Dylan Lubbe BYU 11 AJ Tuinau Utah 12 Thretton Palamo Utah 13 Jared Whippy BYU 14 Peter Tiberio Arizona 15 Mike Getzler Arizona CPD All-Pacific Team 1 Nick Wallace St. Mary's 2 Neil Barrett California 3 James Besser California 4 Kyle Batten St. Mary's 5 Ryan Hodson California 6 Danny Barrett California 7 Tom Rooke California 8 Derek Asbun California 9 Chad Clark St. Mary's 10 James Bailes California 11 Duncan Kelm San Diego State 12 Tim Maupin St. Mary's 13 Seamus Kelly California 14 Dustin Muhn California 15 Blaine Scully California
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...-like-it&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 Cal v BYU - Nothing Like It The two teams we all figured it would be. The two teams who have battled for the top collegiate title since 2006 (Trivia question #1: Which team not Cal or BYU was the last to play in the men’s national college final?) (Trivia question #2: What was the most recent year when neither Cal nor BYU played in the national final. Bonus – who were those teams? Post answers as comments). BYU is undefeated and has not come close to losing any game. Their average score is 72-7. Cal has come close to losing a game twice – once when they fielded a largely reserve squad in the (unofficial) Pac-10 tournament, and once against University of British Columbia in February. Both are significant. The first one highlights a policy that the Bears follow quite doggedly; putting young and reserve players on the field as Cal and being told “you are playing as Cal today. It’s up to you.” In an interview earlier this season, Cal Head Coach Jack Clark told RUGBYMag.com that his most experienced players don’t necessarily play any more than those on other college teams. Where his team differs is that the underclassmen and reserves play a lot more than those on other teams. Thus, when they are under pressure in a tough game, either after moving up to the first team, or thrust into the fray because of injury, they are ready to perform. The second game is significant because it is one where Cal was losing, and needed to score in the late minutes to win. It’s the type of game very few good college teams get to have, and it’s a crucial measurement of Cal’s ability. They came back and beat UBC, and then went up to Vancouver and demolished the Thunderbirds in the return match. They showed they can win the tough ones, and then put the heel of their boot on a good team’s neck, as well. “There’s not much difference in this Cal team as opposed to last year’s,” said BYU head coach David Smyth. “In fact, I think they might even be a little bit better this year than they were last year. I think their backline is even more potent than it was last year and their forwards continue to dominate, they’re big and physical. So, I expect it will be more of the same, but even better.” The Bears are captained by All-American and 2010 USA 7′s National Team Member and senior fullback Blaine Scully who also leads the team in scoring with 9 tries. The well-rounded Cal attack also has senior flanker Thomas Rooke with 8 CPD tries and junior wing James McTurk, who hails from England, having dotted down 8 times as well in 2011 CPD play. The Bears boast the best back row in the business. Tom Rooke is powerful, intelligent, and committed. It was his responsibility, more than anyone’s, to neutralize Thretton Palamo last week in the semifinals against Utah. He did that brilliantly. Danny Barrett is an explosive player who can turn the game around. He did it against Utah. He did it against St. Mary’s. He did it against BYU last season. And Derek Asbun (who missed the semi) is just a hard worker who hits like a train. And BYU? Well they hit pretty hard, too. And they emerged from a real tussle against Arkansas State in part because of their supreme physicality. "Everyone I've spoken with close to the BYU program acknowledges this as their best team ever," said Cal’s Clark. "I really don't see any holes in their team. They have a good mix of raw power, athleticism and rugby skill. You can't help but be very impressed." BYU has the best second row tandem in collegiate rugby in Mark Bonham and Viliami Vimahi. They have a halfback combination of Shaun Davies and Dylan Lubbe that has been playing together for the better part of four years, and know each other well. They have the best ball-carrying forward in college rugby in Ryan Roundy, and a thrilling backline. But with all of that, the game could come down to two things: the front row and goalkicking. In such a physical, close matchup how the front row wins ball, and defends around the fringes, is supremely important. Cal is expected to pick Jeremy Deterding, Neill Barrett and James Besser up front, while BYU will likely go with Mikey Su’a, Ishmael Tilalo and Ray Forrester. All are older, experienced players. BYU’s front row is massive; Cal’s slightly less so, but very mobile. Neil Barrett may have been the best tight five forward in the CPD playoffs. Su’a is enormously imposing when he runs with the ball. That clash could tell you much. And the other matchup is goalkicking. In the last two years, the ability to kick goals has been crucial in the championship game. Shaun Davies is reliable and unfazed. The same could be said of James Bailes for Cal. If either has a tough start, the game could turn. And finally, it’s Cal v. BYU. They don’t particularly like each other. They have played each other incredibly close many times. It’s a special game. “BYU against Cal is a war,” said Cal captain Blaine Scully simply. “It’s a game that’s 80 minutes long; there is no rest. We know we’re going to have to put everything into it, because every time they take the field they give it their all.” Perfect.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372943/Utahs-love-of-rugby-runs-deep.html Utah's love of rugby runs deep Wednesday, May 18, 2011 8:57 p.m. MDT By Dick Harmon, Deseret News Dave Smyth is a pleasant enough bloke: a kind, humble native of Ireland who came to America in the 1980s as an LDS Missionary to California. After his mission he returned to the U.S. from the Emerald Isle to play rugby at BYU. Smyth now coaches BYU rugby and his 15-0 Cougars play will challenge favored 26-0 Cal-Berkeley Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium for the collegiate national championship. Smyth respects the game. He respects what his players will get into on Saturday. He hopes fans appreciates the artistry of the sport, which will be center stage this weekend. Smyth salutes the Bears with as sincere platitudes he can muster. He speaks of Cal in reverent overtones. He knows it is possible for his troops to get rattled just thinking about the Bears, who defeated Utah 62-14 last week. He calls Cal, whose first sport 130 years ago was rubgy, the Royal Royce of rugby. He also knows BYU is the last team to defeat Cal — a 28-25 decision in 2009. Since then, Cal has won 52 straight games. Saturday's affair will be BYU's outstanding offense against a savvy, equally potent Bear team that is fast, strong and physical. He knows all he can throw at Cal will be matched with adjustments, superior scouting, game planning and skill. I like this guy. He doesn't speak in riddles. He also knows BYU and Cal have squared off for the title six straight times, and that alone says something about his own team. A crowd of between 6,000-10,000 is expected in Sandy, Utah, on Saturday. "It is a game that is fast and physical and is over before you know it," said Smyth. "That's why my wife likes it." I remember watching rugby when I lived on the campus of Liahona High School outside Nuka'lofa on the island of Tonga'tapu, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It was brutal: a combination of speed and power. Popular in the United Kingdom and South Seas, native Tongans will tell you Manu Tahi, father of Minnesota Viking running back Fahu Tahi, was one of the best Tongan rugby players to ever take up the game. The father of former Philadelphia Eagle Reno Mahe also made a name for himself in Tonga, Hawaii and California. Tom Sitake, father of current Ute defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake, also made a name in rugby. Even today, Fahu, who has played a lot of rugby, sponsors and works with a youth rugby team in Utah. Rugby roots go deep locally. Former Cougar football players Peter Tuipolutu, Henry Bloomfield, members of the local Vakapuna clan and now Ute walk-on football player Thretton Palamo were rugby die-hards. BYU football conditioning coach Jay Omer has involved Bronco Mendenhall's players in "touch" rugby as part of variety in training during the off season. The 2008 movie "Forever Strong" features stories centered on Salt Lake City's Highland rugby team and coach Larry Gelwix. Another popular film that has shined a bright light on the sport is "Invictus" starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. "Those movies have brought a lot of attention to rugby, no question," said Smyth, who replaced Vern Heperi as BYU's rugby coach more than a decade ago. Coincidently, Heperi is now the dean of students at BYU. "I love rugby because there is a brotherhood among rugby players all across the world," he said. "No matter where you go in the world there is a rugby team and if you're a rugby man, your accepted and you are part of a group almost immediately. If you go to Tonga, Samoa, America, England, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland or the Islands, you'll find rugby and it's an opportunity to part of a support group and you have a network and friends." So, Saturday, this ancient and popular sport will be featured from Utah with the Bears and Cougars. It will be online at ESPN3.com and on tape delay Sunday at 8 a.m. on ESPNU. Can BYU's Ryan Roundy, Shaun Davies and Jared Whippy and Dylan Lubbe outscore Cal's well-oiled machine? We'll find out in Rio Tinto on game day.
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...pd-title&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 Cal Defeats BYU for CPD Title Cal defeated BYU 21-14 in front of a crowd of almost 10,000 at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday evening, winning the first ever College Premier Division title. Perhaps 90 percent of that crowd was, naturally, for BYU, and they made sure you heard it. The Cougars certainly had the run of player early, forcing a penalty in Cal territory that Shaun Davies, uncharacteristically, put short. Another penalty near the Cal 22 prompted a kick to touch for the lineout, perhaps a sign that Davies wasn’t completely confident in his boot. Whatever the reason, the option yielded no points as Cal stole the ball at the lineout. But BYU kept up the pressure. Only a brilliant, weaving run by Blaine Scully could get the Bears out of their own end, and then only for a short time. Cal didn’t get a clear attacking opportunity until 15 minutes into the game. At that point, BYU’s Jared Whippy and Dylan Lubbe combined to put Lubbe through the Cal line. Center Seamus Kelly made a brilliant tackle, popped to his feet, and poached the ball. Davies dove on top of the Cal center and was penalized, setting up a Cal lineout 12 meters into the BYU half. Cal mauled that lineout ball and forced an offside penalty, and flyhalf James Bailes lined up a 40-meter shot. Amid some very loud booing (despite BYU Coach David Smyth’s signals to quiet down) Bailes just missed. Still 0-0 at 17 minutes. Cal, however, seemed to have their tails up after that, and put in an extended amount of time in the BYU 22. A long series of phases, started with a half break from Bailes and using both forwards and backs ended with a penalty five meters away. Cal took the lineout, but struggled against the BYU counter-push. Finally, off the fallen maul, captain and blindside flanker Derek Asbun scooted out wide and just barely touched down amid some several tacklers. Bailes hit the conversion and at just under 24 minutes Cal led 7-0. The physicality ramped up after that. Danny Barrett picked from a scrum in Cal’s end and went right at Lubbe, knocking the BYU flyhalf on his backside. The charge sent a message, as did the ensuing run down the left wing by James McTurk. Cal seemed set to score another as they ran a move from a scrum that seemed set to put Kelly free. But the ball bounced off the center’s chest, and BYU fullback Andrew Harrison cleaned it up and booted it downfield, seeing the ball bounce once and then into touch 50 meters downfield. Cal continued to pressure, but BYU’s counter-rucking, especially that of prop Mikey Su’a, was superb and forced some key turnovers. Su’a was paying for it, though, as he needed some medical attention 30 minutes in. At 34 minutes Cal ran a simple crash in the centers. BYU made the tackle, but did not release the tackled player and Bailes lined up a 33-meter shot in front of the posts, which he hit easily for a 10-0 lead. From the restart a strong charge from flanker Sosaia Leaaetoa forced Bailes to loft his kick downfield too high. Jared Whippy caught it and sent a risky pass to his left. Back in support, though, was lock Viliami Vimahi, who passed to Lubbe. The flyhalf had Ryan Roundy on his outside but elected to grubber ahead. It worked well enough, as Cal had to kick to touch and made no ground in doing so. BYU won the lineout, powered ahead, and flanker Apenisa Malani was ushered over the line to thunderous cheers from the partisan crowd. Davis slotted the conversion, and with a minute to go in the half, BYU was back in the game 10-7. Cal, like the champions they are, were not fazed and tried to get that try back. Pressuring in the BYU 22 they caught a break. Roundy was very quick off the line to make a tackle, and referee Chris Henshall called Roundy offside. Bailes lined up a sitter and sat it. 13-7. And that was halftime. Cal had weathered the initial surge of emotion from the Cougars, but were not clear by any means. The intensity couldn’t quite stay at that level for a full 80 … or could it?. The second half started with Cal pushing into the BYU end, and only some outstanding defense from the Cougars kept Cal tryless. Finally, it seemed as if BYU could not only lift the siege, but break through, however as the crowd roared on a counter attack, referee Henshall was calling everyone back for an offside call in front of the posts. No problem for Bailes. 16-7. BYU roared back with their best sequence in about 20 minutes. Vimahi, Roundy, Whippy, and Ray Forrester all got involved in a movement that finally saw Vimahi set free by Lubbe. The lock popped a pass to the onrushing Leaaetoa, but the flanker couldn’t hold it. Scrum Cal in their 22. The Cougars, though, sense the need to make this pay off, and wheeled the scrum to get the put-in. Another half break for the Cougars. Lubbe one tackler away, and his pass inside is dropped again. Scrum five meters out. No shenanigans from Cal this time. Barrett picked and then Bailes cleared. Perhaps now it was time for a big play, and it came from an unlikely source, although one we’d seen before this season. Scurmhalf Connor Ring, who is so automatic with his passes, faked the pass and went on his own, caught BYU napping and put his team in the BYU 22. After a few more phases, Cal launched a play off the scrum. Kelly raced through a small gap and pumped his fist in triumph as he scored. Cal led 21-7, but Bailes missed a makeable conversion, leaving BYU with some serious hope with 17 minutes to go, as the Cougars could tie it with two scores. And BYU made something happen. The Cougars spun the ball wide. Hoseki Kofe made a smart move, leaving alone a high pass that was in fact intended for Zeke Mendenhall. The wing went about 50 meters before being tackled, but Cal was penalized. BYU pushed for the lineout, and then got a free kick, from which they used to set up a crash play, Lubbe to flanker Leaaetoa. He was over to more thunderous cheers, and Davies hit the conversion to make it 21-14 with ten minutes to go. The crowd really made its presence felt after that, shaking Rio Tinto with chants of BYU. Now it would come down to which team would get a break, and could the other team use it. First break went to BYU. Cal wing James McTurk kicked ahead, and it went out on the full. The Cougars had an attacking lineout, but an unnecessary kick to space from Lubbe put Cal, specifically the fleet-footed Dustin Muhn, in the driver’s seat. Momentum, ever so slightly, shifted back and forth. With just over four minutes to go BYU got a penalty at midfield for offside. They kicked for the lineout, but Cal, whose own lineout had been fallible much of the evening, stole the throw. Back to the drawing board for the Cougars. Cal continued to weather the storm, getting just enough go-forward to keep themselves out of trouble. With time winding down, Cal started a series of pick-and-drives. But they bobbled the ball, and gave BYU perhaps one last shot, a scrum five meters inside the Cal half. In fast , they had another, as they took another scrum five meters downfield. That’s when the Cal pack exploded, shoving the surprised Cougars back on their haunches. The ball turned over, and Cal had a chance to run out the clock once more. Cal won the ball, just barely, and Scully booted it into touch, and that was the game. It was an exciting and well-played game in many ways, but a strange one, too. Perceived strengths for each outfit didn’t pan out. Cal’s lineout was imperfect, Ryan Roundy was contained. And homefield advantage was certainly not quite enough. Cal 21 Tries: Asbun, Kelly Convs: Bailes Pens: Bailes 3 1. Deterding, 2. N. Barrett, 3. Besser, 4. Hyjer, 5. Hodson, 6. Asbun (c), 7. Rooke, 8. D. Barrett, 9. Ring, 10. Bailes, 11. McTurk, 12. Gallinger, 13. Kelly, 14. Muhn, 15. Scully 16. Mohr, 17. Davenport, 18. Daly, 19. Law, 20. Bosco, 21. Aronson, 22. Braun, 23. Anderson BYU 14 Tries: Malani, Leaaetoa Convs: Davies 2 1. Su'a, 2. Tilialo, 3. Forrester, 4. Bonham, 5. Vimahi, 6. Malani, 7. Leaaetoa, 8. Roundy, 9. Davies, 10. Lubbe, 11. Mendenhall, 12. Whippy, 13. Kofe, 14. Nicholls, 15. Harrison 16. Harker, 17. Tuaone, 18. Mount, 19. Hafoka, 20. Webber, 21. Wiscombe, 22. Funaka, 23. Price
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...ilestone&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 CPD Final Crowd a Milestone USA national team games have drawn more than 10,000 fans on a few occasions, including the first test match of the modern era in 1976, and the USA v. South Africa in 2001. But no domestic rugby game outside of the odd international drew as many fans as the Cal v. BYU game did on Saturday. While a few thousand or so came to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah to see Highland v. United, the crowd, which paid $14-$27 to attend, swelled to over 10,000 (according to the official count we given to RUGBYMag.com, 10,139 plus as many as 1,500 complimentary tickets). That is far and away the biggest crowd to see a non-international in the modern era. And even though the vast majority were there to cheer BYU, the visitors liked it, too. “Awesome atmosphere, no doubt,” said Cal captain Derek Asbun. “It’s a BYU crowd but we just treated it like any other condition you play in.” “We thought it was exciting,” added Cal Head Coach Jack Clark. “We thought it was great to have a good audience. We thought this stadium was fantastic. We were excited for the opportunity and glad for the opportunity to play here.” “We’ve got a fantastic fan base here,” said BYU Head Coach David Smyth. “College rugby, this is a great thing. It’s got to be good for not only college rugby but USA Rugby. If we want to keep moving the ship in the right direction, these are the sorts of events we need to have.” “The atmosphere was awesome; great turnout, great event, great venue, it was awesome,” added BYU captain Ryan Roundy. Something, then to build on. The College Premier Division might be struggling with name recognition, but on an ESPN network it proved fans will show up for a big rugby game, especially when the home team has a stake in it. And maybe this was the beginning of something special. Notes: Rumors and talk have abounded of an altercation outside the stadium. As sad and upsetting as that may be, they are also not uncommon at sporting events. Those who remained at Rio Tinto after the game saw no police or ambulances at the stadium, but we know no more than that. USA Rugby did not pour an awful lot of promotion into the CPD final, and yet the crowd was over 10,000. One wonders what could be done if more of these types of events were put on, and a little more marketing heft put behind them.
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...-minutes&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 Every Inch for 80 Minutes Cal and BYU played yet another collegiate final of the ages, a game that was in doubt until the end, not always pretty, but always physical, and always compelling. Before over 10,000 paying fans, mostly likely the biggest crowd to see a non-international rugby match in modern American rugby history, Cal won 21-14, and broke BYU hearts. “It’s very difficult to take,” said BYU flyhalf Dylan Lubbe. “We’ve come a long way this year, but the whole game just turned on some mistakes. We made mistakes in their 22 and it cost us the game.” “It was a heavyweight match,” added Cal flanker and captain Derek Asbun. “Every inch of the field was contested for all 80 minutes. And an amazing battle. We had some great performances and a full team effort, and we needed it. Jason Law subbing in, Drew Hyjer stealing lineout balls. James Bailes playing great, as he has all year. Just an amazing game.” BYU captain Ryan Round was physically and emotionally beat up. Shaking his head as he removed the tape from his wrists. “I definitely believe in our team; we put points on the board all year, but we made too many mistakes and they took advantage of it,” he said. “Too many set-piece errors. They defended well, and it was just a close game, a great game.” The coaches, too, understood how tight it was. “It’s tough and it’s a little bit disappointing,” said BYU Head Coach David Smyth. “Cal came in with a good game plan and obviously didn’t want us to get much ball. They kept it tight, went north and south, got numbers into the rucks, and got across the gain line every time. When we did get the ball I thought we were a wee bit too impatient. “But all-in-all, the effort was there. The kids were magnificent. It’s just one of those games that’s a battle. You hope you do enough to win it. We didn’t, they did.” Cal Head Coach Jack Clark had similar thoughts. “We took away a couple of balls; we poached a few lineouts, and that really helped us,” Clark told RUGBYMag.com . “We got a big tighthead at the end of the game. But we were less than perfect. We missed touch on a penalty and had a chance to get down in [their] half with two, three minutes left and just sit on the ball. Then they run out of bounds, they give us the beachhead anyway and we miss the lineout. “So it was one of those games where we were just not perfect, and we played our guts out is what we did. They weren’t perfect and they played their guts out. Somebody had to win, and I’m grateful it was us.”
http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?o...eams-poy&catid=56:college-premier-&Itemid=224 Coaches Name CPD All-Conference Teams, POY Ryan Roundy named the West Player of the Year. Paul Meyers photo BOULDER, Colo. — Conference Players of the Year Danny Barrett (Cal), Ryan Roundy (BYU), Cam Dolan (Life), Pat Sullivan (Arkansas State) and Ben Leatigaga (Army) headline the College Premier Division Coaches’ All-Conference Teams announced today by USA Rugby. Of the 60 players named in RUGBYMag.com's All-Conference list, 41 were named in the coaches'. The RUGBYMag.com list only included 15 players, while the coaches selected an eight-man bench. 2011 College Premier Division Players of the Year Rugby East: Ben Leatigaga, Army Mid-South: Cam Dolan, Life & Pat Sullivan, Arkansas St. Western: Ryan Roundy, BYU Pacific: Danny Barrett, Cal 2011 College Premier Division All-Conference Teams Ninety-two players from four conferences earned College Premier Division All-Conference honors in 2011. Where They’re From: The 2011 College Premier Division All-Conference Teams feature players from 24 states and eight countries. State Breakdown 23- California 8- Utah 6- Pennsylvania 5- Washington 4- Louisiana, New York, 3- Connecticut, Tennessee 2- Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Virginia 1- Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Wisconsin Country Breakdown 80- USA 6- South Africa 1- Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, New Zealand, Tonga Class Breakdown Seniors- 49 Juniors- 24 Sophomores- 13 Freshmen- 6 2011 All-Rugby East Team Pos. Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 1: Jim Roblin Rutgers Jr. 6-0 250 Hammonton, N.J. 2: Jamie Gregory Kutztown So. 6-0 225 Reading, United Kingdom 3: Andrew Hansche Army Sr. 6-0 215 Kenosha, Wis. 4: Chase Burge Navy Sr. 6-5 250 Rushville, Ohio 5: Chris Mullen Delaware Jr. 6-3 215 Basking Ridge, N.J. 6: Paul Jarvis Dartmouth Jr. 5-11 210 Riverside, Conn. 7: Seamus Siefring Navy So. 6-0 210 North Olmstead, Ohio 8: Sean Rohrs Navy Sr. 6-0 200 Annapolis, Md. 9: Derek Fish Dartmouth Jr. 5-6 160 Madison, Conn. 10: Joe Baker Penn St. Jr. 5-9 180 West Chester, Pa. 11: Ben Leatigaga Army Sr. 6-0 215 Newport News, Va. 12: Will Holder Army So. 6-2 205 Palo Alto, Calif. 13: Buster Ousley Navy Sr. 6-0 185 Philadelphia, Pa. 14: Chris Downer Dartmouth Sr. 5-10 185 Stamford, Conn. 15: Tim Acker Kutztown Jr. 5-8 170 Buckingham, Pa. 16: Tommy Brothers Dartmouth Sr. 6-0 180 Ottawa, Canada 17: Tim Dean Army Sr. 5-8 205 Alexandria, Va. 18: Chris Karas Penn St. Jr. 5-7 200 Kennett Square, Pa. 19: Jim Kowalski Delaware Jr. 5-8 175 Manhattan, N.Y. 20: Jason Retter Navy Sr. 6-2 230 Apollo, Pa. 21: Chris Saint Penn St. Sr. 5-9 175 Gaithersburg, Md. 22: Steve Sanchez Delaware So. 6-0 215 Brooklyn, N.Y. 23: Latu Vaha’i Army Sr. 5-10 180 Nukualofa, Tonga 2011 All-Mid-South Conference Team Pos. Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 1: Roan Farr Arkansas St. Sr. 6-2 230 Cape Town, South Africa 2: Scott McDonald Life Sr. 5-11 225 Grand Rapids, Mich. 3: Jake Mizell Arkansas St. So. 6-0 230 Keller, Texas 4: Joel Fugate Tennessee Sr. 6-3 220 Brentwood, Tenn. 5: Chris Parker Texas A&M Sr. 6-4 235 Katy, Texas 6: Garrett Lambert Life Sr. 6-2 215 White Fish, Mont. 7: Shaun Potgeiter Arkansas St. So. 6-1 220 Port Elizabeth, South Africa 8: Cam Dolan Life So 6-5 230 Naples, Fla. 9: Yoshiyasu Abe Arkansas St. Fr. 5-6 160 Osaka, Japan 10: Pat Sullivan Arkansas St. Jr. 6-4 240 Mokena, Ill. 11: Yannick Savage LSU Sr. 5-11 185 Sydney, Australia 12: Robert Johns LSU Sr. 6-0 195 New Orleans, La. 13: Benji Goff Tennessee Sr. 6-1 210 Brentwood, Tenn. 14: Cornelius Dirksen Life So. 5-9 180 Nashville, Tenn. 15: Danie Swanepoel Arkansas St. Sr. 5-10 190 Bloemfontein, South Africa 16: Tyler Ammerman LSU Sr. 5-2 225 Mandeville, La. 17: Nick Civetta Notre Dame Sr. 6-8 250 New York, N.Y. 18: Joe Cowley Life Fr. 6-1 188 Charlotte, N.C. 19: Adam Ducong LSU Sr. 5-8 185 New Orleans, La. 20: Cullen Glennon LSU Sr. 5-11 205 New Orleans, La. 21: Paris Hollis Life Fr. 5-11 220 Charlotte, N.C. 22: John Lalor Notre Dame Sr. 6-2 245 Philadelphia, Pa. 23: Arrynn Wilkinson Oklahoma Sr. 5-10 185 Tulsa, Okla. 2011 All-Western Conference Team Pos. Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 1: Mikey Su’a BYU Jr. 5-11 295 West Jordan, Utah 2: Ryan Russomanno Air Force Jr. 5-8 180 Anaheim, Calif. 3: Ray Forrester BYU Jr. 6-0 255 Nelson, New Zealand 4: Mark Bonham BYU Jr. 6-4 240 Fresno, Calif. 5: Viliami Vimahi BYU Sr. 6-3 245 Provo, Utah 6: Travis Hughes Arizona St. Sr. 6-1 210 Bullhead City, Ariz. 7: Hynie Leaaetoa BYU Jr. 5-11 222 Portland, Ore. 8: Ryan Roundy BYU Jr. 6-1 218 Holladay, Utah 9: Shaun Davies BYU Jr. 5-9 176 Durban, South Africa 10: Dylan Lubbe BYU Jr. 5-8 170 Durban, South Africa 11: Mike Getzler Arizona Sr. 5-10 180 Sherman Oaks, Calif. 12: Anthony Ruize Air Force Sr. 5-7 180 Victorville, Calif. 13: Jared Whippy BYU Fr. 5-11 185 Alpine, Utah 14: Sione Lauti Utah Fr. 5-8 185 Salt Lake City, Utah 15: Peter Tiberio Arizona Sr. 5-11 185 Aurora, Ill. 16: LeRoi Edwards Air Force Jr. 6-4 250 Kent, Wash. 17: Brennan Gallagher Air Force Sr. 6-2 225 Stockbridge, Ga. 18: Stephen Karras Colorado St. So. 6-1 220 Franktown, Colo. 19: Luke Lahman Colorado Jr. 5-10 195 Niwot, Colo. 20: Cameron Loser Utah Fr. 6-1 220 Alpine, Utah 21: Apenisa Malani BYU Jr. 5-11 215 Provo, Utah 22: Thretton Palamo Utah So. 6-4 235 Davis, Calif. 23: Don Pati Utah So. 5-9 180 West Valley City, Utah 2011 All-Pacific Conference Team Pos. Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown 1: Matt Crawford St. Mary’s Sr. 6-0 212 Sacramento, Calif. 2: Andrew Cook St. Mary’s Sr. 6-0 215 San Ramon, Calif. 3: James Besser Cal Sr. 6-1 240 Davis, Calif. 4: Bobby McNeal Cal Poly-SLO Sr. 6-4 225 Pine Valley, Calif. 5: Nick Wallace St. Mary’s Jr. 6-1 240 Bellingham, Wash. 6: Derek Asbun Cal Sr. 5-10 214 Alamo, Calif. 7: David Martini UCLA Sr. 6-2 200 Los Gatos, Calif. 8: Danny Barrett Cal Jr. 6-3 212 Pacifica, Calif. 9: Connor Ring Cal Sr. 5-6 168 Lafayette, Calif. 10: James Bailes Cal Sr. 6-0 190 Cape Town, South Africa 11: Blaine Scully Cal Sr. 6-3 210 Sacramento, Calif. 12: Seamus Kelly Cal So. 5-11 200 Queens, N.Y. 13: Mike Haley St. Mary’s Jr. 6-0 190 Lafayette, Calif. 14: Dustin Muhn Cal Sr. 5-8 180 Morgan Hill, Calif. 15: Tyler Harrison UC Davis Sr. 5-8 170 Sacramento, Calif. 16: Pat Farrell Central Wash. Sr. 5-11 245 Vancouver, Wash. 17: Ryan Hamilton Central Wash. Sr. 5-10 195 Republic, Wash. 18: Duncan Kelm San Diego St. Sr. 6-1 205 Santa Rosa, Calif. 19: Jaime Kelm San Diego St. Jr. 5-10 220 Santa Rosa, Calif. 20: Kris Osterloh Cal Poly-SLO Sr. 6-2 275 Orinda, Calif. 21: Stuart Sharpe Cal Poly-SLO Sr. 6-0 200 Irvine, Calif. 22: Sam Sirell UCLA So. 6-0 195 Kentfield, Calif. 23: Tim Stanfill Central Wash. Sr. 5-10 180 Vancouver, Wash.