2011 Churchill Cup

Discussion in 'Rugby & Aussie Rules' started by Creed, May 25, 2011.

  1. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  2. Creed

    Creed New Member

    Mar 21, 2008
    U.S.A. 32-25 Russia: Relief for the Eagles

    Quite a see-saw affair but the Eagles were able to hold on. All aspects of the game seemed to be improved but that may have only been due to the opposition. Still, quite a positive.

    I think the whole tournament was a positive, despite the two losses. The loss to the Saxons taught us that none of the those players (a few exceptions) can really compete internationally. The loss to Tonga taught us that we need to be sharper and come in more prepared. We found out who can contribute and who can play some of the key positions (even if it isn't their normal position). The tournament was meant to shake out the team so that in the match today, and in the upcoming matches against Canada and Japan, the team can really come together.
     
  3. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  4. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I really don't know how I feel right now.....at least we won I guess. I agree there were some valuable lessons learned, but can't help feeling we should be further along as a sqaud then this. Who knows what the reasons for our stagnation are.......better coaching, more time together, more meaningful games, a professional league etc.
     
  5. the shelts

    the shelts Member+

    Jun 30, 2005
    Providence RI
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    I've given up on the idea of a Super League. I think we need a good college circuit, put an Under 23 team in Portland Or. or Seattle Wa. and play in the British Columbia Premier league.

    I think EOS has been looking to 2015 as well. The fact Hercus wasn't even invited to training camp last summer for the Churchill Cup speaks volumes to me.

    As an aside, a London paper said this is the last Churchill Cup, anyone know of a replacement tourney?
     
  6. HardHatMike

    HardHatMike DOOOOOOOOM!

    Traktor Nebraska
    Aug 31, 2005
    Lincoln, Nebraska
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With the demise of the CPD, it makes the rest of us better (I play for Nebraska) because we get better competition. The re-alignment of teams for this coming season is a step in the right direction, IMO, because it focuses on traditional rivalries that schools have in all the other sports on campus. For example, it's hard to get people that know little to nothing about rugby to care when we play Wisconsin-Stout, but you better believe there will be a bit of a buzz around campus when we play Iowa this fall. The move by the SEC schools to form a SEC rugby conference was brilliant for the sport's growth in the Southeast.
     
  7. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That may be the way forward. There aren't the investors or media interest for a professional 15s competition yet. The most logical route would be to grow youth/hs rugby and turn the CPD/Division 1 rugby and the CRC into world class competitions like college football and basketball are. Once these grow to critcal mass a professional setup will naturely happen.


    I can't make up my mind about this one. Part of me tells says we can't afford EOS and we could get the same results with a domestic coach at a quater of the price. However the other half of me says he is a world class coach and if he is willing to put in the hard work and build a top 12 team by 2015 I would be very happy.


    The CC is being cancelled because the RFU are expanding their Summer tour to the Tri Nations with a 3 game series and midweek games. Hence they will bring a bigger squad with the Saxons candidates included. Also the IRB have agreed to allow the USA and Canada into the regular test season with both countries playing a Tier 1 nation 2012, 13, 14, 16 and 18. NM also stated in his blog that the Eagles will play a test or two against Canada and maybe 1 other international game in June.

    In the Fall the IRB have stated the Eagles will be part of the Americas Rugby Championship September/October and in November embark on a tour of Europe against other Tier 2 Nations.

    Personally, I like this season a lot better especially if we play an official series with Canada similar to the Bledisloe cup! Play for some pride and smash those Canucks. One last point......how does everyone feel about the Eagles playing A sides. I don't like it and I would rather see the Eagles playing professional clubs such as Bath or Saracens then an A side from Scotland etc. These games would be much more marketable to broadcasters, fans and sponsors and we would be giving our domestic players a chance to shine in front professional clubs.
     
  8. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know a half a dozen schools or so are dropping out of the CPD, but have they officially cancelled the competition?

    Your are right I love what is happening at the D1 level, but I also think the CPD is a great competiton as well. The problem is money and the schools can't afford to compete in the CPD. Someone has to pay the travel expenses of these teams if they want the competiton to survive.


    Last point, I could see college football developing its own CPD in the future.
     
  9. HardHatMike

    HardHatMike DOOOOOOOOM!

    Traktor Nebraska
    Aug 31, 2005
    Lincoln, Nebraska
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not officially... yet. 11 CPD teams have officially moved back to D1. But word around the campfire is that they will. I know we've started looking at creating a Big Ten Rugby conference like the SEC and ACC have done, but haven't moved past discussion yet. Michigan and Penn State are the big sticking points right now b/c they've not yet decided if they're going to stay with CPD of move back to D1. If we went forward, we'd have the 8 teams required in D1 right now with Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. We'd like to have Michigan and Penn State come back down and have Northwestern and Illinois move up from DII to make it the whole Big Ten, but who knows when or if that will happen.

    Rugbymag.com look at the probable D1 conferences for this year.
     
  10. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Interesting. Maybe College Rugby isn't ready for a CPD. What do you think? I like the idea of NCAA style conferences, but at the moment the top teams won't get strong competition from playing in D1. I hope this changes.

    Maybe instead of a CPD there could be some sort of March Madness Invitational at the end of the season. The winners of each conference plus so many other bids given to play a one and done competition in May.

    Keep us posted on anything you find out.
     
  11. the shelts

    the shelts Member+

    Jun 30, 2005
    Providence RI
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC

    Agree 100 percent. Playing France or Argentina and getting killed by 70 points is not going to sell the game. Thats why I was pumped when we played Munster and Perpignan. Have USA play Canada in a home and home, then play the NZ Maori team, or a good club team or Japan or France A. There is no reason to play way above or way below our level.


    Sadly I don't know how close we are to "smashing" those Canucks either.
     
  12. PsychedelicCeltic

    PsychedelicCeltic New Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    San Francisco/London
    We shouldn't ever be playing club teams. It's a waste of time in that they usually beat us with their third team who are coming over for a piss-up and sightseeing, and it doesn't help us place players abroad.

    Playing France and getting bummed doesn't help much either but at least it performs the latter well, both in letting us get players scouted and letting our players acquire the necessary Test caps to get work permits in the UK.
     
  13. Flyin Ryan

    Flyin Ryan Member

    May 13, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In light of the test caps requirement, which is ridiculous for a country like ours that doesn't have steady opposition on call beyond the Canadians (newsflash European rugby officials, there's only three teams this side of the world that are halfway decent, and one of the other two their 2nd XV beats us by 20), I say send our guys down south. They play better rugby there anyway.

    There's zero point in playing France, it'd be like playing the Saxons where we didn't learn anything because the margin was so wide. Playing Munster in Chicago we get triple the attendance we get for playing Uruguay for example, which is far more important to me personally because it gets people paying to watch rugby which is necessary if rugby is ever going to get bigger beyond a certain point in this country. We somewhat got crowds playing Wales and Ireland at the beginning of O'Sullivan's reign, and we haven't played any decent full-strength country since (Six Nations, Tri-Nations, Argentina, the 3 Pacific islands).

    Here's O'Sullivan's official test matches since becoming coach:

    Ireland - in effect a B-side (Lions tour)
    Wales - in effect a B-side (Lions tour)
    Georgia (Churchill Cup) - in effect a B-side
    Canada (RWCQ)
    Canada (RWCQ)
    Uruguay (RWCQ)
    Uruguay (RWCQ)
    Russia (Churchill Cup)
    Portugal
    Georgia
    Tonga (Churchill Cup) - in effect a B-side
    Russia (Churchill Cup)
     
  14. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We need to play more tests, but if I had to choose I would rather play a professional club rather that an A side. Playing the club sides is more marketable and IMHO would allow the US to showcase some talent in front of potential a employer.
     
  15. Creed

    Creed New Member

    Mar 21, 2008
    One solution is to have a team (based in New York?) play in the Magners League (or whatever it is called now). That way the core of the team plays tough competition all year. But then again, it all comes down to money and someone taking a gamble that a professional American rugby team playing in the U.S. can succeed.
     
  16. yankee_rob

    yankee_rob Member

    Aug 1, 2006
    London, England
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Possibly....an interesting prospect. I guess I take the same stance as John Kirwan when Super Rugby looked at putting a franchise in Tokyo....his position was that it would under value the domestic competition The Top League.

    IMHO in the next few years get enough investors together to form an 8 to 12 team professional competition to replace the RSL. Of course the players would be on the same money as Arena Football players but at least it would be enough to pay the bills and train full time. OPSB, SFGG, Las Vegas, Barbos, Glendale, Utah, NYAC, Life and KC Blues are all border line professional now. Just add a team for Southern California, a team from the South East and a team from Chicago.
     
  17. the shelts

    the shelts Member+

    Jun 30, 2005
    Providence RI
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    Ya but I don't think its financially viable. IIRC didn't Canada put their under 23 or under 21 team in the Welsh second division? I remember hearing about 15 or 18 of them going to Wales and playing in some small town.

    In all honesty, if I hit the lottery or make $40 million in the stock market, I'd put a USA team in the Magners League in Boston or NYC. Thats a cracking idea, simply in need of very deep pockets.
     

Share This Page