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1 VIRGINIA RUGBY UNION Issue CLUB MEN: Division II and III MARFU Playoff Schedule: MARFU 2006 Division II Playoffs: April 22 - Quarterfinals Raleigh 65, Wilmington 0 Frederick 4, Doylestown 10 Lancaster 29, Severn River 10 Media 40, Norfolk 17 April D2 Final Four: Raleigh 32, Media 24 Lancaster 29, Frederick 23 (OT) Consolation: Frederick 37, Media 34 Championship: Raleigh 27, Lancaster 25 MARFU 2006 Division III Playoffs: April 22 - Quarterfinals Quantico 15, Virginia 13 James River 27, Happy Valley 5 Old Gaelic 71, Roanoke 0 Second City Troop 17, North Bay 0 April D3 Final Four: Old Gaelic 25, James River 20 Quantico 32, Second City Troop 12 Consolation: Second City Troop 22, James River 19 Championship: Old Gaelic 43, Quantico 10 Moving on in the Division II nationals from the VRU was Raleigh. In the round of 16 they beat Providence before losing to Pearl City in the round of 8.

2 The Richmond Lions had a late April tour of Ireland. Here is a brief report from them: Your Richmond Lions placed 3rd in the 125th Anniversary City of Derry Rugby Tournament going 2-1 on the weekend win vs. Carlow (Ireland) Saturday. A great team and one that has invited us for a home and away fixture schedule. Southern Ireland anyone? loss vs.limerick (Ireland) Saturday. Should have won this one. Team had a former Irish National Team players at #8 and five provincial players. One of the Limerick players told me personally over a frosty Smithwicks later that we were by far the best squad they faced in the tournament. We'll take that! 26-0 win vs. Coventry (England) Sunday. They were not happy, but the Irish sure were. Even our cab driver smiled over this result. Tournament Results 1. Limerick 2. Derry 3. Richmond Lions 4. Coventry 5. Carlow 6. St. Paulie A day after we arrived in Dublin we played the Dublin Wanderers 3rd XV. We lost I think (or there about) but I attribute this loss in large part to jet lag and most importantly our trying to sort out our side which included players of all ages and abilities. I believe that had we played them later in the week, we would have had a much better result. Suffice it to say we had a great time, represented our Club well, and are anxious to repeat the experience! Charlie Grant, Prop & Minister of Propaganda Richmond Lions Rugby Club BTW, four of the Lions played for Limerick in the finals. Reyn Kinzey and Doug Clark were interviewed on BBC radio. COLLEGE MEN: In the Collegiate Division III East Coast Tournament East Coast Tournament April 22-23, the results were: Semi: Bentley 18, VCU 10 Semi: Citadel 12, Franklin & Marshall 5

3 3 rd Place: Franklin & Marshall 32, VCU 14 Final: Bentley 29, Citadel 12. COLLEGE WOMEN: In the Round of 16 in Division I, Virginia beat Radcliffe 25-6 before losing to Ohio State in the round of 8. In the Round of 8 in Division II, Northeastern beat Mary Washington WOMEN S CLUB: From Lisa Rosen, MARFU-U23 coach: We kicked off the select side season by entering a U23 developmental squad in the DC Ruggerfest. We played 3 previous MARFU U23 players alongside a wide range of players from several different programs. Our youngest player is still in high school! We kicked off the weekend with a "low intensity" training session out by the hotel pool, learning to communicate with each other and going over some strategy. Our first match was against the NOVA developmental side, and we came away 21-0 winners. It was very exciting to get a win right out of the gate. Wing/scrumhalf Kerryn Winneski from Kutztown University had a terrific match, putting in 2 tries. Temple's Vanesha McGee ran in the third, and we were able to play everyone in the match. The tries were converted by Megan from James Madison University. Our second match was against New York Developmental - and it was TOUGH! New York is polished, fit, fast, and ferocious, and they also play very, very smart rugby. Though they scored many tries, we were able to step things up, and got to see some of the things we worked on implemented at a very high pace. We played in New York's end several times during the game, and early on James Madison s Julie Swavola evaded multiple defenders, giving the ball through the tackle to Kutztown's Mary Merlot for a try. Dinner at the Macaroni Grill, a much needed rest, and we were back on the pitch Sunday morning. The tournament organizers asked us if we'd play two matches and despite some perssonel shortages, we agreed. Our first Sunday match was against the Village Lions, and it was tough. We were definitely tired, and had a hard time getting things going. The Lions scored first, and just before the half the backline moved the ball through the hands as Vanesha McGee finished the attack wide in the ingoal. We had a rough time adjusting to the referee, and the Lions took advantage, kicking a penalty goal to take the

4 lead Despite several opportunities, we weren't able to finish, and the game ended that way. Our final match of the day saw us play the Washington DC Furies Developmental. We were exhausted, but from the first whistle you would never know. We got handled a bit at the point of contact, but kept pressuring and little by little turned the intensity up. From a broken field, Catholic University's Emma O'Donnell put herself in space, scoring the first try in the corner. The Furies answered with their own, pressuring repeatedly in front of our ingoal and capitalizing on a handling error. Just before the half the Furies were able to score again, and at half the score was Furies 12, MARFU 5. During the half we decided that we would go for it - tired or not. There was some ferocious turnover tackling, and again from a broken field O'Donnell found the space and took a perfectly timed pass from Julia Swavola to finish a 2 on 1 in the ingoal. The try was converted and the score was tied at With 15 minutes left to the game, we managed a dynamic back line attack, with flanker turned center Michelle Kirk (Temple U.) finishing in the corner. The kick was converted. A solid performance by UDEL Flyhalf Sarah Burrows, and a complete commitment to possession saw the game end with MARFU U-23 on top Though everyone in attendance put out a tremendous effort, there was some truly inspired performances by players not named - their consistency and leadership throughout the weekend really facilitated everyone else's success. JMU's Erin Howley, NOVA's Katie Miller, and Temple's Emily Tunney set the tone for the weekend. They each put in quite a performance and deserve as much credit for the weekend's success as the tryscorers/assisters. YOUTH: Australia won the IRB U-19 title in Dubai. The final was refereed by a 24-year-old Scotsman. MARFU To all interested MARFU Women: There will be two Open Invite 7s Camps on June 18 th and June 25 th. These 2 camps are open invite camps for all interested senior and collegiate women. Since MARFU 15s is running into June we are holding two camps...i am hoping all interested players can attend one of the camps. But feel free to attend both if you are available! These camps are going to be used for MARFU 7s selections but all interested collegiate and senior women are encouraged to attend even if your goal is simply to develop your 7s skills and incease your knowledge of the game.

5 Women s MARFU Open Camp Schedule Date Event Time Location June 18 th Open Camp 1a 10:00am-2pm TBD June 25 th Open Camp 1b 10:00am-2pm TBD (DC Area since PAC 7s is on Saturday, June 24th) Attending one of the camps is highly encouraged if you want to play for MARFU at Cape Fear or at ITTs. Women s MARFU All Star Schedule Date Event Location July 1st/2 nd Cape Fear Wilmington, NC July 29 th Mandatory Camp TBD Aug. 26 th /27 th National All Stars Wisconsin Please call or me (Chris Harvey) if you are interested in attending either of the two camps. I will send you the camp locations once they are finalized. CONTACT - Chris Harvey harveycw10@hotmail.com Named to the MARFU ITT Team were Heather Ferrell and Jamie Jones from the Raleigh Vipers. The MARFU U-23 Team was chosen in mid-may. Named from the VRU were Sarah Edwards of James River, Fiona Foxon and Rachel Worden of UVA, Sarah Miller, Yen Wang, and Jen Swavola of James Madison. Erin Howley of James Madison was an injured reserve. REFEREES: The Referee Society of Virginia has reached an agreement with the Northern California Referee Society to have a yearly exchange. Starting this fall, a NorCal referee will come to the Ed and Sandy Lee Cup and each spring a Virginia referee will go to Northern California for a weekend of action. Congratulation to Mark Boger for his promotion to the B panel!

6 DISCIPLINE: Those from the VRU who have been yellow-carded to date include: Austin McPherson, U of R Brett Flynn, ODU Scott Thompson, ODU Kelly Ginley, W & M Jonathan Chernega, ODU Jennifer Lui, VCU Michael Ulrich, VCU Patrick Benner, James River Nick Taylor, UVA Chris Ridge, Mary Washington Drake Watts, VMI Ian Foley, VMI Alex Robertson, UVA Robert DiMilia, Raleigh James Young, Norfolk Colton Turner, VCU Neil McCauley, James River Red Cards: Patrick Benner, James River Suspensions: Isaac Myers, Raleigh 2 weeks SEVENS: IRB 7 s: Dec 1-2: Dubai, UAE Winner: England Dec. 9-10: George, South Africa Winner: Fiji Feb. 3-4: New Zealand Winner: Fiji Feb : Los Angeles, Ca. Winner: England Mar. 31 Apr 2: Hong Kong Winner: England (Cup); Wales (Plate); China (Bowl) Apr. 8-9: Singapore Winner: Fiji May 27-28: Paris, France - June 3-4: London, England MARFU 7 s Schedule: June 10 June 17 Lehigh Valley 7s Contact: Susan Martinko NOVA 7s Contact: Charlie Kaiman

7 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 Norfolk 7s Contact: David Chapman Maryland Exiles 7s Contact: Jason Maloni MARFU Championships (Hosted by Rocky Gorge) Back-up date for MARFU Champs/Possible All Star Camp The IRB has announced plans for a Women s Rugby World Cup Sevens in NATIONAL: USA Rugby CEO Doug Arnot has stepped down. Dates and games for the 2006 Churchill Cup: June 3 England A v Scotland A June 3 USA v Ireland A June 7 Canada v Scotland A June 7 USA v New Zealand Maori June 10 Canada v England A June 10 New Zealand v Ireland A June 17 Finals Dates and games for the new North America 4: May 20 USA Falcons v Canada East, Abbotsford, British Columbia May 20 USA Hawks v Canada West, Abbotsford, British Columbia May 24 USA Falcons v USA Hawks, Vancouver, British Columbia May 24 Canada East v Canada West, Vancouver, British Columbia May 27 USA Falcons v Canada West, Victoria, British Columbia May 27 USA Hawks v Canada East, Victoria, British Columbia July 22 USA Falcons v Canada East, Ohio State University July 22 USA Hawks v Canada West, Ohio State University July 26 USA Falcons v USA Hawks, Ohio State University July 26 Canada East v Canada West, Ohio State Univesity July 29 3 rd Place Playoff, Ohio State University July 29 Championship Final, Ohio State University

8 INTERNATIONAL: The IRB has instituted its own world rankings. Here are the current rankings for the top 20 countries: 1. New Zealand 2. South Africa 3. France 4. Australia 5 Ireland 6. England 7. Wales 8. Scotland 9. Argentina 10. Samoa 11. Fiji.12. Italy 13. Romania 14. USA 15. Canada 16. Japan 17. Uruguay 18. Georgia. 19. Portugal 20. Tonga. There are currently 95 countries that have qualified for world rankings, with Finland bringing up the rear. From the Ruggerworld listserve: The Women's World Cup will be played in Edmonton Canada from 31 August to 17 September this year. The IRB has announced the match schedule. The opening match will be between the reigning champions New Zealand and the hosts Canada at Ellerslie Rugby Park. Pool matches, which will be played at Ellerslie Rugby Park and St. Albert Rugby Football Club, will determine the rankings that will position teams for the knockout rounds. The final will be played at Commonwealth Stadium on 17 September. Edmonton, a city accustomed to holding events of this calibre, will welcome two-time defending champions New Zealand Black Ferns along with England (winners 1994, runners-up 1991, 2002), France (third ), Canada (fourth 2002), Scotland, USA (winners 1991, runners-up 1994, 1998), Australia, Spain, Kazakhstan, Ireland, South Africa, and Samoa. Graham Brown, CEO of Rugby Canada said: "This is an excellent opportunity for the Canadian rugby community to host a world level championship of this nature, and showcase rugby, more specifically women's rugby to the Canadian public. "We encourage Canadians to support this event, as it is important not only to the growth of the women's game internationally, but to future opportunities of hosting other major international championships here at home." Simon Jelowitz, Rugby World Cup Limited's Tournament Director, said: "The women's game continues to expand and the fact that nations from five continents will be present in Edmonton to contest the Women's Rugby World Cup is testament to that. We are delighted to be working with Rugby Canada on such a prestigious tournament and we are sure that they will produce an event of the highest calibre." The teams are seeded and divided into pools. Seedings

9 1. New Zealand 2. England 3. France 4. Canada 5. Scotland 6. USA 7. Australia 8. Spain 9. Kazakhstan 10. Ireland 11. South Africa 12. Samoa The 12 teams are divided into four pools: Pool A: New Zealand, Spain, Kazakhstan Pool B: England, Australia, Ireland Pool C: France, USA, South Africa Pool D: Canada, Scotland, Samoa Each team will play three matches in the pool rounds. Pool A will play Pool D, and Pool B will play Pool C. Fixtures Match day 1 - Thursday 31 August, 2006 Ellerslie New Zealand vs Canada Kazakhstan vs Samoa Australia vs South Africa St Albert Spain vs Scotland England vs USA Ireland vs France Match day 2 - Monday 4 September, 2006 Ellerslie England vs South Africa Australia vs France Ireland vs USA St Albert New Zealand vs Samoa

10 Spain vs Canada Kazakhstan vs Scotland Match day 3 - Friday 8 September, 2006 Ellerslie New Zealand vs Scotland Kazakhstan vs Canada Australia vs USA St Albert Spain vs Samoa England vs France Ireland vs South Africa Match day 4 - Tuesday 12 September, 2006 Ellerslie Knockout matches - triple header St Albert Knockout matches - triple header Match day 5 - Saturday 16 September, 2006 Ellerslie 7th place play-off 9th place play-off 11th place play-off Match day 6 - Sunday 17 September, 2006 Commonwealth Stadium 5th place play-off 3rd place play-off Final OF INTEREST: Don't forget about the on-line services for rugby. Some of the main ones are: The rugby newsgroup: rec.sport.rugby.union On the World Wide Web:

11 VRU WWW Site: EPRU Web Site: PRU Web Site: MARFU Web Site: US National Team: Rugby Today: Rugby magazine: USA Rugby: IRFB: Planet Rugby: Rugbyrugby: USA Women's rugby mailing list. To subscribe, put in the message: subscribe uswrugby-discussion (your address) without the parens. Rugby coaches mailing list. To subscribe, put in the message: SUB RUGBYCOACH (your full name) without the parens. This address gets you on the U-15 Youth Rugby listserve. Send your name, address, phone number, and rugby responsibilities to get on. Tactical Rugby listserve. For coaches, administrators, players, and referees. Rugby union listserve. Rugby magazine. Hey, can reporting a tourney result get any easier??? USA Rugby's address. To reach an employee, (first initial)(last name)@ usarugby.org The VRU list.

12 The referees have a mailing list, but it s closed to non-referees. Weekly, more and more Internet rugby services go on-line. Get on-line yourself and see what there is! Two great places to start: FINAL WORD: And in the end, it s not the years in your life that count. It s the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln Jeffrey Anderson Newsletter Editor