Your Scrumhalf Connection

The 2009 U19 Invitational National All Star Championships will be held at Mills Pond Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on November 21-22. This year’s tournament will coincide with the USA vs. Uruguay Rugby World Cup Qualifier and will feature Under-19 All-Star Teams from the South, West, Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific and Southern California, and plus a U-20 Developmental squad to round out the competition.

This year’s U-19 INASC takes on even more importance to the U-20 program as there is limited time to select for the upcoming Women’s Under-20 National Team game against Canada on January 16.

I haven’t been able to find the U19 NASC schedule on USA Rugby or anywhere else, so I put as much information as I could below. I will be in attendance with the West team as their trainer and will be sending in live scores etc via Twitter, Facebook and on the blog. I also posted the rosters I could find…if you have more info, please feel free to shoot me an email at wendy@scrumhalfconnection.com.

West Team
1 Collen Carey Univ of Colorado
2 Rosa Foth Summit Tigers
3 Rachael Ryan Univ of Wyoming
4 Wendy Sherman Colorado State
5 Sierra F-Smith Western State College
6 Kayla Hammond Univ of New Mexico
7 Catherine Scanlan Univ of Colorado
8 Mack Lewis Mesa State College
9 Haley Anderson Summit Tigers
10 Maddie Glainyck Univ of New Mexico
11 Jessica Garriott Univ of Northern Colorado
12 Lauren Danielsen Univ of Colorado
13 Kandis Ruiz Austin Valkaries
14 Kiana Curl Sam Houston
15 Jade McGluaghlinUniv of New Mexico
16 Abi Bundy At Large
17 Madison Williams Colorado State
18 Price Hannah Summit Tigers
19 Theresa Cameron Regis Jesuit
20 Kirby Forssell Air Force
21 Taylor Hobson Colorado State
22 Devyn Lane Colorado State
23 Brittney Inman Texas State

Northeast Team
Baylee Annis — Burlington
Joya Clark — Saratoga Mustangs
Katie Hathaway — Norwich
Danielle McAvoy — Bowdoin
Corrine McElroy — Norwich
Kelcey Moreau — UMaine
Haile Thompson — Colby-Sawyer
Alicia Seda — Norwich
Isabel Furneaux — Burlington
Kyra Horne — Fairport High School
Maira Behrendt — NYRC
Katie Mathews — Bowdoin
Nellie Pitoniak — Middlebury
Uchechi Esonu –Bowdoin
Christine Aye –Norwich
Lauren Yang — Middlebury
Marlene Dwyer — Norwich
Paige Amidon — Syracuse
Caitlin Woulfe Pachecho – Middlebury
Nylea Bivins — Bowdoin
Jenna Watson — Albany WRFC

*Thanks to Brandon Sparks and Becca Fritz for this roster.

Under-20 Developmental Team
BrieAnna Barto            Summit, CO (Captain)
Tara Burke                   Fallbrook, CA
Alex Cooper               Summit, CO
Kelsey  Corbett            Noblesville, IN
Erin Davis                     Catholic Memorial, WI
Gina Deihl                    Hoke, NC
Sharron Gianessi           Army
Ashley  Graves             San Antonio, TX
Katie Humphreys          Kent, WA
Brianna Klein                Brookfield, WI
Annie Lee                     Army
Annie Lucas                 West Carroll, MD
Elizabeth McCracken   NOVA
JaShante Murchison      Hoke, NC
Kelsie Pace                  Augustana (SD)
Scostia Peterson           Army
Amee Svatos                Canby, OR
Brianna Troyer             West Carroll, MD
C.J. Turnerdrown         Utah State
Lane Wagner                Traverse City, MI

South Team
Victoria Albrecht, Bragg WRFC
Annie Bendgen, Jupiter
Kirsten Brynestad, Oak Ridge
Stephanie Burleson, Jupiter (Indian River)
Emily Chosewood, Brookwood
Amber Cook, Sebastian River
Elisa Cuellar, Sebastian River
Jamie Doone, Florida
Catherine Eichhorn, Maryville
Ali Frazier, Jupiter
Charlotte Garbisch, College of Charleston
Kyna Graham, Knoxville WRFC
Devin Hall, Jupiter
Chloe Harper, North Georgia
McKenzie Hawkins, Maryville
Tyler Head, College of Charleston
Christina Kellerman, Sebastian River
Amanda Martin, Sebastian River
Rachel McCroskey, Tennessee
Danielle Melton, Sumter WRFC
Danye O’Mahoney, Auburn
Shannon Phillips, Hoke County
Nicole Rackley, Hoke County
MaryAnn Reynolds, Auburn
Drew White, Oconee
Lona White, Brookwood

CURTAIN RAISER MATCH:
Florida U-20s vs. Georgia U-20s – KICK OFF 10:30 am (gates open at 9 am)

Can’t make it to the game?
USA Rugby will stream the match live from Broward County Regional Park, starting at 2 pm (EST). Please visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/usa-rugby to watch the USA take on Uruguay to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Still need a place to stay?
Thanks to the Fort Lauderdale Rugby Club, USA fans can save on hotel rates for the RWC qualfier weekend. Please contact Peter Dobson with Scots-American Travel Advisors at 772.563.2856 to book your room at these great local establishments:

MORE RUGBY during the RWC QUALIFIER WEEKEND:
2009 Under-19 Women’s Territorial Championship
November 21-22, 2009
Saturday (11/21): 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Sunday (11/22): 9 am – 12:30 pm

MILLS POND PARK
2201 NW 9th Ave (POWER LINE ROAD)
Ft Lauderdale, FL 33311

from Bowdoin Athletics:

BRUNSWICK, Maine – Four Bowdoin College women’s rugby players have been selected to the Northeast Rugby Union’s U-19 All-Star team. Nylea Bivins, Uchechi Esonu, Katie Mathews and Dani McAvoy have all been chosen for the squad, which will compete in the USA Rugby National All-Star Championship on November 21-22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The players were selected after advancing through a tryout in Albany, N.Y. on October 11. The Northeast Rugby Union is made up of high school and college teams from the New England and New York. The tournament in Florida includes the six other territories in the U.S. (South, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, West, Southwest and Pacific).

Bivins plays at prop, Esonu at flanker, Mathews at flyhalf and McAvoy at hooker for the Polar Bears, who finished 7-2 last fall and won the New England Rugby Football Union’s Plate Division championship.

from my inbox:

Sunday October 11, 2009
Albany, NY
Dick Green Field
9:30 am to 3:30 pm

Registration Fee
There is a $30 Player Registration Fee. Cash or checks made payable to Rose Miesner will be accepted.
 
How to RSVP: 

Contact Rose Miesner ASAP. Please provide names, school, positions and number of years playing, if known, for every player. A coach’s recommendation is required. All players should have insurance information and bring the signed waiver the day of the camp. Rose’s email is u19nrugirls@gmail.com .

Coaches:
K.O. Onufry, former USA Women’s National Team Member, and current NRU U19 All-Star Team Head Coach, will lead this event.

Kevin O’Brien, former USA Women’s National Team Coach and current NRU U19 All-Star Assistant Coach, and Nick McCardle, NERFU coach and current NRU U19 All-Star Forwards Coach, will also be in attendance.

All coaches are invited and encouraged to attend this event with their players.

Eligibility
The camp is open to all recommended players born on or after September 1, 1989. All high school and college coaches are encouraged to recommend talented players who have established themselves in their first side. While experience is important, new players with a high level of athletic ability will also be considered. Players are encouraged to attend both tryouts. Under extreme circumstances, those who are unable to attend the camp may still be considered for the NRU U19 All Star Team on the recommendation from their coach supported by a good quality video/dvd.

Camp Structure
The camps are set up to be both instructional and competitive. Our goals are to provide as many players as possible with the opportunity to practice and play at a representative level while also utilizing the camp to select players for the NRU U19 All-Star Team. This team is an opportunity to play at the NASC U19 All-Star Invitational where you will play the All-Star teams from all the various territories in the country. As well, this is a feeder for selection to the USA U19 Women’s National Team.

TESTING:
All participants will be tested on the 40 yard dash and 300 yard shuttle.

Ten Suggestions for a Successful Try Out
1. This is a competitive try out and you have to come prepared. Come in the best shape mentally and physically and plan to show your stuff from the first drill to the last.
2. Be ready for more full contact drills compared to what you might be used to in your practices at home. Come prepared to tackle and be tackled.
3. Don’t wear new cleats. Your feet will get blistered enough in your old ones.
4. Start hydrating the week prior to the camp and bring a large water bottle. Also, bring a lunch and snacks to the camp. It will be a long day.
5. Wear a distinctive item of clothing (shirt, socks or shorts), Wear it throughout the day and resist the temptation to change it no matter how much it smells. With so many talented players it’s not always easy knowing who is who. You may get to the end of the camp with the coaches calling you “Mary yellow shirt from Union” and you want this as opposed to “Does anyone know who that center is?” Stand out, don’t blend in.
6. Be open to new ideas.
7. It could be warm or it could pour with rain. Pack accordingly. Don’t forget your spare mouth guard, contacts, cleats, sports-bra, shorts, inhaler, or anything else that can get lost or torn in the first ten minutes and make the rest of your camp experience miserable.
8. Bring a photo copy of your medical insurance.
9. Play your best.
10. Have fun and make new friends.

NRU U19 Schedule
The NRU U19 team will travel to Ft Lauderdale, Florida November 20th and will practice for one day before participating in the third annual NASC U19 All-Star Invitational Tournament November 21st-22nd. We will stay in Ft. Lauderdale and play the various territorial teams from around the country (West, South, Midwest, Pacific, Southern California, Mid-Atlantic) on November 21st and 22nd. Note: if a player is selected for the NRU U19 team, most of the cost for this tournament will be incurred by the player.

Share the Experience
If you had a good experience at the camp please go back to your teammates and tell them to get involved in their local U19 Program. Get them excited about the opportunities that are out there for them. Understand that what we teach may not work with your team at home so don’t go back and inform your coach that they are doing things wrong as they are not. There are many ways to play the game and your coach is just adapting how they want to see the game played taking into consideration the skill level of the players they have been given. Coaches are few and far between and you can’t just go out and pick a good one off the coach tree……….please do everything to take care of the one you have.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best regards,
Rose Miesner
NRU U19 Manager

Oct 11 – Bowling Green, OH, 11am to 4pm
Corner of Poe & N College Rds, Bowling Green, OH

Oct 18 – Milwaukee, WI, 11am to 4pm
2650 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., Milkwaukee, WI
With special guest U20 National Team Coach Bryn Chivers

All Players Welcome!
$25 per player

RSVP or Questions to Coach Kurt Weaver
More Information at Facebook Group ‘Midwest U19 & U17 Thunderbirds‘

from USA Rugby:

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The West Under-19 team captured a narrow 10-8 victory over its Northeast counterparts to take home the 2008 title as the Women’s Under-19 Invitational National All-Star Championships wrapped up at Mills Pond Park today.

This was the third annual U-19 INASC tournament, with the previous two events being held in Nashville, Tenn. The 2008 competition featured teams representing all seven USA Rugby Territorial Unions, as well as an Under-17 squad comprised of players selected from the current U-20 Women’s National Team pool and players recommended by the TU-19, college and high school coaches.

Round one of the tournament kicked off on Saturday, with primarily close matches throughout tiers one and two, as three of the four matches were decided by five points or less. In Tier 1, the West edged out Pacific Coast 10-7, while the Northeast defeated the Midwest 22-19. Inside Tier 2 competition, Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) won its match-up versus the South 12-5 while the Under-17 team shutout Southern California 93-0.

The outcome of day one set the stage for a set of Sunday match-ups that mirrored those of the 2007 Under-19 INASCs, with the West and Northeast swapping positions with the Midwest and Pacific in the Championship match this year.

Sunday featured a set of highly competitive matches, especially within the top tier. When the day kicked off, the South shutout So Cal 39-0 in the Tier 2 consolation, while the Under-17s shutdown Mid-Atlantic 35-3. Meanwhile, in the Tier 1 contests, it was Midwest holding off Pacific Coast 10-3 and the West coming away as the overall victors by a slim 10-8 margin over the Northeast.

“The quality of play was much improved from last year’s competition, especially in the top tier, where the quality of defense was exceptional. In yesterday’s matches, the games were ultimately decided by three points and today by seven, which really showed that on any given Saturday, the outcome of a competition between those four teams could have been different,” USA Under-20 Women’s Head Coach Bryn Chivers said.

“The matches this weekend highlighted great defensive skills. The athletes were more aggressive at the breakdown, more aggressive throughout the backs, and showcased a much more sophisticated level of play overall,” he added.

This year’s tournament was held in conjunction with the USA Women’s National Team (WNT) intra-squad Red/White Match on Saturday afternoon and allowed the WNT coaches and staff the opportunity to see some of the younger up-and-coming players.

“The Under-17 match was the last game of the day on Saturday and provided the perfect segue into watching the Senior National Team in the afternoon – it helped illustrate the clear pathway from U-17 to U-19 and now U-20 level, to the Women’s National Team,” Chivers added. “It was another great event and it was wonderful to have the WNT coaches at the event observing and scouting players. It showed the real importance of the Women’s Age-Grade system in cultivating athletes for future National Team opportunities.”

For more information on the Under-19 Invitational National All-Star Championship or to recommend prospective players for the Under-20 WNT, please contact U-20 Head Coach Bryn Chivers.

Day 1 Results
Tier 1
West 10, Pacific Coast 7
Northeast 22, Midwest 19

Tier 2
MARFU 12, South 5
Under-17 93, So Cal 0
Day 2 Results
Tier 1
Consolation: Midwest 10, Pacific Coast 3
Championship: West 10, Northeast 8

Tier 2
Consolation: South 39, So Cal 0
Championship: Under-17 35, MARFU 3