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	<title>Your Scrumhalf Connection &#187; Tourneys</title>
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		<title>2012 USA Sevens Rugby &#8211; Las Vegas &#8211; February 10th-12th</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/06/2012-usa-sevens-rugby-las-vegas-february-10th-12th/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/06/2012-usa-sevens-rugby-las-vegas-february-10th-12th/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:41:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eagles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sevens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourneys]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=12001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2012 USA Sevens international rugby tournament will take place February 10th – 12th, 2012 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. USA Sevens is the premier rugby tournament in North America. This year the women&#8217;s International Invitational Tournament will include 8 teams! In the stands and at parties throughout Las Vegas, fans from all [...]
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/09/28/2012-usa-sevens-las-vegas-rugby-is-back/' rel='bookmark' title='2012 USA Sevens Las Vegas &#8211; Rugby Is Back!'>2012 USA Sevens Las Vegas &#8211; Rugby Is Back!</a> <small>...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/20/usa-reach-las-vegas-semi-finals-and-other-sevens-news/' rel='bookmark' title='USA reach Las Vegas semi-finals (and other sevens news)'>USA reach Las Vegas semi-finals (and other sevens news)</a> <small>You read it here first! The ultimate &#8220;scoop&#8221; for YSC,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/19/usa-sevens-womens-international-invitational-7s-in-vegas-discount-hotel-ticket-deals-extended/' rel='bookmark' title='EXTENDED DISCOUNT HOTEL &amp; TICKET DEALS ! USA SEVENS – WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL 7S IN VEGAS'>EXTENDED DISCOUNT HOTEL &#038; TICKET DEALS ! USA SEVENS – WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL 7S IN VEGAS</a> <small>&nbsp; Good news! USA Rugby is still offering specially discounted...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F06%2F2012-usa-sevens-rugby-las-vegas-february-10th-12th%2F' data-shr_title='2012+USA+Sevens+Rugby+-+Las+Vegas+-+February+10th-12th'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F06%2F2012-usa-sevens-rugby-las-vegas-february-10th-12th%2F' data-shr_title='2012+USA+Sevens+Rugby+-+Las+Vegas+-+February+10th-12th'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-12001"></div><p></br><br />
<a href="http://www.usasevens.com/lvitickets"><img class="alignright" src="http://www.usasevens.com/wp-content/themes/usa-seven/images/ads/USA7_300x250E1.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="200" /></a>The 2012 USA Sevens international rugby tournament will take place February 10th – 12th, 2012 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.</p>
<p>USA Sevens is the premier rugby tournament in North America. This year the women&#8217;s International Invitational Tournament will include 8 teams! </p>
<p>In the stands and at parties throughout Las Vegas, fans from all over the globe will be celebrating at what can only be described as an International Party that only rugby can deliver!</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/09/usa-sevens-womens-international-invitational-7s-in-vegas-discount-hotel-ticket-deals/">Discount on Tickets/Hotel for Women&#8217;s Supporters</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Discounted Ticket &#038; Hotel Deals for Women&#8217;s Rugby Supporters</strong><br />
Tickets – 3-day Field Level, ONLY $110! (vs. $140 at gate) or 2-day Field Level only $90 (vs $110 gate) &#038; Hotel (Palace Station Hotel) $79 a night. For more details, go <a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/19/usa-sevens-womens-international-invitational-7s-in-vegas-discount-hotel-ticket-deals-extended/">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Webcast</strong><br />
USA Rugby &#038; the <a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/tv/">YSC Media Team</a> will be live webcasting this event. We are still in need of a sound system for the webcast, please consider <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/yscrugby">donating today</a>!</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/19/2012-usa-womens-international-invitational-7s-webcast-ad-rate-sheet/">Webcast Advertising</a></strong><br />
With over 5,000 viewers anticipated, your webcast ad will reach rugby fans as well as girls and women playing youth, high school, collegiate and club rugby. This is a fantastic targeted marketing opportunity for your business and a great tool for recruiting top-notch athletes to your college or club team. Go <a href="http://www.usarugby.org/#cc%3D[Application]\\Structure\\Content\\Brand%20Resource%20Center\\Content\\Home\\23181D59-134E-72AC-206C-5790FC16A597\\23181D59-134E-787F-A437-9E01FDDB3E50{{Tab%3AView}}">here</a> for more details.</p>
<p><strong>Schedule</strong><br />
<iframe width='6300' height='800' frameborder='0' src='https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&#038;hl=en_US&#038;key=0AnNMPIb8qJ8cdDB5Y2preWdrNUxWNDZVM1NLTkpPaEE&#038;single=true&#038;gid=15&#038;output=html&#038;widget=true'></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2010/02/02/usa-sevens-womens-international-schedule-usa-womens-national-team-roster-invitational-schedule/">2010 Results</a></p>
<p><strong>Rosters</strong></p>
<p><em>USA</em><br />
Beth Black<br />
Emilie Bydwell<br />
Amy Daniels<br />
Katie Dowty<br />
Vix Folayan<br />
Irene Gardner<br />
Kelly Griffin<br />
CJ Hildreth<br />
Lauren Hoeck<br />
Teena Mastrangelo<br />
Vanesha McGee<br />
Deven Owsiany</p>
<p><em>Stars &#038; Stripes (USA Dev)</em><br />
Bui Baravilala<br />
Sylvia Braaten<br />
Ryan Carlyle<br />
Erica Cavanaugh<br />
Katie Lorenz<br />
Kaelene Lundstrum<br />
Tyra McGrady<br />
Amy Naber<br />
Jane Paar<br />
Jill Potter<br />
Kimber Rozier<br />
Rebekah Siebach</p>
<p><em>Netherlands</em><br />
1. Mara Moberg (C)<br />
2. Anne Hielckert<br />
3. Dorien Eppink<br />
4. Linda Franssen<br />
5. Annemarije van Rossum<br />
6. Pien Selbeck<br />
7. Elke van Meer<br />
8. Inge Visser<br />
9. Joyce van Altena<br />
10.Nicole Kwee<br />
11. Yael Belder<br />
12. Tessa Veldhuis</p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/09/28/2012-usa-sevens-las-vegas-rugby-is-back/' rel='bookmark' title='2012 USA Sevens Las Vegas &#8211; Rugby Is Back!'>2012 USA Sevens Las Vegas &#8211; Rugby Is Back!</a> <small>...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/20/usa-reach-las-vegas-semi-finals-and-other-sevens-news/' rel='bookmark' title='USA reach Las Vegas semi-finals (and other sevens news)'>USA reach Las Vegas semi-finals (and other sevens news)</a> <small>You read it here first! The ultimate &#8220;scoop&#8221; for YSC,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/19/usa-sevens-womens-international-invitational-7s-in-vegas-discount-hotel-ticket-deals-extended/' rel='bookmark' title='EXTENDED DISCOUNT HOTEL &amp; TICKET DEALS ! USA SEVENS – WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL 7S IN VEGAS'>EXTENDED DISCOUNT HOTEL &#038; TICKET DEALS ! USA SEVENS – WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL 7S IN VEGAS</a> <small>&nbsp; Good news! USA Rugby is still offering specially discounted...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Advanced Skills Clinic hosted by Texas Women&#8217;s Rugby!</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/04/advanced-skills-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/04/advanced-skills-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:49:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Clinics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=11975</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fellow Ruggers, This is an official invite to our first ever Advanced Skills Clinic! It will be held on Saturday, January 28th at Whitaker Fields (the UT Intramural Fields) located at the intersection of 51st and Guadalupe in Austin, Texas. It will begin 9am Saturday morning and will go until about 4pm. The clinic will [...]
Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/08/11/rookie-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby-september-24-2011-at-ut-intramural-fields/' rel='bookmark' title='Rookie Clinic hosted by Texas Women&#8217;s Rugby! September 24, 2011 at UT Intramural Fields'>Rookie Clinic hosted by Texas Women&#8217;s Rugby! September 24, 2011 at UT Intramural Fields</a> <small>This is an official invite to our 4th Annual Rookie...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/17/rugby-jiujitsu-used-to-improve-players-skills/' rel='bookmark' title='Rugby: Jiujitsu used to improve players&#8217; skills'>Rugby: Jiujitsu used to improve players&#8217; skills</a> <small>from Otago Daily Times: The Highlanders are on the mat...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F04%2Fadvanced-skills-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby%2F' data-shr_title='Advanced+Skills+Clinic+hosted+by+Texas+Women%27s+Rugby%21'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F04%2Fadvanced-skills-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby%2F' data-shr_title='Advanced+Skills+Clinic+hosted+by+Texas+Women%27s+Rugby%21'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-11975"></div><p>Fellow Ruggers,</p>
<p>This is an official invite to our first ever Advanced Skills Clinic! It will be held on Saturday, January 28th at Whitaker Fields (the UT Intramural Fields) located at the intersection of 51st and Guadalupe in Austin, Texas. It will begin 9am Saturday morning and will go until about 4pm. The clinic will be guest coached by Bryn Chivers, accompanied by Austin Hall. Bryn and Austin coach the U20 Women&#8217;s National Team and have offered to come to Austin to help us get to the next level in improving our more advanced skills. We welcome players of all experience!</p>
<p>There will be a $15 player fee which will include lunch. Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, January 25th! If you have any further questions, feel free to email me!</p>
<p>Thanks!<br />
<a href="mailto:jfortkort@gmail.com">Julia Fortkort</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ASC_Flyer.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11976" title="ASC_Flyer" src="http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ASC_Flyer.jpeg" alt="" width="483" height="633" /></a></p>
<p><strong><em>**Did you notice the YSC ball? Love it!</em></strong></p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/08/11/rookie-clinic-hosted-by-texas-womens-rugby-september-24-2011-at-ut-intramural-fields/' rel='bookmark' title='Rookie Clinic hosted by Texas Women&#8217;s Rugby! September 24, 2011 at UT Intramural Fields'>Rookie Clinic hosted by Texas Women&#8217;s Rugby! September 24, 2011 at UT Intramural Fields</a> <small>This is an official invite to our 4th Annual Rookie...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/17/rugby-jiujitsu-used-to-improve-players-skills/' rel='bookmark' title='Rugby: Jiujitsu used to improve players&#8217; skills'>Rugby: Jiujitsu used to improve players&#8217; skills</a> <small>from Otago Daily Times: The Highlanders are on the mat...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>From Scrumqueens: Women’s test rugby review 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/03/from-scrumquens-womens-test-rugby-review-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/03/from-scrumquens-womens-test-rugby-review-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:20:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eagles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nations Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sevens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Six Nations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourneys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Cup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Cup 7s]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=9014</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from Scrumqueens: The year following the Women’s Rugby World Cup is normally fairly quiet as teams regroup and rebuild, and this year has been no different. Just 54 test matches were played in 2011, making it the quietest year for women’s test rugby since 2005. However, fears that the lure of Olympic rugby would mean [...]
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<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/02/02/womens-6-nations-tournament-preview-from-scrumqueens/' rel='bookmark' title='Women&#8217;s 6 Nations: Tournament preview from ScrumQueens'>Women&#8217;s 6 Nations: Tournament preview from ScrumQueens</a> <small>from ScrumQueens: ENGLAND Clear favourites, the reigning champions go into...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/08/04/repost-from-scrumqueens-nations-cup-round-two-preview/' rel='bookmark' title='Repost from ScrumQueens &#8211; Nations Cup: Round Two Preview'>Repost from ScrumQueens &#8211; Nations Cup: Round Two Preview</a> <small>NOTE: The matches on Aug 5 (tomorrow) will NOT be...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/02/street-names-his-strongest-possible-squad-for-final-test-against-new-zealand/' rel='bookmark' title='Street names his “strongest possible” squad for final test against New Zealand'>Street names his “strongest possible” squad for final test against New Zealand</a> <small>from Scrumqueens: December 3 England Women v New Zealand, Esher RFC, 2.00pm UK ,...</small></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Ffrom-scrumquens-womens-test-rugby-review-2011%2F' data-shr_title='From+Scrumqueens%3A+Women%E2%80%99s+test+rugby+review+2011+'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Ffrom-scrumquens-womens-test-rugby-review-2011%2F' data-shr_title='From+Scrumqueens%3A+Women%E2%80%99s+test+rugby+review+2011+'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-9014"></div><p>from <a href="http://www.scrumqueens.com/news/891-womens-test-rugby-review-2011.html">Scrumqueens</a>:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_ENG_england/sto_england_nz_test.jpg"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_ENG_england/sto_england_nz_test.jpg" alt="" width="328" height="116" /></a>The year following the Women’s Rugby World Cup is normally fairly quiet as teams regroup and rebuild, and this year has been no different.</p>
<p>Just 54 test matches were played in 2011, making it the quietest year for women’s test rugby since 2005.</p>
<p>However, fears that the lure of Olympic rugby would mean that countries would start to move away from the long form of the game towards Sevens have so far proven groundless. 32 nations played test rugby during the year, and the game continued to grow and expand into new territories. Three nations making their test match debuts – Switzerland, Laos and the Philippines – and several others, including China, Thailand and Uzbekistan, returned to fifteen-aside rugby after a break of several years.</p>
<p>By far and away the busiest team was England, to the extent that they were involved nearly a quarter of all the tests played in the year – 13 in all, winning 11, drawing one, and losing only to France when a young and largely experimental team spent rain-swept week in Provence as part of England’s preparations for the visit of world champions New Zealand. It was a schedule that rivalled professional men’s national teams and is all the more impressive when the six “unofficial” and “A” team internationals, plus a further seven U20 tests, are added to the equation.</p>
<p>Over the year England played every other team in the world’s top ten (with the exception of Australia) – while the U20 team played (and beat) every other U20 team in the world. They again dominated the Six Nations, winning their 11th Grand Slam and sixth successive title, running in 68 points against Italy and record-breaking 89 against Scotland, before crossing the Atlantic for the third Nations Cup.</p>
<p>Though here England were also unbeaten, the competition proved to be a much more testing affair than the Six Nations. In the pool games only an injury time try saved them from defeat to the USA, after which hosts Canada also pushed England far closer than any European opposition had managed. And while England went on to win the final fairly comfortably, Canada still managed to score 19 points &#8211; more points than any full-strength England team had conceded since the 2006 World Cup Final.</p>
<p>England’s A team also had success, winning an incredibly exciting FIRA European Championship, superbly organised in Corunna by Spain, who reached the final and lead England until 12 minutes from time before going down by only 5-3. Spain’s 15-a-side team can often be over-shadowed by the success of their Sevens squad, by it is worth noting that England were the only team to beat Spain in a year where the “The Lions” defeated a full-strength Scotland in January, and then beat a near full-strength French XV in a thrilling and emotional FIRA afternoon in front of a packed crowd at the University of Coruña.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_SCO_scotland/sto_scotland_ireland.jpg"><img class="alignright" src="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_SCO_scotland/sto_scotland_ireland.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="293" /></a>That Spanish defeat was the lowest point of the year for France as they rebuilt after an ultimately disappointing World Cup. After England they were the busiest nation in world rugby, with seven tests and four A internationals, plus one U20 international. At times they could be sublimely brilliant – most especially in their opening Six Nations game against Scotland &#8211; and overall they reaffirmed their place as Europe’s number two rugby nation. However they showed some fragility against Ireland and badly missed the boot of Aurélie Bailon throughout most of the year. However, a highly successful Autumn series, with wins over England and Italy, has clearly boosted the confidence of the French team and could be the springboard for a much closer Six Nations in 2012.</p>
<p>Scotland and Italy were the only other “major” European nations to play test rugby outside of the Six Nations. The two teams overall had similar records and again occupied the bottom third of the Six Nations table, but Italy continued to grow and develop as a team and had one of their best years ever, with growing enthusiasm on and off the field &#8211; a test match in Italy is now an experience that every team will be looking forward to as Italian host communities took hospitality to new heights in 2011.</p>
<p>Unfortunately the only thing that seems to grow for Scotland is gap between them and the rest of the Six Nations. It may be a rebuilding time, but this was still their worst season ever, with defeats by record margins to Spain, France, Wales, England and Italy. They did finish the year with a win – against a young Dutch team largely lacking their Sevens professionals – but unless dramatic improvements are made Scotland could struggle to qualify for the World Cup in 2014.</p>
<p>However, in their favour the SRU are doing all they can with limited resources. They have formed an A team and a U20 side, and do organise extra games. The same cannot be said for Ireland and Wales who continue to put in excellent Six Nations performances despite the lack of development opportunities. That the Irish in particular could again finish third in the Six Nations despite barely seeing each other outside of the championship is truly remarkable – one if left to wonder what they could achieve if they were given a fraction of the support that their opponents receive.</p>
<p>Or even the levels of support that South Africa are starting to be given. Outside of Europe and North America no Union gives more support to its women’s team than the SARU. And it does not come cheap &#8211; as no-one seems to wish to visit them, the South Africans have to travel overseas for all of their international rugby – but their efforts finally bore fruit in August when the world 10th ranked side memorably beat a USA side (5th in the world) that had come within four points of England only a week before. If the SARU continues with this level of support, a far higher position in 2014 can be assured.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_SOU_south_africa/sto_sou_001.jpg"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_SOU_south_africa/sto_sou_001.jpg" alt="" width="354" height="198" /></a>Elsewhere in the world test rugby continued in isolated islands of activity. The Caribbean championship was again won by Trinidad, who now have one of the best playing records in the history of the women’s game (11 wins in 13 tests) – mainly because they never have an opportunity to play anyone outside the Caribbean.</p>
<p>Kenya and Uganda also continue to play in a world of their own, though this year it was a world riven with controversy when both sides claimed to have won the annual Elgon Cup tournament after Uganda first cancelled and then (at the last minute) reinstated the second leg of the competition, but not after the Kenyans had been presented with the prize after the first leg because of that cancellation. The result was confusion compounded by an ugly and ill-tempered war of words with no real resolution. Hopefully, despite this, the tournament (funding permitted) should go ahead in 2012 – and most probably with a new sponsor.</p>
<p>Similarly isolated, Asian rugby had a fairly quiet year. There was no senior continental championship and regional super-power Kazakhstan could manage only one test, a relatively easy win over neighbours Uzbekistan, while Japan beat Hong Kong, who in turn defeated Singapore. However, the year did end with the re-emergence of a sleeping giant as a Chinese 15-a-side team who took the field for the first time for four years, winning a continental “Division II” title with some ease. Given a fair wind and continued support China could yet threaten Kazakhstan’s place in the 2014 World Cup.</p>
<p>Nonetheless the climax of the test match year came right at the end, with the reappearance of New Zealand for the first time since the World Cup. Their loss in the series against England shows that the power in world rugby could be shifting – it may no longer be possible for the Black Ferns to rely almost entirely on the strength and competitiveness of their domestic game to remain at the top of world rugby.</p>
<p>That series will be repeated next year and will undoubtedly be the highlight of the 2012. Next year will also see the first qualification games for the 2014 World Cup in Europe, and will certainly be the last opportunity for most of the rest of the world to complete their experimentation and rebuilding. As usual what else the year will bring remains something of a mystery, though history shows that it should be even busier than this year. A major highlight will definitely be the quadrennial European Championship in May, but will we also see an Asian “Division I” tournament, or perhaps the reappearance of Australia? If 2011 was a memorable year, 2012 has the potential to be even better.</p>
<p><em>See <a href="http://scrumqueens.com/news/883-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps.html">here</a> for a full review of the 7s game this year.</em></p>
<p><strong>Test playing nations in 2011:</strong></p>
<p>England (13 tests); France (7); Scotland (7); Italy (6); Ireland (5); Wales (5); Canada (4); South Africa (4); United States (4); China (3); Spain (3); Trinidad and Tobago (3); Jamaica (3); Thailand (3); Cayman Islands (3); Netherlands (3); Philippines (3); Sweden (3); New Zealand (3); Caribbean Select XV (3); Finland (3); Laos (3); Russia (2); Hong Kong (2); Kenya (2); Uganda (2); Japan (1); Kazakhstan (1); Switzerland (1); Thailand (1); Belgium (1); Singapore (1); Uzbekistan (1)</p>
<p><strong>Tournament winners:</strong></p>
<p>Six Nations: England<br />
FIRA European Championship: England A<br />
NACRA Caribbean Championship: Trinidad &amp; Tobago<br />
Nations Cup: England<br />
Asian Championship (Div II): China</p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/02/02/womens-6-nations-tournament-preview-from-scrumqueens/' rel='bookmark' title='Women&#8217;s 6 Nations: Tournament preview from ScrumQueens'>Women&#8217;s 6 Nations: Tournament preview from ScrumQueens</a> <small>from ScrumQueens: ENGLAND Clear favourites, the reigning champions go into...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/08/04/repost-from-scrumqueens-nations-cup-round-two-preview/' rel='bookmark' title='Repost from ScrumQueens &#8211; Nations Cup: Round Two Preview'>Repost from ScrumQueens &#8211; Nations Cup: Round Two Preview</a> <small>NOTE: The matches on Aug 5 (tomorrow) will NOT be...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/02/street-names-his-strongest-possible-squad-for-final-test-against-new-zealand/' rel='bookmark' title='Street names his “strongest possible” squad for final test against New Zealand'>Street names his “strongest possible” squad for final test against New Zealand</a> <small>from Scrumqueens: December 3 England Women v New Zealand, Esher RFC, 2.00pm UK ,...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>High School National Championship Information Announced &#8211; Teams Urged to Apply</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/03/high-school-national-championship-information-announced-teams-urged-to-apply/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/03/high-school-national-championship-information-announced-teams-urged-to-apply/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:34:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Championships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourneys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=9009</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from USA Rugby: BOULDER, Colo. &#8212; The 2012 USA Rugby High School National Championships will be an invitational format for 2012.  Teams will apply for a spot in the tournament, with a national committee considering the applications. The Girl&#8217;s High School National Championship Tournament will be hosted in Stanford, Calif. on the weekend of May [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Fhigh-school-national-championship-information-announced-teams-urged-to-apply%2F' data-shr_title='High+School+National+Championship+Information+Announced+-+Teams+Urged+to+Apply'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Fhigh-school-national-championship-information-announced-teams-urged-to-apply%2F' data-shr_title='High+School+National+Championship+Information+Announced+-+Teams+Urged+to+Apply'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-9009"></div><p><a href="http://assets2.liveadmaker.com/F/104339395/fallbrookWinsTitle_420px.jpg"><img class="alignright" src="http://assets2.liveadmaker.com/F/104339395/fallbrookWinsTitle_420px.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="179" /></a>from <a href="http://www.usarugby.org/#cc%3D[Application]\\Structure\\Content\\Brand%20Resource%20Center\\Content\\Home\\208D7949-1299-1078-7124-00E05889C33C\\NewsArchive\\21D94194-12B1-B8E1-8CB5-D65C18E5981F\\23181D59-12D9-B2B3-5513-5A8B89A8AFBA\\23181D59-1346-C0CD-F223-42211C8EF806{{Tab%3AView}}">USA Rugby</a>:</p>
<p>BOULDER, Colo. &#8212; The 2012 USA Rugby High School National Championships will be an invitational format for 2012.  Teams will apply for a spot in the tournament, with a national committee considering the applications.</p>
<p>The Girl&#8217;s High School National Championship Tournament will be hosted in Stanford, Calif. on the weekend of May 11-13 in conjunction with the Women’s Collegiate Div I and Div II championships.  The Boy&#8217;s High School National Championship will still consist of both a High School (single school) and High School Club (multi-school or community club) and be played in Salt Lake City, UT on May 18-20 in conjunction with the Men’s Collegiate Division IAA, Division IA and Division II national championships.</p>
<p>Interested teams need to fill out the online application (link below) between <strong>December 15 and January 15</strong>.  The committee will consider the applications and offer invitations no later than February 15th.</p>
<p>Link to the application: <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFVrcEhpNHdsMVFrVG9lZ1dCcko2Vnc6MQ">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFVrcEhpNHdsMVFrVG9lZ1dCcko2Vnc6MQ</a></p>
<p><strong>Further Information:</strong></p>
<p>Kurt Weaver | Youth and High School Director | USA Rugby | <a href="x-msg://161/kweaver@usarugby.org">kweaver@usarugby.org</a></p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
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		<title>College Recruitment and Combine Program &#8211; Dec 10, 2011 in Chapel Hill, NC</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/09/college-recruitment-and-combine-program-dec-10-2011-in-chapel-hill-nc/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/09/college-recruitment-and-combine-program-dec-10-2011-in-chapel-hill-nc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:56:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Clinics]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Wendy YoungEditor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.Website - More Posts No related posts.
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<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>No related posts.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Rugby Sevens continues to make giant steps</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/08/rugby-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/08/rugby-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Eagles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sevens]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=8865</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By John Birch In 2011, 91 Nations, around 30 tournaments, and over 400 internationals were played making it by far, the busiest year for women’s 7s rugby there has ever been. And not only was more rugby played, the game continued to expand its horizons with three countries playing their first internationals &#8211; Cameroon, New [...]
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</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Frugby-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps%2F' data-shr_title='Rugby+Sevens+continues+to+make+giant+steps+'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Frugby-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps%2F' data-shr_title='Rugby+Sevens+continues+to+make+giant+steps+'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-8865"></div><p><strong>By <a href="http://scrumqueens.com/news/883-sevens-continues-to-make-giant-steps.html">John Birch</a></strong><em><br />
</em></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 319px"><a href="http://scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_NET_netherlands/sto_netherlands_womens_rugby.jpg"><img class="  " src="http://scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_NET_netherlands/sto_netherlands_womens_rugby.jpg" alt="" width="309" height="129" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Netherlands side who have gone pro this year</p></div>
<p>In 2011, 91 Nations, around 30 tournaments, and over 400 internationals were played making it by far, the busiest year for women’s 7s rugby there has ever been. And not only was more rugby played, the game continued to expand its horizons with three countries playing their first internationals &#8211; Cameroon, New Caledonia, and Slovakia. In addition the appearance of club teams and unofficial selections from countries as diverse as El Salvador, Cuba, Guatemala, Shajah, Dubai and Kuwait showed that the international game has not finished growing.</p>
<p>Four teams were unbeaten through the year – Fiji, Jamaica, Tunisia, and Ukraine &#8211; though only Ukraine played in more than one tournament, completing their apparently unstoppable journey to top table of European sevens. Overall Ukraine won ten games out of ten and, since they first started playing in 2009, have played 25 internationals and lost just two. It’s a remarkable performance – but how will they do in the Top 12 next year?</p>
<p>Though they only played in one tournament, Fiji’s return to international rugby was impressive. After three years away they totally dominated the Pacific Games, brushing aside teams like Samoa and Papua New Guinea – a feat that seemed all the more impressive when PNG (who Fiji dismissed 26-0) went on to beat Asian Champions China in the final of the Asia Pacific Sevens barely three weeks later. The Pacific could be the sleeping giant of women’s sevens.</p>
<p>However, the real giant in 2011 was Canada (<em>pictured below</em>). Four tournaments, four wins – and all against the cream of women’s international rugby. They only slipped up in one game – against USA in the opening round of the Las Vegas sevens in February – but it is a mark of the way the Canadians grew over the year that the 5-7 loss to their southern rivals in February became a 36-0 win against the same opponents ten months later in Dubai. In between these tournaments, Canada also picked up the Hong Kong and Amsterdam Sevens – a unprecedented clean sweep of women’s sevens four “majors”.</p>
<p>What is even more impressive about Canada is that their development squad – the Maple Leafs – were also a match for many full international squads. With players as young as 16, this next generation of Canadian rugby finished 6th in Las Vegas, went on to win the NACRA championship, before beating France in the Dubai Invitational on their way to runners-up spot.</p>
<p><em><img class="alignright" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-width: 0px;" src="http://scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_CAN_canada/sto_canada_womens_rugby1.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="179" border="0" /></em>Canada were also the only international team to beat England in 2011. After experimenting in club sevens tournaments, England emerged on the international scene with an impressive performance to win the European Top 12 before an even more remarkable performance in Dubai, where their young side – with several “stars” missing – reached a final few expected them to reach, beating world champions Australia on the way. Perhaps a full strength England might be the only team who could stop Canada dominating 2012?</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the world, Brazil continued to be well ahead of everyone else in South America – they did concede two tries this year (both to Argentina) on their way to the title, which is one worse than in 2010 &#8211; but their spring tour of Europe showed they still have a long way to go to compete with the major teams elsewhere in the world. However their remarkable 17-12 win over the Kiwi/USA combination at the Rome Sevens showed what they are capable of.</p>
<p>The 2013 World Cup also began with the first eliminations taking place in Africa. Only the top four teams in each of the two CAR tournaments will be invited to compete in the continent’s qualification tournament next year. So for teams such as Egypt, Nigeria, Botswana and Zambia the main target is already the 2016 Olympics. In practice the leading teams in contention for places in Moscow would seem to be South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tunisia. However, funding remains a critical problem for most of Africa – Uganda very nearly had to withdraw from the Africa (South) tournament (and with it the World Cup), while Nigeria were unable to make the Africa (North) event.</p>
<p>Lack of money is a recurring problem that creates islands of rugby which teams cannot break out of. No Caribbean team has ever played outside the Caribbean, which is why the visits of USA and Canadian development teams is so important. Brazil aside, no South American team has ever left South America, and African and Pacific national sides rarely get to play anyone other than near neighbours. It is why world cups are important as it gives everyone a chance to compete, with the leading nations getting a chance to taste the game in a worldwide level, feeding back that experience to their regions.</p>
<p>European teams, with over a third of the world’s women’s rugby playing nations relatively nearby, and with excellent transport links, probably suffers from this problem least. 33 nations took part in the continent’s divisional championship. Poland won Division 3, to the surprise of many, not least hosts and clear pre-tournament favourites Hungary who missed out on promotion again. Ukraine, as noted above, continued their rise by winning Division 2 – but will be joined at the top of European sevens next season by Switzerland, who were almost as dominant. In fact next season promises to be an exciting one for Europe’s leading sevens teams as their championship will be decided over two tournaments instead of one – a “tour” that may well expand to match that of Europe’s men’s sevens if this proves to be successful. Only three European teams declined invitations to take part – Scotland, Ireland and Wales – though the latter only withdrew at the last minute, and may reappear for the continent’s World Cup qualification series in 2012.</p>
<p>There was much more to European Sevens than the official tournaments, however. From the Emerging Nations tournament in Zanka, Hungary, in April to the Prague Sevens in August, and finally Piotrowice Nyskie (Poland) Sevens in September, it was rare that a weekend went by without international sevens being played somewhere on the continent. As well as the massive Amsterdam Sevens, the growing Rome Sevens attracted players and teams from four continents, and the ScrumQueens Sevens saw England play their first ever (and still only) home international when the beat Sweden by 27-0.</p>
<p>Similarly busy is Asia. Their season opened in Shanghai in August, and included four other major tournaments before the end of the year – and will continue up to the Hong Kong sevens next year. China and Kazakhstan continued to dominate, with China regaining the upper hand in 2011 after the Kazakhs had taken the major titles in 2010.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, as the World Cup and then the Olympics get closer, the pace of women’s sevens can only increase. 2011 may have been the busiest year ever, but it is a record that it is unlikely to keep for long – not least because 2012 will also see World Cup qualification tournaments across the globe. Details about the African and European qualification processes have already been announced.</p>
<p>The final headline from 2011 was the appearance of women’s rugby’s first professional players when The Netherlands became the first country to create a full-funded sevens squad in September – and within three months they had lifted their first title in Dubai. USA have announced that they will follow suit in early 2012 &#8211; and New Zealand may be returning to international sevens shortly, following the appointment of their first national coach dedicated to women’s sevens. They may find that the game has moved on a long way since 2009!</p>
<p><strong>The 91 international women’s sevens playing nations:</strong></p>
<p>Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Is, Chile, China, Columbia, Cook Is, Croatia, Czech Rep, Denmark, Egypt, England, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St Lucia, St Vincent, Sweden, Switzerland, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad &amp; Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe</p>
<p><strong>Busiest teams:</strong></p>
<p>• China (27 games, 20 wins)<br />
• Netherlands (26 games, 15 wins)<br />
• France (25 games, 17 wins – and 1 draw)<br />
• Hong Kong (22 games, 9 wins)<br />
• Spain (18 games, 11 wins – and 1 draw)</p>
<p><strong>Major tournament winners:</strong></p>
<p>• South American Sevens: Brazil<br />
• USA Sevens: Canada<br />
• Hong Kong Sevens: Canada<br />
• CAR African Sevens: (North) Tunisia; (South) South Africa<br />
• Amsterdam Sevens: Canada<br />
• Rome Sevens: Aoteaora Maori (New Zealand)<br />
• FIRA European Sevens: England<br />
• Pacific Games: Fiji<br />
• Asia/Pacific Sevens: Papua New Guinea<br />
• Asian Sevens: China<br />
• NACRA Sevens: Canadian Maple Leafs<br />
• IRB Challenge Cup (Dubai): Canada<br />
• Dubai Sevens: Netherlands</p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/09/23/first-irb-rugby-womens-sevens-event-announced/' rel='bookmark' title='First IRB Rugby Women’s Sevens Event Announced'>First IRB Rugby Women’s Sevens Event Announced</a> <small>from IRB: The IRB has underscored its commitment to delivering...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/06/2012-usa-sevens-rugby-las-vegas-february-10th-12th/' rel='bookmark' title='2012 USA Sevens Rugby &#8211; Las Vegas &#8211; February 10th-12th'>2012 USA Sevens Rugby &#8211; Las Vegas &#8211; February 10th-12th</a> <small>The 2012 USA Sevens international rugby tournament will take place...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/11/17/womens-eagle-sevens-prepare-for-dubai-challenge-cup/' rel='bookmark' title='Women&#8217;s Eagle Sevens Prepare for Dubai Challenge Cup'>Women&#8217;s Eagle Sevens Prepare for Dubai Challenge Cup</a> <small>from USA Rugby: Boulder, Colo. &#8212; The USA Women&#8217;s Eagle...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Rugby: Series loss a wake-up call for New Zealand women&#8217;s rugby</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/08/rugby-series-loss-a-wake-up-call-for-new-zealand-womens-rugby/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/08/rugby-series-loss-a-wake-up-call-for-new-zealand-womens-rugby/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:25:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourneys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Cup]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=8859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from ODT: If a tree falls in the forest and no-one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? Nga Mamaku &#8211; the Black Ferns &#8211; have fallen at the hands of archrival England in a three-test series, with two losses and a draw, and there hasn&#8217;t been much of an uproar. Herein [...]
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</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Frugby-series-loss-a-wake-up-call-for-new-zealand-womens-rugby%2F' data-shr_title='Rugby%3A+Series+loss+a+wake-up+call+for+New+Zealand+women%27s+rugby'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F08%2Frugby-series-loss-a-wake-up-call-for-new-zealand-womens-rugby%2F' data-shr_title='Rugby%3A+Series+loss+a+wake-up+call+for+New+Zealand+women%27s+rugby'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-8859"></div><p>from <a href="http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/189890/rugby-series-loss-wake-call-womens-rugby">ODT</a>:</p>
<p><img class="alignright" src="http://scrumqueens.com/images/stories/_ZEW_new_zealand/farahpalmer_6382_sq_medium.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="225" />If a tree falls in the forest and no-one is there to hear it, does it make a noise?</p>
<p>Nga Mamaku &#8211; the Black Ferns &#8211; have fallen at the hands of archrival England in a three-test series, with two losses and a draw, and there hasn&#8217;t been much of an uproar.</p>
<p>Herein lies the problem: despite the buzz created around the Rugby World Cup, and the status of the &#8220;men&#8217;s game&#8221; as our national sport, not many New Zealanders care enough about women&#8217;s rugby to jump up and down and demand answers.</p>
<p>For followers of the Black Ferns, the pain of the 10-0 loss in the first test and 21-7 loss in the second test was dulled slightly by finishing the series with an 8-8 draw.</p>
<p>The draw however, wasn&#8217;t enough to hide the fact this was the first time the national side had experienced consecutive losses, and the first time since 1991 the team had remained scoreless in a test match.</p>
<p>Is this something to be concerned about? Is this a glitch or a gaping sore?The performance of the Black Ferns against England is a red flag to the players, team management and the NZRU that resources allocated to women&#8217;s rugby have reached a critical level. And by resources, I&#8217;m referring to leadership, as well as funding.</p>
<p>For the last few years, resources for the women&#8217;s game have been cut, redirected, rationalised, diverted, put on hold and minimised, and yet the Black Ferns continued to win.</p>
<p>Just last year, the Black Ferns managed to win their pinnacle event, beating England 13-10 in the Women&#8217;s Rugby World Cup final.</p>
<p>If the NZRU was wondering how little the women&#8217;s game could survive on, I think it has found it. The Black Ferns have hit rock bottom and perhaps the outcome in England is a blessing in disguise. Now, at least, we know how little we can get away with before the team suffers.</p>
<p>In fairness to the NZRU, it has been a tough few years, and the focus of resources and attention was on the Rugby World Cup taking place in our own back yard.</p>
<p>Now that we&#8217;ve managed to win that in terms of putting on a great tournament, creating a festival atmosphere and securing the Webb Ellis Trophy, we can start to think about other brands under the NZRU umbrella.</p>
<p>If the Black Ferns are the cream, the pavlova has been slowly and surely flattening out for some time. Girls are playing the game in droves in the form of rippa rugby, with 10,411 players in the database, and secondary schoolgirls rugby is OK with 3606 players registered. At the senior level, however, there are only 933 players registered playing club and provincial rugby in New Zealand.</p>
<p>How are we meant to pick the cream from such a limited pool of players? What is the solution?</p>
<p>Should we focus on getting more international games for elite players or develop the base more?I believe we need to develop the base again and in order to do this we need to promote club rugby and get provincial union teams back on the agenda.</p>
<p>That is a big ask, however, when provincial unions are struggling to sustain their men&#8217;s ITM Cup teams. In a nutshell, the NZRU needs to show the provinces that women&#8217;s rugby is a priority.</p>
<p>Although slow to leverage off the Olympics, there is now a sevens campaign to be implemented from 2012, and the guaranteed test matches against the English in 2012 and 2013 do offer an incentive for players to stay involved in the game.</p>
<p>On top of that, provinces need help in the form of templates, competitions, expertise and development opportunities to get the infrastructure of women&#8217;s rugby in New Zealand healthy again.</p>
<p>The tree has fallen. I&#8217;ve heard it, and hopefully the NZRU has, as well.</p>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/09/16/international-rugby-teams-england-new-zealand-will-compete-in-three-game-series/' rel='bookmark' title='International Rugby Teams England &amp; New Zealand will Compete in Three Game Series'>International Rugby Teams England &#038; New Zealand will Compete in Three Game Series</a> <small>from Scrumqueens: The England v New Zealand game on November...</small></li>
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<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/11/28/england-draw-first-blood-in-international-three-test-series/' rel='bookmark' title='England Draw First Blood in International Three Test Series'>England Draw First Blood in International Three Test Series</a> <small>Don&#8217;t forget that the matches on November 29 and December...</small></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Ireland Women&#8217;s Training Squad Announced &#8211; Six Nations 2012</title>
		<link>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/07/ireland-womens-training-squad-announced-six-nations-2012/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2011/12/07/ireland-womens-training-squad-announced-six-nations-2012/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:41:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wendy Young</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[International]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Six Nations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourneys]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/?p=8855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[from Irish Rugby: Ireland Women&#8217;s head coach Philip Doyle has named an extended squad of 44 players for autumn training, as preparations begin for next year&#8217;s Six Nations campaign. The players have been chosen from clubs and provinces around the country along with a number of Exile players.They will now begin a 10-week strength and [...]
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</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><div class='shareaholic-like-buttonset' style='float:right;height:30px;'><a class='shareaholic-fblike' data-shr_layout='button_count' data-shr_showfaces='false' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F07%2Fireland-womens-training-squad-announced-six-nations-2012%2F' data-shr_title='Ireland+Women%27s+Training+Squad+Announced+-+Six+Nations+2012'></a><a class='shareaholic-googleplusone' data-shr_size='medium' data-shr_count='true' data-shr_href='http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scrumhalfconnection.com%2F2011%2F12%2F07%2Fireland-womens-training-squad-announced-six-nations-2012%2F' data-shr_title='Ireland+Women%27s+Training+Squad+Announced+-+Six+Nations+2012'></a></div><div style="clear: both; min-height: 1px; height: 3px; width: 100%;"></div><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetTop Automatic --><div class="shr-publisher-8855"></div><div>from <a href="http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/24293.php">Irish Rugby</a>:</div>
<div><a href="http://www.irishrugby.ie/images/news/Anthem1_IrelandwomenvUSA.jpg"><img class="alignright" src="http://www.irishrugby.ie/images/news/Anthem1_IrelandwomenvUSA.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="297" /></a>Ireland Women&#8217;s head coach Philip Doyle has named an extended squad of 44 players for autumn training, as preparations begin for next year&#8217;s <a href="http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/women/172.php">Six Nations</a> campaign.</div>
<div>
<div></div>
<p>The players have been chosen from clubs and provinces around the country along with a number of Exile players.They will now begin a 10-week strength and conditioning programme overseen by the Women&#8217;s strength &amp; conditioning coach <strong>Ross Callaghan.</strong></p>
<p>Players performance will be continuously monitored over the coming months as they battle in out in the Women&#8217;s All-Ireland League which commenced last weekend.</p>
<p>The Exiles players, many of whom who are playing in the English Women&#8217;s Premiership, will also be monitored regularly.</p>
<p>All players will then be fitness tested in mid-December before the final Six Nations panel of 26 will begin training for the upcoming campaign.</p>
<p>Speaking about the selection process, newly-appointed Ireland Women&#8217;s team manager<strong>Gemma Crowley</strong> commented: &#8220;It is great to see so many new faces in the mix for this season to compliment the existing talent in the squad.</p>
<p>&#8220;The performances and impressive skill levels of so many of the players throughout the recent Interprovincial Championship provided a great headache for <strong>Philip (Doyle)</strong> and his coaching staff in the selection process.</p>
<p>&#8220;We look forward to seeing the ladies work hard over the next few months and wish them all the best of luck with their clubs.&#8221;</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>IRELAND WOMEN&#8217;S TRAINING SQUAD:</strong></span></p>
<p>Christine Arthurs (Tralee)<br />
Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins)<br />
Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians)<br />
Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians)<br />
Helen Brosnan (Highfield)<br />
Lynne Cantwell (Exile)<br />
Nikki Caughey (Belfast Harlequins)<br />
Poppy Cleall (Exile/Bristol)<br />
Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians)<br />
Leigh Dargan (Exile)<br />
Amy Davis (Blackrock)<br />
Grace Davitt (Cooke)<br />
Lauren Day (Cooke)<br />
Eliza Downey (Cooke)<br />
Ailish Egan (Old Belvedere)<br />
Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary&#8217;s)<br />
Orla Fitzsimmons (St. Mary&#8217;s)<br />
Laura Guest (Highfield)<br />
Laura Hailey (Old Belvedere)<br />
Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians)<br />
Hat Hewitt (Exile)<br />
Shannon Houston (Blackrock)<br />
Aisling Hutchings (UL Bohemians)<br />
Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians)<br />
Stacey-Lea Kennedy (City of Derry)<br />
Glenda Mallon (City of Derry)<br />
Alison Miller (Portlaoise)<br />
Claire Molloy (Bristol)<br />
Larissa Muldoon (Exile/UWIC)<br />
Joy Neville (UL Bohemians)<br />
Gill Nolan (St. Mary&#8217;s)<br />
Deirdre O&#8217;Brien (Blackrock)<br />
Heather O&#8217;Brien (Highfield)<br />
Laura O&#8217;Mahony (Tralee)<br />
Ruth O&#8217;Reilly (Galwegians)<br />
Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere)<br />
Geraldine Rea (Highfield)<br />
Tania Rosser (Blackrock)<br />
Jackie Shiels (Exile)<br />
Juliet Short (Exile)<br />
Sophie Spencer (Exile)<br />
Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere)<br />
Carol Staunton (Galwegians)<br />
Jade Wong (Exile)</p>
</div>
<!-- Start Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><!-- End Shareaholic LikeButtonSetBottom Automatic --><div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#7D7D7D;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/e9ea410e1f1dc5e366aaabe112de9c8c?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='Wendy Young'>Wendy Young</a></h3><p>Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.</p><p><a href='http://scrumhalfconnection.com' title='Wendy Young'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/author/wyoung/' title='More posts by Wendy Young'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div><p>Related posts:<ol>
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<li><a href='http://www.scrumhalfconnection.com/2012/01/24/six-nations-watch-england-women-take-on-ireland-live-on-rfu-com/' rel='bookmark' title='Six Nations &#8211; Watch England Women take on Ireland &#8211; Live on RFU.com'>Six Nations &#8211; Watch England Women take on Ireland &#8211; Live on RFU.com</a> <small>from Rugby Network: Through RFU.com, the match on March 17th at...</small></li>
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