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WPL Challenge Match Results and Match [VIDEO]

Wendy Young — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:05:15 +0000

Wendy and The Girl braving the wind, rain and freezing temperatures to video tape the match.

Minnesota and Glendale descended down on Austin yesterday in perhaps the worst rain storm in nine months. Ok, its the only significant rainstorm we have had since the drought started in early spring…and it was a doozy. Luckily there was no lightening so the match was not delayed, and kicked off on time. Minnesota started off quick and put five points on the board right off the kick off. Glendale was slow to respond but once they did, it was all Glendale, all the time. Half time score was 17-5, Glendale and the full time score was 53-5 Glendale.

The WPL welcomes its newest WPL team, the Glendale Raptors. D1 Club rugby welcomes the Minnesota Valkyries who will participate in the CR2 League.

Match Video

As always, if you appreciate the work we do here at YSC, consider supporting us with a donation!

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

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Watch the WPL Challenge Match! Minnesota Valkyries vs Glendale Raptors – 12/4/11 at 10am CST

Wendy Young — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:59:55 +0000

UPDATE 12/5/11: Get the results and watch the archived video here.

For more details on the challenge match, go here.

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Good news! We will be able to *LIVE broadcast this event! You can view the match here or on the YSC Rugby Ustream channel. As always we are doing this for free and so we would highly support any donation you could give!

NOTE: There are a few potential “complications” that we wanted to let you know ahead of time….

70% chance of rain. If that happens we might not be able to broadcast, much less even get tape. Might cause it to be a delayed broadcast.
Internet; or lack thereof. We will be using a Mifi Hotspot and if the pipes are good, we will broadcast, if not it will be delayed broadcast.
Our Ustream channel has commercials. Don’t like the ads? We would urge you to consider making a donation so we can upgrade to the Pro version. Thanks!

For more details on the challenge match, go here.

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

WPL: Challenge Match 12/4/11 – Minnesota Valkyries vs Glendale Raptors / Match Details, Broadcast & Sybil’s Predictions UPDATE 12/5/11: Get the results and watch the archived video...
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WPL: Challenge Match 12/4/11 – Minnesota Valkyries vs Glendale Raptors / Match Details, Broadcast & Sybil’s Predictions

Wendy Young — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:36:08 +0000

UPDATE 12/5/11: Get the results and watch the archived video here.

Welcome to the first ever WPL Challenge Match! According to the WPL Promotion and Relegation Policies the #1 (Chicago NS) and #2 (Glendale Raptors) D1 teams can challenge the #7 (DC Furies) and #8 (Minnesota Valkyries) WPL teams if they desire. I confirmed with Chicago NS that they will not be challenging the #7 team and so the only challenge match this year is between the Glendale Raptors and the Minnesota Valkyries.

The Raptors just finished second at the USA Rugby Division 1 Club Championships, losing to Chicago NS 5-13. The Minnesota Valkyries placed eigth at the USA Rugby Women’s Premier League Championships, losing to the DC Furies in a heart breaker of a match 17-22.

The challenge match is to be held in a “warm area” and a few teams put in bids. The “warm area” that was chosen was Austin, TX. Come watch this epic battle unfold in Austin, TX at the Huns Pitch on Dec 4, 2011 at 10:00am. The Hosts are Huns Rugby and Austin Valkyries.

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Broadcast
Good news! We will be able to *LIVE broadcast this event! You can view the match here or on the YSC Rugby Ustream channel. As always we are doing this for free and so we would highly support any donation you could give!

There are a few potential “complications” that we wanted to let you know ahead of time….

70% chance of rain. If that happens we might not be able to broadcast, much less even get tape. Might cause it to be a delayed broadcast.
Internet; or lack thereof. We will be using a Mifi Hotspot and if the pipes are good, we will broadcast, if not it will be delayed broadcast.
Our Ustream channel has commercials. Don’t like the ads? We would urge you to consider making a donation so we can upgrade to the Pro version. Thanks!

Predictions by Sybil
My track record for predictions is getting a bit better…still not quite where I would like it to be but I can only go up right? This weekend the Glendale Raptors will face off with the Minnesota Valkyries for a spot in the Women’s Premier League. Lets start with a dissection of the Minnesota Valkyries.

The Valkyries were knocked out of Tier B last year at the WPL Championships by Berkeley (57-27) and this year they competed in the Red Conference with Twin Cities Amazons, San Diego Surfers and New York. In League Play they were unable to win a match and were outscored by their opponents by 296 points. To continue that trend, the Valkyries were beat twice at this year’s Championships in a nail biter, back-and-forth match against Keystone (43-38) and on day 2 in another close match, they lost to the DC Furies (22-17). This hasn’t always been the Valkyries style, but it looks like due to some retired players and new blood the team has struggled this year.

The Glendale Raptors (birds of prey, not dinosaurs!) have been on the opposite end of the spectrum, winning all year long starting with an undefeated run in CR2 League Play. The CR2 includes Chicago NS (29-8), Chicago, Austin Valkyries (32-12), St. Louis Sabres (Sabres forfeit), Black Ice (99-0) and Detroit (71-12). Perhaps the magic of the Mile High Training Facility at the base of the Mount Olympus, ahem, I mean Glendale, CO is working in their favor? Of course you can’t count out the star power they have acquired this year, including Jillion Potter, named the Most Valuable Player even though Glendale lost at the D1 Championships.

Now to the actual predictions, this one is really tough as I know the Valkyries aren’t going to make it easy. Last year, ORSU voluntarily stepped down from the WPL and the Valkyries could have done the same, but they must want to continue to compete in the WPL. Some might say that after Glendale lost the D1 Championship to Chicago NS… why are they challenging? Are they really ready for the WPL or are they just striking while the iron is hot?

I believe that the Valkyries are better prepared for this challenge match mentally and with their two VERY close losses at Championships, they will be hungry for a win. Glendale will be prepared as well and blessed by the Gods, but they will falter. Not to mention, both teams have been training/playing since August…that is a long season only to be extended for another month to prepare for this challenge match.

Prediction: Minnesota Valkyries by one try for the win!

EDITOR NOTE: Sybil is not affiliated with the YSC Team, she is only a Guest Blogger who is bringing some new perspectives to the site. If you have any thoughts or concerns, we would urge you to comment below or please contact her at sybil@scrumhalfconnection.com. Thanks!

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

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WPL, D1 & D2 Championship Videos [VIDEO]

Wendy Young — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:53:13 +0000

To view all the scores from the weekend, go here.

Day 2

WPL Championship – Berkeley All Blues vs Twin Cities Amazons

D1 Championship – Chicago NS vs Glendale Raptors

D2 Championship – Pittsburgh Angels vs Raleigh Venom

3rd/4th – Beantown vs San Diego Surfers

Day 1

Berkeley v San Diego Surfers

Minnesota Valkyries vs Keystone

Beantown vs. Twin City Amazons

New York v DC Furies

To view all the scores from the weekend, go here.

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

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USA Rugby Women’s Club National Champions Crowned [VIDEOs]

Wendy Young — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:53:11 +0000

To view all the scores from the weekend, go here.

from USA Rugby:

Boulder, Colo.– This past weekend three national champions were crowned as the Emirates Airline USA Rugby 2011 Women’s Club Championships took place in Virginia Beach, Va.. Teams from the Women’s Premier League and the Women’s Divisions I and II converged on Virginia Beach looking to come away with hardware. The Emirates Airline USA Rugby 2011 Women’s Club Championships crowned the Berkeley All-Blues, Chicago North Shore, and the Raleigh Venom as National Champions of their respective divisions.

Raleigh Venom Shut Out Pittsburgh in Division II Final
Chicago North Shore Over Come Glendale Raptors to Take Division I
Berkeley All-Blues Claim WPL Championship with Win over Amazons
Select matches can be viewed on USA Rugby’s UStream channel.

Women’s DII Club
The Raleigh Venom won the Emirates Airline USA Rugby Women’s Club Division II National Championship this past weekend. They shut out the Pittsburgh Angels in the Division II final which took place on Sunday morning. After a healthy win over Memphis in the quarterfinals and a very close but exciting match against Sacramento in the semis, Raleigh collided with Pittsburgh in the National Championship game. The match saw both teams committ numerous penalties and Raleigh seemed to be more than willing to utilize those opportunities as Pittsburgh failed to get points on the board through out the game. Raleigh’s defense prevented Pittsburgh from scoring while their attack was relentless in the second half. The final whistle gave Raleigh the title of Division II Women’s Club Champions with a strong shut out over Pittsburgh.

For a full game report on the Division II Final please visit the USA Rugby website here.

For a full replay of the Division II Final between Raleigh and Pittsburgh please visit USA Rugby’s UStream channel.

Women’s DI Club
The Emirates Airline USA Rugby Women’s Club Championships saw Chicago North Shore take the Division I Championship on Sunday morning. Chicago North Shore met the Glendale Raptors on Sunday afternoon to decide this year’s national champion. Both teams had entered into the weekend off of great performances in the regular season and in the previous rounds of playoffs. Pam Kosanke scored all of North Shore’s points as the Chicago club beat Glendale 13-5. She had a magnificent game as she collected a wonderful try from a chip kick, converted her own try, and slotted two penalty kicks. Glendale put up a full eighty minute fight however and managed to get one try in the match, coming from hard forward play that eventually released Tyra McGrady on the outisde.

For a full game report on the Division I National Championship please click here.

For a full replay of the Division I final between Chicago North Shore and Glendale please visit USA Rugby’s UStream Channel.

Women’s Premier League
On Sunday, the Berkeley All-Blues defeated the Twin Cities Amazons 17-8 in the Women’s Premier League National Championship game. After besting the San Diego Surfers in the semifinals on Friday November 11, the All-Blues were able to recover on Saturday and come out strong against a very good Twin Cities Amazons team. The encounter was as physical as they come, with both teams absolutely throwing everything they had at the opposition. Berkeley’s best defense was a great offense, consistently pressuring the women from the Twin Cities. Berkeley’s outside backs proved dangerous as they dotted down twice. While only one try was converted, the All-Blues managed to slot over a drop goal sealing their victory in the WPL Final.

For a full game report on the WPL National Championship please visit the USA Rugby webiste here.

For a full replay of the WPL Final between the All-Blues and Amazons please visit USA Rugby’s UStream Channel.

To view all the scores from the weekend, go here.

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

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Did you Qualify for Nationals? We want your Videos!

Wendy Young — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:47:28 +0000

First off, CONGRATS on qualifying for Nationals!!

Hey all you teams that qualified for Nationals…we need copies of your videos and a team picture! Since the YSC Media Team will be broadcasting the event, we want to make small feature of each team. Please send me ANY video you have by Tuesday Nov 8, 2011 to be considered. Send all video clips, youtube clips, vimeo clips, facebook videos etc to mediateam@scrumhalfconnection.com. Please also include a recent team picture. Thanks!

NOTE: WPL Teams, don’t worry about sending me videos, I will use the ones you have already uploaded!

Also if you could pass the word to your team, fans and friends that the YSC Media Team is broadcasting the games online, schedule here. We are working hard to bring you LIVE rugby and we greatly appreciate your support. Donate today!

Wendy Young

Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection. Passionate Rugger since 2001.

Website - More Posts

USA Rugby Women’s Club National Champions Crowned [VIDEOs] To view all the scores from the weekend, go here....
WPL, D1 & D2 Championship Videos [VIDEO] To view all the scores from the weekend, go here. Day...

Top Teams Claim Semifinal Berths in Last Round of WPL Regular Season

Wendy Young — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:00:47 +0000

View the complete 2011 WPL Schedule, Match Reports and Results here

from USA Rugby:

DC Furies Fall to All Blues
Surfers Put Away New York
Amazons Dominate Cross-town Rival Valkyries
Beantown Edges Past Keystone
Visit the USA Rugby Stats Portal for match details
Watch replays here
Sign up for Women’s Premier League News
Get unique player perspective Match Reports from the YSC Reporters
WPL Semifinal information here

Round 6 of the Women’s Premier League produced exciting matches while four teams now move onto semifinal berths to compete for the WPL National Championship.

Blue Division

The first match of the Halloween weekend pitted the undefeated Berkeley All Blues against the winless Washington Furies. The Furies came out in rare form giving the Berkeley defense a fright with the fast attack. The All Blues were caught off guard when the Furies came out firing and put up some quick points to take th elead. At half-time the All Blues found themselves in unfamiliar territory, behind on the score board for the first time in their season.

However, Berkeley came out of the interval strong and confident, putting up 19 unanswered points in the seocnd forty minute period. Kelly Griffin scored many of the All Blues’ points, retaining her spot as the WPL’s lead point scorer.

Final score: Berkeley All Blues 32, Washington Furies 14.

As the weekend progressed another semifinal berth was up for grabs in the Blue Division and what developed was one of the closest contested matches of the 2011 WPL Season as evenly matched Beantown and Keystone went head to head to fight for a shot at a national championship.

Going into the weekend Keystone was ahead of Beantown in the Blue Division standings by four points, hoping to secure a spot in the semifinals with a win over their east coast rivals. The match however was tightly contested, seeing both teams fight hard for possession and territory. Points were put on the board early by both teams and the match seemed to be going back in forth in terms of momentum. Beantown however, used their momentum best, capitalizing on possession and taking offensive risks inside their own zone. These risks turned out well for them leading them to a victory to finish their regular season in the WPL and give them a shot at the National Championship.

Final score: Beantown 19, Keystone 10.

Red Division

The first match of the weekend for the Red Division was between the San Diego Surfers and the New York Women RFC. On paper this match was supposed to be a blow out from the kick off, giving the Surfers an easy match before they battled it out for a national title in their inaugural WPL season. What ensued however was a very close first half, fought between a fast and responsive Surfers team and an unfaltering New York side.

The match was contested all through the first forty minutes, with phase upon phase of good attack but better defense. The first points of the game came with ten minutes left in the first half, through the fast ball the Surfers are known for. New York responded immediately and put five points on the board through the hands of fullback Vaneesha McGee. The score was tied at half with fans wondering where this New York side had been all season.

The second half saw the Surfers pull away in usual fashion with fast ball from break downs and elusive counter attacks off of New York mistakes. the Surfers scored tries at will in the second half putting away a tired New York defense. The Surfers scored 32 unanswered points in the second forty minutes.

Final score: San Diego Surfers 37, New York Women 5.

The cross city rivalry between the Minnesota Valkyries and the Twin Cities Amazons has been nothing close to a rivalry throughout this whole season. The match between these two northern clubs that took place this last weekend developed an expected result and gave the Amazons a deserved spot in the WPL National Championship semifinals.

While both teams showed up to finish their season on a high note, the Valkyries found themselves early on struggling to claim that elusive victory in the 2011 WPL season. The Amazons dominated from the get go, exploiting the Valkyries weaknesses to rack up the points through penalties and set phases form line outs. half time score: Amazons 24, Valkyries 0.

The second half began as the first started. The Amazons used their hard-nosed defense to secure turn overs and work the phases into the Valkyries half. Once there, the Amazon attack was relentless in their try scoring putting away winger Desiree Markovich. In a game painted with penalties and stoppages, the Amazons used this as a stepping stone into nationals and will look to keep their momentum into the post-season.

Final score: Twin Cities Amazons 48, Minnesota Valkyries 0.