COME TO STANFORD SATURDAY
The men’s Eagles will be able to qualify for the 2007 RWC with your support this Saturday. Admission is free for this 2 PM match against Uruguay.
Let’s rock the joint!
Oh – we also need someone to ref a game in Sacramento and one in Reno. Interested? Let us know.
PRE-SEASON REFEREE CONFERENCE OCTOBER 14
The annual pre-season NCRRS conference will be Saturday, October 14, at the Golden Gate clubhouse on Treasure Island, from 9:30 to 3:00.
The program will derive from the IRB’s Aide Memoire for elite referees and the promotion criteria for referees published by USA Rugby. The program will comprise a comprehensive course for referee improvement, beginning with this meeting and continuing through our monthly society meetings, December – April.
There will be classroom work, field work, a panel with some NorCal rugby coaches, and also our society AGM.
Please make every effort to attend.
MORE RUGBY ROUND THE CORNER
After our conference on October 14th, there will be games enough for interested referees every weekend until Thanksgiving. And then it really picks up.
Please let us know which weekends you’d like games, every Saturday from now through December 16. The season doesn’t start this year until January. We’d like to be able to assign at least a few weeks out.
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT AT TREASURE ISLAND
Three of the four women’s teams in NorCal gathered for a round-robin Saturday. Hayward did not participate.
Clement weather and a big friendly crowd made for a great day in the middle of the Bay.
ALL BLUES 87 – Fog 0 Referee: Joe Leisek
Touch Judges: Lois Bukowski/Bjorn Stumer, Bruce Carter
The first game of the NorCal Round Robin kicked off at noon, and at 12:02 p.m. the All Blues scored the first of 12 tries they would produce in 60 minutes of rugby. The reigning national club champions were efficient and skilled, retaining possession through multiple phases and creating opportunities out of opponents' mistakes. Speed and skill are the hallmarks of their game. Their lineup featured several Eagles, some of whom were playing in the World Cup just a couple of weeks before. Jen Crouse and Ashley English were standouts, and scrumhalf Rose Whitmore made me think of Sid Going, one of my favorite players from a long time ago, with her dive passes and take-charge presence. Sacramento is to be recognized for playing hard for 60 minutes despite being generally overmatched.
ALL BLUES 45 – Amazons 0 Referee: Lois Bukowski
Touch Judges: Bjorn Stumer/Bruce Carter, Joe Leisek
AMAZONS 26 – Fog 0 Referee: Bjorn Stumer
Touch Judges: Joe Leisek, Bruce Carter
A scrappy but fun affair that saw two fairly evenly matched sides battling it out after both faced perennial powerhouse Berkeley. The Amazons, sporting quite a few islanders, had both size and speed over the FOG ladies but had to fight hard to achieve their 26-0 win. The first half was quite scrappy with a lot of players off their feet and off side, things settled on the second half though but Sac remained firmly in control. A fine match over all with the sole dark point being a yellow card for braid pulling.
Fog men 22 – MARAUDERS 34 Referee: Bruce Carter
Touch Judges: Joe Leisek, Bjorn Stumer
The Marauders’ stated mission is to keep social rugby alive. To this end, they are not members of the NCRFU and don’t play in any leagues. They are the sole remaining team from the autumn pub league of several seasons ago, and are notionally based around a bar in Campbell.
They aren’t averse to drawing players from hither and yon, and presented a fairly strong side Saturday, with some powerful runners accounting for most of the difference in the game.
The social aspect of their motto might could use a little work – one Marauder earned a yellow card for a dangerous tackle and another a red card for a stomp to the head. This last was despite the referee grabbing the brute by the arm and saying, “Don’t do it!” when he spotted the upraised boot.
Proactive, preventative, hands-on refereeing usually works, but not in this case: down came the boot and out came the card.
But let’s direct our focus elsewhere: the Fog won the second half 21 – 17, having organized themselves in defense and figured out that straight ahead was the best way to the try line.
A good spirit prevailed despite the loose cannon.
The Marauders were captained by a chiropractor and the Fog by a resident podiatrist, all whistled by an allopathic physician. And nobody got hurt, not even the stompee!
CHICO ALUMNI WEEKEND
Report by Sam Reagle
For the 14th consecutive year, Alumni Weekend unfolded before us. There were 3 games scheduled to be played under a perfect sky in Chico, all against the energetic underclasspersons of Chico State. An old Old Boy game, a Womens game and a young Old Boy game. Unfortunately, after a night of renewing friendships from years past over a pint or 2, the Alumni numbers waned to the point where everyone who could play both games, did play both games.
Chico State 7 – CS ALUMNI 31 Referee: Sam Reagle
The youngsters struck first blood scoring a converted try 9 minutes into the game and clung to a 7-5 halftime lead. However, halftime seemed to sober up the elders who gave up on smashmouth rugby in the forwards in favor of their superior speed and teamwork in the backline to score 5 unanswered tries.
Chico State Women 19 – CS ALUMNAE 27 Ref: Reagle
The Alumni women came to play showing no signs of the previous night’s revelry. The teachers scored the first 3 tries on the students before the Wildcats scored their first. However, the game was on as both teams traded tries with the students scoring again at fulltime with good support. This contest ended after 50 minutes. The outcome may have been different had they played a full game.
Dan Lacko ref'd the second men’s game. I don't know the score.
FIJI DAY SEVENS
The Fiji Day Sevens will be played in Rohnert Park on Friday, October 13 and the next day.
We will try to provide referees for the Friday but expect our refs to be on Treasure Island on the Saturday. Please let us know if you want to work this delightful and entertaining event on the 13th.
http://www.fijidayusa2006.com/Sports.html
THIS WEEK'S PHOTO
Multi-try scoring World Cup hero Tina Nesberg damaged her knee – in a friendly. Thankfully, it was after the quadrennial games but unfortunately it will keep her out of the club nationals, to which Paul Bretz has been announced as the head referee.
Her she is at Treasure Island, enjoying a sunny day of rugger surrounded by simpatico and sympathy.
Note Bruce Carter in his smart new East Midlands kit. Coincidentally a pastel version of our own NorCal colors? We think not.
Bjorn Stumer, Lois Bukowski and Joe Leisek are all smiles while Wade seems to be looking for a nap that he missed somewhere.
This picture was taken by Eileen, a very kind lady with the rugby bug who is frequently seen at events involving teams with Berkeley pedigrees.
HAIL, PELICUS!
For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris
