Thursday, July 12, 2007

SHORT TOUR DE RUGBY

HAIL, PELICUS!

REFEREES NEEDED THIS SATURDAY

On Saturday, July 14, SF/Golden Gate will host their second annual Touch Tournament on Treasure Island.

Twenty-four teams have signed up. There will be three pitches in action from 10 AM until about 2 or 2:30. Games will be started and stopped by a hooter, so all trains will run on time.

TOUCH IS EXCELLENT FOR BEGINNING REFS so please do not be afraid to volunteer. We need about a dozen refs. The rules are very simple – they will be forwarded to you – there are no scrums, rucks, mauls, lineouts, tackles or kicks to referee. You referee touches, turnovers, and tries.

It is a lot of fun and excellent for fitness work.

Bruce Carter will be there to help coordinate things and keep the refs apprised of the rules of the game. Please respond if you will be able to help out.

BELATED REPORT

The Senate adjourned to Alabama over the past ten days, for the purpose of re-integrating the wife of a certain Centurion into his extended family. Notwithstanding certain prejudices about this part of the world, we were in fact in an area without: a wireless Internet network; cellular phone reception; broadcast television reception. And to top it off, we forgot our laptop and couldn't even establish a modem-based lifeline to the bigger world.

Ah, bliss.

PALO ALTO SEVENS

The only report we received on last Saturday’s event was from Paul Bethe, who was here on exchange from the Met NY society:

“Everything worked out just grandly. Pete (Smith) was an excellent host, especially the part where he got me well sauced before dropping me at the airport so I would sleep soundly on the red-eye home.

“The rugby was excellent. It was a much smaller and more lackadaisical approach to a 7s tournament than I am used to back east – but the rugby was much better. There were 5-6 teams playing a standard of rugby that out east will only be seen by 4 teams – and they only go to qualifiers, not just your regular 7s local tournament….

“David (Williamson) mic’d me up for my first match, which turned out to be my toughest of the day – San Mateo vs. San Jose where San Mateo’s 12-0 halftime lead evaporated to SJs better fitness, and they came back to win 14-12. He gave me coaching at the time, and also this morning in my Inbox, with a DVD on the way.

“All in all, an excellent exchange that we should continue.”

CAPE FEAR EXCHANGE REPORT

Mike Gadoua, our Sevens Specialist, attended the best two-day Sevens in the USA at Cape Fear this past weekend:

Cape Fear Sevens Pre-Tourney Report
July 4, 2007; 10am
Le Croissant - San Rafael, CA

While no Sevens games could be found in the SF Bay Area, I did manage to participate in a meeting at the North Bay rendezvous location, Le Croissant. The initial purpose was the transfer of the NCST (Nor Cal Sevens Tent) to Dave Williamson. However, an invitation went out to discuss Rugby's effect on world issues, politics, religion, etc. Which was accepted by a small group from the tight-knit Hastings Old Boys (the team that gave so many referees to California rugby and that has a strong presence in the North Bay). Pat Faulkner, Steven Perl, Dave Williamson and I, enjoyed a fine brunch and made progress with world events. Of course, we were seated at the original table where Bruce Carter and I, accompanied by our brides, first inaugurated Le Croissant. The meeting was deemed a success and possession of the NCST was transferred to Dave Williamson, who will be in Palo Alto this Saturday. I will trek out to the Cape Fear Sevens - more to follow.

Cape Fear – faces in the crowd:

Skip Vaughn and wife picked me up at the airport; he did the talking.

Talked to Al Caravelli for a little bit.

Ran into Toshi (Paloma) who was there visiting relatives. He thought that he would get a game with OMBAC.

Sam Davis was there, taking his daughter Sarah to visit an east coast law school.

(Jason) Raven ran to say, hi, surprised that I was there, played scrum half with OMBAC.

I was pretty much assigned to the women's division, they had an abundance of B refs from the local area and the premier games were spread out.

Major teams at Cape Fear:

Charlotte (who all have accents)
Kenya
NYAC
OMBAC
Chicago
Bahamas
They had Raleigh in that Division, perhaps to fill out the bracket.

Cape Fear Sevens

Final: NOVA 43 to NYAC 5 - and it was that close!
It was an East Coast Final between two powerhouses. (OMBAC had sacrificed a half time lead to work in all of its players against NYAC. OMBAC was ahead 17 at the half. Rested players for the Second half and lost 19 to 17.)

I had flown into Wilmington Friday afternoon and was picked up by the Vaughn family. The temperature was not very hot, but the excessive humidity kept you soaked. The four fields kicked off on time thanks to John Meyers' exceptional organizational skills. Meyers and his crew provided an excellent tourney. The games went smoothly until about 12:30 when we enjoyed a show of thunder and lightning. After about two hours the games continued, as did the rain. Sunday saw a little bit more rain, no lightning. The games were fantastic great Rugby played by OMBAC, NYAC, NOVA, Charlotte, Kenya, Bahamas, Purple Haze, MARFU, West and Mid-West and other teams kept the spectators entertained with great Rugby. The tourney is highly recommended for Sevens refs.

Septenae

REFEREE/COACHING SEVENS CONFERENCE AT TREASURE ISLAND

On Friday evening, August 3, national Sevens referee maestro El Siete, Pat McNally, and USA Sevens coach Al Caravelli will be presenting a joint referee/coaching session at the Golden Gate clubhouse on Treasure Island.

All referees who are interested in the world’s fastest and best game should plan to attend.

With the final weekend of the Palo Alto tournament the next day, the Society will arrange for hotel rooms Friday night for anyone attending both the conference and the tournament who lives at least an hour from either venue.

There will also be a national sevens camp (for players) at Stanford August 4 and 5.

McNally and Caravelli are traveling together to tournaments in every territory this summer and giving this presentation. It should be a worthwhile evening.

OUR FRIEND IN THE CARIBBEAN

2007 U19 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Day 1 Results & Summary
Trinidad & Tobago 5 – BARBADOS 9 Referee: Aruna Ranaweera
(Half Time: 5-3)
A very hot and sunny day greeted Trinidad & Tobago (“T&T”) and Barbados at the South Sound rugby pitch, home of the Cayman RFU, for the opening game of the NAWIRA 2007 U19 Tournament. Three penalties from Ben Petit, the Bajan inside centre and main play maker, gave Barbados not only a victory over their close rivals T&T, but also their first win at U19 age level. T&T lead at half time after a try by Kirby Hosang, only to fall behind to the boot of Petit in the second half. T&T, controlled much of the game. However, they could not turn possession into points despite being camped inside the Bajan half for large periods of the game. Barbados managed to withstand the pressure with some strong defense and resound determination, in order to register their inaugural U19 victory. Barbados will play former U19 Caribbean champions Guyana on Monday, knowing that another victory will put them in the final and only a step away from what may have seemed the impossible twelve months ago.

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO
Cape Fear VII Corps
Referees at the Cape Fear Sevens:

Gavin Curtis, Skip Vaughn, Curtis Ethridge, Septenae, Kurt Franciskovich, David von Kolnitz, Dan Drasher, Pete Paulsen, Larry Clark, Ed Ward, John Muir, Tevis Vandergriff, John Meyers

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris