FIVE-RING RUGBY

HAIL, PELICUS!

TIME TO PLAN THE NEXT MONTH

Sevens, tens, fifteens and a luau to whet your appetite…

August 18:
Pre-season: Fog vs. All Blues. A ref and a couple of ARs would be great!
Sevens: Chico tournament. Three or four refs should do the trick.

August 25:
Reno Tournament – fifteens. We have six refs so far, including one from SoCal, and could use three or four more.

Rooms will be provided. It starts at 8 AM Saturday, so you’ll need a Friday night room for sure.

September 1:
Regular season: Fog vs. NorCal. Ref and ARs.

September 1 and 2, Saturday and Sunday:
Scottish Games in Pleasanton, with 3 one-hour games each day.

September 8:
Fog hosting Seattle. Ref and ARs.

Tri-Tip Sevens in SLO. Three or four pelicans is about right. Drive down to Salinas and carpool in the Pelicanmobile.

September 15:
Fog hosting Belmont Shore. Ref and ARs.
Sacramento Lions Tens tournament, with women’s teams playing either tens or sevens.

September 22:
Luau at Bruce and Linda Carter’s in Salinas. Pelicans are invited! It’s the California Airshow weekend. If you can’t find a room in town for Saturday night, we can put you up. Or you can drive home and miss half the fun.

Let us know if you’d like to sign up for any of these.

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON

The Olympics have occupied the Senate’s time every evening the fortnight past. That, and the summer being the busiest time by far for our day job, which often extends into the night this time of year.

Friday, July 27:
NCYRA HIGH SCHOOL PELICANS 19 – British Columbia 17 Referee: Jordan Bruno
ARs: Preston Gordon, Mateo (SFGG)
A fast paced spirited match with two very evenly matched teams. BC came to Sheeran Field ready to win. The Pelicans were a steadfast opponent. BC went on the board early, up 10-7 at the break, controlling set pieces and allowing their fast backs to bring the ball over the try line for scores. The Pelicans had a steady defensive line that never wavered, making tackles when they counted and keeping BC from building continuity of play. Late in the game with minutes to go, the NorCal side put a try over to move up 19-17 with two minutes left. BC tried to move in for the win at the last kickoff for the match. In the ensuing rucks, BC won control and made a break for the goal. A mishandled pass was booted off the pitch for a close win by the Pelicans. Overall, a great match with plenty of excitement from the stands. Thanks to Preston Gordon and Mateo from Golden Gate for assisting as touch judges and to SFGG for hosting a great event.

Saturday, July 28:
Palo Alto Summer Sevens Series
Another wonderful set of Saturdays wound up with visits from the Mexican national men’s and women’s teams, providing opportunities for some Pelicans and visiting SoCal refs to work with top-flight teams.

Andrew Lin and Marquise Goodwin flew up to help out, and saved the day: everyone did six or seven games. Without these two, figure eight or nine. Maybe it’s a good thing the Palo Alto series doesn’t run to four weekends anymore – interest seems to wane among the refs, as much as it pains us to type those words.

Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5:
USA Rugby club sevens championships (men and women) at SFGG
We had thirty Pelicans on hand and it wasn’t nearly enough. Dave Williamson and Ron DeCausemaker worked about fifty games each as sixth officials, while those running as ARs, in-goals and fourth officials averaged 25-30 games each. See below for a partial group photo.

We had some very-much-welcome visitors: Andrew Lin and Marquise Goodwin traveled up from SoCal again and brought Joshua Pendergrass along, while three more dropped in from the Pacific Northwest: Jonathan ‘Chewie’ Pasque, Gavin Beaudry and Chad Douglas.

The entire flock appreciates the confidence that Pat McNally and his team places in us, entrusting the NCRRS to provide and assign the ancillary officials even to games as critical as national championship finals.

(For those who don’t get out as often as some rugby addicts we could name, this is not the norm.)

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO


It’s a mob at Sheeran Field, and this leaves out about 25 people – there were 14 assigned refs, 30 Pelicans and friends, plus performance reviewers of various stripes.

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris

RARELY SEEN

HAIL, PELICUS!

VANISHING GRIZZLIES

They bestrode the rugby landscape as colossi. They intimidated, they dominated, they ate the opposition. They were the stuff of legend as much as of fact, and the facts were legendary. They were the Grizzlies, the finest select-sides in USA rugby history.

They monopolized Eagle selections at every level, men and women, girls and boys. They won the Grizzly’s share of inter-territorial events over the decades.

The species lives on but its members are aging and will not reproduce. It is time to celebrate and commemorate these high-achievers, to appreciate a chapter in American rugby history that is not to be repeated.

http://www.rugbymag.com/news/off-the-field/usa-rugby-news/5350-come-say-farewell-to-pacific-coast-union.html

If you played for the Grizzlies, or refereed for the Pacific Coast as a Territorial referee, or just enjoyed the rugby that these teams played, plan to be at the San Francisco/Golden Gate clubhouse on Saturday evening, August 4.

If you will have been at Sheeran Field watching the men’s and women’s USA National Sevens Club Championships that day, all the better!

SEVENS HEAVEN

We can’t tell you how happy we are that Sevens has become the normal expression of rugby this time of year. Your writer played rugby for six years before he ever HEARD of sevens, and then fell in love with it at first exposure at the 1980 Palo Alto event.

For the next thirty years there were 4-6 tournaments per summer in Northern California. In 1999, I thought I’d set some sort of record, refereeing 14 tournaments in one year, most of them after flying off in all directions, and all of them at my own expense.

But now – we’ve had 4-5 tournaments on some weekends in here Pelicanland. And the college season hasn’t even started!

Born too soon – by about thirty years. I should have been my own son.

COMING UP

Friday, July 27, 6 PM, at Sheeran Field:
NCYRA High-school Pelicans – British Columbia U17 Referee: Jordan Bruno
This should be a barn-burner. It is a rubber match, of sorts.

The Pelicans lost to the Mainland BC team last month and then defeated the (Vancouver) Island team, both on the road. Now they host the combined forces of Canada’s strongest rugby province.

Jordan may need ARs. The game deserves fourth officials as well, should you have a Friday evening free.

Saturday, July 28:
PALO ALTO
Final iteration of the Palo Alto summer series, with women and high school tournaments beginning at 8:30, followed by men’s club and college teams playing in the afternoon. We need ten-twelve refs for this one.

If you’d like to work either AM or PM, let us know and we can accommodate you. However, be advised that we tend to get half a dozen refs who want to leave in the afternoon, leaving the stalwarts to do three games after three PM, that sort of thing. So, we could use refs who only want to work in the afternoon to balance things out.

Plus, that puts you in position for the picnic and adult beverages.

TIGHT-FIVE SEVENS AT SFGG
This is probably the brainchild of a tight-five player. A moment of silence for several such previous ideas…

Why not old boys sevens, out of season, at altitude?

Actually, this sounds like fun. With the shine that Rugby Sevens has attained since it was announced that the games of Mount Olympus would appropriately enough include the Game Played in Heaven, even the tight-five are envious of the fleet-footed lads who get to play all year round.

This looks to be a hoot. We’ve got one ref and could use one or two more – guessing here that high-end pace will only be needed to get to the front of the serving line afterwards.

Sunday, July 29:
NCYRA SUMMER FINALS
The NCYRA completes its summer series with a championship event in Dixon. This is well-organized and features many of the best young players in the USA – and Canada this time. The BC tourists from Friday’s feature match will be participating.

LAST WEEKEND

HIGH SCHOOL SEVENS IN CORTE MADERA
Report by Stephen Valerio:

Referees: Anthony Nguyen, Ray Schwartz, Stephen Valerio, Eric Rauscher, Matthew Le Merle, John Van Der Wahl, with Dave Williamson herding the cats.

For those of us who have been watching the High School 7’s this summer, the improvement in the skills has been appreciable. There was some good rugby on hand in Corte Madera where 11 sides descended and the shade tent was appreciated, along with the Highlander’s hospitality. There were 3 round-robin divisions played on 2 pitches. The Varsity Boys’ bracket was tightly contested with Bellarmine, Dixon and Marin all posting 3-1 records. Dixon took the championship (based on point differential) in the final match beating the previously undefeated Marin side 24-14. The matches were also notable for the mutual respect between the different teams, and the clubs should be proud of the way they conducted themselves.

Dixon’s success continued in the Junior Varsity bracket where they swept the pool. In the Varsity Girls’ Pool went to Danville which swept their 2 matches.

Varsity Boys
Champions: Dixon
Bellarmine 31/Sierra Foothill 10
Marin 28/ Sierra Foothill 5
Marin 28/Danville 19
Bellarmine 14/Danville 7
Dixon 31/Sierra Foothill 7
Dixon 29/Danville 14
Marin 12/Bellarmine 5
Bellarmine 22/Dixon 21
Dixon 24/Marin 14
Danville ?/Sierra Foothill ?

Varsity Girls
Champions: Danville
Danville 17/Pleasanton 7
Dixon 17/Pleasanton 17
Danville 32/Dixon 7

Junior Varsity
Champions: Dixon
Marin 28/Danville 12
Dixon 19/Danville 5
Dixon 32/Marin 5

LUAU SEVENS AT FOR PETE’S SAKE
Report by Cary Bertolone

Refs: Mike King, Sean Peters and Cary Bertolone
Approximately 30 rugby players converged at For Pete's Sake on Saturday. Despite the 96 degree weather, enough tents were erected to make the afternoon enjoyable.

Three games started the afternoon, with Rosa winning two and Redwood taking one game.

A game of Tens then took place and everyone got plenty of rugby.

The Luau was off the charts fabulous with Hawaiian dancers doing the entertaining for the last two hours. Food galore and a good time was had by all!!

FOG WOMEN’S SEVENS

Five teams participated in the second iteration of the Fog Sevens this summer, on a warm but windy day at the Job Corps pitch on Treasure Island.

The host Fog welcomed the Seahawks, the West Bay Angels, and two sides representing the All Blues, who had another side doing well in Glendale, Colo., at the same time.

Referees were Preston Gordon, Tony Levitan, Bruce Bernstein and Bruce Carter. A good time was had by all.

PACIFIC COAST QUALIFIER

Old Puget Sound Beach and the Olympic Club advanced to the nationals, which will be next weekend.

Golden Gate will host the finals, but lost to O Club in the semis to miss out on their own party. The third time was the charm for Matt Sherman’s team, who scored two tries pretty much off the bat and then that was that.

SFGG defeated the Sacramento Lions to claim third - but only SoCal has three seeds to the nationals this time around.

STILL TO COME: SIGN UP NOW

Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5:
USA Rugby club sevens championships (men and women) at SFGG

Saturday, August 18:
Chico Sevens

Saturday, August 25:
Fifteens tournament in Reno

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO



The picture is a little grainy, and not as clear as it might be, befitting something as rare as a photo purporting to show Nessie or Sasquatch or the Four Bruces.

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris

TWO WEEKS WORTH

HAIL, PELICUS!

FOUR TOURNAMENTS THIS SATURDAY

A handful of years ago we had four sevens tournaments per summer. Now we have four per Saturday. And so, of course, we need refs.

High School Sevens at Corte Madera: two pitches, thirty games
Fog Women Sevens at Treasure Island
For Pete’s Sake Luau Sevens in Santa Rosa
Pacific Coast Qualifier at Sheeran Field

If you’re carrying an injury or simply would rather not referee sevens but can help out, we could use in-goal judges and fourth officials at the qualifier. This one will be brutal: the Pacific Coast only has two slots in the national event, and Serevi will be here with OPSB and should take one of them.

That leaves a lot of good sides to fight for the other.

ALBERTA EXCHANGE
Report by Bruce Bernstein

Pretty hard to put in words how nice the refs from Alberta treated me (although I was warned) & the beauty of the Canadian Rockies which I went between two tournaments first in Calgary & then Edmonton. From the second I got picked up at the airport by Jay Macdonald to the minute Sandy Nesbit dropped me off.

Did the Calgary Stampede 7's both Friday evening plus all day Saturday with nice ref parties after each day & then ventured to the "tourny party" at Ranchman's celebrating the Stampede festivities. The 2nd weekend I did an U-18 & 16 Boys & Girls Allstar tourny in Edmonton.

In between I spent 5 days going to & from Banff, Lake Louise & Jasper, all high in the Rockies which had unusually hot weather while I was there. But it didn't stop me from hitting 2 hot springs, going mountain biking, hiking & driving to see incredible canyons, waterfalls, lookouts & glaciers.

I highly recommend this incredible exchange to anyone who has not been up there; & to meet some of the Alberta refs when they're here for the KOT Tourny in Sacto in January. Thanks for the experience & exchange!

PERENNIAL PROP PROBLEM

The props in sevens want to grab each other instead of their hooker, so that the hooker can bind underneath their shoulders (rather than over) and slip out easier, like a number eight.

They can’t do this.

Sure, the hooker can bind under – a hooker could do this in fifteens should the mood strike.

This ruse happens every sevens tournament, every sevens game, and it’ll happen every scrum if you let it. But scrum players are required to bind onto a teammate, and this isn’t binding.

Last week we had a referee challenge the prohibition against props ‘binding’ each other, saying, “Where it is in the law book?”

Glad he asked:

Law 20.3 BINDING IN THE SCRUM
DEFINITIONS
“When a player binds on a team-mate that player must use the whole arm from hand to shoulder to grasp the team-mate’s body at or below the level of the armpit. Placing only a hand on another player is not satisfactory binding.”

So, I’m a tighthead prop. My left shoulder is against my hooker. My left hand is grasping the shirt of my loosehead. To whom am I bound?

Not to the hooker – my hand isn’t grasping him. Not to the prop – my shoulder is not against him.

Answer: I’m not bound to anyone; I’m not bound at all. I’m not participating in the scrum – I was never bound in!

Penalty against me. And penalty against any referee who doesn’t read the Definitions when studying the Laws.

GUINNESS RUGBY WORLD RECORD?

If you would like to be part of an attempt to make the Guinness Book of World Records, mark your calendar for Reno beginning Friday, September 14 at 6 PM. To succeed, the effort will have to last until about 7 PM on Saturday, the 15th.

This will be for the longest rugby match ever played. It has to be played using the normal number of players (maximum of 23 per side), but the Guinness regulations do not speak to the officiating – so we can rotate refs.

(There is a glitch in the regs that perhaps we shouldn’t point out, but this is the way referees think: the requirements specify that the number of players has to conform to the sport’s normal maximum AND minimum.

(Well, the minimum is five. They could play five-on-five in four shifts and get plenty of rest. But we’re guessing the kind of rugger who wants to go for this sort of record doesn’t want to take advantage of loop-holes and rest.)

Lots of chances here for refs to set records as well: highest penalty count, most score cards required, most advantages-gained, etc.

This could be a chance to fly the Pelican flag high. Think about it, and let us know if you’d like to be a part.

MITTRY MEMORIAL SEVENS
July 14
Report by Ray Schwartz

Mt. Shasta 7s - Dunsmuir
Refs: Sean Peters, Ray Schwartz, Kevin Brown, Bo Kaihau

Nice green and spongy pitch (barely 50 meters wide), surrounded by trees and beyond them mountains. Just over the hill, the Dunsmuir Botanic Gardens (site of the after party), the Sacramento River and sweet flyfishing.

6 teams came out to compete: Shasta. Mendocino, the Highwayman, State of Jefferson, Oregon Institute of Technology and Rogue River (I had never even heard of hese last 3 clubs!). Bo and I traveled up from Sacramento, knowing the weather would be sweet and Bo would have lots of learning opportunities. He reffed (4) 7s matches, then scored a try in the Old Boys match that concluded the play. Some good players and fine spirits on display.

PALO ALTO SEVENS, PART TWO, AND WOMEN’S QUALIFIER
July 14

The flock responded commendably to the call to arms last Saturday: we had four refs in Dunsmuir, four at SFGG, and twelve at Palo Alto.

A six-team Pacific Coast qualifier was played to select three teams for the nationals, which will be hosted August 4-5 by SFGG. These games were played on field one while the high school bracket was played out on field two, with the sixteen-team men’s tournament beginning just after noon.

Seattle Breakers upset the All Blues in the final to take their top seed, with Seattle Mudhens securing the third entry by defeating the Sacramento Amazons. We were able to provide teams of five for these key games.

In the men’s competition, there is a fair amount of parity at the top. At the first iteration, in June, EPA Bulldogs came top. But this time they were in a pool with and lost to both rivals EPA Razorbacks and the West Coast Elite, who played each other to a tie.

The Elite seem to be Bay Area residents who go to college in Oregon. (This is a conclusion that was jumped to, not the result of any sort of investigative endeavor. And no, the fact-checker was not involved.)

The weather was perfect. The rugby was fast and friendly. John Tyler wasn’t there and things ran smoothly. (They also run smoothly when he’s there.) The refs enjoyed it all.

NESQUIK SEVENS AT SFGG
July 14

No report received, but RugbyMag.com reports that SFGG took the final over the Bay Area Vipers.

SF FOG WOMEN’S SEVENS
July 7
Report by Eric Rauscher

Job Corps field, a little chilly with the wind. Field was an interesting mixture of swampy sections with mosquito larvae swimming around and baked hard savanna. Refs that showed up to do games Eric Rauscher 2. Mike King 2, Sam Davis 3, and Stephen Valerio 3. The teams; SF Fog, San Jose/Reno, West Bay Angels, All Blues A, All Blues B. Games in order as follows. Unknown scores because I left before those games were played.
SF Fog 5 / San Jose Reno 14
West Bay 0 / All Blues A 41
San Jose 5 / All Blues B 17
All Blues A 19 / SF Fog 0
West Bay 5 / All Blues B 26
All Blues A 43 / San Jose 0
SF Fog 34 / West Bay 5
All Blues B ? / All Blues A ?
San Jose 22 / West Bay 5
All Blues B ? / SF Fog ?
No body walked away with a goose egg over-all, and the All Blues both A and B were pretty dominant. The West Bay Angels were pretty unstoppable 20 meters from goal, they just weren't there very often. Mike King and I both did two games and left to help out over at SFGG, leaving the final three games in the capable hands of Steve and Sam.

NESQUIK SEVENS
July 7

Tom Zanarini, Preston Gordon, Matt Hetterman, Bruce Carter, Gene Baker with guest appearances by Mike King, Eric Rauscher, and Stephen Valerio

SACRAMENTO LIONS SEVENS
July 7
Robla Park, Sacramento
Report by Ray Schwartz

Refs: Chris Tucker, Bo Kaihau, Anthony Nguyen, Bruce Ricard, Ray Schwartz

Hot and getting hotter all day, but a gentle breeze kept the temp below 100. Sac Lions won their tourney, over San Mateo. EPA Bulldogs and Razorbacks were also strong reaching the semis. UC Davis, River City, Sac Lions IIs, and two strong high school sides rounded out the field. Very good rugby, played in good spirits, all day long, but for an odd moment here and there.

Anthony, Bruce and I reffed most of the games, and each had a player run into us deliberately, or so these isolated incidents seemed. I'm a big guy, and merely chuckled mine off, but Anthony got wacked on the shin and had to sit out a bit, while Bruce had to award a red card in the final to a San Mateo player.

I reffed a semi between the Bulldogs and the Lions that came down to a tie, 21-21. The best ref on the pitch, Sione Tanoa, playing for the Lions, scored a minute into sudden death to advance.

YOUTH SEVENS IN DIXON
Sunday, July 8

Report by Eric Rauscher
Sunday at Dixon. Not enough refs. I set a personal best doing 9 1/2 games. Not to boast, just to be glad I can do it. Chris Dempster (now at Cal Poly SLO) and I were assigned to the two pitches at the nearby Middle School and proceeded to do back to back games with the occasional relief from a coach or from Ron Salabar. Chris came out to relieve me half way through a third game in a row. After that, we went back over to the main sight and did a couple more. All in all I am pretty impressed with the level of play of most of the high school students. This can only bode well for the future of rugby in America.

A few more refs next time would be nice.

[Editor’s Note: Next time is Sunday, July 29, for the NCYRA Championships.]

Report by David Williamson
On a sizzling summer Sunday, Dixon hosted nearly 80 youth and high school 7s matches.

The 5 Pelicans--Anthony Nguyen, Eric Rauscher, Ray Schwartz, Neil MacDonald, and Mark Godfrey--were stretched to the breaking point to cover matches taking place on six fields. Fortunately, approximately 10 coaches and players (both adults and students) were persuaded to pick up the whistle--even if they didn't have one. Three refs used mine.

An even larger tournament is planned for Sunday, July 29. Pelicans are encouraged to attend. Good food plus cold water is provided, plus $25 for refereeing 2 or more matches.

STILL TO COME: SIGN UP NOW

Saturday, July 28:
Palo Alto Sevens
Tight-Five Sevens at SFGG

Sunday, July 29:
Youth Sevens championships, Dixon

Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5:
USA Rugby club sevens championships (men and women) at SFGG

Just Added:
Saturday, August 18:
Chico Sevens

Saturday, August 25:
Fifteens tournament in Reno

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO


Sean Peters, Ray Schwartz, Kevin Brown and Bo Kaihau in front of Mt. Shasta at the Dunsmuir Sevens.

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris

WINNERS COME FOURTH

HAIL, PELICUS!

PELICAN AWARDS WINNERS

A lovely Saturday evening found the flock at Scott’s Seafood in Walnut Creek for an impossible event: the celebration of the end of a season that never ends.

Pete Smith demonstrated his stand-up talents in presenting our awards and putting down the occasional would-be heckler.

Annual Awards:
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jordan Bruno. Jordan did a handful of games last year, but this year was a regular and worked his way up to men’s D1.

MOST IMPROVED: Phil Akroyd. You don’t have to be a beginner to get a lot better. Phil, already on the national stage, demonstrated a leap of confidence and competence.

AMBASSADOR OF THE SOCIETY: James Hinkin. Taking your billet to Beach Blanket Babylon is a perfect example of what this award is about. Imagine the pub we will get for years to come from that visitor!

PELICAN OF THE YEAR: Chris Tucker. Taking more responsibility in more areas of referee management, always volunteering and being willing to change assignments to take on that opening for that ‘sick’ ref which always happens to be in a remote city, and for never being that ‘sick’ ref – lots of good qualities made Chris the winner.

SCRIPTORIS AWARD: JC van Staden. When the editor smiles at the stories and wishes he’d had that game himself, that’s good writing.

TJ/AR OF THE YEAR: Ron DeCausemaker. An assistant referee could merely take the best game, or the one nearest his home. But a dedicated AR asks, “Where do you need me?”

BRYAN PORTER AWARD: David Williamson. Having won also in 2009, David has since re-doubled his efforts to help as many referees as possible improve through his coaching and evaluation. If you had a written report in the past year, there’s about a one-third chance that David wrote it.

Special Award:
DIXON SMITH AWARD: David Williamson
Dixon presents this award when he feels someone has demonstrated sustained involvement, commitment and excellence, in a variety of roles, to the NCRRS. It isn’t won in a year – it’s won in a career. And it doesn’t mean the career is over, by any means!

AS ALWAYS, WE NEED REFEREES THIS SATURDAY

Please let us know if you can help at any of these events:

Saturday, July 7:
Jackpot Sevens in Reno – no refs at present

SF Fog women’s Sevens – two refs so far

SFGG Sevens – three refs at the moment

Sacramento Lions Sevens – one ref on the roster

Each of these is played on the single pitch, so three refs is the minimum workable number. We hope you can help out.

Sunday, July 8:
Youth Sevens in Dixon
This event featured seventy-something games two weeks ago, and the refs did seven or eight games each. The doctor said there’s only one cure: more refs.

JUNE 30

The Palo Alto summer series kicked off with games starting on both pitches one minute ahead of schedule, at 8:29 AM.

The new format was a hit: high school and women’s teams in the morning, men in the afternoon. Everyone got the same three games as always, but they were played over three or four hours instead of eight or ten. This also effectively doubled the number of parking spots, as each could be used twice, and reduced crowding in the team and spectator areas.

The refs, of course, are happy being there all day, and an eleven of us were:
Bruce Bernstein, Cary Bertolone, Bruce Carter, James Hinkin, Tony Levitan, Stephen Moore, Eric Rauscher, Bruce Ricard, Brad Richey, Pete Smith and Chris Tucker.

Sam Davis and Chris Labozzetta also attended, Sam to peddle, Chris to play.

This event continues on July 14 and 28.

The Nesquik Series began at Sheeran Field on Treasure Island, with SFGG hosting a twelve-team event.

By on-line reports, the hosts and Olympic Club looked to have the better of this first iteration. The series continues on July 7 and 14.

The referees are featured in this week’s photo.

REMARKABLE STUFF

The USA Under-20 team won the Junior World Rugby Trophy in Salt Lake City this past week, running the table and defeating Japan in probably the best game this writer has seen any USA team have.

This is competent, committed rugby with none of those let-down moments that make you wonder if the Eagles will ever beat anyone more highly-rated.

Here are the first and second half. It’s less than a professional job – you need to familiarize yourself with the players since there’s no commentary. The scrumhalf is an NCYRA referee: Nick Boyer, who plays at Cal. St. Mary’s’s Kingsley McGowan on the right wing scores a beautiful try through heavy traffic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOUTcDwuYPc&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5WVHNHw6lk&feature=youtu.be

Celebrate the Fourth! Get your red, white and blue on.

STILL TO COME: SIGN UP NOW

Saturday, July 14:
Palo Alto Sevens
Mt. Shasta Sevens
SFGG Sevens

Saturday, July 21:
New this week: For Pete’s Sake Youth Luau Sevens
SF Fog women’s Sevens
Marin Highlanders high-school Sevens
PCRFU Qualifier Sevens for the nationals, Treasure Island

Saturday, July 28:
Palo Alto Sevens

Sunday, July 29:
Youth Sevens championships, Dixon

Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5:
USA Rugby club sevens championships (men and women) at SFGG

Saturday, August 25:
Fifteens tournament in Reno

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO

Phil Akroyd, Jordan Bruno, Tom Zanarini, Ray Schwartz, new-guy Matt Hetterman, and George O'Neil at the Nesquik Sevens, showing off our latest green jerseys.

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris

EATIN' SEASON

HAIL, PELICUS!

ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday set you sights on Scott’s in Walnut Creek for drinks at 6:30, dinner at seven. Scrub up nice, bring a date, and prepare to reflect on the season just past and the camaraderie that we share.

Society members eat free of course; others are fifty dollars. Let Bjorn Stumer know if you’d like to join us and what you’ll be eating: prime rib, halibut or vegetarian. bstumer@comcast.net

Kit will be available at the banquet this Saturday so please bring your checkbooks. If you have refereed 5 assigned matches (doesn’t include youth and high school, which don’t pay NCRRS fees), you'll receive the new 'green is the new gold' pelican jersey. Canterbury shorts are $35, socks are $10. We’ll also have ties, polos, pins and older jerseys for sale. Don't leave empty handed! Show your pride and buy Pelican gear!

ALSO THIS SATURDAY: SEVENS

The first iterations of the Palo Alto and SFGG Sevens will take place June 30. Each tournament will run for three Saturdays: Palo Alto every-other and SFGG consecutively.

Work up your appetite for Scott’s fine comestibles by running your buns off.

Palo Alto will feature women’s and high school teams from 8:30 until noon, men’s teams afterwards, on two pitches at the corner of Oregon Expressway and El Camino (same as the last two years). We could use two or three more refs. If you’d like to referee just one portion, AM or PM, that would be fine – just let us know.

SFGG will again be hosting the nationals the first weekend in August, and also the Pacific Coast qualifier July 21. They’ll tune up their teams and their support apparatus by hosting tournaments the next three Saturdays. At the moment we have 3 ½ refs (one for the morning only), so we could use one or two more.

There’s no rugby that we know of on Sunday. Last Sunday’s youth tournament had more than seventy games while this coming Sunday’s youth tournament was canceled because only three teams signed up. It would be nice if these bumps could be smoothed out.

FIRST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER: GAMES JUNE 23-24

Best of the West Sevens – Joint Forces Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma
Report by Phil Akroyd:

Originally, this tournament was supposed to include American Samoa, a Fiji select team, Provo, Glendale, and some SoCal D1 teams. None of these showed up, so after some shuffling around we ended up with ten men’s teams and several U19 teams (Serevi Select, OPSB, Seattle, Pacific Coast, Pacific Rovers, Sturgeons, Military Select, EPA Razorbacks, and a couple others I can’t remember).

The games were played in the Cowan Stadium on a relatively new astro-turf field. Thank god, as it rained and rained hard, then rained some more on the Saturday. The play held up very well given the conditions and the Military came out first with a win over OPSB. Turned out that OPSB really had three teams, with the best playing for the Serevi selects, and the others for Seattle and the Beachdogs.

The refs (me, Zapp, Summers, Khumalo, Day & Maphosa) each got 4 games on Saturday and a semi and a final on the Sunday. I had the privilege of doing the upper tier semi on Sunday between Military (coached by Kevin Swiryn) and Pacific Coast (coached by some guy named Tyler) which PCRFU won well by 21-5.

The sun helped out the play on the final day with some cracking games, but the Serevis (including Daveta, Craigwell, Botitu and the King himself) and Pac Coast were clearly the best teams and played it out in the final. The Serevis took the $10,000 first prize, along with the rifle trophy.

Although in its inaugural year the tournament had its teething problems, but it has the potential to be a highlight of the summer calendar, with great organization, facilities, prizes and hosting by Nic Punimata.

My Day in the Sun
Report by Bruce Carter:

Solstice days mean early risings for those of us tied to the rhythms of the sun. I was up, walked the dogs, ate, did the NY Times Sunday puzzle from the previous week (published in the SF Chronicle on Saturdays) and drove two hours to get to Treasure Island, all in plenty of time for the start of the San Francisco Sevens, hosted by the All Blues.

It was a fine Bay Area day, even out in the middle of the bay. The winds tend to rest in the mornings and the fog must still have been itself asleep. Not so the ruggers: kickoff was promptly as scheduled at nine.

Time allowed me to AR for the first three and I enjoyed seeing Steph Bruce, Lee Salgado and Sam Davis do games. The best teams looked to be the All Blues and the Surfers. They were scheduled to play each other fourth, but I had to leave for my own assignment in Corte Madera.

On such a nice morning I decided to drive through the city, always exciting for me as I spent my late twenties there and met my wife: definitely my salad days. The Presidio isn't the same place by any stretch, the only soldiers those there permanently at rest, but memories linger and are easily evoked by the view of the bay, the aroma of the eucalyptus, or a trick of the light.

Mt. Tam's distinctive profile served as a lighthouse and guided me to Corte Madera's Town Park.

OYSTERFEST

The Olympic Club has been hosting this fund-raising event all this century. It's a touch tournament, a picnic, a recruiting tool and a lot of fun for the everyone involved.

Mike Gadoua and I signed up, having worked it many times. Mike used to live across the street.

Eight teams, fifteen games, two refs – what this meant was that there was a long table serving fajitas and oysters, and we didn't eat a bite. Reffing every-other doesn't allow that: touch has no stoppages, no set pieces, and an awful lot of scoring. The ref still needs to be able to creditably adjudicate forward passes as well as touches, and has to practice good ball-line running. Can't do that having just eaten.

But the families, and friends, and the kids in the bouncy house, they all certainly enjoyed the food.

The team in the tutus beat the team in the grass skirts. The team in the brightly-colored, ruffled, stretchy shirts was pretty good, too. But the boring old refs, they dressed like refs. Maybe next time.

We'll look forward to next year and try to ensure at least one more ref shows up so there's opportunity to enjoy the digestible hospitality.

I had hoped to get home in time to watch the Eagles play Italy, but that was not to be. However, they lost, so I don’t feel nearly as bad as if I’d missed a famous victory.

The good news: my wife still loves me even when I’m gone all day.

Fifteens Friendly:
BAY AREA CHIEFS 44 – Redwood Empire 14 Referee: Sean Peters

Sunday, 24: Youth Sevens in Dixon
75+ games
Report by Eric Rauscher:

I expected it to be boiling hot, but a nice breeze blew all day long, making it almost perfect rugby weather.

If ever you are at a 7s tourney and feel that you are not getting enough games, show up to a youth event. You will get games.

I ended up reffing 8. And youth is sort of a misnomer. My first game of the day was a true youth game, U12 on a mini field, and my last games were an "old boys" game. Old boys is U23, basically college players that graduate from a high school and form up to play at the event.

The number of teams that showed up was around 50, from true youth, boys and girls high school of silver and gold levels, both jv and varsity, with the U23 at the top. Sevens tourneys are always fun and this one was no exception. It is also a great way for younger refs to get experience and get informal coaching from other refs. I encourage anyone interested to contact David Williamson to get involved.

THE WEEKEND BEFORE LAST

6/16: Loaves and Fishes 7s, Santa Rosa
Report by Mike King:

It seemed that the subtraction rather than multiplication was the Word of the day for Loaves and Fishes, with fewer teams braving the heat than anticipated. The temperature at For Pete’s Sake moved towards the century mark, tempered only by a balmy breeze. Participants arrived late and fans probably preferred the coolness of a poolside setting or air conditioned quarters. The rugby was nonetheless spirited and well received by all who came.

6 Matches between Hayward Vipers, East Palo Alto Razorbacks and Sacramento Lions were held on a round robin basis. Since we had fewer matches, all were covered by teams of 3, and the refs were covered under an awning while touch was played by spectators during the breaks between matches. By the last match, each side had run for 4 matches of 14 minutes each, in the blazing heat. All participants were content to end with no final playoff. The Razorbacks won the day on total wins and total points scored.

Tom Zanarini gamely showed for the early matches that were never played. Eric Rauscher, Jordan Bruno, and Chris Curtis were invaluable in reffing and AR to provide assistance to complete this event.

STILL TO COME – SIGN UP NOW!

Saturday, July 7:
Jackpot Sevens in Reno
SF Fog women’s Sevens
SFGG Sevens
Sacramento Lions Sevens

Sunday, July 8:
Youth Sevens in Dixon

Saturday, July 14:
Palo Alto Sevens
Mt. Shasta Sevens
SFGG Sevens

Sunday, July 15:
Youth Sevens, Pleasanton

Saturday, July 21:
SF Fog women’s Sevens
Marin Highlanders high-school Sevens
PCRFU Qualifier Sevens for the nationals, Treasure Island

Saturday, July 28:
Palo Alto Sevens

Sunday, July 29:
Youth Sevens championships, Dixon

Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5:
USA Rugby club sevens championships (men and women) at SFGG

Saturday, August 25:
Fifteens tournament in Reno

THIS WEEK’S PHOTO


Steph Bruce, Sam Davis and Lee Salgado keep the ruggers running on time at Sheeran Field, Saturday, June 23, 2012.

HAIL, PELICUS!

For the Senate
Pelicus Scriptoris