For more information about the camp please contact Mount Saint Mary’s Head Coach Don Briggs directly (tepeyac@md.adelphia.net). This is a lot of fun and just another example of the role that Frederick Rugby is taking in developing youth rugby in our area.
The session will run from 10:30am to around 1:00pm.
There is actually quite a bit of ground to cover. I'll fill you in on some big things like Savannah and England, as well as some other fun things we have planned. Eric Aldinger can give us an update on off-season training (you can chat to your mates and see if you can get into work out groups in Mount Airy or Germantown or Whittier). Art can run through the schedule. Dave Gentzel has taken on the mantle of Backs Coach (a great addition to the Club in my eyes) and I'm sure he'll have a word or two of encouragement. The final word will come from the Main Man for the Social part of the Club, Allen Byrne. (We'll also have to fit in a toast to Frederick's 2001 All-Star Jamie Romano - I hope he'll be there but may be on his way to Florida).
I'll have hand outs of the season and all the points to be covered - but please make the effort to attend - this is a great opportunity for you to bring your ideas or observations to the whole club. In the short history of Frederick Rugby we've had our ups and downs but have always had the strength within to move forward. This is an exciting time to be part of the Club so please get involved!
To help get us focused and well prepared for the task at hand we have chartered a bus for the Brandywine match. The bus will leave from the 7th Street parking lot at 8:00am to get us comfortably to the pitch for 11:30am. The cost will be $25 per person that covers the bus, a keg on the way back and Rookie show entertainment. Everyone is welcome and please bring a friend - definitely the more the merrier. If we get out of Brandywine at a reasonable hour we will head up the road to Don’s for a cheese steak and hit the Frog Pond for a beer or three.
For those of you driving independently here are the directions. Please get there early.
The Gorge is riding high in Division II North and is always good. This week, more than any, Frederick needs to focus and win. Rocky Gorge would like nothing better than to come to “Pleasantville” and take home a victory.
Let me give you a little background on Baltimore (for those of you new to the Club). In the early ‘90s Baltimore was the team to beat in the Potomac Rugby Union Division II. They definitely had our number and I remember several bitterly disappointing losses. Baltimore went through a period of decline around 1996 - probably due to player retirement - then merged with Division I Chesapeake. The resulting new Club retained the Baltimore name but assumed the Chesapeake position in Division I. In recent seasons the two Clubs have been involved in several close matches but Baltimore has managed to squeak out victories in our last two meetings.
What can we expect from Baltimore this weekend? Well, the first thing is that they are not traveling far so home field advantage is minimal. As I recall the Baltimore halfbacks were very good with a Fly Half not unlike Schuylkill River’s. One big difference will be in their pack. Baltimore has always been a team of big boys and they are now coached by an English second row so will certainly be more challenging in the tight set pieces.
This week’s referee is Brad Rockwood. Brad is one of the best young (er) referees in the union. Before taking up refereeing full time Brad coached Mason-Dixon, Kenny Orndoff and Dave Gentzel’s old Club. Brad will be well positioned and will be very vocal - so listen to him!
The weather should be good, Baker Park is a great venue for rugby and we need to turn in a good performance to get back in the running. This should be a good clash.
In addition to playing a rugby match this game has been dedicated to one of Frederick’s finest players Pat O’Connell who sadly died earlier this year. In addition we felt it would be appropriate to raise money for charity to assist victims of last week’s tragic terrorist attack. Frederick Old Boy Allen Byrne has made the following suggestion, which I believe is a good choice and one that Pat’s family would certainly embrace. Here is Allen’s rationale:
Here is the schedule for other International rugby matches that will be screened on Fox Sports World then rebroadcast on CSN (Channel 35 in Frederick) the following Wednesday at 12:00 noon:
) is the Coach of the Washington squad. Check out the results and e-mail these guys to give them your support.
Pool Matches:
Norfolk 33, Lancaster 5
NOVA 26, PAC 5
Philly-Whitemarsh 26, Washington 12
Maryland Exiles 33, North Penn 14
PAC 10, Norfolk Blues 5
NOVA 21, Lancaster 5
Washington 17, North Penn 7
Maryland Exiles 21, Philly-Whitemarsh 7
NOVA 24, Norfolk Blues 10
PAC 26, Lancaster 10
Washington 33, Maryland Exiles 0
North Penn 24, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh 0
Semi-Finals:
Washington 22, PAC 12
NOVA 10, Maryland Exiles 5 OT
Third-Pace Play Off:
Maryland Exiles 12, PAC 7
Championship:
NOVA 36, Washington 10
Frederick Rugby Mini-Camp, Cookout and Tri-Nations: Saturday August 11th 2001
Posted: 07/24/01
Frederick Rugby will be holding a mini-camp at Whittier on Saturday August 11th from 10:30am to 12:00 noon. This will be run by Coach Jim Ford and will be a great opportunity to get in a quality session before the Atlantic Cup. Straight after practice we’ll have a cookout and some beer at Julian's house (5 minutes from Whittier) and catch the Tri-Nations match between Australia and New Zealand. Mark your calendars!
Directions to Julian’s house from the Whittier Practice Field:
- Turn right onto Christopher’s Crossing (away from Yellow Springs/Rosemont).
- Turn right onto Rocky Springs Road
- Take the first left onto Kemp Lane.
- Turn left onto Shookstown Road.
- Make an immediate right onto Bowers Road.
- Take the first left into Scott’s Chase Drive (Tilghman).
- My house is third on the left 1509 Scott’s Chase Drive.
Results from the Frederick Rugby Pig Roast 2001
Posted: 07/24/01
On Saturday June 30, the Frederick Rugby Club held its annual Pig Roast and Golf Classic. The beautiful Saturday morning began with the 3rd Annual Pig Roast Golf Classic. This year we had a tremendous turn out. We had forty-three participants. The tournament has grown for three straight years now, and we would like to thank not only the players but also family and friends that helped make this tournament a great success.
As with everything we do, we worked hard to make the day interesting. The top five stories of the day were:
5.) In the hard fought race for the closest-to-the-pin award, Tool-Time’s incredible shot that should have been a winner was wiped clean by the better man, Tool’s Dad.
4.) In an effort to teach Dancing Bear a lesson about golf etiquette, Magnum wins the longest driver throwing contest by heaving Dancing Bear’s driver over 40 meters and breaking it.
3.) After a long day and a lot of beers, a few tournament participants decide to rig the sprinklers on the 18th green to hose down unsuspecting players.
2.) While standing on the tee box and deciding if fairway bunkers would come into play, tournament players view Shane Best doing his “best” to spin out in the sand traps. No one is sure why.
1.) While enjoying the day and possibly a few beers, Geep and Shane decide to play chicken with their golf carts and are almost kicked off the course.
Even with all the craziness of the day, some great golf was played, and in the end the scores were all extremely close. The big winners of the day were:
Tournament Winners: Al, Brett, Marty, and Stax
Closest-to-the-Pin: Jack Taylor (Papa Tool-Time)
Longest Drive: Stax
Best Twosome: Brett and Marty
Worst Twosome: Geep and Ron Hemby
After the tournament, the fun continued at the Al Goetz Ranch with pig, beer, and plenty of horseshoes. Just like the golf outing there was a great turnout for the roast. It was definitely great to see everyone. As darkness set over the party, the crowd was treated to fireworks thanks to Magnum, Al and Stax’ fuse lighting abilities. Once the fireworks were over, the party was able to rage on into the night thanks to Tool-Time for getting out-door lights and Tory for manning one incredibly hot bon fire. As the night reached its end, the last remaining party goers filled the air with the greatest tunes and sang there hearts blue. Its funny how much better we all sound when we’re drunk as skunks!
We would all like to send out some special thanks to Jennifer Hall for setting up the pig roast while the guys played golf and for making some great pasta salad. Also we would like to thank Tanya Fabian and Hollywood for standing in the brutal sun and collecting bets on the golf course and earning over $300 dollars for the club. Lastly we would like to thank all the friends and relatives that helped out to make this a great weekend for the club.
Mid-Atlantic Sevens Championship
Posted: 07/24/01
Norfolk RFC in Virginia will host the Mid-Atlantic Sevens Championship this weekend (7/28/01). Good luck to Troy Bartley and his NOVA squad as they aim to be in the top three and qualify for the USA National Sevens Tournament. Seedings are shown below. For more information go to www.rugby.org/marfusevens2001standings.html.
Pool A Pool B
1: Washington 2: Norfolk
3: Maryland-Exiles 4: NOVA
6: North Penn 5: PAC
8: Philly-Whitemarsh 7: Lancaster
USA National Sevens Championship
Posted: 07/24/01
Philly-Whitemarsh RFC in Pennsylvania will host the National Sevens Championship in Conshohocken, PA (8/11-12/01). For more information go to www.therugbyclub.org and click on “national 7s”.
Western Suburbs: Directions and Information
Posted: 08/20/01
This Saturday (August 25th) Frederick will travel to Centreville, Virginia to play two matches against a local Division II team, Western Suburbs. As Suburbs are geographically in the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Territory we don't often get the opportunity to play each other. This fixture is a friendly preseason match.
Western Suburbs did well last year just losing out to Severn River for promotion to the Championship Division, have a new coach and have over 50 players at each practice. As a consequence of this the Club has just launched a Division III team, the Fairfax Reds, to ensure that all of their players get adequate match time. The last match I remember playing against Suburbs was in the MARFU Elite-8 in 1995-6. We played at Hood College, Kevin Eagar refereed, Jimmy Ford and Laurel were on the sideline watching the match. Although their flanker Ed scored a couple tries their big second row Stax made a big impact in helping Western Suburbs knock Frederick out of the Championship. I certainly am not one to hold a grudge, but I will be thinking back to that day and wanted to warn you against complacency.
Schedule for Saturday 25th August:
Frederick 'A' v Western Suburbs 'A': 1:00pm
Frederick 'B' v Western Suburbs 'B': 2:30pm
Suburbs' Old Boys v Suburbs' 'C': 3:30pm
Please note that players are required to be at Western Suburbs, with boots on by 12:00 noon. Travel distance is around 75 minutes from Frederick. If you wish to carpool, please be at 7th Street by 10:00am.
Directions from Frederick:
- Take Rt-15 south to Leesburg (about 30 miles).
- Pass Rt-7 exits and take Rt-267 (Dulles Greenway Toll Road) East Follow Toll Road to Rt-28 south towards Centreville (about 12 miles - $2 toll) [Alternative: Take Rt-15 South to Rt-7 East to Rt-28 South, then follow directions below.)
- Follow Rt-28 south (cross I-66 and Rt-29), then make a left onto New Braddock Road - just past a multiplex theatre (about 10 miles)
- Go 1.5 miles and turn right into West Braddock Park. Rugby pitch is on left.
Directions from Germantown:
- Take I-270 south to I-495 towards Virginia.
- Take I-66 west to Rt-28 south.
- Follow Rt-28 south (crossRt-29), then make a left onto New Braddock Road - just past a multiplex theatre (about 2 miles)
- Go 1.5 miles and turn right into West Braddock Park. Rugby pitch is on left.
Guess Who’s Going to the Beach?
Posted: 08/10/01
Yes it’s almost time for the Atlantic Cup - next weekend (August 18th/19th) to be precise. All of the information about where and when is already on the page. The players that have committed to be part of the squad so far are: -
Coach: Jim Ford.
Social Director: Brian Taormina.
Forwards: Tom Angel, John Astill, Jeff Carrington, Derald Dudley, Josh Ditsky, Al Goetz, Art Hall, Chad Ogden, Julian Reading, Mike Tucci, John Webber, Jeff Wishmyer.
Tory Ireland - SUN, Jay Reeder - SUN, Mike Taylor - SUN.
Backs: Howard Ausden, Alex Burgess, Gary Burgess, Irvin Martin, Mike Moloney, Fain Moran, Kenny Orndoff, Scott Shackleford, Scott Wade. Steve Schleupner - SUN.
It’s still not too late to join in the fun but contact me quickly (jreading@erols.com).
ATLANTIC CUP TOURNAMENT 2001 - Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August
Posted: 07/17/01
With the last Sevens tournament coming up this weekend, it’s time to look forward to the Fall 2001 Fifteens season. Our first matches are in the Atlantic Cup Tournament in Lewes, DE close to Rehoboth Beach (north of Ocean City). This is one of Frederick Rugby’s traditional season kick-off tournaments. If you haven’t attended yet, come this year. If you’ve been before you know that it is a fun time in a great location. The format will be two matches on Saturday and up to two matches on Sunday (single elimination). The tournament is about 2 ½ hours from Frederick and we have 4 “group” hotel rooms booked for Friday night (17th) and Saturday night (18th). These rooms are for players traveling alone and should hold at least 4 people. The total cost of the weekend is $80 (that’s two night’s hotel cost) with no additional tournament entry fee. If you want to reserve a place in one of the rugby rooms please e-mail me ASAP (jreading@erols.com).
If you would like to bring your family or share a room with another couple there are rooms left ($160 per night - that includes tax) or you are free to make your own arrangements.
This tournament is like any tour; there are two real goals to be met. Yes one goal is to play rugby and work in our new players but another important goal is to have some fun and build up team spirit. Do whatever is necessary to make the tournament. You won’t need to take any vacation days (we travel up after work on Friday) and we will be back in Frederick by 6:00pm Sunday. Please let me know if you are in (jreading@erols.com).
| ATLANTIC CUP TOURNAMENT |
| When: |
Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August 2001 |
| Where: |
Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes, DE (near Rehoboth Beach, DE) |
| Format: |
2 matches Saturday, 2 matches Sunday 22min halves. (EVERYBODY PLAYS) |
| Hotel: |
4 rooms reserved under Julian Reading for Friday 19th and Saturday 20th.
Comfort Inn Rehoboth Beach
4439 SR 1
Rehoboth Beach, DE
(302)-226-1515
Cost (based on 4 per room) is $40 per night. |
Directions to Hotel [Map to Fields/Hotel]:
- Take I-70 East towards Baltimore.
- Take Exit 87A Rt-29 South to Columbia/Washington.
- Take Exit 22 MD-100E to Glen Burnie, go SE.
- Take Exit 13A-B I-97 to Annapolis.
- Take Rt-50 east towards Annapolis/Bay Bridge.
- Keep on Rt-50 after the bridge.
- Turn left on Rt-404.
- Turn right on US-9/SR-404.
- Turn right on Rt-1 (Coastal Hwy). Hotel is 3 miles on left.
- Do a U-turn on Old Landing Road.
- Turn Right on Wolf Neck Road.
- Turn Right on E. Atlantic Circle.
Directions to Tournament:
- Take Rt-1 to Rt-9.
- Take Rt-9 north towards Lewes/Cape Henlopen Ferry.
- Pass the ferry terminal and you will run into the State park.
Slug 7s Facts and Directions
Posted: 07/15/01
Rocky Gorge will be hosting the 11th Slug 7s this Saturday (July 21st) and
Frederick has entered a team in the Premier Division. We need as many
people available as possible - a few guys can only make part of the day and
a few others are definitely not available. This is the last 7s tournament
that Frederick will be attending - so come out and have some fun. After the
showing at Boo-Daddy's last Saturday, we have the potential to field a
strong side.
First match of the tournament is 9:00am. I do not know when Frederick's
first match is but I will pass that information on as soon as I get it. The
tournament is in Laurel, MD about 90 minutes from Frederick. If we have to
play at 9:00am we will leave 7th Street at 7:00am (so let's hope our match
isn't until later!).
Hope to see everyone there. If you don't want to play, just come along and
support!
Directions to Slug Sevens - Saturday July 21st 2001
- Take I-70 east to Rt-29
- Take Rt-29 south to Rt-32
- Take Rt-32 east to I-95 south toward Washington, DC
- Exit at Rt-198 west towards Burtonsville.
- Take a right at the second light onto Bond Mill Road.
- Go several miles until the road ends. Turn right onto Brooklyn Bridge Road
- Pitch is ½ mile on the left, park alongside the road.
Pat O'Connell Memorial Trophy
Posted: 07/10/01
Prior to the Pig Roast Golf Classic, Allen Byrne sold some golf balls that
he had acquired from his company, American Power Conversion. Thanks to the
generosity of the golfers to what was really a bargain, he managed to raise
$110.00 which will go towards the purchase of The Pat O'Connell Memorial
Trophy. This trophy will be awarded annually to the person associated with
FRFC who best epitomizes the qualities that Pat brought to the club.
Further collections will be taken up throughout the season, so be generous
as we separate you from your money!
Beer Garden at Baker Park Fourth of July Celebration
Posted: 07/10/01
In what turned out to be a wet day in more ways than one, FRFC, in a
stalwart effort that was not short of volunteers, raised $744.50 for the
clubs general coffers. This comprised of $300.00 that we were paid to run
the beer garden for the event committee and $444.50 that was extorted from
customers in the form of tips. The tip gathering effort was spearheaded by
Jamie (Trash Talking) Romano and Brian (Smooth Talking) Taormina. A special
mention has to go to John Astill, who, for a $2.00 surcharge, braved the
downpour to fetch beer for those huddling under the tent. (The idea of a
Brit fetching beer for his American cousins on the Fourth of July was not
lost on some of us.) The event committee member responsible for the beer
gardens indicated that we had doubled the amount of tips taken by the group
that ran the beer garden last year.
If it hadn't rained so much we would have broken the $1,000.00 mark. The
good news is that we will have first option on the beer garden for next year
when we will know what to expect. We will organize this as an annual fund
raiser and public relations thing for the club.
We thank all those that contributed in any way, especially Chuck Bare who
obtained the franchise from the event organizers.
Boo Daddy 7s Info
Posted: 06/28/01
What: Western Suburbs RFC "Boo Daddy 7's Rugby Harlotfest 2K1 and Outdoor
Barbeque"
When: July 14th, 2001. Registration will begin at 9 am. Teams will be
computer-generated (were not kidding) at 10 am.
Where: Ben Lomond Park, Manassas, VA
Western Suburbs invites you to attend the "2001 Boo Daddy 7's Rugby
Harlotfest and Outdoor Barbecue" to be held on July 14th, 2001 at Ben Lomond
Park in Manassas, Virginia. (Directions below.)
Individual registration will begin at 9 am with teams to be
computer-generated (we're not kidding... this is Northern Virginia, after
all) at 10 am. The entry fee will be $25 per person, which includes entry
into the tournament and the post-tourney Outdoor Barbecue to be held at the
pitch. There will also be a "Social Entry" of $15 per person for those who
just want to come out and party the day away.
This year's party will be held in conjunction with the Nova Women's
Ruggerfest, which will take place on the same day. This should prove to be
the biggest and best Boo Daddy 7's yet!
Directions to Ben Lomond Park (about an hour from Frederick)
- Take I-270 South to I-495 towards Virginia.
- Take Route 66 West (away from DC)
- Take Route 234 South (*Business*), (You will see signs for Splashdown Waterpark - follow them.) Look for the Taco Bell on your left (Bull Run Shopping Center will be on your right) At the light is Sudley Manor Road, turn left.
- Follow Sudley Road (go straight through the stop sign) for 5 or 6 miles till it comes to a dead end. Turn Left. (You will see signs for Splashdown Waterpark - follow them.)
- Once you enter, Ben Lomond Park is on the left.
Pig Roast Saturday 30th June, 2:30pm 'til late
Posted: 06/27/01
For the few of you that have either forgotten or didn't know, this Saturday
is the Frederick Rugby Pig Roast. This isn't a fundraiser, it's a party to
catch up with your Club mates and plot for the Fall season. It's a great
opportunity to gang up on those guys that really should be part of the team,
but just can't commit - great peer pressure event. It's also a lot of fun
with beer and pig and fun and games. Everyone is welcome, wives,
girlfriends, buddies, potential recruits or potential sponsors.
Here are the details. Starts Saturday 30th June at 2:30pm at Al's ranch in
Frederick. Cost is $10 per person (just to cover the kegs and pig).
Directions:
- Take Rt-15 to Rosemont North/West (away from Frederick towards Ft. Detrick). Rosemont becomes Yellow Springs Road.
- Pass Whittier (Christophers Crossing). Go about 1/2 a mile and turn left onto Rocky Springs Road (it's a very small sign!)
- Go about 1/2 a mile and take your first right onto Indian Springs Road.
- Al's house is on the left 8568 Indian Springs Road.
FRFC to Operate Beer Garden at 4th of July Celebration
Posted: 06/18/01
Through the valiant efforts of Chuck Bare, FRFC has managed to obtain the
rights to operate a sanctioned beer garden in Baker Park on the 4th of
July. (Julian, that's when the Americans celebrate the fact that they
kicked the Brits out!) Frederick City runs a 4th of July celebration in
Baker Park that attracts several thousand visitors and it is an all-day
music and party event. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited
except in the beer gardens where it must be purchased.
What this means is that we run a beer garden which is already provided with
a beer truck and beer. We have to supply the people to dispense beer, check
ID's and generally keep order. For our efforts, the club gets $300.00 plus
all tips. We don't really get free beer but we get to work there for free,
though I suppose we can be inventive in gathering slops. The beer garden
will be located in a prime spot next to the old Frederick Armory.
Chuck and myself will basically run the thing with help from Crome,
Grunwell, Lee Weber and whoever else I can coerce from the Old Boys and
supporters. The garden will be open from 11 am until approx. 9pm which is
fireworks time in Baker Park. I need lots of volunteers though to keep the
beer flowing so whoever can lend a hand for an hour or two please let me
know well in advance the hours that you might be available.
It will be work that comes natural to most of our members. Tap kegs, pour
beers, take money, force tips, keep order, throw out drunks, etc.
We are not officially allowed to advertise FRFC but if we all wear FRFC
gear it would be a great recruitment drive as well as a fund raiser.
Please help! Let me know at the pig roast or contact me.
Allen Byrne
Work. 301 696 9669
Cell. 401 855 3370
Home 301 694 5619
allen.byrne@apcc.com
STAX homecoming as Suburbs added to Fall Schedule
Posted: 06/14/01
One of our remaining schedule TBAs has been filled with an away match against local rivals Western Suburbs (Saturday 25th August). Suburbs have been doing well recently in Territorial Division II South, but due to the north/south divide in MARFU we have not played against them competitively for some time. Just about the last time the two teams met Jeff "Stax" Carrington was part of a Suburbs team that knocked Frederick out of the Mid-Atlantic play-offs. Now he will have a great opportunity to show his many friends at Suburbs what he can do as part of a powerful Frederick pack. Should be a lot of fun for everyone. Western Suburbs have a great reputation as hosts so it should be a fun party afterwards. Western Suburbs play in Centerville, Virginia about 45 minutes from Frederick.
Focus on Sevens
Posted: 06/08/01
For those of you new to the Club, I strongly suggest that you get involved with the summer Sevens program. There are really three main reasons to my mind. Fitness and basic skills can always be improved and believe me, an hour of 4 on 4 touch rugby accomplishes both of these goals but with the fun of competition thrown in. The second is that space is so obvious and big in Sevens that you can quickly learn how to make it and how to use it. This is great experience for new comers to the game and helps you see and utilize the much smaller spaces available in 15s. The last thing is really the most important. You get to know your teammates and gain the confidence of those all-important selectors! Check out the Sevens Page for more information about practices and tournaments we plan to play.
3rd Annual Frederick Rugby Pig Roast Golf Classic,
Saturday June 30th 2001
Posted: 06/08/01
All the information concerning this year's pig roast is on the "3rd Annual FRFC Pig Roast Golf Classic" page.
Fall 2001 League Schedule Released
Posted: 06/08/01
As soon as the word was received from USA Rugby that the current divisional structure was to stay the same, MARFU set up the fall schedules. MARFU will be organized into two Championship Divisions (North and South) and two Territorial Divisions (North and South) and then Division III below that. Once again, Championship Divisions will be made up of Superleague teams, Division I teams and some Division II teams. The Territorial Divisions are all Division II teams.
Championship Division North
- Philadelphia-Whitemarsh (Superleague)
- Baltimore (Division I)
- Maryland Exiles (Division I)
- Schuylkill River (Division I)
- Brandywine (Division II)
- Frederick (Division II)
- Media (Division II)
The league schedule is fixed and Match Secretary Eric Kretzer is filling in the TBAs even as you read this. For our schedule thus far, go to the Schedule section. I think that it’s a pretty fair program with (shock, horror) home matches! The away matches are towards Philadelphia or Washington, DC so that will also make a change. Frederick will have the chance to see how we measure up against the returning National representatives Brandywine and Schuylkill River as well as having our friends from Media come to us. We play Baltimore at home (so we miss the concrete pitch this season) and who knows, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh might actual show up for the scheduled match this season. We have filled one “friendly” match against Rocky Gorge and are all paid up for the Atlantic Cup Tournament in August.
Let me quickly clarify promotion, relegation and the MARFU play-offs in Spring 2002. The bottom Division II team in our bracket (Brandywine, Frederick or Media) will play a challenge match against the top team in Territorial North on November 10th. A win or a draw will avoid relegation. A similar procedure will occur in the South. Regardless of this play-off match the three Division II teams in Championship Division North and the four Division II teams in Championship Division South (Norfolk, Severn River, Raleigh and Washington Irish) along with at least the top teams in Territorial North and Territorial South will be in the competition. The actual format is not clear as of yet. For all the fixtures and teams visit the “links” page, click on MARFU and select “Fall 2001 15s”.
England v USA to be televised
Posted: 06/08/01
England is currently touring Canada and the USA. The top 18 players in England are with the British and Irish Lions in Australia but the next 37 are in North America. Although the team is young, a few have already proven themselves this year and the rest are eager to impress the English Management. The first match against Canada was a tough victory for England 22 - 10 with a second test to be played on Saturday 9th June. England then travel to California to play the USA on Saturday 16th June. This match will be shown live on FoxSportsWorld and will be shown on Channel 35 in Frederick at 12:00 noon on Wednesday 20th June.
USA Scraps Plans to Modify Divisions
Posted: 06/08/01
Well, after months of plotting and planning, USA Rugby gave up on plans to rework the National Leagues/Divisions. Looking from the outside it seemed like a few Clubs were vocal but most were pretty indifferent to the whole idea. The structure was really aimed at Division I, promoting a few to the Superleague and calling that Premier Division I and redistricting the rest into Premier Division II. Surprise, surprise most of the current Division I teams didn’t want to be called Division II - I guess it’s all in a name! HA! HA!
The bottom line for Frederick is that we are still in Division II nationally and regionally, the only change that you will see to any familiar Clubs is that Schuylkill River have opted to play in National Division I (and therefore MARFU Division I) based presumably on their strong showing in the National Division II Tournament this year.
USA National Rugby 2001 Competition Results
Posted: 06/08/01
Last weekend (June 2nd/3rd) saw the new champions crowned in Division Division II and I. For full brackets and scores go to USARugby.org and click on “competitions”. The Superleague Championship will be played June 9th between OMBAC and Aspen.
National Division II Final-4:
Woodlands (West #1) 18
Fort Worth (West #3) 15 Woodlands 42
Milwaukee 35
Milwaukee (Midw #1) 10
Fresno (Pac #2) 7
Note: Milwaukee were a Division I team and (unfortunately for Frederick) “loaned’ a lot of their players to Division II Wisconsin in 1998 when Frederick lost to Wisconsin in the Final 16 - 8. Woodlands beat Brandywine in the Elite-8 so that would rank Brandywine as #5 in the USA this year. Schuylkill River ended up with a #14 ranking. This should be enough to maintain the two MARFU seeds for next year.
National Division I Final-4:
San Mateo 20
Palmer 16
San Mateo 22
NYAC 10
Chicago Griffs 0
NYAC 19
Note: NOVA crashed out early and ended up with a #14 ranking.
Huge Summer for Rugby on TV
Posted: 05/10/01
This summer is packed full of rugby and for those of you without Fox Sports
World a fair amount will be shown on Home Team Sports (Channel 35 in
Frederick).
Right now the Super-12 is entering the Final-4 stage. For information on
this tournament which pitches the best teams from South Africa, Australia
and New Zealand into a hotly contested championship go to www.rugbyrugby.com
Super-12 Semi Finals played on 5/19/01, aired on HTS Wed 5/23/01 12:00 noon
Super-12 Final played on 5/26/01, aired on HTS Wed 5/30/01 12:00 noon
In June the European Cup Final is played between Leicester from England and
Stade Francais from France. Aired on HTS Wednesday 6/6/01 12:00 noon.
Also in June are a number of "warm-up" Internationals as the Southern
Hemisphere teams prepare for their Tri-Nations tournament and the World
Champion Australian Wallabies get ready for the British and Irish Lions.
The Lions are an All-Star team formed by the players from England, Wales,
Scotland and Ireland. In addition to several warm-up matches the Lions roar
into three Test matches with the Wallabies.
Lions Test #1: Played 6/30/01 aired on HTS Wednesday 7/4/01 12:00 noon
Lions Test #2: Played 7/7/01 aired on HTS Wednesday 7/11/01 12:00 noon
Lions Test #3: Played 7/14/01 aired on HTS Wednesday 7/18/01 12:00 noon.
The first Tri-Nations matches should be aired on HTS Wednesday 7/11/01 12:00
noon. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the game and I'm sure
we'll fit in a few Lions parties along the way!
What the @$%& is going on with our league restructuring?
Posted: 05/10/01
Well for the few of you who don't know, our league will be restructured once
again. The good thing will be the removal of the SuperLeague teams and I'm
quietly confident that the back-to-back trips to Raleigh will be a thing of
the past. However our regional league can not be set-up until a National
Premier Division is constructed. For all the inside scoop on this go to
www.usarugby.org/proposal/ or read the earlier posting below concerning the restructuring.
National Championship Results
Posted: 05/10/01
OK so we are the bridesmaids ths year, but if you are interested in how our
regional Division I (NOVA) and Division II (Brandywine and Schuylkill River)
teams fair in the National Championships go to
www.usarugby.org/competitions/index.html
Baltimore "Rites of Spring" Tournament, May 12-13
Posted: 05/09/01
The tournament will be at Baltimore's regular University of Baltimore
fields, using the top field and the two bottom fields.
Directions:
- Take I-70 East to Baltimore
- Take I-695 North to Towson
- Then take I-83 South to Northern Parkway West.
- Follow Northern Parkway about one-half mile and turn right onto Greenspring Avenue (Greenspring is actually a light, but you want to take the little side turn that is about 20 feet before the light or you will miss the next turn).
- IMMEDIATELY (it is almost a U-turn) turn right again onto Enslow Avenue. The game pitch is about 500 yards down this road on the right side.
Clubs Participating:
Div I:
Maryland Exiles
Hibernians
Frederick
Media
Rugby Pegli I Delphini
Washington Irish
Monmouth
|
Div II:
Village Lions
Baltimore 'B'
Morris
Severn River
Towson University
Rochester Colonials
Rocky Gorge
Washington Irish 'B'
West Potomac
North Penn
|
Women:
Rutgers
Chesapeake
Drexel
Monmouth
Village Lions
Brandywine
|
Old Boys:
Baltimore
Wild Geese
Village Lions
Rocky Gorge
Washington
|
Match Times:
Saturday
10:00am - Frederick v Italian team
2:00pm - Frederick v MD Exiles
Please get to Baltimore close to 9:00am (if you want to carpool we will
leave 7th Street at 8:00am).
Sunday
TBD
News From Around MARFU
Posted: 04/30/01
In the MARFU Division I play-off NOVA beat the Maryland Exiles 26 - 24. NOVA is seeded #15 in the sweet-16 and plays San Jose (#2).
In Division II the #1 MARFU seed (Brandywine) travels to Fort Worth, TX to play against #9 Boca Raton and then probably West #1 (the #1 seed). The #2 MARFU seed (Schuylkill River) travels to New Haven, CT to play Newport (#6) then probably So Cal #1 (the #3 seed).
You can keep up with the progress of these teams by logging onto www.usarugby.org and clicking on “tournaments”.
Mid-Atlantic Division II Championship
Posted: 04/26/01
The first round matches are complete and the Final-4 will be hosted by Severn River in Annapolis, MD this weekend (April 28-29). As most of you will appreciate this is a single-elimination play-off with the #1 and #2 seeds both getting berths into the National Division II Sweet-16. Basically this means reaching the Final by winning our next match against Brandywine. Although Frederick has not exactly set the world on fire this season, early results now mean nothing; the slate has been wiped clean. The underdog role is one that Frederick has always held and as a player I like this situation. If you can, make the matches as a player or supporter. Play-offs are a great experience.
Saturday April 21st Saturday April 28th Sunday April 29th
#1: Brandywine Brandywine
#8: Severn River (67-10)
vs.
#4: Raleigh Frederick
#5: Frederick (25-14)
#3: Norfolk Norfolk
#6: Washington-Irish (52-29)
vs.
#2: Media Schuylkill River
#7: Schuylkill River (16-13)
Indiana too much for Hixon's Lake County Squad
Posted: 04/18/01
Lake County traveled to Northwest Indiana, a tougher than expected Division II team. Expectations were high with superstar #10 David Fee back for the weekend (Dave left Lake County in a move to Southern California and currently starts at #10 for DI Back Bay
and is an alternate in the Eagles 7's pool), but Friday night drink and poor attendance threatened to leave LC shy of players for the match. If the aforementioned "star" hadn't shown up at the pitch to continue his alcohol induced vomiting (and play) we would have started all 15 players who traveled, including one rugby virgin from Puerto Rico whose English is so far limited to soccer lingo ... A typical LC travel schedule left us 10 minutes to kit up and loosen the lungs before kick-off. As you can tell, things were looking dim before the opening whistle.
NWI won the toss and elected to kick and from the opening kick-off the pressure was on. County didn't support the ball carriers well in the early going and turned over a lot of ball to a hard rucking Indiana side. The commitment that was lacking in the support game was there in defense though. NWI spent most of the first 20 minutes camped inside LC's 22 but couldn't penetrate the defence or capitalize on the two County penalties, both kicks going wide. After the second missed penalty County began to build well and release the backs into space. Continued lack of support prevented the attacks from being turned into points. Dave Fee's attempted penalty goal from midfield fell just short to keep the scoreline even at 0-0. At this point tempers flared and both County and NWI lost a man to the sin bin for punching. A well played chip ahead by #3 Jon Hixon ("What's he doing in the back line, and kicking!?") and a strong chase forced NWI into their first real error of the half and LC had a chance with a lineout inside the NWI 22. LC was unable to capitalize, and the half ended 0-0.
The second half opened with the best sustained play of the match from Lake County. Good driving runs and improved support led to a scrum just outside the NWI 22 and with a little razzle dazzle #10 Dave Fee split the defense for a try which he converted, LC 7-0. Try scored, Fee realized how hung over and dehydrated he was and had to leave the match, on came the rugby virgin and after some shuffling in the back line on we went. Immediately NWI began to exploit the new alignment through tactical kicking and after bringing on some fresh legs in the backline were able to break through for two unconverted tries LC 7-10. At the critical point of the match County was unable to rise to the challenge. Starting fullback Dave "Chachi" Gradle was lost to injury and LC was a man down. Fitness beginning to flag, missed tackling led to a converted try on a great solo effort from the new NWI wing and the match was beginning to slip away, 7-17. When LC #8 Jason Agostino was sent off for punching a few minutes later the result was out of question and NWI added a final unconverted try just on full time to bring the final score County 7 - NWI 22.
Frederick's Easter Match with Harrisburg to be Televised
Posted: 04/17/01
The Frederick v Harrisburg match will be aired this weekend on Cable
Channel-10. Set your VCRs or ask someone at home to tape it for you.
Air Times
- Saturday, April 21 at 8:00 PM
- Sunday, April 22 at 11:00 AM
Tales From the Windy City
Posted: 04/11/01
Hey there guys. Sorry to hear about the rough trip on Saturday; here's hoping those trump cards will make the difference!
OK - Lake County week 2:
I had to miss the match as Heather's dad was in the hospital due to a heart attack (someone must have explained to him how out of place I am at #9). Fortunately he'll be fine, and it may be just as well that I missed the thumping on Saturday. We traveled to the Chicago Lions expecting to play a mixed B-C-D side as a prelude to their Super League match. Well, the last 2 times out we had thumped their mixed side so you can guess what we got. The Lions fielded a very strong B-side against County, looking to re-establish the order of things and they did. Forward dominance by the Lions kept County going backwards all day. Niggling injuries forced some new Lake County backs into the first 15 with the result that the few real scoring opportunities went awry through dropped balls out wide; two of which resulted in long scoring runs for the Lions. A very windy day kept both sides from kicking too much but the Lions always seemed happy with ball in hand anyway. Final score Lions 36 (6T, 3C) - County 0.
This week we're looking to regroup and travel well to a scrappy Northwest Indiana side.
Hope the "Baker Park" project goes well! Remind the younger guys that Zulus in the Park can have unforeseen consequences ...
Cheers,
Jon
English John's College Rugby Adventure
Posted: 04/05/01
"English" John Astill is finishing up his Masters at Johns Hopkins University. When they invited him to take part in a college rugby tournament in Duke last weekend (Sat 31st March), all accommodations etc paid for, he figured he'd give it a go. Here's a rugby tale from English John.
"The rugby weekend was a blast, and also very event filled. Saturday we had three games. We had a lot of inexperienced players and didn't expect too much. The first game was played against Tuck. We played well and came out on top. This set us up for our second game against an English team from Cranfield. We expected a drubbing, but beat them well. We had Juan from Washington at #8 and he destroyed their back line. It was an exciting win, and I was able to get out of the front row and into the back row for this game. The third game was against University of Texas. Hopkins had been beaten by them the previous year and wanted revenge. We put out a lot of rookies for the first half and it showed. UT went up 14-0. A lot of changes at the half saw us dominate, but were unable to pull back 17-11. A UT player broke his leg blocking a kick and the match was shortened.
2 and 1 was more than we expected from the first day. We got the #8 seed and drew SMU the following day. It was English rugby. The field was a mud pit. I reverted back to the front row and found that propping against someone the size of heavy does not make for a fun day. We had lost our fly half and hooker to injuries and were really depleted. Hopkins controlled the game from the off and we ran away with it. The winner was to play Smurfit from Ireland. They were the reigning champs and had not had a point scored on them all weekend. We could only muster 13 players due to injuries and we had to forfeit. Shortly after the tournament was abandoned due to bad weather. The sad news of the weekend was a referee dying of a heart attack on the field, a Scottish referee called Ian Catto.
A new guy called Max is interested in coming to Frederick. He is a 230lb ex-wrestler. He played well in the front row especially as he had never played before."
Killer Scrum Half Starts Season with a Score
Posted: 04/03/01
Jon Hixon's Lake County Rugby Club posted a win in their first match of the season this past Saturday in Chicago. Here's his match report:
County opened up our Spring season Saturday March 31st against a Green Bay Celtics club that we lost to pretty handily last spring. They traveled pretty lightly so there was only one side, but we won 29-11.
The first half was dominated by our forward pack and we touched down three tries (one by yours truly off a lineout drive) and converted two, to 2 penalties. The second half saw a lot of tired ruggers and the penalty count went through the roof (although I don't think we matched your first half count!) Our back line finally found some room to run out wide and we scored 2 more unconverted tries; lack of fitness accounted for a last minute try to Green Bay. Final score Lake County 29, Green Bay 11.
Our referee really had a lot of trouble with the new tackle law, very inconsistent in his interpretation. Could make for a long season if this keeps up ...
Best of luck in Raleigh and try to keep a few surprises up you sleeve for the playoffs!!!
Cheers,
Jon
Congratulations Mount Saint Mary's Rugby
Posted: 04/02/01
The Mount took part in the Mid-Atlantic Division II Collegiate Final-4 this weekend. A strong show on Saturday saw the Mount move past St. Joseph's of Philadelphia 35 -20 while Salisbury won the other semi-final. On the Sunday the weather deteriorated to a freezing rain and the day went to Salisbury's bigger pack.
Congratulations to Coach Don Briggs and all the players and supporters of the Mount Saint Mary's rugby program. Frederick Rugby is very proud of the links between our Clubs and we look forward to following the future successes of this strong college program.
FRFC Web Site is Ball's Out! "Site of the Month"
Posted: 04/02/01
The Club's site was awarded "March 2001 Site of the Month" by Ball's Out! Check it out.
So What’s All This About a New National Rugby League Structure?
Posted: 03/27/01
As you all know, this season has been “interesting” as the Division I teams and the upper Division II teams were placed in the Championship Division. There were some good things that came out of it such as the accelerated learning for new players, but there was also the down side of a few more injuries than normal and a losing record for the first time in Frederick Rugby’s history.
This was an interim solution while the National Office was designing a new structure for league rugby in America. Well, the new format is about to be launched and I have the details for you here:
In simple terms it’s a lot like the English divisional structure. There will be a Premier Division I (currently called the Super League) and a Premier Division II (which will be comprised of the Division I teams, some Super League B-sides and a few Division II teams). Below this system will be National Division I (currently Division II) and National Division II (currently Division III).
Premier Division I will be the equivalent of a semi-pro rugby circus. There are currently 16 teams in this division but the division will be expanded to 20 over the next 2 years. These Clubs will be flying between matches and so need to be big and have a lot of money.
Premier Division II will be comprised of 10 conferences containing 66 teams. The teams will play round robin within their conference and also play a few out-of-conference matches (like the NFL). These Clubs will have to fly to a maximum of 3 matches per season so don’t need quite as much money. The 10 conference winners and 6 next best will play in a National Sweet-16 tournament each year.
National Division I will be run like Division II is run currently, through the local unions and territories. This division will contain 124 clubs. There will be territorial play-offs and a National Sweet-16 each year. Clubs are all within driving distance until the Sweet-16.
National Division II will run as Division III currently.
Frederick will be in National Division I in the 2001/2002 season and all the teams that you can name from Division II will also be in our division. In the 2002/2003 season a Premier Division III will be formed. This will be composed of 60 clubs, the bottom 16 Premier Division II teams and the top 44 National Division I Clubs in the country and will be based on conferences like Premier Division II. Frederick could be asked to move into this division. There would then be full systems of promotion and relegation between all divisions.
Just FYI, here is the local Premier Division II conference (as of Fall 2001).
They will play 6 games round robin and 4 games out of conference each season.
Baltimore -Chesapeake
Maryland Exiles
NOVA
PAC ‘B’
Pittsburgh City
Pittsburgh Harlequins
Washington ‘B’
MARFU Championship Division Results from Saturday 3rd March
Posted: 03/06/01
While Frederick was beating the daylights out of each other at 7th Street last Saturday there were some important Championship division matches being played. The key match up was NOVA v Raleigh as it was unclear who would win after NOVA’s fall to Norfolk one week earlier. Here are the results (home side first).
Norfolk 0, PAC 58
Raleigh 8, NOVA 20
Media 10, Philadelphia-Whitemarsh 21
Brandywine 0, Washington 29
For all the scores and league standings, go to the “links section" and click on “MARFU”.
Fundraiser
Posted: 03/06/01
Tobin’s coupon book fundraiser is about to end. That means he needs the money from the books that you have sold. Please help him out. Remember, he is an armed policeman!
Savannah Rugby Tour
Posted: 03/06/01
Everything you wanted to know about the Savannah trip, but were afraid to ask, is on the Savannah Tour page.
Julian's Old Rugby Club
Posted: 02/27/01
I was pretty psyched the other day to stumble across the web page of my old rugby club in England, Dorking RFC. The web page isn’t that great and their results are pretty mixed, but if you are interested in what an English rugby club is like check it out (www.dorkingrugbyclub.co.uk). By the way, the club runs four sides, has a junior section a women’s section and is something like National division 8 or 9.
Dues, Dues, Dues!!
Posted: 02/20/01
Just a reminder, to play rugby in the USA costs a fair amount of money. We need to pay for referees and beer at our home parties, but also need to pay the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (our Territory) and the Potomac Rugby Union (our local area union) to be able to play in divisional and championship matches. There are also the costs of replacing jerseys, touch flags, cones, practice and match balls, the contact pads you hit and a whole range of incidental stuff like that. Each player is responsible for paying Club dues. If you are brand new to the Club, your first season’s dues are $45. For the rest of us, our dues are $85 per season. Also (though just about everyone has taken care of this additional fee) to be registered with the USARFU you need to pay your CIPP dues, which are $25 for the calendar year. If you are not sure that you are registered just go to www.usarugby.org/cipp/usacipp.php click on “submit query”, type in “Frederick” and click. To register with USARFU just talk to me (Julian). To pay your Club dues please talk to Stu. Now I appreciate that Treasurer “Big” Stu Levine is a mere shadow of his former self, but believe me he can still inflict some pain on those players that habitually forget to pay their dues, so please take care of this responsibility early.
What are we fighting for?
Posted: 02/12/01
After chatting with some of Frederick’s new players after Thursday’s practice, I thought it would be a good idea to outline what league competitions we are in this spring. Although Frederick did not fair well in the fall, we are currently ranked #5 in Mid-Atlantic Division II. The top 8 teams will take part in a knockout competition (the Mid-Atlantic Championship) starting on Saturday April 21st. Between then and now we have three more league matches against Philadelphia-Whitemarsh, Norfolk and Raleigh (see schedule). We also have a host of “friendly” matches. Our immediate goal should be to gain the #4 rank, which would give us home field advantage in the tournament first round. To do this we need to win two of the three remaining league matches. If we progress to the Mid-Atlantic final, we would qualify to take part in the National Division II Sweet-16 tournament. The first round is split between Texas and Connecticut, the Final-4 will be held in Chicago, Illinois. I hope that this gives you all something to work towards. Reaching the National Division II Final in 1998 was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it to all of you new to the Club.
In Search of Frederick Old Boys
Posted: 02/12/01
One of the things that you soon notice about Frederick Rugby is that a lot of people pass through the Club. Unfortunately some of these teammates seem to fall off the face of the earth. We would really like to try and get back in touch with as many former players and supporters as possible and find out how things are going and see if you have any news to share with old friends. I tracked down a few and I think you will find their stories pretty interesting. If you would like to pass on some news, just e-mail me (Julian) and we will update your friends here at Frederick Rugby.
Jon Hixon came to Frederick via the University of Delaware back in the very early days of the Club. There are many stories that feature Jon (but we won’t go there!). While with Frederick at the 1998 Div II National Sweet-16 in Chicago he met Heather. Jon moved out to Chicago got married and the happy couple are expecting their first baby around May. Jon wanted to keep playing rugby but wasn’t interested in commuting into Chicago so has taken on the roles of field secretary; selector and Captain with his local team Lake County RFC (http://www.lakecountyrugby.com). Founded in 1991 the Club has qualified for the Midwest Division III championships this year. Believe it or not, after playing prop, lock and flanker, he is now a try-scoring machine at #9!!
James “Doc” Oliverio was posted to Fort Detrick around 1995 and was instantly installed as Frederick’s team surgeon and Martini mixer (often at the same time!). The high jinks of our mad center pair of Doc and Jack Weathers in Atlanta during Life College tours will forever make me smile. Doc moved down to El Paso, Texas to finish of his surgeon training and continues to keep his wife Antoinette bare foot and pregnant (judging by their Christmas cards!). Doc is a center with the El Paso Scorpions (www.scorpionsrugby.com) who dominate in the Rio Grande Union Division I, but have to travel through the Gentlemen of Aspen to reach the Nationals. The team has recently joined Major League Rugby and with the school load lightening, Doc should be able to commit more to the program in 2001.
Mike “Scully” Stull, one of our many Salisbury State ruggers, is still an active member of Frederick Rugby but is temporarily working on a Bechtel project in Connecticut. While up there Scully is playing fullback, wing or scrum half with the Hartford Wanderers (www.hartfordwanderers.org) a New England Division I Club that has to go through the powerhouses of Met New York (such as NYAC and Lansdowne) in their Northeast region. Things should be improving for the Club in 2001 with the recruitment of Dr. Steven Leach the former Coach of UCONN.
Sevens World Cup
Posted: 01/29/01
After three days of battle in Argentina, there is a new Sevens World Champion. For all the information and results check out the Sevens page. How do you think the US Eagles did? Find out what the USA and England have in common (hint - it might be Spain). Was Jonah Lomu a factor (when isn’t he a factor)?
Warning: Referees will crack down on pads and scrumcaps this season
Posted: 01/29/01
If you normally wear a scrumcap or pads, you are going to have to buy new IRB marked equipment. The pads that Frederick bought last season are now illegal (go figure). If you want to get together on a group order, I (Julian) can get pads for $47 (normally $57) and scrumcaps for about the same. If you figure on a 10-day turn around you will need to order this stuff within two weeks if you want to wear it against Philadelphia-Whitemarsh.
Mount Saint Mary’s Rugby Clinic - Great Success
Posted: 01/29/01
Close to 70 collegiate rugby players attended Coach Don Briggs’ Rugby Clinic on Saturday, January 27th. Coach John Redmond (MARFU) and Coach Jim Ford (Frederick Rugby) ran the morning session, which consisted of fundamental passing and moves along with a number of New Zealand grid drills. In the afternoon several players from Washington RFC (including Roger Evans and Tom Evans - no relation!) worked on lineouts with the forwards and constructed basic moves with the backs. Coach Mike Flanagan (Navy) ran the final session focusing on the lead/scrape defense. Thanks to Jaime Barnes for helping out with the Mount Saint Mary’s ladies program and to all the participants.
Gold’s Gym
Posted: 01/29/01
If you get a minute check out the “Our Sponsor and Friends” section on the home page. Our Club President Dan Makosy owns the Frederick Gold’s Gym. Gold’s sponsors the Club by taking out (and paying for) commercials on our televised matches and by providing off-season training programs. Please show your support for Dan by joining Gold’s Gym. The rates are very reasonable ($30 per month) and there is no initiation fee. For more information call (301) 698-GOLD.
USA Rugby Releases Venues for National Sweet-16:
Posted: 01/22/01
The Division II National Sweet-16 competition (May 12th-13th) will be split between Fort Worth, Texas and New Haven, Connecticut as in 2000. This time however, the Mid-Atlantic seeds will travel to different venues.
The Pools:
Fort Worth, Texas (www.fortworthrugby.com)
Pool A:
- (#1) West 1 v (#16) Northeast 3
- (#8) Mid-Atlantic 1 v (#9) South 1
Pool B:
- (#7) So. Cal 2 v (#10) West 2
- (#2) Midwest 1 v (#15) Pacific 2
New Haven, Connecticut (www.nhrugby.com)
Pool C:
- (#3) So. Cal 1 v (#14) Midwest 3
- (#6) Northeast 1 v (#11) Mid-Atlantic 2
Pool D:
- (#5) Midwest 2 v (#12) Northeast 2
- (#6) Pacific 1 v (#13) West 3
The National Division II Final-4 will be held in Rockford, Illinois (June 2nd-3rd).
Winner A v Winner D
Winner B v Winner C
To give you an idea of the leading Division II Clubs from these territories, here is the Elite-8 as they finished in 2000.
#1: Fort Worth (West)
#2: Grand Rapids (Midwest)
#3: Riverside (So. Cal)
#4: Tacoma Nomads (Pacific)
#5: Las Vegas (So. Cal)
#6: Frederick (Mid-Atlantic)
#7: Buffalo Old Boys (Midwest)
#8: New Haven (Northeast)
More on Banquet 2001
Posted: 01/15/01
The banquet was a huge success this year. The 70 plus in attendance included some old boys from out of town. Jon Hixon was in from Chicago, Mike “Scully” Stull in from Connecticut along with Pat O’Connell, Radar and his wife Elisabeth up from North Carolina. Allen Byrne (Fall 2000 Best Supporter) brought along a table of folks from the old countries with Tommy Grunwell there to keep them in line. Guest speaker Kevin Fraser did a great job, kept it positive, short and gave us an insight into the woman’s place in old South Africa! Another surprise attendee was newcomer Jamie Hugh (Fall 2000 B-side Best Back). Unfortunately for us, Jamie had moved to Miami to attend university one week earlier and we had presented him with his award at Krug’s. So it was a very pleasant surprise to see him back in Frederick so soon. Mike Tucci (Fall 2000 B-side Best Forward) left his magic red shoes at home but decided to come casual. I’m sorry but if you listen to the advice from a guy called “Little Dog” - you really only have yourself to blame! Retiring Coach Lance French presented Kenny Orndoff (Fall 2000 A-side Best Back) with the Coach’s Award (a treasured Cherry Blossom jersey) and new Head Coach Jim Ford gave a short motivational speech that fired up a resting Ron Hemby. Thanks to President Dan “Moo” Makosy for making everything run so smoothly. The report wouldn’t be complete without a run down of the winners of the “Jamie and Pete Awards” presented by Jamie Romano and Pete Karacki (Fall 2000 Best New Guy).
| Jamie and Pete Award Winners |
Art Hall
Julian Reading
Darren “Dancing Bear” McCauslin
Mike Tucci and Dareld “Dud” Dudley
Mike “Muscles from Brussels” Depry
George “Geep” Sipe
Eric “The Claw” Aldinger
Al Goetz
Mike “Iggy” Moloney
Mike “Tool-Time” Taylor
Chad Ogden and Jaime Barnes
Scott “Little Dog” Shackleford
Lance French
Jamie Romano |
Bloody Boot Award
Only Englishman on the Team Award
Owning Chickens Award
Most Dramatic Kiss
Most Surprised Opponent Award
Soft Head Award
Nice Attempt to Play Award
How Can He Still Be Playing Award
The Little Train That Could Award
Best Spectator Award
Battle of the Sexes Award
Team Partier Award
Foreign Professional Recruiter Award
Dirty Dancer Award |
Law Clarifications for Spring 2001
Posted: 01/15/01
1: Cavalry Charge
A Cavalry Charge is unlawful within 10 meters of the opponents' goal line. However, a team that is awarded a penalty may move the mark back more than 10 meters making the Cavalry Charge lawful.
2: Wheeled Scrums
An intentional wheel is legal if a prop out pushes his opponent. However, if the wheel was caused by one prop pulling the opposing prop it is dangerous and will be penalized.
3: Players' Clothing
Shoulder pads and scrumcaps worn by players must bear the authorized mark of the IRB. If your current equipment does not have this mark on it, the referee will not permit you to wear it. If you wear boots with ridges/blades these must be rubber (not rubber and plastic). If they have sharp edges, the referee will not permit you to wear them (just as with regular cleats).
Buzz McClain
Secretary
Potomac Society of Rugby Football Referees
buzzmc@prodigy.net
A Letter from the President of USA Rugby
Addressing Major League Rugby and the New National League Structure
Posted: 01/15/01
I received a letter sent to all Major League Rugby (MLR) teams from the Director of USA Rugby recently that sheds some light on the new national league system. It is a little long-winded but I thought you might find it interesting.
January 9, 2001
All Clubs Participating in Major League Rugby,
USA Rugby is in receipt of your correspondence crafted by Major League Rugby (MLR), and signed by each of you. I would like to take this opportunity to formally respond to the issues identified in your letter.
USA Rugby is committed to developing a rational and integrated system of competition that addresses the different competitive requirements of all member clubs and which provides a coherent avenue of promotion and relegation within the tiers of competition (Premier League, Division I and II). For this reason, USA Rugby is not prepared to recognize or sanction MLR.
[Continue]
Banquet 2001 - Great Success!
Posted: 01/08/01
Well, after all the planning and hard work the banquet was a great success and I can relax for another year! Many thanks to Vice President John Fox for working with the Red Horse, Davis DJs and for getting Yeungling on tap! Also to Treasurer Stu Levine for being so flexible with member payment plans (or complete lack thereof) and to President Dan Makosy for making the evening run smoothly.
Thanks Tommy Grunwell for saying, “Grace” and to our South African friend Kevin Fraser for his words of wisdom.
A full report (including the Jamie & Pete awards) will appear on the page in about a week, until then here is a list of the Fall 2000 Frederick Rugby award winners.
| Fall 2000 FRFC Award Winners |
Best Supporter:
Best New Guy:
Unsung Hero:
Most Improved:
B-side Best Back:
B-side Best Forward:
B-side MVP:
A-side Best Back:
A-side Best Forward:
A-side MVP:
Coach’s Award: |
Allen Byrne
Pete Karacki
Al Goetz
Vince Baker
Jamie Hugh
Mike Tucci
Darren McCauslin
Kenny Orndoff
Jeff Carrington
Art Hall
Kenny Orndoff |
Frederick Easter Rugby Fest
Posted: 04/10/01
This Saturday (April 14th) sees Frederick hosting Harrisburg for two matches at Baker Park. This is (believe it or not) our only home game of the spring so I think that we should blow the event up into a festival and get as many people involved as possible. We should have a fair number of regular players but it would be great to see some of our “Old Boys” bring their boots along and grab some time on the B-side. Everyone is welcome so try to stop on by. We have a lot of new guys on the Club this year so get to know them! You have to figure that with names like “Dog”, “Band-Camp”, “Arizona”, “Quick-Draw”, “Muscles”, “Piggy” and “Tucci” (well maybe not Tucci), they are an interesting group! First match kicks-off at 1:00pm, second at 2:30pm with the party at Krug’s Place on East Street to follow. [See below for more info on the match.]
Frederick Rugby has a Home Match!!
Posted: 03/27/01
This has been a strange spring season with so much traveling and the loss of our Fort Detrick Rugby Pitch. However, we do have a home game and it’s coming up soon, April 14th (Easter Saturday). The match will be played in Baker Park by the bell tower. The visitors for this friendly rugby match are Harrisburg, PA. The A-side kick-off is 1:00pm, the B-side to follow at 2:30pm. The party will be at Krug’s Place (906 East Street) directly following. Do your best to get your friends and family to come and see the game. Baker Park is a great venue. Who knows, we might even impress a sponsor or recruit some more players!
I need some help setting up the field Friday April 13th (Friday the 13th does sound a little ominous!). This should not take too long - probably 4:00pm to 6:30pm. Tory will help mark out the dimensions with his transit then it’s just a case of spray painting the lines and getting some posts set up. Just bring a beer and a good attitude and we’ll get it taken care of easily. Note: The Claw is excused from painting duties!!
Frederick Secure #5 Seed in Mid-Atlantic Play-Offs
Posted: 03/27/01
The Mid-Atlantic (MARFU) Elite-8 competition is all but set in stone after this weekend’s results:
Norfolk 27, Frederick 18
Raleigh 31, Baltimore-Chesapeake 12
With only one league match left to play the seedings are just about set. There is an outside chance that Raleigh and Norfolk could switch places, but that would entail Baltimore-Chesapeake beating Norfolk at home, which looks unlikely. Frederick has definitely won the #5 seed and will travel away to most likely Raleigh, NC on Saturday April 21st. Obviously the fact that our last league match is against the same Raleigh squad in two weekend’s time makes for an interesting scenario.
Here are the pairings for the Mid Atlantic Territorial Division II Elite-8 to be played at the higher seed venue on Saturday April 21st. This is a single elimination knockout competition. The winners will move on to the MARFU Final-4 at Severn River, Annapolis, Maryland the following weekend.
MARFU Division II Elite-8:
#1: Brandywine v #8: Severn River
#2: Media v #7: Schuylkill River
#3: Norfolk v #6: Washington Irish
#4: Raleigh v #5: Frederick
MARFU Division II Final-4:
Winner 1v8 v winner 4v5
Winner 2v7 v winner 3v6
Directions to Raleigh for April 7th Match
Posted: 04/02/01
We will be traveling south (again) to play two matches against Raleigh, North Carolina this Saturday (April 7th). It's a long way (about 6 hours - 300 miles) so I would suggest that you go at least part of the way down on Friday after work. We do not have hotels booked for this weekend, however Radar has very graciously made room for about 15 to "camp" in his home. We will organize things with hotels when we travel down in two weeks time.
Basics are the same. First match kicks-off at 1:00pm, second match at 2:30pm. Please be at the pitch before 12:00 noon.
Directions from Frederick:
Take I-270 south (27 miles)
Take I-495 south towards Northern Virginia (20 miles)
Take I-95 south towards Richmond (120 miles)
***Do not take I-295 to by-pass Richmond, stay on I-95***
Take I-85 west(exit #51) towards US-460W/Durham/Atlanta (85 miles)
Take Rt-1 south (exit 218) towards Raleigh (30 miles)
Take NC-98/Durham Road west (right) towards Durham (7 miles)
Turn left on Six Forks Road (1.5 miles)
Turn left on Pleasant Union Church Road into Blue Jay Point County Park.
Pitch is on the left.
Rocky Gorge Match Facts and Directions, Saturday 31st March
Posted: 03/26/01
Rocky Gorge and Frederick have been Potomac Rugby Union rivals since the very beginnings of the Club. Although recently Frederick has had the upper hand, Gorge is rebuilding and has a very experienced Coach, Clarence Culpepper (former US National Coach). Rocky Gorge’s strength has always been the ability to take possession away in the tackle and maul. They are very strong and have a very good club atmosphere. This is almost a home game for us, just over an hour away in Laurel, Maryland.
As usual the A-side will kick off at 1:00pm and the B-side at 2:30pm. Please be at the field ready to warm up no later than 12:00 noon. If you would like to carpool, please be at 7th Street BEFORE 10:30am.
Directions from Frederick:
Take I-70 east to Rt-29
Take Rt-29 south to Rt-32
Take Rt-32 east to I-95 south toward Washington, DC
Exit at Rt-198 east
Follow for several miles (through the intersection with Route 1)
Turn right onto Brock Bridge Road
Pitch is ½ mile on the right, alongside the road and next to a church
League Standings and Home Field Advantage
Posted: 02/27/01
As most of you know, the league season continues into the Spring and the postponed match against Philadelphia-Whitemarsh was a league match. Although we may actually get to play this match, chances are that Philly’s Superleague season and our other league matches will preclude this. Although the rules are not set in stone, I’m pretty sure that the MARFU officers will rule that we probably would have lost the match and we will be assigned a league loss. In addition, Norfolk knocked off NOVA last Saturday gaining a league win. I have looked at the league schedule and the standings as of this week and outlined below how we get home field advantage, which team we could play and the other scenarios. These “speculations” are based upon us being assigned a loss verses Philly and winning both of our outstanding league matches.
Current League Standings:
Remember that we need to reach #4 to have home field advantage in the first round.
Team Win Loss
1: Brandywine 6 2
2: Media 5 3
3: Norfolk 3 5
4: Raleigh 2 6
5: Frederick 1 7
6: Washington Irish 0 8
Remaining League Matches and Speculation:
Frederick moves Raleigh moves Norfolk moves
to 3 and 8 to 4 and 7 to 4 and 7
@ Philly LOSS V NOVA WIN V PAC LOSS
@ Norfolk WIN V Baltimore WIN V Frederick LOSS
@ Raleigh WIN V Frederick LOSS V Baltimore WIN
If this scenario takes place Raleigh move to #3 (head to head over Norfolk), Norfolk moves to #4 and hosts #5 Frederick in the first round. If Raleigh loses to either NOVA or Baltimore, #4 Frederick will host #5 Raleigh in the first round. If Norfolk loses to Baltimore, #4 Frederick will host #5 Norfolk in the first round. Bottom line, we must win both of our matches and we’ll see where the other guys end up!
Frederick Rugby Fundraiser.
Posted: 01/08/01
Tobin Triebel (with assistance from Chris Sipe) is trying to raise money for the Club with a fundraiser. It’s a very simple project. We have 300 coupon books with discounts to Frederick stores, restaurants etc. Each booklet costs $10 but has several $100 dollars in coupons. If every player can sell 5 to 10 of these books, we will take care of our responsibility and raise a considerable amount of money that we can put towards Club expenses.
Please see Tobin or Chris at practice and do your part. The coupon books will be at every practice (until they are gone!).
Directions to Norfolk Saturday 24th March
Posted: 03/20/01
Frederick travels to Norfolk, VA for a league match this Saturday. There
will be two matches, the first kicks off at 1:00pm the second at 2:30pm.
Everyone needs to be at the field (Lafayette Park, Norfolk) before 12:00
noon ready to play. This field is about 4.5 hours away, if you want to
carpool be at 7th Street BEFORE 7:30am (that means we will leave at 7:30am
so please don't be late).
Directions from Frederick:
I-270 south to I-495 south towards VA
Take I-495 to I-95 south towards Richmond
Take I-95 south to I-295 south
Take I-295 south to I-64
Take I-64 east towards Norfolk
Cross the Hampton Roads bridge tunnel
Go to Exit 276 (Granby Street/I-564/Terminal Blvd)
Bear left to stay on Granby Street
Go for 3 miles, cross a bridge (bear left to stay on Granby Street)
Turn left at the second light (38th Street)
Lafayette Park is on your immediate right
Severn River Match Facts and Directions
Posted: 03/06/01
Finally, we get to play a rugby match this spring! The opposition is Severn River, a local Potomac Rugby Union adversary in Annapolis, MD. Severn River have also qualified for the Mid-Atlantic Division II play-offs this year through winning Division II south last fall. They will be seeded 7th or 8th. Through the early part of the 1990’s Severn was Frederick’s nemesis. We finally got the upper hand in 1994 beating them in the MARFU Final and going to Florida for the Nationals. There was also a demolition of Severn in the Washington Irish Tournament Final a year or two later. This team is never easy to beat in league play. It is a local derby match with a lot of history and a little bit of bad blood. Come prepared for a tough “friendly” match on Saturday! You can check out Severn River’s web page by going to the “schedule section”.
The first match will kick-off at 1:00pm, the second match will follow at 2:30pm. This means that you should be at Severn River with your kit on (rugby boots, black rugby shorts and black rugby socks) before 12:00 noon. A-side referee is Kevin Eagar. If you wish to carpool, please be at 7th Street before 10:00am. This will give us 90 minutes to get to Annapolis and 30 minutes to change. If you are traveling directly, please see the directions below.
Directions to Severn River:
Take I-70 East to Rt-29
Take Rt-29 South (Columbia/Washington) to Rt-100
Take Rt-100 East to Glenn Burnie
Take Rt-2/Ritchie Highway South towards the Bay Bridge
Turn left onto Jones Station Road (Amoco and Crown gas stations on corner)
Go left behind the Crown gas station (Manhattan Beach Road)
Pitch is 1/2 mile on left (American Legion Post 175)
Total distance is 67 miles please figure on 90 minutes travel time.
When is a Home Game Not a Home Game?
Posted: 02/27/01
Unfortunately, the answer to this is when Frederick hosts Severn River on Saturday 10th March. Just after everyone had signed and submitted their waivers to access Fort Detrick, I was informed that due to excavation, our field was no longer available. Over the last three weeks I have tried every possible alternative to keep the match in Frederick. Coach Don Briggs at the Mount tried to get us access to their field, but insurance liability denied us that. Coach Jim Ford worked his contacts at Frederick County and Montgomery County, but couldn’t get a field released in time. Fortunately, Coach Steve Quigg at Severn River has offered us access to their pitch so we get the match, but it’s in Annapolis.
Our other home matches in April (April 14th definitely and April 21st if we secure home field advantage) will be held at Baker Park (thanks to the work of Vice President John Fox).
The long term situation looks very good for us with Frederick Rugby and Frederick Lacrosse working together to develop a pitch off Rocky Springs Road that will be available in the Spring 2002 season (possibly Fall 2001), once again through John Fox. The Fall 2001 season will need a little work but I can handle that (with the help of some friends).
You can get an idea of where the Severn River pitch is by going to the schedule page, actual directions will be sent out next week.
Happy Birthday Coach!
Posted: 02/20/01
Just thought that you would be interested to know that Coach Jim Ford celebrates his 50th birthday this Thursday (February 22nd). We’ll be sure to join in the festivities at Krug’s after practice (around 8:45pm) and secretly hope that Jim will soften with age (but I seriously doubt it!!). You can send your best wishes directly to the Coach through the Contacts page.
Rugby Mini-Camp Saturday 17th February (Outside!!)
Posted: 02/05/01
Well we all knew that it had to happen eventually. Try to ignore the 4 inches of snow on the ground right now - I understand that by the 17th the temperature will be close to 70F! (Well maybe there’s some wishful thinking in there). The reality is that our first league match is rapidly approaching, Saturday February 24th against Superleague team Philadelphia-Whitemarsh. This team will not be a push over so we need to get our act together before we travel.
The session will be held at 7th Street in Frederick starting at 10:30am and running to 12:30pm. It is important to get there early to warm-up, stretch and make the practice effective and worthwhile. These practices are a lot of fun if we have 30 or so players attending, they get pretty dire if the numbers are low - so please commit to the program and drag out a friend or two.
We will be outside at 7th Street the following Tuesday (February 20th) starting at 7:00pm and running to 8:30pm. For current training information please check out the training page.
Rugby Clinic Mount Saint Mary’s College.
The Mount Saint Mary’s Rugby Club will be holding their 2nd Annual Rugby Clinic on Saturday January 27th from 8:30am to 4:30pm. All are welcome to attend, cost is $10 which includes lunch. At the moment there are around 100 players attending from George Washington University, American University and both the men’s and women’s Mount Saint Mary’s squads. This is a great way to get another day of fitness and skills training in during the off-season and helps to foster good links with these collegiate programs and Frederick Rugby.
The schedule for the Clinic is as follows: -
8:00am - 8:30am
8:30am - 11:00am
11:00am - 12:00pm
12:00pm - 1:00pm
1:00pm - 2:00pm
2:00pm - 4:30pm |
Registration
Session I:
Session II:
Lunch
Session III:
Session IV: |
Jim Ford. Coach Frederick Rugby;
Mitch Bernstein. Coach Washington
John Redmond. Coach PAC
John Redmond. Coach PAC
Mike Flanagan. Coach Navy |
Please bring shoes and clothes for indoor and outdoor work. For more information please contact Mount Saint Mary’s Rugby Coach Don Briggs (tepeyac@erols.com).
Directions to Mount Saint Mary’s Rugby Clinic:
- Take Rt-15 north to Emmitsburg
- Turn left into the main entrance for Mount Saint Mary’s College
- Take your first left and follow the road for about 1 mile
- Park by the old gymnasium
- Gymnasium entrance is on the mountain side
Frederick Rugby Club Winter Banquet
January 6, 2001
The Winter Banquet is a big part of the Frederick Rugby Tradition. The banquet will be held at the Red Horse Steakhouse (Rt. 15, Rt. 40 intersection) on Saturday January 6 starting at 7:00p.m. and running to around midnight. Cost is $30 per person (wives, girlfriends, and potential recruits are very welcome). The banquet includes dinner (prime rib, chicken, etc.), beer (cash bar for other stuff), player awards, and DJ. A reservation for 70 has been made. Please get your tickets ASAP so that you don't miss out. Make the check out to FRFC and mail c/o Julian Reading, 1509 Scott's Chase Drive, Frederick, MD 21702.
Well, for those of you with rugby withdrawal we are entering a Sevens Tournament (The Maryland Exiles’ Turkey Trot) on Saturday November 24th. This is a fun tournament and the idea is to get a lot of people out so that we can all play a couple of matches and drink a few beers. The format is like last year, single division straight up Hong Kong (now that sounds pretty technical!) The bottom line is that we will play a match or two then based on wins and losses will be moved to the Cup (best teams), Plate (medium teams) or Bowl (not such great teams). This way we will get to play against teams of a similar caliber. As always with Sevens Tournaments the worst part is getting up early enough for the first match. Our first match will be at 9:30am, the venue (Avenal Park in Potomac, MD) is about an hour from Frederick (maybe a little less if you know where you are going) and you probably need to factor in 30 mins for a last cigarette, to find your boots or to warm-up. If you want to carpool, let’s leave the 7th Street parking lot at 8:00am.
