James will give us updates through the weekend. MARFU, ranked #3 in the top tier of men’s teams face the #2 seed Midwest at 1:00pm on Friday. On the other side of the bracket #1 seed Pacific face #4 seed West at 2:45pm.

The winners meet in the championship final on Sunday December 4th at 1:45pm with the losers playing in the consolation match earlier in the day.

Obviously we wish James and MARFU the very best.

Reports:
• MARFU Diary Day 1: Friday December 2nd
• MARFU Diary Wrap-up: December 3rd - 4th

Karaoke Prizes were awarded to...

Chad Ogden: Best Performance for his rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” (Editor's note: Song choice was not that of the crooner's, but the performance was spectacular!)
Troy Bartley: Most Likely to Get Cut from American Idol with his version of Johnny Cash’s a “Boy Named Sue” (Editor's note: On the evening, the Cash favorite was slaughtered three separate times by Troy!)

Others were definitely deserving, from Natalie and "My Humps" to Dave Crome's unexpected performance to the Bok's "I need a hero!"

We also had three Poker Prize winners; Best hand, 2nd best hand and worst hand. I’m not sure who they were or how much they won but Ill figure it out and have it posted. Many thanks go to Doc and Insley, both of whom did most of the work for this event. Also thanks to all those that par took of the silliness and helped raise a few bucks for the club.   Cheers   -Dud

The actual coaches for each session have yet to be announced. Please check back with the web site for updates.

The clinic costs $10 per player. Lunch will be available in the college cafeteria (costs about $5). For more information on the clinic please contact Mount Saint Mary’s Head Coach Don Briggs (tepeyac@adelphia.net).

Clinic Schedule:
• 8:00am – 8:30am: Registration and Warm-up
• 8:30am – 10:00am: Coaching Session 1
• 10:00am – 11:30am: Coaching Session 2
• 11:45am – 12:45pm: Lunch
• 12:30pm – 3:00pm: Coaching Session 3

Directions to Mount Saint Mary’s College:
(25 minutes north of Frederick)
• Take Rt-15 north to Emmitsburg
• Turn left into the main College campus
• Take your first left and follow signs to the gymnasium
• Use any of the nearby parking areas.

Last year's event was a tremendous success and a helluva lot of fun. Had to be some 50 Santas/elfs/snowmen/reindeer rocking the night away in true Christmas fashion..................do you have enough Christmas spirit to be Mr. Big. How about Mrs. Big. Maybe an elf or reindeer is your speed. If so...then this night is for you!!!!!!!

When: Saturday December 10th, 2005
Where: The fine city bars of Frederick, MD
Details: Santa's Endless Crawling will begin @ the Canal Bar (49 S. Market St. 301.620.9898) @ 8:00 pm. For a $5.00 donation upon arrival, each and every Santa will receive entrance to all of our touring stops as well as varied drink specials from each of Fredericks fine establishments. All proceeds will benefit the Frederick Soup Kitchen. (Fun and helping.....what more do you want?) How Can I Be Santa: Just close your eyes and think of Christmas past. Dream of the joy of the holiday season......then drive yourself over to the Target/Wal-Mart nearest to you and buy yourself a suit. Give yourself the gift that keeps on giving.......It's Christmas Baby.......You know you wanna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRU -
I am pleased to announce the schedule for this year's Senior Men's All-Star XV program. The coach will once again be Bernie Hogan, and I will be managing the program again. We will have two open practices that will serve as both training sessions and trials. These sessions will be held on Sunday, October 23, and Sunday, October 30. Times and locations will be announced at a later date. On Sunday, November 6, the PRU will meet the EPRU and the VRU at the Local Area Union Tournament, also held in the D.C. Area. This LAU tournament will be one of the main selection vehicles for the MARFU team that will travel to Orlando for the National All-Star Championships in December.

Please share this information far and wide with club players. Any interested players should stay tuned to the listserve for more information, or contact me directly to ensure that they receive further information as it is available.

Lindy Birch
PRU Manager
202-299-7968
LBinDC@hotmail.com
marfu@hotmail.com

PRU Men's XV Schedule
• Sunday Oct. 23 - Open PRU trial/training session - Washington, DC
• Sunday Oct. 30 - Open PRU trial/training session - Washington, DC
• Sunday, Nov. 6 - Local Area Union (PRU, VRU, EPRU) Tournament - Washington, DC
• Saturday Nov. 12 MARFU Training session - Washington, DC
• Sunday Nov. 13 - MARFU @ Ambassador's Shield, Washington, D.C. - Hyde School
• Saturday Nov. 19 - MARFU Training session - Philadelphia, P.A.
• Sunday Nov. 20 - MARFU v. Northeast Rugby Union - Monmouth, NJ
• Nov. 30 - Dec. 4 - MARFU at National All-Star Championships - Orlando, FL
All exact locations and times will be available at a later date.

We are taking a bus to Richmond – I really do not want anyone traveling independently – this is a club thing and as well as being an easy way to travel we will have a lot of fun on the way home with Rookie shows and the like.

The bus will be at 7th Street at 7:30am – please do not be late – you can sleep on the bus! We will be back in Frederick before 10:00pm.

Cost is $35 a person (basically the cost of gas for you to drive down and back) – that money needs to be in Lou’s hands Tuesday (or Thursday if you have made arrangements with Lou).

We need 35 people on the bus – players, buddies anyone and everyone are welcome. I want us to travel strong and secure two wins – let’s keep up the momentum.

If you have friends in the Richmond area that would like to meet up with us please see the directions below.

Directions to Dorey Park: 7200 Dorey Park Dr., Richmond, VA 23225
• Take I-95 South towards Richmond.
• Take I-295 just north of Richmond to by-pas the city, take I-64 West.
• Take I-64 to the Laburnum Avenue (exit #195).
• Turn South on Laburnum. If coming from the West, bear right off the exit. Turn left if coming from East.
• Go approximately 4 miles, crossing Williamsburg Rd. and passing the Nabisco Plant on the right.
• Turn left onto Darbytown Road and continue for ~1.5 miles.
• The entrance to Dorey Park is on the right and our pitch is to the right as you enter the park.

INFO FROM LOU

We will be traveling to Richmond in style. We have secured a bus for the trip and we will be departing 7th street @ 7:30am and returning @ 10:00pm. The cost will be $35 per traveler (payment due at practice) and will cover the ride, a keg of beer & entertainment.

What entertainment you ask...... the annual rookie show, and boy do we have a ton of rookies. All rookies will be charged with keeping the team entertained through individual performances at the front of the bus. You can tell jokes, sing songs or even wear a dress (oh yes, it's been done before). Those who are unprepared and fail to entertain at a level commensurate with the high water mark of previous years will be severally punished.

We are building some very nice momentum as a club this season and are primed for some great accomplishments. Activities like the bus trip must not be underestimated as a vehicle for generating cohesion, unity, chemistry, etc... Practice and matches aren't necessarily the best times to get to know our new mates and have them become a part of Frederick Rugby. I know that at practice I just focus on smashing Tucci as hard as I can and don't have time to talk to the new guys. These are the times to welcome our new brothers and a time for you new guys to establish your personalities and place within the family, so I encourage everyone to be a part of the bus trip and motivate those around you to do the same.

Let me know if you will be on the bus and please pay early.       -Lou

We usually leave after work on Friday and meet up in the bars in Dewey (more information will be sent out closer to the time).

Hotel Information:
SEA ESTA IV:
3101 Highway One
Dewey Beach, DE. 19971
(302) 227-5882
Four rooms reserved under Julian Reading (#52623)

Directions to Hotel
(150 miles, 2.5 to 3 hours – depending on traffic)

• 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 (need to bear right to stay on Rt-50 and avoid Rt-301).
• Turn left on Rt-404.
• Stay on Rt-404/Rt-9 through Bridgeville and Georgetown (follow directions to Rehoboth and Lewes/Cape May Ferry).
• Turn right on Rt-1 (Coastal Hwy).
• Hotel is 6 miles in Dewey Beach (on right).

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 Cape Henlopen State Park.

Yet, sadly, five days into a Tour that started with such hope and promise, this is all they have left. The three-game exhibition series against the Cuban National Team they were promised in all the way back in February had seemingly evaporated the second they stepped foot on the island on July 2. Read more>>>

All the information is below - please sign up for a slot and let Julian know. If we get full coverage this is very easy and a lot of fun. Having more than the minimum number of people is NOT a bad thing! Helping out for 2-3 hours is easy - I think I did 4 hours last year - so please feel free to sign up for a block! Cheers and thanks for your help with this.

July 4th Beer Garden Fundraiser Basics:
The beer garden will be on Monday July 4th at the usual spot behind the old armory in Baker Park. We start selling at 11:00am and run through 9:00pm or whenever the beer runs out. We are paid $300 by the 4th of July Committee and keep all tips. This has amounted to $500+ in past years.

Staffing Sign Up (one hour shifts, but you can/should do a block of hours):
11:00am - 12:00 noon: 3 people
12:00 noon - 1:00pm: 3 people
1:00pm - 2:00pm: 3 people
2:00pm - 3:00pm: 3 people
3:00pm - 4:00pm: 3 people
4:00pm - 5:00pm: 3 people
5:00pm - 6:00pm: 5 people
6:00pm - 7:00pm: 5 people
7:00pm - 8:00pm: 6 people
8:00pm - 9:00pm: 6 people

Sunday June 5th: Wild Geese v Western Suburbs
Sunday June 19th: Wild Geese v Harrisburg

Matches kick-off at 1:00pm so just get there for around noon. There will be a keg and cookout at the pitch following the game – everyone is encouraged to bring something along.

10132 Woodsboro Road
Woodsboro MD 21798
(Call for directions)
B.Y.O.B and a dish to share.
R.S.V.P.
301-898-7422

Since the MARFU Select Side won both games last year we were moved to the 1st Tier for the 2004 tournament.  In the first game of the weekend, we played the Pacific.  In the first half we went down early but had a great second half, which pulled us level.  With time running out however, we ended up losing by 6 points.  This put us in a must win situation for Sunday's game to stay in the 1st Tier next year.!

The MARFU Developmental Side played its only game on Saturday night against the Mid-West.  It was great getting to play under the lights.  I was the inside center for this match.  It was a fast, hard-hitting game and the rucking was explosive. J.C. Rocha (flanker from PAC) scored our first try from a 20-meter line out in the first 15 minutes.  Billy Weeks (wing from Rocky Gorge) scored our second try 15 minutes later with a break up the left sideline from 30 meters out.  This tied the score at 10-10.  In the second half we got away from our game plan and the match turned into a forwards battle.  The Mid-West forwards were huge, outweighing our pack by at least 15lbs a man.  The second half turned into a defensive battle on our part.  Unfortunately we ended up losing the match 17-10.!

On Sunday afternoon the Select Side played its second match against Southern Cal.  The boys played an incredible 65 minutes, racking up over 40 points.  In the Florida heat they slowed a bit in the last 15 and gave up a few tries.  They solidified their defense and ended up winning with a real nice margin.!

In the tournament final the Pacific won in double overtime.  This was a team that MARFU could have beaten.  With the win against Southern Cal the MARFU side is guaranteed a spot in the 1st Tier again next year.  We definitely will have a shot at winning it all. New head coach Pete Steinberg did a good job. It was a great weekend!

This semester the club will run from 9:30am to 10:45am on the third Wednesday of each month (except January). We run drills and touch sessions (a little less physically than our league warm-ups) either on tennis courts or grass (depending on the weather). The actual dates are listed below.

October 20th
November 17th
December 15th
February 16th
March 16th
April 20th
May 18th

If any of you would like to help out please just e-mail me at jreading@erols.com we will get to Linganore High School around 1:00pm and be out no later than 2:15pm each time.

The location is off Rocky Springs Road, just off Rosemont Avenue (directions below). The park will comprise of a rugby/lacrosse field with an additional baseball diamond and pavilion. Construction will commence in July 2004 with grass seed going down before the winter. Depending upon weather the field will be ready in spring or summer 2005.

Actually having a home pitch will be a great step forward for Frederick Rugby permitting us to run youth and old boys events and bid on the MARFU tournaments. John Fox deserves a lot of credit for sticking with this project and making his “field of dreams” a reality.

Directions to the Walnut Ridge Rugby Pitch:

• Take Rt-15 north to Rosemont Avenue.
• Turn right/west (away from downtown Frederick and towards Ft. Detrick), pass Ft. Detrick on your left and Montevue Road on your right.
• Turn left onto Rocky Springs Road, just before the McDonalds and drive for about ½ a mile (you’ll veer right over a little bridge) on the right is an empty space (you can see a Ryan homes development over the creek behind the field).

Directions to the Whittier Field

• Take Rt-15 north to the Rosemont Avenue exit.
• Turn right (west) off the ramp away from downtown and towards Ft. Detrick.
• Pass the fort and go for about 2 miles.
• Turn left onto Christopher’s Crossing.
• Take your first right and park on the road. The field is on your immediate left, by a pond.

2005 Division II Playoffs
April 16
Game 1	Brandywine (II-N #4) at Norfolk (II-S #1)
Game 2	Doylestown (II-N #3) at Raleigh (II-S #2)
Game 3	Washington Irish (II-S #3) at Media (II-N #2)
Game 4	Frederick (II-S #4) at Lancaster (II-N #1)
April 23-24 - Location TBD
Game 5	Winner of Game 1 v Winner of Game 3
Game 6	Winner of Game 2 v Winner of Game 4
Game 7	Consolation
Game 8	Championship

This facility gives us a huge advantage over most of our divisional rivals and we must make the most of it. That means working this into your “off-season” work out schedules. The time slot is really good and hopefully your families will support you with this.

Forfeitures and Penalties:
A-side: A forfeit will result in a $500 fine being paid to the offended team and the team will be barred from the play-offs. A second forfeit will result in relegation to D3.

B-side: A forfeit will result in a $300 fine being paid to the offended team. A second forfeit will result in a further fine, the team being barred from the play-offs and relegated to D3.

Forfeits will be recorded as a 60 – 0 loss with the offended team collecting 4 league points and the 60 point differential.

Power shift to the EPRU:
In the past the top 3 EPRU teams, the top 2 PRU teams and the top 2 VRU teams progressed to the MARFU Elite-8 along with the next best PRU or VRU team. For the fall 2004 season local area unions are not represented so the top 4 D2 north teams (EPRU) and the top 4 D2 south teams (containing both the VRU and PRU) go through, basically giving the EPRU an extra seed. The Elite-8 play-off is just a straight 1 through 4 from D2 north play against 4 through 1 from D2 south (higher seed holds home field advantage). This is much simpler than the convoluted scheme used for spring 2004.

MARFU Play-off Dates Set:
The Elite-8 play-offs will be held on Saturday April 16th at the home of the higher seed. The Final-4 will be played the following Saturday (April 23rd) and the Final on Sunday April 24th at an as yet to be determined site.

2005 Frederick Rugby House Crawl
When:	February 12th from 2 PM till about 10 PM.
Benefactor:	Benefitting the Sri Lankan Rugby Union and your own social well-being.
Details:	$20.00 donation suggested but not required. The theme, which affects the Music, Fashion and Drinks, is The Rat Pack. Hosts: Derald Dudley, Brian Taormina, Dave Gentzel, Vincent Baker, Jamie Romano, Kelly Fowler and Rose Calas. Here's the Official Map and Crawl Sequence.

The clinic costs $10 per player. Lunch will be available in the college cafeteria (costs about $5). For more information on the clinic please contact Mount Saint Mary’s Head Coach Don Briggs (tepeyac@adelphia.net).

Clinic Schedule:
   8:00am – 8:30am:   Registration and Warm-up
   8:30am – 10:00am:  Passing skills and beating the defender (2-on-1)
                      Julian Reading, Head Coach Frederick RFC
   10:00am – 11:30am: Initiating contact and supporting the ball carrier
                      Scott Delaney, Head Coach Washington Furies
   11:45am – 12:45pm: Lunch
   12:30pm – 3:00pm:  Rugby skills
                      John Redmond, Head Coach MARFU All-Star 7s

Directions to Mount Saint Mary’s College:

• Take Rt-15 north to Emmitsburg.
• Turn left into the main College campus.
• Take your first left and follow signs to the gymnasium.
• Use any of the nearby parking areas. (25 minutes north of Frederick).