Spring Schedule

After a lot of hard work Eric Kretzer has set our Spring schedule. These days with Superleague matches, regional Play-Offs and most Clubs electing new Match Secretaries over Christmas, Spring schedules are difficult to organize. Coach Redmond requested two things, quality matches for the Club and a minimum of two matches a weekend (to ensure that both last season’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ players get the opportunity to impress). I think the schedule achieves these two requests. Also, the season doesn’t start too early and we have almost all home matches (away fixtures in DC and Baltimore are just about home and we need at least one trip to Philly for the Frog Pond and Cheese Steaks!!). The Schedule is made of 4 parts. The first has 3 Saturdays at Ft. Detrick for practices and scrimmages on our Full-size pitch. Then we go to Savannah with 1 squad of 24 then to Washington Irish’s Tournament in DC with 2 squads of 20. Tournaments give players and the Coach the chance to work with different combinations to see what side matches best with a particular opponent. However - they can be misleading because they are short (20-30 minute halves). That is why we need the second part of the season. We go away to the Div III Champs Media (3/28), then host a mini-Tournament at Ft. Detrick (4/4). The format for April 4th will be as follows:- Frederick ‘A’ v PAC ‘B’, Gorge ‘A’ v NOVA ‘B’, Frederick ‘B’ v PAC ‘C’ and Frederick ‘C’ v Gorge ‘B’. Now this will require a morning start but promises a lot of rugby. The following week we travel to Div I Baltimore. We should by this point have an idea of the units we have available in our Club and be used to playing full 80 minute matches against good opposition. Part 3 is the MARFU Div II Tournament which starts on April 14th when we host Virginia. It will conclude on Sunday April 26th when we win the MARFU Final. Only one team goes on to the Nationals. Part 4 of the season is the National Div II Tournament. Right now details are fuzzy and the schedule is full of TBA to allow us flexibility. This is an exciting season to be a member of Frederick RFC. If we commit to working for this, it could be the greatest season of our Club’s history. Bring it on!!!

The Frederick pre-season tour to the Savannah St Patrick’s Day Tournament is very close. The Club will rent 3 mini-vans, and leave from Seventh Street at 8:00am on Friday 13th March. The drive is about 10 hours so will get to Savannah Friday evening. The hotel is the HoJo in downtown Savannah (I’ll give out the phone number closer to the time). We have 4 rooms reserved, unfortunately the hotel is now fully booked. We will play 2 matches on Saturday and 1 or 2 on Sunday. We will leave Savannah around 9:00am on Monday 16th March and get back into Frederick early evening. If there are details that I have left out, I should be able to answer them at practice. The cost (based on 24 players traveling), is $125:00. This includes van rental and hotel accommodation. This is definitely an economy tour, but it is a really good Tournament. Please check the list of players below. These guys have committed to travel. If you are on this list but do NOT want to go, tell me now. If you are not on this list but DO want to go, tell me now.

In order to play rugby this season everyone must be registered with USA Rugby. This is termed CIPP registration. If you are a new player to Frederick RFC you must be registered and play in two matches to gain eligibility to be part of the MARFU Play-off squad. If you want to play in Savannah or the Washington Irish Tournament - you also need to be CIPP registered. I have everyone’s forms. The easiest way to register is to phone me with your Credit Card info - next best is to mail or give me a check for $17 (made out to USA Rugby). This one time registration is good for all of 1998. Contact Julian Reading. (301) 662-2599. 1417 Key Parkway E #C4, Frederick, MD 21702.

As the season begins, bills are due and the Club account needs some income!! Please pay your dues now. If you are not going to Savannah - please pay now. If you can manage to fit your dues into your February budget - please pay now. Club Dues are the same as last year $85 for an established player, $40 for a new recruit. Please give cash or check made out to FRFC to Stu Levine, JT or Julian. We have prepaid most of our bills with money generated last season but need extra for the St Patrick’s Day Tournament ($550 for two teams). Also Savannah people, I need that $125. Please get it to me. Thanks, Julian.

Our one and only Coach Redmond took the MARFU All-Star Sevens squad to Tempe Arizona in January (that Coaching job must be hell!!). The squad did well but currently the West coast is enjoying an influx of South Pacific Islanders (many with Eagle credentials) and the power of these teams is somewhat overwhelming. MARFU beat out a strong Mid-West side to place third, after falling to Pacific Coast (#1) and Southern California (#2). John was assisted by Will "Wheels" Brewington in the role of Manager and JT in an undefined role that got him a trip to somewhere warm. (See story and photo in January’s Rugby Magazine).

For those of you unfamiliar with Rugby Magazine, it is the only monthly rugby newspaper in the USA. It has a distribution of approx. 10,000 and costs $32 for a year’s subscription. Each year Rugby Magazine publishes a Nationwide Regional ranking (see Jan edition). In our Territory, the Mid-Atlantic (MARFU), there are 6 Div I teams, 17 Div II teams and 18 Div III teams. Six voters ranked the teams in our region, results below:-

1 NOVA I 59

2 Washington I 54

3 PAC I 49

4 MD Exiles I 42

5 P.Whitemarsh I 35

7 Raleigh II 19

8 Norfolk II 13

8 Baltimore I 13

10 South Jersey I 12

We have 3 Saturday practices before Savannah. They will be held at Ft.Detrick starting at 11:00am (be warmed-up and ready to go). This gives us a full pitch with Goal posts for and the rest of us get a chance to enjoy the wide open spaces. These are mandatory practices, if you can’t make them please call

H-(301) 595-0747.

Last season, we started to get into the routine of watching ‘A’-side match films with the Coach to recognize strengths and weaknesses. Talking personally, there is nothing quite as humbling as watching yourself make an error of judgment on film, five times!! But it is very useful. This season, we want to extend this to the ‘B’-side as well. All we need is an extra battery and the commitment of players to turn up to the sessions. These are held directly after Tues practice in the back room of OTT.

JT is organizing this tournament and needs help raising sponsors. Please help him out - this will earn money for the Club and help make the event a success. See next page for full details of this Tournament. Call JT for more info (301) 424-3162 or talk to him at practice.

Check out the web page (courtesy of John and Sharon Astill). Lots of photos, schedule, contact information etc. The page is already working for us. We have a young American soldier, currently playing Div I in Germany relocating to Frederick this summer and an English Club wants to tour here next Spring!

Please take the time to welcome our new players. Here are a few; Dana Giarla (Prop from Blacksburg), Phillip Lewis (Football with Damascus), Rob Shuster (Center Combined Services), Nick Grosso (Second Row PAC), Joe Mathew (Hooker/winger [just like Tool!!], Upstate New York), Mitch Djurickovic (scrum half Frostburg), Will ‘Wheels’ Brewington (MD Exiles and Eagles - whatever position he wants!)