USA Club Rugby

[Grant A Cole]

Wild Weekend in NorCal and SoCal D1 Rugby!

 

[Grant A Cole]

24-25 Jan Pick ' Em Panel for 2015 RRRC D1

Big game weekend in Texas as crosstown rivals the Austin Blacks and the Austin Huns face each other at the Blacks' Burr Field. The Huns have never beaten the Blacks in their history. They have made a lot of moves and done much work to make 2015 The Year. The Blacks are just as determined to maintain The Perfecto. Both clubs bring three grades of teams to the derby.

In Dallas, The Reds host New Orleans for a battle that should decide who stays on top until their next meeting in Gretna, LA. Both squads made the National Final Four last year. Both squads have made significant changes to improve this year. The beautiful Lake Highlands Park will spend a few hours as a war zone on Saturday...

 

[Grant A Cole]

RRRC D1 Recap

Dallas Reds 39-3 New Orleans We had early word that the Reds intended to open 2015 with a statement. Indeed, they did. Preventing New Orleans from finding in-goal is not a statement, it is an exclamation point. Will any team catch the Reds napping this year? New Orleans face the Griffins in Allen, tomorrow.

Austin Blacks 28-18 Austin Huns Once again, the Blacks pull out a close win. Burr Field was flooded, so the match was moved to Huns Field. The Huns did not win a single bout in the three match derby. But a close loss should give them hope that the next meeting can see different results.

Dallas Harlequins 55-7 Houston Athletic - Houston traveled poorly. The Quins punished their lack of tackling with speed in the backline. This Division is so closely matched that lack of depth by any team is dealt with severely. Houston learned that lesson today. The loss pushes Houston to the bottom and sets up a real battle between the Quins and the Griffins next week.

 

[Grant A Cole]

RRRC D1 Pick 'Em Panel 31 January Week 3

 

[Grant A Cole]

Scores for the Men's Elite 7s and Penn State Mutual CRC Qualifier divisions of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament are being posted at Real Time Rugby's Facebook Page

 

[Beerfalo]

So how good of quality is the ARP? I know Life and NYAC are two of the biggest and best clubs in America. The name Old Blue is kinda familiar but doesn't stir much up. Then there's Boston and Boston Irish Wolfhounds who the only thing I know about them is they are presumably from Boston. Are there other clubs out East thar could potentially join this competition? A five team contest seems kinda pointless to me, especially with how separated Life is.

 

[Grant A Cole]

So how good of quality is the ARP? I know Life and NYAC are two of the biggest and best clubs in America. The name Old Blue is kinda familiar but doesn't stir much up. Then there's Boston and Boston Irish Wolfhounds who the only thing I know about them is they are presumably from Boston. Are there other clubs out East thar could potentially join this competition? A five team contest seems kinda pointless to me, especially with how separated Life is.

In the coming years, clubs like NYAC & Olympic (San Fran) will get left behind in the premiership rugby hunt. Their overall club charters are not JUST for rugby and limit their scope, severely. They may provide their players with stipends, but when the real money comes knocking, those two will have difficulty staying competitive without wholesale changes within the respective organizations.

Old Blue is a bit more nimble and is concentrating on establishing numerous high-quality technical & strategic coaches in their ranks, as well as mining the country's young talent for gold. Old Blue seems much more diverse and can maintain many more squads to create depth. OB is never a club that you take for granted.

Boston and the Wolfhounds are a bit of a quandry. Curtis Reed at This Is American Rugby seems to have a decent hold on what they possess. They tear up the D1 competition in the NE, but they may take a couple of years to step up to a true Premiership level.

- - - Updated - - -

LVI Day 1 Scores from the Men's Elite 7s and Penn St Mutual CRC Qualifier

LVI Day 1 Men's Elite recap

LVI Day 1 Penn St Mutual CRC Qualifier recap

 

[Grant A Cole]

Red River D1 scores
Austin Blacks 60-13 Dallas Reds (that makes the competition interesting)
Griffins Rugby 22-13 Austin Huns (as close as expected)
New Orleans 18-17 Dallas Harlequins (much closer than expected, but in ****-poor conditions)