The Benefits of Dropping National Championships

No issue is more controversial in American rugby today than the issue of U.S.A. Rugby's role in club rugby. Eamonn Hogan wrote and excellent piece (membership required) on the subject last week for American rugby. In essence he said that while U.S.A. Rugby and club rugby don't often see eye to eye, they need each other to survive. It's in this vein that in my latest article for RugbyRugby I claim that if U.S.A. Rugby were to drop national championships for the high school and club game, they could then put that money to better use by investing in youth development, fundraising efforts, and improving the club game.

World Rugby Weekend Review

Cory Jane and Ma'a Nonu

The Rugby Championship

All eyes were on Buenos Aires this weekend to watch the highly anticipated match-up between New Zealand and hosts Argentina. The All Blacks have been storming through the inaugural edition of The Rugby Championship, while Argentina, despite not posting a win, has played better than expected. However, despite all the story-lines heading into the match, New Zealand emerged dominant. The All Blacks were clinic as they crushed the Pumas 54-15. Argentina did take an early lead after scrumhalf Martin Landajo scored a try in the fifth minute. That lead, however, was only temporary as New Zealand ran in tries by Aaron Smith and Cory Jane sandwiched by a Dan Carter penalty to give the All Blacks a 17-5 lead 23 minutes in. Juan Martin Hernandez hit one penalty back for Argentina before Julian Savea added two tries for the visitors. Dan Carter another penalty before half. In the second half Gonzalo Comacho added a try only be offset by a third Cory Jane. Final: New Zealand 54-15 Argentina. With the victory New Zealand sealed the tournament trophy.

Take the jump for more.

Rugby Weekend: Your Commentary

We're fortunate in America this weekend in that both matches in The Rugby Championship are on at a reasonable time. Plus, their are the regular options on Fox Soccer Plus. If you are watching the matches and you feel like commenting, here's the place.


Friday
• Northampton vs. London Wasps, 5:00 p.m. Et/2:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)
• Connacht vs. Leinster, 6:30 p.m. et/3:30 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)

Saturday
• South Africa vs. Australia, 11:00 a.m. et/8:00 a.m. pt (live of DirectTV)
• Argentina vs. New Zealand, 7:10 p.m. et/4:10 p.m. pt (live on Direct TV)
• Leicester vs. Exeter, 8:00 p.m. et/5:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)
• Ospreys vs. Munster, 10:00 p.m. et/7:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)

Sunday
• Harlequins vs. Saracens, 8:55 a.m. et/5:55 a.m. pt (live on Fox Soccer Plus)

Eagles Depth-Chart: Lock

Today, in our continuing series examining the Eagles depth chart position by position ahead of the autumn internationals, we take a look at the team’s options at lock.

One of the biggest bright spots for the Eagles at last year’s World Cup was the play of their locks John van der Giessen and Hayden Smith. In combination with hookers Phil Thiel and Chris Biller, the U.S. was absolutely dominant in the lineout, both at ensuring they kept possession and in stealing their opponents possession. It wasn’t just against Russia either; the U.S. had success against Italy and Ireland as well. It’s true that van der Giessen and Smith’s scrum work could have been better, but they made up for it in the open field. Van der Giessen especially was active in clearing out players and helping the Eagles kept possession.

However, both have now left the Eagles with van der Giessen retiring and Smith making the high-profile switch to the NFL. Now the big question for the Eagles becomes who is going to replace them? Take the jump to see the options.

Top League Grows, Faces Challenges

Because Eagles captain Todd Clever has been plying his trade in the Japan for the last several years, most Americans are fairly familiar with the Top League. However, it wasn’t until Sonny Bill Williams introduction to the league early this year that people began to really notice. One of the things that has surprised people, including Sonny Bill, is the overall quality of the league. But as I explain in my latest column on RugbyRugby, the league has strong roots and a pedigree of bringing in top players. Still, that doesn’t mean that the league doesn’t have challenges to firmly establishing itself.

Take a look at the article and share what you think.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview & TV

British Isles:

Aviva Premiership

Samu Manoa will start for Northampton as they take on London Wasps today. Paul Emerick is not in the lineup for Wasps.

After missing out last week, Chris Wyles is will resume his place in the starting lineup for Saracens as they play Harlequins on Sunday.

RaboDirect Pro12

Hanno Dirksen will start on the wing for the Ospreys as they play Munster on Saturday.

Tommy Seymour is back in the starting lineup for Glasgow as they play Zebre today. Dave Ryan is not in the lineup for the Italians.

Callum Black will be on the bench as Ulster play Cardiff today.

France:

Top 14

Taku Ngwenya and Biarritz play Bayonne on Sunday.

Scott LaValla will start at flanker for Stade Francais as they play Clermont today.

Pro D2

Roland Suniula and Auch have the weekend off.

Seta Tuilevuka and Beziers have the weekend off.

Inaki Basauri and Tarbes have the weekend off.

Federale 1

Mate Moeakiola and L’Uson will play Lannemezan on Saturday.

New Zealand:

ITM Cup

Eric Fry will start as Manawatu play Taranaki on Saturday.

South Africa:

Currie Cup

Marcel Brache will start once again while JJ Gagiano is not in the lineup for Western Province as they take on Currie Cup top dogs the Golden Lions on Saturday.

Japan:

Top League

Todd Clever and the NTT Shining Arcs have the weekend off.

Anthony Estrella and the Toshiba have the weekend off.

TV:

Friday
• Northampton vs. London Wasps, 5:00 p.m. Et/2:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)
• Connacht vs. Leinster, 6:30 p.m. et/3:30 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)

Saturday
• South Africa vs. Australia, 11:00 a.m. et/8:00 a.m. pt (live of DirectTV)
• Argentina vs. New Zealand, 7:10 p.m. et/4:10 p.m. pt (live on Direct TV)
• Leicester vs. Exeter, 8:00 p.m. et/5:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)
• Ospreys vs. Munster, 10:00 p.m. et/7:00 p.m. pt (delay on Fox Soccer Plus)

Sunday
• Harlequins vs. Saracens, 8:55 a.m. et/5:55 a.m. pt (live on Fox Soccer Plus)

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

College:

The Ivy League is in full swing with a full slate this weekend, including a matchup between up and coming Brown and established Dartmouth.

The Big Ten Universities conference also has their teams going strong this weekend, including the debut of Illinois University in DI-A.

The 2nd leg of the Atlantic Coast Invitations Rugby Sevens Series takes place this weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Similarly, St. Mary's will be hosting a 7's tournament this weekend.

SMU has revamped their programme, hired new coaches, and have come up with a new game plan.

Women:

Vanesha McGee has had surgery on her ankle and will be out at least five weeks. (Membership required)

Rugbymag makes their predictions regarding the Women's Eagles fall roster. (Membership required)

In women's college play this weekend, Penn State host Ohio State in a marquee matchup.

World:

England, New Zealand, and Argentina have all named their teams for next month's Gold Coast 7's.

ESPNScrum's Graham Jenkins heaps praise on Richie McCaw and says that any challenger to his position while on hiatus has a tough task.

Also at ESPNScrum, Tom Hamilton explains how Saracens march to their own beat.

Financial troubles at Perpignan could mean that the club is about to hold a fire-sale with James Hook as the top prize.

It's Friday, so that means there are plenty of weekend previews: Argentina vs. New Zealand, Australia vs. South Africa, and Round 8 of the Currie Cup.

Tidbits: 

Gonzaga Prep in Washington D.C. has long been known for the excellent rugby programme, which makes it curious why it took so long for Hollywood to notice.

Video: IRB Sevens Series Preview

Normally we wouldn't do two videos in one day like this but with the start of the IRB Sevens Series only weeks away, we had to share this excellent video from the IRB to get you pumped up for the season.

Eagles Depth-Chart: Hooker

One of the strongest positions for the Eagles at the last World Cup was hooker. Working in tandem with the Locks, both Chris Biller and Phil Thiel brought much needed consistency to the lineout and enabled to the U.S. to have tremendous success in that area. Now, Biller remains but Thiel has moved on to playing rugby league, leaving an open spot for the taking. So who is going to take that spot? Take the jump to see the possibilities.

Video: Eric Fry Checks In From New Zealand

Eric Fry has been plenty busy down in New Zealand playing for the Manawatu Turbos in the ITM Cup, but he found time to check with TAB Sport. (Skip to 2:13 to see Fry)

Game of the Week: Argentina vs. New Zealand

After a one-week hiatus, The Rugby Championship is back in action with New Zealand traveling to Argentina and Australia visiting South Africa. With all due respect to both the Wallabies and the Springboks, as well as all the other rugby matches taking place this week, the most intriguing match of the weekend has to be New Zealand against Argentina. First, if New Zealand wins the match they will take home The Rugby Championship title. Second, this is Argentina’s first chance to take on the All Blacks at home and if they play as well as they did against South Africa at home, this should be a cracker of a match. New Zealand has never played in an atmosphere like the one they are going to face in Buenos Aries so it will be interesting to see how they react. And finally third, the last match-up between these two teams was a pretty intense affair. The 21-5 score line might have indicated an easy win for the All Blacks, but overall it was a close game with the Pumas taking an early lead. At halftime New Zealand led by a point and it wasn’t until the final 15 minutes that they pulled away.

Who: Argentina vs. New Zealand
What: The Rugby Championship
When: Saturday, September 29th, 7:10 p.m. et/4:10 p.m. pt
Where: Estadio de la Plata, Buenos Aires
Why: Why not?
How: The game will be aired in the U.S. on DirectTV

Rhino Rugby USA Giveaway

Because everyone likes free stuff, I thought I'd pass this along. Rhino Rugby USA is giving away prizes every Tuesday and Thursday. All you have to do is go to their Facebook page and like them to enter.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles:

Paul Emerick got a good run-out with the London Wasps ‘A’ team yesterday against Bath. Alex Goff has quotes from the Eagles centre.

College:

Kevin Battle sat down with Rugbymag to talk about all things college rugby. It’s a fantastic interview and one everyone should read.

The South Independent 7’s are this Saturday it what is likely a two horse race between Life and Arkansas State.

The Florida 7’s Series has been great for college rugby in Florida. One of the teams excelling in the competition is the University of Central Florida.

The Yale Daily News examines rugby, as well as other club sports, in the Ivy League.

Several Swathmore players sat down with their school newspaper to explain rugby and to give more information about rugby on their campus.

Women:

Phaidra Knight is back with her interviews. This time she interviews fellow Eagle Lynelle Kugler.

World:

Dan Carter is back in the All Blacks after missing the last two tests. Conversely, Morne Steyn has been dropped by the Springboks.

The Australian Rugby Union has responded to Quade Cooper’s comments about the Wallabies by essentially saying “no comment.”

Sonny Bill Williams is still struggling to make an impact in Japan both on and off the field.

ESPNScrum’s John Griffiths answers some interesting questions from the world of rugby.

Eagles Depth-Chart: Prop

Starting today we are going to take a look at the Eagles depth chart position by position ahead of the autumn internationals. At the end of our series we’ll predict who we think will make the Eagles touring squad. Today we examine the props.

It’s no secret that the scrum has given the Eagles the most trouble over the last few years and that if they want to move up the Tier II rankings they are going to have to get stronger. While the team showed improvement over the summer, it still has a long way to go if it wants to get results against Tier I teams. The good news is that the Eagles have a pretty deep group of props to choose from, ranging from Americans playing overseas to college players and in between. This group also includes veterans as well as some exciting up and comers. Take the jump to see our list and analysis.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Video Highlights

Because it was a relatively quiet weekend for some Americans overseas there aren't a lot of highlights from the weekend. However, one highlight that is worth watching is JJ Gagiano's debut for Western Province and his teammate Marcel Brache's try, but you'll have to take the jump to see that.

Check out more after the jump.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Apologies for having to miss Opening Kick yesterday. Everything should now be back to normal.

Eagles/7's:

Andrew Suniula is back in the U.S. recovering from injury and helping out the Chicago Griffins at the same time. (Membership required)

Check out this great article from Eammon Hogan about the current struggle between differing points of view in American rugby. (Membership required)

Some members of the 7's team were out at the Pacific Islands festival recently. Dallen Stanford of Paki's Corner has some photos.

College:

College rugby is going to be on television. Sure it may only be a local station, but it will be nonetheless. Here is a preview.

Air Force is up and running. Alex Goff previews their upcoming season.

Despite being a new conference for rugby, the MAC is off to a strong start and is ready for this weekend.

Davenport will receive their DI-AA championship rings this Saturday ahead of their match with Notre Dame.

Club: 

The West-North is set to begin with four teams in Colorado, one in Utah, and one in Kansas City.

World:

Adam Ashley-Cooper has countered earlier comments by Quade Cooper that the Wallabies camp is "toxic" by asserted that the team has a great atmosphere.

The Queensland Reds have also had to respond to Cooper's comments, this time about his potential switch to league.

Argentina have named an unchanged squad for this weekend's meeting with New Zealand.

The RFU and the Aviva Premiership are set to sit down for talks about participation in Europe.

Also in England, Chris Robshaw is set to be retained as captain by Stuart Lancaster.

Spain is set for its first full season on the IRB Sevens Series, while Trinidad and Tobago's coach says the new promotion and relegation format on the Series could open the door for his team and others.

Tidbits:

The U.S.A. Rugby National Development Summit will be held next January. You can register for the event now.

Ruck Off rugby wear is a new apparel brand that is seeking responses from the rugby community.

Breaking Down the Eagles ARC Roster

Anthony Purpura

It's no secret that Eagles head coach Mike Tolkin is building for the future. The roster for the upcoming Americas Rugby Championship features only four players with caps to their names, the rest are either club, college, or newly-emerged players that are looking to make an impact on the Eagles. In my latest article at RugbyRugby I take a look at each player and where they come from. By doing so, I've tried to pinpoint the reasoning behind some of Tolkin's selections and how that might impact the Eagles going forward.

Poll Tuesday: Judging the ARC Roster

Hooray! It’s another Tuesday and that means it’s time for another poll!

Last week we asked you which was your favourite overseas league to follow and once again we got a great response. The winner with 43% of the vote is Super Rugby. That result isn’t really surprising considering that the league is comprised of players from the top three teams in the world. Number two in the poll was the Aviva Premiership with 24% of the vote. The RaboDirect Pro12 came in third with 15% and the Top 14 finished in fourth with 10%. Both the Top League and Other had 3% each. As always, these results are binding forever and ever!

This week we shift gears away from the foreign professional game back to the U.S. national teams, specifically the Eagles Selects. Last week Mike Tolkin named his roster for next month’s Americas Rugby Championship, and it is largely an inexperienced squad. Two of the most experienced members of the team are Derek Asbun and Taylor Mokate who both made their debuts this summer. Other notable names include Miles Craigwell and Volney Rouse. So with those selections in mind, what do you think of roster.

Excellent Choices
Good, not Great
Average
Poor
Who Cares?

Opening Kick

There will be no Opening Kick today.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

Marcel Brache

It was somewhat of an odd weekend for Americans overseas. One the one hand, established players like Chris Wyles and Taku Ngwenya were either not in the lineup or came off the bench for the first time in a long time, while on the other hand, debuts were given to a couple of players like Will Magie and JJ Gagiano. Getting our younger players time on the pitch is always a good thing but hopefully our established players will work their way back into their respective teams as well.  Take the jump to see how all the players did.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles:

One of the young players on the Eagles ARC squad is Zac Mizell. Alex Goff was able to catch up with the Arkansas State back.

Another player called into camp looking to make a statement is Chicago Griffin forward Tim Paulsen, who has experience playing with the Sale Jets.

Who from the ARC squad will make the Eagles Autumn tour? Alex Goff takes a look. (Membership required)

Will Magie was active over the weekend but not for Leeds University. He went on loan to Otley in the National Division 2 North.

Former Eagles 7's head coach Al Caravelli participated in a camp for the Allied Rugby Conference.

Women:

Women's Eagles head coach Pete Steinberg has called in 43 players to a selection camp ahead of the team's Autumn tour of Europe.

With Brown rebuilding, Jackie Finlan says that a new Ivy League champion is likely.

Here is the latest from the weekend's DI women's action.

Club:

One of the best match-ups from the weekend was Life traveling to Glendale to face the Raptors. Life came out with a 40-20 victory.

Buffalo and Old Blue stayed perfect in the Empire with wins over New York and White Plains respectively.

Boston and the Boston Irish Wolfhounds also stayed perfect in New England.

Here is the latest from the Midwest courtesy of Alex Goff, and here is a recap of the Mid-Atlantic.

College:

In Big Ten play, Iowa defeated Nebraska, and Wisconsin beat Minnesota.

Other weekend winners include Bowling Green over Ball State, Albany defeated Boston College, Middlebury over Northeastern, and Ohio over Central Michigan.

World:

The European saga takes another twist as France has been chosen as the host of the 2014 Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cup finals.

Take a look back at the weekend that was in world rugby with our weekend review.

Quade Cooper may be joining Sonny Bill sooner than expected in rugby league after he made comments calling the Wallabies atmosphere "toxic."

It was revealed over the weekend that Richie McCaw is set for a sabbatical. However, unlike some of his teammates, he likely won't be going overseas.

Toulon may be the best team in Europe right now, but that didn't stop Guy Armitage from leaving the club for London Wasps.

Sale are in last place in the Premiership with one point. That has caused them to sack their forwards coach.

With Japan withdrawing from the Shanghai Sevens over the weekend, Hong Kong was able to pick up their first win of the year on the Asian Sevens Series.

Speaking of Japan, Wales will be traveling to the islands next June for two matches.

Could alcohol be banned at IRB Sevens Series events? Unlikely, but an effort is being made to make the game appear more professional.

Tidbits:

Rugbymag has been busy, they've come out with the latest edition of Rugby Magazine, as well as the Ruggamatrix podcast.

The IRB has come out with their latest training tip.

World Rugby Weekend Review

Is there a better team in the Northern Hemisphere than Toulon? Bernard Laporte's team have been high-spenders for the last several years with little to show for their results. That may be changing this year as the team is now six for six on the season after a 33-12 romp over Castres. Matt Giteau, David Smith, and Jean-Charles Orioli all scored tries while Jonny Wilkinson added 18 points with his boot. For more information on the Top 14 and the rest of the action from around the world, take the jump.

Professional Rugby in America: Conclusion

Today, in Part 5 (see Part 1, Part 2A, Part 2B, Part 3, and Part 4 here) of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we wrap up our discussion and take a look at some potential scenarios for a professional competition.

Our series this week only covered a fraction of the variables that make up any potential professional rugby competition here in the United States. For one, the possibility of professional 7’s, which may likely be the first form of rugby in this country to professionalize, was put aside to focus on the XV’s game. That discussion will have to wait for another day. However, what we tried to do was cover a wide variety of topics covering the essentials of any potential competition. If there was an underlying theme to our series is that the potential for professional rugby in America is out there, but it most likely will not be on a world-level scale without significant funds from either U.S.A. Rugby or a wealthy benefactor. Still, fans should have hope. Rugby in this country has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last few years and eventually someone is going to start paying players. It’s only a matter of time.

But if professional rugby were to happen, what form would the competition likely take? Take the jump to find out.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview & TV

It’s set to be a relatively quiet weekend for Americans playing overseas with many Americans, including Taku Ngwenya, taking a spot on the bench. However, there is one debut to discuss. With suspensions and injuries taking a toll on Western Province, JJ Gagiano has been called into the team and will start the match on the bench. He joins his former University of Cape Town teammate and U.S.-eligible Marcel Brache. Gagiano previously saw time with the Golden Lions in the Vodacom Cup earlier this year but did not win a place on their Currie Cup team. In the meantime, Gagiano had been playing with UCT in the Western Province Super League. It will be the first time that Gagiano has played in the Currie Cup. Take the jump to see what all the Americans overseas will be up to this weekend, as well as the television schedule:

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles/7’s:

The big news yesterday was the release of the Eagles roster for the Americas Rugby Championship. All in all it is a young squad but one with some intriguing names.

Here is our take on the team, including some highlights from unknown Casey Clark, and here is Rugbymag’s look at Clark.

One of the players named to the squad is John Quill who is U.S.-qualified but spent much of his time in Ireland. He is now playing in the U.S. and was named Rugbymag Player of the Week.

Women:

The IRB has selected their female referee panels. American Dana Teargarden is on both the 7's and XV's panels.

Iowa has unveiled a new girls high school competition.

Canada:

The Canadian Rugby Championship concludes this weekend with three teams still in the mix.

World:

In a bit of a surprise move, Bath fly-half Olly Barkeley has made the switch to the Top 14 and Racing Metro.

New core IRB Sevens Series members Spain and Portugal are getting prepared for the Gold Coast by playing in the Safaricom Sevens in Kenya.

The current tensions between China and Japan have spilled over to the rugby pitch. Japan has withdrawn from the Asian Sevens Series leg in Shanghai this weekend citing security concerns.

Dan Carter had missed the last couple of All Blacks test with a calf injury, but he appears ready to return and was named for the upcoming match against Argentina.

Australian Super Rugby teams are going to have a period of rest before next year’s Lions tour according the schedule that was released today.

The Southern Kings want more foreign players than the allowed two. Could that open the door for more Americans?

RFU Chairman Bill Beaumont says he expects the tension in Europe to be resolved on friendly terms.

Eagles ARC Roster Announced

Shaun Davies will be at the ARC

Eagles head coach Mike Tolkin has released his roster for the upcoming Americas Rugby Championship. As promised, the team is filled with players that have either been capped a few times or have not been capped at all. Derek Asbun is the most experienced player on the squad. Other notable squad members include Taylor Mokate, Cam Dolan, Shaun Davies, Volney Rouse, and Miles Craigwell. Mokate and Davies were capped over the summer while it has been some time since Rouse made the team. Craigwell has now had two full seasons of fifteen's play under his belt and should be ready to make the next step. Take the jump to find out the full roster.

Professional Rugby in America: Money

Today, in Part 4 (see Part 1, Part 2A, Part 2B, and Part 3 here) of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we take a look at money in rugby, including potential owners and costs associated with a potential league.

Talking about money and a professional rugby competition is America is probably the easiest of all the topics we have covered so far. Simply, there is no money. While other similar sports have managed to launch professional competitions, rugby has been left with an assortment of various club competitions. If there was money out there for rugby, there would be a professional league by now, but there isn’t. All the obstacles and encouraging signs we have talked about this week could be overcome by a wealthy owner or group of owners with a sincere interest in the sport. However, those people simply do not exist at the moment. There may be wealthy ex-rugby players but that doesn’t make them interested in the professionalization of the sport in America. There may be people who want rugby to become professional but simply don’t have the money. However, that doesn’t mean that the whole situation is lost. Take the jump to read more.

Game of the Week: Golden Lions vs. Natal Sharks

With all the excitement and attention European leagues receive it’s easy to overlook the Currie Cup, a competition that outdraws the Aviva Premiership. So far this year the buzzword around the league has been parity. Several teams have taken their turn at the top of the table and several have had night and day seasons. For example, the Griquas went winless in their first three matches but have since rattled off three consecutive wins. Similarly, the Golden Lions were so-so at the beginning of the year but have now found themselves on top of the table with four rounds to play. That is what makes their match-up against the Sharks this Saturday so appealing. Both teams have identical records at four wins and two losses, and are both tied on 20 points. The closest team to them in the standings is Western Province and the Griquas with 15 points. If either the Golden Lions or the Sharks are able to take maximum points out of this match and Western Province and the Griquas split their points, it could mean that the winner of the match would have a clear path to the title. For the Golden Lions, going a top the table and potentially winning the Currie Cup would be extra sweet considering that they are out of next year’s Super Rugby competition. This is their chance to show that the powers that be made a mistake.

Who: Golden Lions vs. Sharks
What: Top of the table Currie Cup clash
When: Saturday September 22, 2012 1:30 p.m. et/10:30 a.m. pt
Where: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
How: The match isn’t on American television so you’ll have to find an alternative.

Video: ARC Commercial

Rugby Canada put this commercial together in advance of the next month's Americas Rugby Championship.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles/7s:

J.J. Gagiano could make his Currie Cup debut this weekend as he is on the bench for Western Province. Suffering from injuries and suspensions, the team needed a reliable back row player and turned to the Eagle.

U.S.A. Rugby CEO Nigel Melville and Eagles head coach Mike Tolkin are headed to Dublin to request the IRB make some changes on the U.S.' and other Tier II nations behalf.

The IRB has released more details of what they call an "exciting" Tier II schedule for this fall. They also preview the venue, Colwyn Bay.

College:

BYU is hosting a 7's tournament later this month. It will involve almost all the teams from Utah as well as Northern Colorado.

Despite their perfect record, Bowling Green captain Mike Ziegler says his team needs better concentration. His team will get the chance to do just that this weekend against Ball State. Here are the other matches on tap for the MAC.

Rugbymag continues to scout team, here is their look at Wisconsin and Michigan. (Membership required)

Tidbits:

U.S.A. Rugby is hiring and Events Manager. Here are more details about the position.

Turf is always a discussion among every sport, so it's not surprising the IRB held a meeting about the subject.

Professional Rugby in America: Youth

Today, in Part 3 (see Part 1, Part 2A, and Part 2B here) of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we take a look at youth rugby in America.

It’s no secret that there is a big debate in this country between people that believe a professional league will generate more youth involvement and those that believe only once enough youth play rugby will a professional league be possible. In many ways, both are right. Kids who play rugby growing up are more likely to be fans of the professional game than kids who don’t. At the same time, professional rugby would introduce the sport to many more young people, possibly spurring on a desire for them to try the game. The important thing in all of this is getting kids to try and play the sport.

The purpose of this article in our series isn’t to say which pathway is correct, rather, it’s to examine what the current state of youth rugby is in this country, how that might impact the viability of a professional league, and then what that league would do for various youth programs like Rookie Rugby and the U.S. youth national teams. To read more, take the jump.

Eagles Abroad: Last Weekend's Video Highlights

Here are the highlights from some of the matches involving Americans overseas this last weekend.



See more after the jump:

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles/7s:

The IRB has released the promotion and relegation format for this year's IRB Sevens Series.

Alex Goff reports that Zimbabwe-born, but U.S.-eligible Preston Bryant has joined the U.S. 7's team in Chula Vista. (Membership required)

The U.S. vs. Canada has been labeled as one of the key matches in the Gold Coast next month.

Zack Test says the team "loves" to play Canada and is focused on getting ready for the season.

Samu Manoa had a great weekend but apparently that is not enough. Manoa wants his Northampton side to be more than just a top four team, and he personally wants to improve.

The Americas Rugby Championship is running a series of guest blog post ahead of next month's tournament. Canadian Sean White was the first to take up the keyboard.

Club:

Life Rugby hosted the Bermuda National Team as the latter side gets ready for their World Cup Qualifying match against Paraguay. Life won 41-5.

A local publication took has taken a closer look at NYAC.

The Sacramento 10's were played last weekend and the Sacramento Lions came out the victors.

Women:

Norwich are the top team in the New England after smashing UConn over the weekend.

Jackie Finlan checks in with the DII teams in the Tri-State area. She also looks at the CR3.

World:

Surprise, surprise. The talks over the future of the Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cups has ended in a stalemate. The two sides have agreed to get together once again in October.

French clubs have reportedly not agreed to a breakaway competition with English clubs.

This article on ESPNScrum examines the key newcomers in the Aviva Premiership.

Australia have named their team that will travel to South Africa later this month.s

Tidbits:

Here is a great look at the issue facing Youth Rugby courtesy of Erin Quinlan and Your Scrumhalf Connection.

Rugby is returning to Sherman College of Chiropractic.

Professional Rugby in America: Stadium and Television

Today, in Part 2B (see part 1 and part 2A here) of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we take a look at potential stadiums and television options.

Infinity Park

Earlier today we asked whether the U.S. had enough fans for a professional league. The answer was yes, but that the league would most likely draw from a range of 3,000-7,000 fans per match. That is a decent crowd, but it then becomes tricky regarding where to play. It’s not like there is a load of rugby-specific-stadiums out there in the country. Only Infinity Park was built for rugby. Any potential venue that would be used for the league would have to come from either a soccer-specific, American football, or multipurpose facility. So, with that in mind, take the jump read more.





Professional Rugby in America: The Fans

Today, in Part 2A (see Part 1 here) of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we take a look to see if there are enough fans to support a competition. Later today in part 2B we’ll take a look at potential stadiums and television deals.

Fans watch the Eagles at the recent NACRA 7s tournament.

No professional sports team in the world can survive without fans. They not only provide ticket revenue, but they drive advertising and television revenue. So it’s right to ask if there are enough fans out there for professional rugby to survive in America. Take the jump to find out.

Eagles Flyhalf Options Grow

It’s no secret that one of the trickiest positions going forward for the Eagles is flyhalf. Since Mike Hercus’s departure from the national team, the team has not only been looking for a consistent orchestrator on offense, but also a reliable kicker. Nese Malifa had his turn but injuries and inconsistently have ruled him out. Roland Suniula is more of a natural centre. Will Holder has gotten some time but he is still young and has commitments in the Army. On the surface, the situation looks dire. However, in my latest article at RugbyRugby, I take a look at the surprising number of options the U.S. has coming through the pipeline. All of these options are still very young and have a load of experience. Eventually, one in this group should break through and take hold of the position.

Read the article and then share what you think. Which one of the these players do you think is a good option, or is there another player you think deserves a mention?

Poll Tuesday: Which League Do You Follow

It’s another Tuesday and that means it’s time for another poll. Last week we asked you who is your favorite American playing overseas. With a landslide 49% of the vote, Scott LaValla emerged as the voters favorite American playing overseas. (We got a lot of response to the poll and I suspect it may have had to do something with a certain relative!) After LaValla, it was relatively close. Todd Clever was second with 14% while Paul Emerick and Taku Ngwenya tied for third with 11%. Chris Wyles pulled in 7% and Samu Manoa took in 6%. Congrats to Scott and hopefully in years to come we’ll have even more Eagles on the list!

This week we are going to stay overseas. Here in America club and college rugby are just beginning and there is a bit of lull. So to fill that lull, many Americans turn to overseas rugby on television. With the wonderful cable options we have there are plenty of viewing options available. Currently the Aviva Premiership and RaboDirect Pro12 are aired every week on Fox Soccer Plus. The Top 14 was aired on ESPN3 in years past, and Super Rugby is available on DirectTV when it is in season. No matter what style you prefer there is an option available. With that in mind, this week we ask you which is your favorite overseas league to follow? Respond, and let us know why in the comments.

Premiership
RaboDirect
Super Rugby
Top 14
Top League
Other

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles/7s:

With Western Province facing a lack of options at Number 8 this week, JJ Gagiano has been brought into training and could play this weekend for the team.

Alex Goff reports that the number of 7's contracts for both men and women will be increasing. (Membership required)

Club:

The Aspen Ruggerfest was this last weekend and the Denver Barbarians came away champions.

The Austin All Blacks are sending out the word that anyone interested should attend their open tryout.

College:

BYU have finally figured out their league situation. They, along with all other Utah schools except the University of Utah, have formed a new DI-AA Conference.

For his efforts in Ohio last weekend Cal's Jake Anderson has been named the Muscle-Milk California Student-Athlete of the Week.

College programmes are starting up again all over the country, including at UMKC.

Women:

One of the big upsets in the WPL this last weekend was New York's victory over Berkeley. Also, here are match reports from Beantown's win over D.C. and the Amazons win over Keystone.

ORSU came out the better in their clash with Seattle last weekend. Jackie Finlan also has scores from other women's DI matches.

North Shore over came a blown tire to win their match against the Valkaryies.

World:

Australia received some bad news earlier today. Quade Cooper will be out for the rest of The Rugby Championship with a knee injury.

The Waratahs have hired former Leinster coach Michael Cheika as their new head coach.

European rugby decision-makers will meet in Dublin today to discuss the future of European rugby.

Ulster and Zebre have postponed this weekend's match in the wake of Nevin Spence's passing.

Plans to use English Premier League stadiums for the World Cup have hit a snag. Speaking of the World Cup, it begins three years from today.

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper says the organization plans to embrace social media.

Tidbits:

The Alternative Rugby Commentary is coming to New York City on September 29th.

Professional Rugby in America: The Players

Today, in Part 1 of our five part series examining the possibility of professional rugby in America, we take a look to see if there is enough depth in the American player pool to make a league happen.

Most professional leagues in most sports around the country serve two purposes: make money by entertaining fans and improve the national team. If you look at leagues like the Aviva Premiership, Top 14, and RaboDirect Pro12, they are making it increasingly more difficult for players not eligible to play for one of the home countries or France to play in those leagues. The Irish have gone as far as to say that if one of the provincial teams has a non-Irsh player, none of the other teams can have a non-Irish qualified player at that position. In the Aviva Premiership, teams are given money for having 15 England-qualified players in their team. French visa restrictions are increasing, and teams in Italy and Scotland are basically 1B and 2B teams for their national team. The Southern Hemisphere isn’t immune either; Super Rugby has equally as stringent restrictions as the Northern Hemisphere. More after the jump.

Professional Rugby in America: Introduction

Sometimes American rugby fans have to feel a little sorry for themselves. We love rugby but only get to see the Eagles play at home two or three times a year. We get the Las Vegas leg of the IRB Sevens Series, which is nice, but the rest of the year the Series is either on in the middle of night, or not available to stream period. Our youth national teams only get to assembly a couple of times a year. Our women’s team doesn’t get a lot of funding or playing time. We have excellent domestic competitions such as the DI-A, DI, Women’s Premier League, and Elite Cup and Varsity Cup (we’ll just say the last two will go off without a hitch), but none of these competitions get much broadcast time apart from a couple of Glendale Raptors matches per year. All in all, it can be very frustrating at times (very rewarding to be sure, but still frustrating).

Still, the biggest thing rubbing salt into our wounds is a lack of professional competition in not only the country, but the hemisphere. Every continent, save Antarctica and the Americas, has a professional tournament. Europe has at least six full-time competitions, Japan has the Top League, and of course there is Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have access to these competitions because we do get a lot of rugby on television these days, but it’s not the same as having your own league and own competition. We are consistently teased every few years about some sort of professional competition, but none of those ever come to fruition. Now, American fans are even facing the prospect that a professional cricket competition will take place before rugby. Again, frustrating.

So, what are the chances that the U.S. ever getting a professional competition? Personally, I don’t know and I think it would be a fool’s errand to put your neck out there and make a prediction. There are a lot of challenges to making that happen, first and foremost is money. I’m not saying that it can’t happen, nothing would make me happier, but it’s going to be difficult. Every fan seems to have their own theory about why or why not it will happen and that’s great, but what is the situation really like? To answer this question, we are going to take this next week to look at one piece of that puzzle a day. By the end, hopefully we’ll have come up with a better picture of whether professional rugby can work in this country. Here is the schedule:

Monday: Players
Tuesday: Infrastructure (Stadium, Television, etc.)
Wednesday: Youth
Thursday: Money
Friday: Can it happen?

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

It was an up and down weekend for Americans overseas. Chris Wyles and his Saracens saw their big match against Leicester at Wembley fall flat while Samu Manoa delivered an outstanding performance out of the spotlight. Down in South Africa one American was involved in a wild match that resulted in a Canadian being tossed, while in Japan two Americans continue to excel. Topping it all off was Scott LaValla putting in his first full shift of the season and Taku Ngwenya being taken out of a match for the first time in ages. Read more after the jump.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles:

The big news over the weekend was from Alex Goff who reported that the Eagles will be spending two weeks in Northern Wales during their Autumn tour. That is a big disappointment to the players and administrators who were hoping to play closer to London and the American ex-pat community.

Also, Goff reports that young Irish flyhalf Gearoid McDonald wants to play for the United States. (Membership required)

The Pools for the Gold Coast 7's have been released and the Eagles are in Pool A with New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada.

The U.S. has to be relishing another chance against Canada, who are looking forward to core status.

Northampton head coach Jim Mallinder singled out Eagles lock Samu Manoa for his play over the weekend. Manoa was named the man of the match.

Club:

It was a big weekend in DI as Norfolk, PAC, Maryland Exiles, and the Pittsburgh Harlequins all won.

In the Empire Conference, Old Blue, Monmouth, Buffalo, and White Plains all won to keep their records perfect.

In New England, Boston, Boston Irish Wolfhounds, and Mystic River all picked up wins.

Here are the latest DI standings.

Women:

The Glendale Raptors picked up their second win in the Women's Premier League after defeating San Diego 21-20.

The Amazons also beat Keystone while New York defeated Berkeley and Beantown beat the D.C. Furies. Here are the latest standings.

DI also had plenty of matches over the weekend. Here are its standings.

College:

The big focus of college rugby over the weekend was the Buckeye 7's, which features hosts Ohio State, Cal, Navy, and Notre Dame. Cal won the tournament easily, defeating Navy in the final.

Eagle Shaun Davies is back for another semester at BYU. He and the Cougars will be focusing on 7's, starting with their victory at the Utah State University 7's last Saturday.

In Blacksburg, Virginia, the hosts Virginia Tech came out with a win at the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7's. Florida did the same in the Florida College 7's Series.

Wheeling Jesuit continued to start their programme strongly with a victory over Millersville.

In other college play over the weekend, Ohio defeated Ball State, Miami (Ohio) beat Cincinnati, and Central Michigan stayed perfect with a win over Western Michigan in MAC play. In the East Coast, AIC and Middlebury picked up wins.

Speaking of AIC, Pat Clifton has a nice preview of their season.


Canada:

Up in Canada, their Canadian Rugby Championship will be contested between the Ontario Blues and the Atlantic Rock. The Blues beat the Pacific Tyees in Victoria while the Rock beat the Prairie Wolfpack.

Jeff Hull has the latest report on how Canadians are doing overseas.


World:

The rugby world was saddened by the death of Ulster player Nevin Spence over the weekend.

Premiership boss Mark McCafferty isn't backing down from his organization's new television deal in the face of a RFU inquiry.

In another drama-filled saga, London Wasps have finally had their takeover completed.

Portugal has reportedly been improving over the last two years and could make another run at the World Cup.

One former Lions has a warning for next year's touring team: watch out for the Southern Hemisphere's foul tactics.

London Wasps reportedly have no plans to build their own stadium or to leave Adams Park in the next few years.

World Rugby Weekend Review

Rugby around the world had everything this last weekend: tight matches, boring matches, upsets, blowouts, and tragedy. The rugby world was saddened to hear of the tragic death of Ulster player Nevin Spence, who was killed along with his brother and father in a horrible farming accident. Spence had been capped for the Irish Wolfhounds and was a member of the Ulster team that appeared in the Heineken Cup final last year.

Elsewhere in the world, Argentina continued to show once again that they don't look out of place in the Rugby Championship, the Top 14 proved it is full of parity, and the Currie Cup showed it can be an interesting competition for many reasons. Take the jump to read more.

Game of the Week: Saracens vs. Leicester at Wembley Stadium

Even though The Rugby Championship goes into its final stretch this next weekend, New Zealand’s dominance of the competition (and Australia and South Africa’s so-so performaces) have made the competition a little predictive. Still, even if it was close, it still might not be as good as this weekend’s matchup between Saracens and Leicester. Over the past few years, these two teams have consistently been at the top in England and have developed a very intense rivalry. That’s what playing against each other in several finals will do. Making the match even more intense this week is the venue. The nomadic Saracens have once again booked Wembley stadium. This of course comes on last year’s record-setting match against Harlequins. This match may not reach the same number of fans, but is it sure to be as intense. The most intriguing match-up of the day is the battle of #10’s in Toby Flood and Owen Farrell. American Chris Wyles will start on the bench for the Saracens. Overall, it’s set to be an exciting match and one definitely worth tuning in to watch.

Who: Saracens vs. Leicester at Wembley Stadium

When: Saturday, 15 September 2012, 10:30 a.m. et/7:30 a.m. pt (The game will be aired on delay at 12:00 a.m. et Sunday/9:00 p.m. pt Saturday)

Where: Wembley Stadium

How: The game will be aired on delay at 12:00 a.m. et (Sunday)/9:00 p.m. pt (Saturday) on Fox Soccer Plus

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview & TV

Credit has to be given to Saracens for being one of, if not the most, innovative clubs in rugby. This weekend they take on one of their biggest rivals in one of the biggest venues in England: Wembley Stadium. American Chris Wyles will be at the heart of that action as he is on the bench for the Sarries. Elsewhere, Todd Clever is coming into his own at NTT Shining Arcs, Marcel Brache does the same for Western Province, and two U.S.-eligible players square off in the UK. All in all, it should be a busy weekend.

Take the jump to see who is playing where this weekend:

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and U.S.A. Rugby news in one location.

Eagles:

Todd Clever has suffered a bit of an injury scare.  However, he told Rugbymag that he will be just fine.

Only one month until the Gold Coast Sevens!

Club:

The Aspen Ruggerfest is this weekend and the Glendale Raptors are ready.

Atlanta Old White have opening a new rugby facility. The venue will host the women's playoffs later this year.

College:

Americans aren't just playing college rugby in the America, there are several players learning, playing rugby, and excelling overseas.

Northern Illinois are one of the teams in the new MAC and head coach Kris Osterloh is quite pleased with his team's effort so far.

Stony Brook flyhalf PJ Abelein has been named the Rugbymag Player of the Week.

One of the games on tap this weekend is an Ivy League showdown between Yale and Brown. (Membership required)

Women:

Twin Cities centre Lynelle Kugler has been named the Rugbymag Player of the Week. (Membership required)

The Cal State University-Northridge programme is undergoing a revival after facing several obstacles.

The Harvard women were giving varsity status last month. Here is an update on the team.

World:

In what has become quite a mess, the RFU is now investigating the deal between the Premiership and BT.

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray says that European competition needs to change while Wasps boss Dai Young says losing the Heineken Cup would be a shame.

Paraguay remain unbeaten in the CONSUR 'B' tournament.

Tidbits:

U.S.A. Rugby has named long-time Chicago area rugby player Pam Kosanke as Chief Marketing Officer.

Eagles Abroad: Last Weekend's Video Highlights

As we noted earlier this week, it was a busy week for Americans overseas. Here are some selected highlights from the weekend.

More after the jump.