Elite Cup Schedule Confirmed

The 2013 Elite Cup schedule has been confirmed according to information from U.S.A. Rugby. It contains a few changes from the schedule we attempted to put together last week. The regular season will be contested over six match days beginning on March 16th with Glendale heading up the road to play Denver and ending on April 20th with an east coast double-header. The semi-finals will still be contested on May 11th with the final taking place at a location yet to be determined on May 25th. The only day in which all the teams will be competing is April 6. That day features a Colorado double-header with OSPB visiting Glendale and SFGG visiting Denver. The last day of the season also features a New York double-header.

Take the jump to read more and see the full schedule.

TIAR Awards: College Player of the Year, Shaun Davies

One of the most difficult things to do in sports is to be the best player on a winning team when everyone expects you to. Just think about all the big busts in sports over the last several years that failed to live up to the hype. Shaun Davies isn't one of those players. Davies went into the 2012 with the expectation that he would be the leader for a BYU team that was expected to win a national title. He delivered. Davies was simply unstoppable this last season and he tore through whatever defense was put to him. As a scrumhalf he made the Cougar's offense tick like clockwork and he added valuable points for his team with his excellent kicking ability. He also saved the best for last with an outstanding performance in the DI-A final.

His strong play in college earned him a spot on the Eagles summer roster where he now looks to be the incumbent third candidate behind Mike Petri and Robbie Shaw. Davies is currently finishing up his last year and BYU and has options at both 7's and XV's. Whichever club snaps him up will have a great player to build their team around.

TIAR Awards: Men's 7's Player of the Year, Colin Hawley

Even though he earned his solid spot on the U.S.A. 7's team and represented the U.S. at the World Cup in 2011, 2012 will be known as the year that Colin Hawley finally broke out as a legitimate star. He has always had the talent and was a standout player for Cal, but in 2012 he took his game to a new level both on and off the field. Even before Alex Magleby took over the team he was beginning to make inroads into consistent playing time, but it was after Magleby was made head coach that he became an automatic starter. He is strong in the air, makes good tackles, and provides leadership both on and off the field. He was one of the Eagles best players in the last half of the 2011-12 IRB World Sevens Series and he was instrumental in helping the Eagles qualify for the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup. Hawley's value to the Eagles was evident for all to see in the Gold Coast as he was rested and did not play.  Hawley is still young and has a lot of rugby in him. As he continues to train hard and listen to his coaches he will only get better and better. So, congratulations to Colin Hawley as our Men's 7's Player of the Year.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

Courtesy of Paki's Corner

2012 is in the book for American playing overseas. While most of the lesser leagues around Europe had the weekend off, Americans say plenty of action in the big three leagues. Chris Wyles and his Saracens side did their part to keep pace with the Harlequins at the top of the Aviva Premiership table with a win over Samu Manoa and Northampton. Down in France, Biarritz avoided a huge upset by getting a one-point win over Mont-de-Marsan.

Take the jump to see the full run down of how everyone did.

Opening Kick

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

We're looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Domestic:

Check out our top five American rugby moments from 2012 as well our our mid-season grades for overseas Americans.

Stephanie Esposito at Chicago Rucks takes a two part look back at 2012. Here is part 1 and here is part 2.

Alex Goff and Pat Clifton look back at 2012 and name some things that we as a country can work on.

After a little detective work, we've worked out most of the dates for the Elite Cup and Varsity Cup.

Our awards continued over the weekend as Samu Manoa was named Overseas Player of the Year.

Rugbymag also has a preview of Santa Monica ahead of California DI play. (Membership required)

World:

Check out our wrap up of all the weekend's European action.

Warren Gatland says that he will pick Lions players based on ability and not nationality, that means that Scotland could be in trouble.

In the "that was quick file," John Mitchell has re-signed as coach of Sale to return to South Africa for 'personal reasons."

London Welsh want in on the London doubleheader next year. The club may also move away from Oxford.

The Dragons have said no way to Bath's attempts to sign star Toby Faletau.

ESPNScrum looks back at some members of the rugby community who passed away in 2012.

The Chiefs are reportedly set to play Argentina in a friendly ahead of next summer's internationals.

Planet Rugby takes a look back at the numbers from 2012 while over at ESPNScrum, Graham Jenkins hands out his predictions for 2013.

World Rugby Weekend Review

Aviva Premiership

With more than half the season now in the books it's tight at the top of the Aviva Premiership table with three teams separated by only two points. Below them are four teams all capable of making a run and getting into the conversation as well. Remaining at the top of the table is Harlequins who defeated London Irish 26-15 on Saturday thanks to a Danny Care try and a penalty try. On the flip side, the Exiles defeat coupled with Sale's 33-27 win over Worcester last Friday means that they are only ahead of Sale by one point in the race to avoid relegation. London Irish's struggles are a major boost to any hope of salvaging Sale's season, especially after their head coach bailed on them this week. Both teams only have two wins on the season.

Take the jump to read more.

TIAR Awards: Match of the Year, U.S. vs. Romania

The Eagles played a lot of exciting matches this last year. In the summer there was their close encounter with Canada in Kingston, their strong victory over Georgia, and their wild loss to Italy in Houston. In the fall they beat up on Russia and held a lead against Tonga for most of the match. Still, it was their last match of the year, their 34-3 rout of Romania in Bucharest that is our Match of the Year. It was a thoroughly dominating performance from the Eagles and one that will please fans until next summer.

It wasn’t just that the win meant that the Eagles finished the season at .500 for the first time in almost a decade and that they won their first tour in just as long, it’s how they won that is so pleasing. They played attractive attacking rugby that got everyone on the pitch involved in the action. That is especially key for a player like Taku Ngwenya, who often didn’t see much of the ball in the Eagles old system. The defense was also there, limiting Romania to a penalty in the opening minutes.

This was a building block win and one coaches, players, and fans all enjoyed. With World Cup qualifiers coming up this next summer, the win couldn’t have come at a better time and should give the team confidence heading into their series with Canada.

*The DI-A final between BYU and Arkansas State was our runner-up.

Take the jump to see the highlights of the match.

Eagles Abroad: Mid-season Grades

With the seasons in Europe halfway over, and almost over in Japan, in my latest RugbyRugby article I hand out mid-season grades for Americans overseas. The grades focus on players in the top leagues in Europe and Japan while excluding those playing in some of the smaller league. Overall, the players did pretty well with some earning extremely high marks. Give it a read and share what you think.

Top Five American Rugby Moments of 2012

In my latest column at RugbyRugby I offered up the top five moments for American rugby in 2012. Here are the five on my list:

5. Large crowds at the DI-A final and the Eagles vs. Italy match.
4. Elite Cup, Varsity Cup, Sevens Academy Program, and IRB Women's Seven's Series all announced.
3. Alex Magleby replaces Al Caravelli as U.S.A. 7's coach.
2. The Eagles finished the year with a .500 record for the first time in almost a decade.
1. Junior All-Americans win the JWRT.

Give it a read and share your thoughts.

TIAR Awards: Overseas Player of the Year, Samu Manoa

Samu Manoa’s rise from quarterback at a small college to a star in the Aviva Premiership has been nothing short of meteoric. Putting aside the conflict over his status with the Eagles, he has simply had the best year an American has had playing in a top division in quite a while. With a year under his belt he has firmly established himself as an automatic starter in the Northampton and has shown himself capable at playing anywhere in the locks or in the back-row. He has made a name for himself as a lineout master and as one of the hardest hitters in the game. It’s no wonder that he has been named in several all-Premiership XV’s this last season. The best part is that he still has room to grow. With Manoa in their ranks Northampton advanced to the Aviva Premiership playoffs and genuinely look like a contender for years to come. As long as he can stay healthy, Manoa should be in the Saints plans for a long time to come.

Sorting Out Varsity Cup, Elite Cup Dates

We still don't know who will be matched up with who in the Varsity Cup, however, after Cal revealed their 2013 Spring schedule we at least know that dates for the tournament. Cal has marked that the quarterfinals will be on April 20th with the semi-finals scheduled for April 27th. The final is set for May 4th at Rio Tinto Stadium. These dates are confirmed on the BYU and Notre Dame websites (you have to love 3rd grade detective work).

It's still uncertain who will play who during the tournament but if cost and geography are factors then it seems that UCLA's inclusion in the tournament makes them a natural pairing for Cal, while BYU and Utah would be sure to draw in a crowd. The rest is more tricky but it makes sense to put the two military academies against one another, leaving Dartmouth to play Notre Dame.

So with the Varsity Cup schedule known, what about the Elite Cup. Take the jump to find out.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview & TV

All the major competitions in Europe are in full swing this New Year’s weekend and Americans find themselves in the middle of the action. Arguably the U.S.’s to most consistent overseas performers in Chris Wyles and Samu Manoa will go head to head this weekend. Wyles and Saracens will be looking to take over first place from the Harlequins while Northampton will want to vault themselves back into a playoff spot. In the RaboDirect Pro12, Callum Black earns a starting nod, while in the TOP 14 Taku Ngwenya and Scott LaValla will be looking to help their teams gain valuable points.

Take the jump to see who is playing where this weekend and to get the television listings.

Opening Kick

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

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Eagles:

Chris Wyles took time to speak to Rugbymag about the Eagles fall tour. Regarding the Romania match, Wyles asserted that he wasn't "sure it's the best we've played since I've been with the Eagles, but without a doubt, that was the most satisfying win."

Alex Goff shares some of the "Axioms of 2012" regarding the Eagles, including the importance of Mike Tolkin. (Membership required)

Samu Manoa has made Planet Rugby's "Newbies of the Year" list, he makes a similar list over at The Guardian as well.

Our year end awards continued yesterday with Madison Hughes being named the Young Player of the Year and the Berkeley All Blues taking home the Women's Club Team of the Year.

College/Youth:

Cal has released their Spring 2013 schedule. The team will return to Witter Field and will play a full PAC Rugby schedule as well as play in the Varsity Cup, which is scheduled for April 20, 27, and May 4.

Utah is sending to all-star youth teams to the Las Vegas Invitational.

World:

It's a good time to be a 7's All Black, they just got a pay raise thanks to new money coming into the program.

Geez, from hearing the players speak it seems that no one is anxious to play for England. A day after Toby Flood said he would be patient for a recall, Christian Wade has done the same thing.

The rumours of big name players joining Toulon continue to grow. This time Bath scrumhalf Michael Claassens has agreed to join the team according to reports. The move is dependent on whether Jonny Wilkinson retires.

In other news, Niall Morris has signed a new deal with Leicester while Ian Evans is looking like he'll be fit for the Six Nations.

Francois Carillo is reportedly recovering well from a heart attack suffered last weekend.

The Dog River Howlers are doing their part to help out with impoverished Cuba.

TIAR Awards: Young Player of the Year, Madison Hughes

What a year for Madison Hughes! Not only did he take home XV's and 7's titles with Dartmouth for the second year in a row, but he also helped the team repeat as Collegiate Rugby Champions. But that is just the beginning. Hughes's 2012 will be know for his key role on the Junior All-Americans triumph at the Junior World Rugby Championship in Utah. It was in this tournament that Hughes became the all-time leading scorer at the tournament and led a U.S. men's team to their first official major trophy. He was strong in attack and absolutely deadly with his boot.

Some have already been calling for Hughes inclusion in future Eagles Selects camps but the best thing about Hughes is his upside. He is still extremely young and has plenty of room to grow. His kicking can only get better and the more he is exposed to high-level competition, the more prepared he will be for future national team duty. More impressive is that Hughes has done this while pursuing a degree at a very demanding institution.

Congrats to Madison Hughes, our Young Player of the Year!

TIAR Awards: Women's Club Team of the Year, Berkeley All Blues

The Berkeley All Blues had an outstanding year all around and are our Women's Club Team of the Year. At the top of the All Blues accomplishments this season is the successful defense of their Women's Premier League title. Kathy Flores has done a great job at keeping a consistent core together and run a system that is player friendly. The team also had a strong run in the club 7's tournament, going undefeated in pool play. They eventually lost to the San Diego Surfers. The All Blues have been blessed with strong players such as Katie Chou and Vix Folayan.

Congrats to the Berkeley All Blues!

Game of the Week: Leicester vs. Gloucester

It was once again a tough choice for our game of the week, but a clash between number three and number four in the Aviva Premiership is too good to pass up. Leicester's quality has always been well known and with Toby Flood fully healed from injury, they are a tough side. They also boast the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Martin Castrogiovanni, Ben Youngs, and Steve Mafi. The Tigers have had another solid season with only three loses against their record. Gloucester on the other hand have been a bit of a surprise this season after disappointing last season. Nigel Davies has his team of solid, but not star, players buzzing on all cylinders. Like Leicester, Gloucester have only lost three times on the season but their losses have come to Northampton, Saracens, and Harlequins. In the two teams previous meeting this season Gloucester emerged with a 27-21 win. Even better, the match will play live here in the States on Fox Soccer Plus.

Who: Leicester vs. Gloucester
What: Aviva Premeirship
When: Saturday 29 December 2012, 12:00 p.m. et/9:00 a.m. pt
Where: Leicester
Why: Really?
How: 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.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Eagles:

Shalom Suniula shares his experience with the Eagles in Dubai and South Africa. (Membership required)

Paul Emerick found time to visit a local hospital with a teammate during the holiday season.

Hayden Smith caught his first pass in the NFL over the weekend. Check out Tim Usasz's reaction in this blog post from a Jets fan.

Rugbymag looks back at their top #12's from the past year.

Our TIAR Awards are on-going. Yesterday we named Pierce Dargan are Young Overseas Player of the Year and Arkansas State our College Team of the Year.

World:

Wales was the centre of attention in rugby yesterday as all the Welsh teams were involved in derby action. The Ospreys beat the Scarlets while Cardiff beat the Dragons.

After being rumoured to be in the market for Dan Carter, Toulon have also apparently set their sights on Martin Castrogiovanni.

David Skrela is leaving Clermont for his first time club Colomiers next year.

ESPNScrum looks at some of the best parody Twitter accounts across the rugby world.

Youth:

Have you ever wondered how to keep a high school program running after you've left? Rugby America has a guide.

TIAR Awards: College Team of the Year, Arkansas State

It's been a fantastic year for Arkansas State all around. First they have a terrific season regular season in the DI-A South, then they tear through the playoffs and make it to the national championship match where they test BYU in front of a hostile crowd. To top it all off, they win the College 7's Nationals at the end of the year despite not playing a lot of rugby. Arkansas State have always been one of the better sides in college rugby and under Matt Huckaby the team has taken it to another level. Huckaby passed the team on to Alex Houser last fall and all they did was win a 7's championship. The team is in good hands.

Arkansas State have also brought in talented athletes like Pat Sullivan, Dean Gericke, Jake and Zach Mizell, and Shaun Potgeiter. Of those players, Gericke and Zach Mizell have gone on to play for the Eagles Selects. That is quite an accomplishment for a small program. If there was to be a negative on the Red Wolves season it was that they were unable to overcome rival Life in their two meetings during the regular season. However, in the playoffs it was the Red Wolves who were able to survive to the final. As both teams continue to improve, their rivalry will get even better.

Good things are waiting the Red Wolves in 2013 as they look to win a DI-A championship and defend their College 7's title.

Poll Tuesday (Wednesday): New Year's Resolution

Well, we missed yesterday as our standard poll day due to Christmas but there were better things to do, weren't there. Let's begin with last week. We asked you what was on your American rugby holiday wish list. The leader, with 52% was a pro league. In second was more television coverage with 28% followed by more Eagles matches with 14%. 5% of you wanted better facilities while no one chose other.

Today we are going to keep with a holiday theme and ask you what is your rugby New Year's Resolution. Here are the options. If you had one that is not on our list, share it in the comments.

Play more rugby
Watch more rugby
Support youth rugby
Tell a friend about rugby

TIAR Awards: Young Overseas Player of the Year, Pierce Dargan

Dargan was a key member of the winning JWRT team.

Playing time is hard to come by overseas for any American, let along young Americans. That is what makes Pierce Dargan's consistent time at Trinity College (Dublin) so valuable. Trinity has become the go to destination for Americans wanting to improve themselves overseas. Scott LaValla improved tremendously in his four years there, Shawn Pittman has trained with the team, Dargan is excelling, and next year Cameron Falcon will join the team. U.S. Assistant Coach Tony Smeeth, who is also the head coach at Trinity, has had a lot to do with this connection but like everyone else, he has had to put in the hard work to excel. Dargan has been an automatic starter for Smeeth and has been consistently one of their better players. For lock he is extremely mobile and has quite a few tries to show for it. He also showed U.S. fans his abilities last summer as a member of the winning Junior World Rugby Trophy side. Dargan has until 2015 with Trinity, but if his production now is any indicator, good things are ahead.

Take the jump to see video highlights.

Opening Kick

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

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Everything:

It was a pretty light day yesterday seeing as it was Christmas, but here is the day's news.

The Inner-City Education Foundation has offered opportunities for kids to go on rugby tours for several years and now the experience was recently made into a film.

Merry Christmas to the Sale Sharks social media representative who was sacked yesterday for disparaging comments made about the team's fans back in October.

South African coach Heyneke Meyer has some advice for England: build your team around Dan Cole.

Warren Gatland's omission of Shaun Edwards, his current assistant with Wales, for the Lions tour next year has raised a few eyebrows.

ESPNScrum's Huw Richards takes a look back at a memorable match between England and Wales in 1963.

Planet Rugby shares gift ideas for some of the better known personalities in rugby.

Video: Zee Ngwenya Scores Against Stade Francais

If you just want to see Zee's try, skip to 0:39.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

Scott LaValla won the battle of Americans over Taku Ngwenya in the Top 14 and other Americans saw significant action for their teams as Americans overseas head into the holiday break. Biarritz may have lost but Ngwenya did manage a try for his team. He had been in a bit of try scoring drought over the last little while so it was good for him to get on the board. Take the jump to check out how everyone did this last weekend.

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Eagles:

The big news over the weekend was the announcement of the new 7's academy system. It will feature programs in Seattle, San Diego, Long Beach, Glendale, Chicago, and Columbus.

The players will get at least 50 matches a year and will train for 10 months of the year.

One player that will certainly benefit from the academy system is Carlin Isles, who was the subject of this ESPNScrum feature.

Women:

Much has been made about the possibility of the Army's World Class Athlete Program expanding the playing pool for the men's 7's team, but possibilities exist for the women as well. (Membership required)

World:

It was a action packed weekend around the world. Catch up with our World Rugby Weekend Review.

Welsh Rugby Union boss has hinted that one of the four regions could lose their professional status if finances don't turn around in a year. (Why did the U.S. and Canada play in North Wales again? To build up support for a fifth professional team?)

There is more bad news for Wales as Luke Charteris is out for several months with an injury.

ESPNScrum's Graham Jenkins looks back at some of the top stories from 2012.

Danny Cipriani may yet be looking for another employer as he was left out of the Sale team that lost to London Wasps over the weekend.

One person that won't have to worry about a job is Toby Flood. who is focused on playing for Leicester and not worries about an England recall.

Tidbits:

The latest edition of Rugby Magazine is out. It includes part one of a year end wrap up.

The Boston Globe has a nice feature on the expansion of youth rugby in Massachusetts.

Rugby Pennsylvania has awarded its first commendation to Narberth Rugby for their assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

World Rugby Weekend Review

RaboDirect Pro12

It was derby weekend in the RaboDirect Pro12 and no derby was bigger than Leinster versus Ulster. Ulster had their 13-match unbeaten streak halted last weekend thanks to a Northampton win in the Heineken Cup. With their league unbeaten streak on the line, Ulster came up with a big 27-19 win at home. Leinster went up first with several penalties and it wasn't until Ulster scored a penalty try in the 37th minute that the match turned in favor of Ulster. The win puts Ulster nine points clear at the top of the table. Leinster have now dropped to fifth place. Over in Scotland, Glasgow got two tries from DTH van der Merwe and a try from Rob Harley to power them to a 23-14 win. In Italy, Zebre continue to endure a nightmare season and are winless in league play after a 10-3 loss to Benetton Treviso. Other winners include Munster 16-12 over Connacht and Scarlets 9-6 over Cardiff.

Take the jump to read more.

7's Academy Details Announced

Details have finally emerged regarding the long-rumored 7's academies. The academies are part of the Olympic Development Program and will officially be called Olympic Development Academies. There will initially be six academies with the possibility of more launching down the road. Serevi Rugby will play a large part in this new academies as they will oversee academies in Seattle, San Diego (where they have existing operations), and Chicago, where they will team with the Chicago Lions coach Aaron Mannheimer. Tiger Rugby will oversee academies in Long Beach and Columbus (teaming with 1823). The Glendale Raptors will also oversee an academy.

The purpose of the academy is to help get players with potential up to speed and ready for international play. For example, future cross-over athletes will be placed in these academies to get them the rugby fundamentals they need. The academies will also serve as an extended player pool for players not in Chula Vista. Lastly, the academies will serve as places to play for age-grade players whose club or University is not up to a high standard.

These academies are likely to play each other in several tournaments throughout the year and will likely be heavily involved in club 7's in the summer. Training will run for 10 months out of the year and each player will get at least 50 matches, whether that be for the national team or with their academy of club. Each athlete will also have three rugby specific training sessions a week and three strength, speed, and/or conditioning sessions per week. They will also have full medical coverage.

These academies now present a clear picture of how a player will make it onto the national team. If a player thinks they have what it takes they will now have to live near and academy and work their way up. This will make the player pool more competitive and will help everyone get on the same page.

What do you think? Will this academy system help the Eagles?

TIAR Awards: Men's Club Team of the Year, NYAC

It was another impressive club season all around. Belmont Shore had a great run in DI, Old Puget Sound Beach, San Francisco Golden Gate, and Life all had good Super League seasons, but for us NYAC was the club of the year. They've consistently been one of the best teams in the country, but this year they took it to another level. They stormed through the Super League going undefeated in conference play and then beating a good Life team in the semi-finals. Still, it was the performance in the final, where they had to travel to Seattle to take on a very talented OPSB team, that put them over the edge. They didn't let the travel bother them, they managed to survive losing Toby L'Estrange to injury, and they played smart and attractive rugby. From top to bottom they were the best team.

All their on the field accolades this season alone should be enough to see them as our Club of the Year, but it was the production of the players for the Eagles that was truly outstanding. Both Brian Doyle and Toby L'Estrange emerged from the team this year to become key parts of the Eagles. Chris Chapman has also come on to the national team picture. Plus, getting valuable minutes for Lou Stanfill and Mike Petri can't be a bad thing either. They are a factory for the national team, which is what you want in a top level club.

Congrats to NYAC as our Men's Club of the Year!

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Preview & TV

Assuming that the world doesn't end today (although the Australia and New Zealand were fine so why wouldn't we be) it will be another busy weekend for Americans overseas. It's also derby weekend across the RaboDirect Pro12 as teams stay local during the holiday season. Most notably for Americans this weekend in the match between Biarritz and Stade Francais, which will see Scott LaValla and Taku Ngwenya square off. There are also a decent amount of matches on television.

Take the jump to read more.

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Women:

Bui Baravilala has been named our Women's 7's Player of the Year.

Eagles head coach Pete Steinberg checks in once again from Europe as he takes in rugby at its finest.

Club/College:

Dean Gericke has been named Rugbymag's Rhino Rugby Player of the Week.

World:

This is interesting. A pair of Top 14 clubs are reportedly chasing IRB Player of the Year Dan Carter.

The editor of Planet Rugby looks back and shares his thoughts about 2012.

The Australian Rugby Union and David Pocock have agreed to a three year contract extension.

Tom Varndell, the Aviva Premiership's top try-scorer this season, is looking to get back in the England set-up.

TIAR Awards: Women's 7's Player of the Year, Bui Baravilala

It was a breakout year for women's 7's in America. Not only were there more high-profile women's events this year like the College 7's Nationals, the LVI, and the women's bracket at the CRC but the women's club game took it up a notch with an extremely competitive season. Of course the center of the women's 7's attention lies with the national team. A lot has happened to the program over the past year--issued the first contract, became a core team on the new IRB Women's Sevens Series, and had a relatively successful season.

One of the biggest developments over the last year was the growth of Bui Baravilala, who is our Women's 7's Player of the Year. Baravilala, despite being one of the younger members of the team, has established herself as a go to player and a leader. She is consistently one of the top try scorers on the team and is the go to kicker. She is extremely athletic and is one of the best players in the women's game at making her own opportunities. The sky is the limit with Baravilala and if she can continue to progress, she may be the Olympic star in 2016.

Take the jump to see some of her highlights.

Game of the Week: Stade Francais vs. Biarritz

There were a lot of tough choices once again for our Game of the Week. The RaboDirect Pro12 has their derby weekend and third takes on first in the Aviva Premiership as Northampton play Harlequins. However, our Game of the Week goes to Stade Francais vs. Biarritz. Both teams have traditionally been tops teams in the Top 14 but for the last couple of seasons have struggled. If they can't turn things around soon, there could be changes at the teams. Biarritz already sacked their head coaches a few weeks back but if they can't get more results then they could be shipping out some of their key players. The same goes for Stade Francais, who have huge payroll but little to show for it. That is what makes this weekend's match-up so big. A win here could help turn the season around while a loss could be disaster. Currently Biarritz sit in seventh while Stade Francais sit in 10th. Plus, both team have Americans!

Who: Stade Francais vs. Biarrtiz
What: Top 14
When: Saturday 22 December 2012, 12:30 p.m. et/9:30 a.m. pt
Where: Paris
Why: Scott LaValla and Taku Ngwenya
How: You'll have to find it online somewhere.

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Lastly, today is the last day you can submit your question to our Q&A.

Eagles:

Fans have been teased about a pro 15's competition in America for quite awhile. Well, the backers of the league have finally spoken publicly. (Thanks to Rugby America for tracking this down.)

Shalom Suniula was benched during the Port Elizabeth 7's. He called it a "humbling experience."

Former Eagles 7's player Nu'u Punimata may be back in the national team picture after he joined the Utah National Guard. That could make him eligible for the World Class Athlete Program.

Speaking of the military, Alex Goff says we can expect a big military presence at the Las Vegas Invitational.

Tommy Seymour recently re-signed with Glasgow and he says that big things are awaiting the club.

College:

The University of Utah has avoided a one year suspension and instead will play one year on probation.

If you are a player out there looking for a college scholarship to play rugby, Pat Clifton shares some options.

World:

Former U.S. coach Scott Johnson has been named the interim head coach of Scotland.

Speaking of former U.S. coaches, Eddie O'Sullivan has lashed out at Connacht and the IRFU for not even giving him an opportunity to interview for the open Connacht position.

RugbyWrapUp caught up with Portugal star Pedro Leal to discuss all things 7's.

Jonny Wilkinson will decide whether or not to stay with Toulon by February. He could go back to England or choose another option overseas.

Hopes for a resolution to the dispute over the future of the Heineken Cup got a boost yesterday as the head of the Top 14 says he is confident all parties will come to a solution.

Alex Cuthbert is officially spurning deals from France by signing a three year deal to stay at Cardiff.

Sale head coach John Mitchell has told his team that they have no more excuses. Adrian Healey, writing at ESPNScrum, says that it's do or die time for the team.

Gloucester lock Alex Brown has been forced to retire after unsuccessfully recovering from a shoulder injury.

Ever wanted to watch a match from the ref's point of view? The match between Newcastle and London Scottish will give you that opportunity.

For a bit of fun take ESPNScrum's 2012 Quiz of the Year.

Tidbits:

Check out our book review of Bob Latham's Winners & Losers.

U.S. Rugby's David Slays Goliath

For those who aren't familiar with Jim Carlberg's story, you should be. Carlberg, the founder of the Rugby America clothing line took on Ralph Lauren and won. When Ralph Lauren began their Rugby line of clothing they sued anyone in the U.S. who used the name rugby--meaning almost everyone in the industry. While companies like Old Navy gave up rather than fight, Carlberg fought back and won. In my latest RugbyRugby piece I explain how Carlberg's story should be inspiration to everyone involved in rugby in America. 

Utes Avoid Suspension, Will Play 2013 On Probation

The questions surrounding around the University of Utah rugby program have been cleared up as The Mort Report reveals that the team has successfully appealed a one-year suspension and will play the 2013 season on probation. The original suspension was a result of an incident involving a player.

The Utes participation in the Varsity Cup was likely not in question since the tournament is not sanctioned by U.S.A. Rugby, but if the team was suspended it would not be able to participate in the PAC Rugby conference or 7's events. Last year the Utes made it to the DI-A playoffs. The team features standout player Don Pati and could potential have Thretton Palamo on their roster this spring.

Rugby Book Club: Review of Winners & Losers by Bob Latham

There are plenty of books out there about the love of sports and how one person has experienced them over the years. Often they are self-indulgent, dry, and full of partisan bickering about who was the greatest and other such semantics. Bob Latham’s Winners & Losers is none of those things. While it is about Latham’s travels through the sports world it neither lectures in a condescending manner nor seems like one man’s personal journey to climb to the top of sports fandom. To be sure, Winners & Losers definitely argues for certain points of view, but it comes across as one who loves sports and not as one who is in love with being a sports fan.

Take the jump to read more.

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Lastly, don't forgot to submit your question to our Q&A.

Eagles:

One of the biggest debates among fans is whether Carlin Isles should see more playing time. Pat Clifton takes up that debate and shares why he thinks Isles should.

Make sure to check out our holiday wish list for American rugby.

College:

Arkansas State's Matt Huckaby has stepped down as head coach. Alex Houser will take over.

World:

Good news for Leinster fans, Brian O'Driscoll has returned to training. He's also aiming to be named captain of the British and Irish Lions.

Geoff Irvine, chairman of the RFU Championship, insists that the league will challenge the Premiership if they deny this year's winner enter into the competition.

NZ$87,147. That's the amount that the Crusaders were in the black this year. Not bad for a region that was decimated by an earthquake.

The referee appointments for the 2013 Super Rugby season have been handed out.

Tidbits:

Here's a cool story about a rugby club helping out during a time of need.

An American Rugby Holiday Wish List

Credit to Rugby World

Earlier I asked you what would be on your holiday wish list for American rugby and so I thought we would provide ours. In my latest column for RugbyRugby and spell out eight items that I would like to see in 2013. Some of those include more rugby on television, more matches for the Eagles, a breakout player, more media coverage, and unity among fans.

Give it a read and share what would be on your holiday wish list.

Eagles Abroad: Catching Up With The Standings

The season is roughly half over for European clubs, and that means that it's roughly half over for Americans playing overseas. As we all know, Americans after often in precarious positions in Europe due to foreign player restrictions and tight budgets, that is why it's important for many Americans to avoid relegation, or even promotion is some situations. For example, last year Shawn Pittman was a part of the London Welsh team that was promoted to the Aviva Premiership, but do to increased demands on the club, he was let go at the end of the season.

So with all that in mind, let's take a look at how Americans are fairing in the standings across Europe.

Poll Tuesday: Your Holiday Wish

Good news, it’s Poll Tuesday (it’s also one week until Christmas for those who are counting)! Most of the domestic action has slowed due to the holidays and the European leagues are gearing up for their holiday matches. That means we’ll have to switch gears a little for our poll.

But first, let’s take a look at last week’s results. In our efforts to gather more information on our audience, we asked you where you go to get your rugby news. We garnered the top spot with 51% of the vote. We appreciate everyone who reads our site. We couldn’t do it without you. In second was Rugbymag with 22%, followed by 11% for Planet Rugby, 9% for other, 3% for BBC, and 1% for ESPNScrum. A few of you also said that you tune into TIAR for domestic news but other outlets for international news.

We also asked you how much you’d be willing to pay for a new rugby magazine. 32% of you said you wouldn’t pay anything, 28% said $20, 22% said $25, 13% said $15, while 3% said that Rugbymag/Rugby World was good enough.

This week we try to take a light-hearted approach before the holidays to ask you what you would put on your American rugby holiday wish list.

More television coverage
Pro League
More Eagles matches
Better facilities
Other (please explain)

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Lastly, don't forgot to submit your question to our Q&A.

Eagles:

Colin Hawley, writing at UR7's, talks about the recent trip to Africa, Carlin Isles, and more.  On the same site, Matt Hawkins is number 16 on their list of the top 20 players of 2012.

Check out our article on how Tier II international players are caught in the middle of the struggle for Aviva Premiership teams to define themselves.

Tommy Seymour has signed a contract extension with Glasgow. He will be with the club until 2015.

Taku Ngwenya will have a new coach as Didier Faugeron has been signed as the new Biarritz backs coach.

Club:

Club and college play have slowed down a bit for the holidays, but of the matches that have recently taken place, the Sacramento Lions defeated Santa Rosa while Houston are undefeated after beating Oklahoma City.

World:

Toulon just can't seem to lose on or off the field. Carl Hayman is staying with the club for another two years while the rumors of Genthin Jenkins headed back to Cardiff have been squashed.

Staying in France, Springbok Juandre Kruger will not re-sign with the Bulls and instead will make the move to Racing Metro in June.

If things couldn't get worse for the Welsh. Now fullback Lee Byrne will be out for months after cracking a bone in his back. At least Adam Jones returned from injury over the weekend. He still insists that Wales can defend their Six Nations title.

Not that they needed the help to be the best team in the world, but the New Zealand 7's are getting a new influx of funds. The funds will be especially beneficial to the their women's team.

Speaking of New Zealand, the Crusaders will also have new funds and will be owned by all six unions that make up the team.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel says his team is on track one year into his tenure.

Chile will host the 2013 Junior World Rugby Trophy. The hosted the tournament back in 2008.

Belgium have climbed higher in the IRB rankings thanks to their win in the Cup of Nations.

ESPNScrum's Huw Richards takes a look back at 2012 by the numbers.

Seymour Signs Glasgow Extension

Tommy Seymour has signed a two year contract extension with the Glasgow Warriors that will see him with the club until the end of the 2015 season. Seymour has been with the club for the last two seasons and is currently their co-leading try scorer on the season along with Canadian DTH van der Merwe. At the same time, he has bounced in and out of the lineup at times.

Seymour qualifies to play for three nations. He was born in the U.S. but subsequently raised for the most part in Ireland. He qualifies for Scotland due his mother having been born in Glasgow. Seymour was called into Scotland camp last fall but did not dress for the team and is not cap tied. The emergence of Tim Visser and Sean Maitland may make that prospect even more remote unless he can continue to score tries. However, before U.S. fans get their hopes up, playing for the Eagles would likely put his Glasgow contract in jeopardy since he would no longer be Scotland eligible.

What do you make of the contract extension? Do you think Seymour will ever represent or has that ship sailed?

Submit Your Questions To Our Q&A;

No, I'm not the Prime Minister.

Things have slowed down a bit as far as rugby in America is concerned due to the holidays. That gives us a perfect opportunity to look back at the year and to project the year ahead. As such, we'll be taking your questions from now until Thursday night. You can ask us anything as long as it is clean and tasteful. There is a lot to talk about so fire away!

Good Club, Bad Club

We got a lot of reaction from our post last week about Samu Manoa being named Man of the Match in Northampton’s upset win over Ulster. Some of the comments were positive while others labeled Manoa as nothing more than a self-interested player. If only things were that black and white. Manoa is unfortunately caught in the middle of an identity struggle among Aviva Premiership teams and it means that he hasn’t been available for the Eagles.

In my latest RugbyRugby column I discuss the fact that some clubs like Northampton have a short-sighted vision of the future and do not value their Tier II international players. On the other hand, teams like Chris Wyles’s Saracens favor a much more international approach. It’s the Saracens approach that is paying dividends, and if the Premiership ever wants to compete with the Top 14 they need to do a better job of allowing Tier II players to play for their country.

Eagles Abroad: Weekend Review

It was a busy and mostly successful weekend for Americans overseas. Samu Manoa was named Man of the Match as Northampton ended Ulster's win streak, Chris Wyles and Saracens beat Munster to go a top their pool in the Heineken Cup, and Lou Stanfill scored a try in Italy.

Take the jump to read how every American did overseas.

Opening Kick

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

Remember our sponsors American Sin Bin, Winners & Losers, and Football Art when doing your holiday shopping this year.

We're also looking for a correspondent to cover college rugby and a correspondent to cover the Women's National teams.

Eagles:

Samu Manoa was named Man of the Match over the weekend as Northampton ended Ulster's unbeaten run. Here are some quotes from Manoa on the win.

Alex Goff talks about various things, including close matches for the 7's Eagles in his latest Eagle Eye. He also discusses the fact that contracts aren't "magic band-aids" for the team. (Both membership required)

Club/College:

In the latest edition of the Ruggamatrix podcast, the boys talk to Tiger Rugby coach James Walker.

The Las Vegas Invitational is the next big event for college rugby. Texas coach Jacob Liberman says it's worth it for all teams to attend.

World:

Get the latest on the weekend's results with our World Rugby Weekend Review.

Planet Rugby's readers have named their team for 2012. Some on the list include Sonny Bill, Nathan Sharpe, and Bryan Habana.

Tommy Bowe will be out for the foreseeable future after he injured his knee against Northampton last Saturday.

The troublesome field at the Millennium Stadium will be replaced with turf. That's sure to please the purists.

After a string of Welsh players leaving from France, the principality will apparently catch a break as Alex Cuthbert is reportedly staying with Cardiff.

It's no secret that Robbie Deans and Steve Hansen don't get along, but Hansen's latest comments take it to a new level.

A million rand was awarded to the Samurai after they won the Sevens Premier League over the weekend in South Africa.

Staying in South Africa, the Southern Kings have added another player ahead of their Super Rugby debut. They've signed Virgil Lacombe from Toulouse.

Tidbits:

Check out the latest reprint of Rugby Coach Weekly via Rugbymag, as well as find out what Eamonn Hogan wants from Santa. (Both membership required)

Rugby America says that you can make a difference for rugby in this country by starting a youth program. He is also on the lookout for Rugby/Football players.