“The new structure will increase the number of competitive matches for our membership,” said Alan Sharpley, Chairman of the USA Rugby Club Strategic committee. “The competitions structure will  increase the amount of divisional fixtures in preparation for our championships and will provide a more meaningful pathway to Championships.

Play under the new competitions structure will begin in the 2013-2014 competitive cycle. The restructured competition will divide the country in two leagues, each featuring four competitive regions.

Throughout the past two years members of the USA Rugby Senior Club competitions committee audited senior league play at all levels around the county to evaluate and categorize clubs as either participation or performance based. The committee also benchmarked the existing domestic championship pathways against international league structures.

The audit determined that the majority of clubs were performance based and interested in more league play opportunities. It also identified that domestic clubs played fewer competitive matches than their counterparts in other major rugby-playing countries..

The new competitive regions will be governed by appointed committees that will administer league scheduling and provide oversight of a relegation and promotion procedure that is under development and will be released later this year. The new structure also introduces the expansion of the men’s play to include a fourth division and a third for women’s play for emerging and social sides.

Additional details of the restructuring and club participation will be forthcoming from USA Rugby throughout the next six months. “The new competitions model is critical to the sustainability of our clubs and prepares them well for the future growth of the game. Providing a vibrant league plan for all levels of the senior game will ensure increased competitiveness and the framework that may possibly be applied into a commercial endeavor,” added Sharpley.  ” We will be continuing to finalize the details of the restructure over the coming weeks in order to provide ample time for clubs and administrators to be fully prepared when the changes are enacted.”

Here is the West RFU roster.

West
Paul Benade – Woodlands Exiles
Logan Collins – Denver Barbarians
Brian Guillen – Woodlands Exiles
Taylor Howden – Denver Barbarians
Jake Humphrey – Denver Barbarians
Carlin Isles – Aspen
David Keane – Dallas Harlequins
Hunter Leland – Denver Barbarians (Texas A&M alum)
Kelly Mercer – Kansas City Blues
Kelton Miller – Oklahoma Rugby Academy
Dewon Reed – Glendale Raptors
Spencer Scott – Glendale Raptors

Head coach: Andre Snyman
Manager: Howard Kent
West 7s Director: Gregg Jarvis

An announced crowd of more than 17,200 made it the best-attended rugby event ever in the USA. The fans loved it from start to finish. The bars outside the stadium were jam packed before the start – actually to the annoyance of some who had to wait. One bar manager said he had NEVER seen his place that busy – and this is where people go before or after Dynamo (MLS soccer) and Astros’ (Major League Baseball) games.

The Western 7s Qualifier, held earlier at the Houston Amateur Sports Park, buzzed with anticipation for the test match. Rugby fans were excited, and they did not leave unhappy, even though the 30-10 loss by the Eagles was not the outcome they wanted.

Check out this article by Tom Dart in The Guardian.

Photo by Rusty Steving

Onto the game:

1. The ref really killed the flow. The two red cards against the USA were nails in the coffin for the Eagles and the spectacle. It really got boring watching the USA just fight to survive with 13 men.

“The loads of penalties killed the flow,” U.S. Captain Todd Clever said after the game. “We want to play rugby and it just slowed it down so much.”

“It’s a tough ask to play flowing when you only have 13,” Fullback Chris Wyles said. “It showed that we have a lot of heart to make those try-saving tackles and step in there to stop attacks. But we can’t attack as well.”

U.S. Coach Mike Tolkin felt the red card on Andrew Suniula was “harsh”

2. The USA can play with the big fish.

“The lessons we can take away from this game is that we can play with these guys,” Tolkin said.  “Despite everything, we were still in positive positions at times.”

The last try by Italy has to be chalked up to just the dam finally giving way, and the Italians made USA indiscretions costly with penalty kicks. However, Italy’s second try was really the only well-worked score. The Eagles were pretty stout on defense.

However, they can’t let tries like the relatively-easy first score get by. They know it, but they have to work on it. These cheap tries – like the one Canada scored on the lack of finding touch – need to be avoided if the USA wants to make progress.

3. Italy can freaking scrum.

“We put a lot of emphasis on the scrum after Canada,” Italian Captain Martin Castrogiovanni said after the match. “We were able to set the platform and get the ball out to the backs. But it was tough up front.”

Tolkin said he thought the U.S. scrum had improved since the Eagles lost to Italy in the 2011 World Cup. But the Italians really killed it on several occasions Saturday night.

4. Houston rocks!

“We went to an Astros game, and really enjoyed it,” Castrogiovanni said. “Texas and Houston have treated us really well.”

“Texas has been fantastic,” Italy’s Chris Burton said. “Great training facilities, just nice people.”

“The crowd was great,” Clever said. “We can’t say enough about Houston and the hosts. They have been great.”

The officials with BBVA Compass Stadium went on and on after the game about how surprised they were that Texas rugby officials were able to gather so much support from clubs in the state. The pre-sale, group tickets were the best they had ever seen, they said.

USA fans enjoyed the game.

One official with the stadium said she thought it would be, “you know, a nice crowd of nine or 10 thousand. Then the Texas guys tell us they want a sell out. They almost did it. I thought we would have to temper our expectations, but we blew them away.”

The big rumor of the week is that Houston leads for the rights to host the USA vs Ireland in 2013. It makes a lot of sense – 17,200 is a lot of cents – from every angle. A) history is now on Houston’s side. B) The stadium is right downtown, so it is easy to access and easy to entertain. C) Texas has the third-largest number of rugby players behind California and the Northeast.

No matter where it is held, Ireland will be a big draw. So, it is not impossible to maybe see that sell out coming if the game were held in Houston.

We are totally biased, of course. With that written – USA Rugby would be foolish not to host the Irish in Houston in 2013. All the other cities outside of Texas can suck it.

National anthems!

Kickoff!

79:20 – Knockon by Italy. USA on Attack.

78:30 – tough defense by Italy. USA kicks away. Big break by the Azurri.

77: Try ITALY- Carlo Festuccia. Conversion good. 7-0 Italy

73:20 – Free kick to Italy.

72 – USA steal a ruck! But Azurri get it back.

69: Eagles attacking. penalty to USA. Wyles to attempt penalty.

68 – PENALTY kick from Chris Wyles! 7-3 Italy.

67 – PENALTY kick for Italy. 10-3 Italy

67:30 – Penalty no good from Wyles. 10-3 Italy.

63:45 – Knock forward after good Eagle phases leads to scrum ti Italy.

62 – Italy scrum is strong. Forces penalty. They take the kick for territory. Lineout at the 35 meter line.

62:45 – knockon by USA off good defense. Scrum Italy.

58:45 – stoppage for injury. Will be USA scrum.

57:45 – Penalty against Italy for leaving scrum early. Eagles take lineout at midfield.

56:50 – Petri puts a box kick straight into touch to kill a USA attack. USA gets it back after offsides on Italy player.

55:35 – USA lineout at Italy 22.

54:50 – TRY USA! No. 13 Paul Emerick on an awesome break and pass from the lineout. Really sweet move. Wyles conversion good! 10-10.

52:40 – This crowd LOVES the USA.

50 – big hits by USA, but the Italians get the lineout. But then it goes back to the USA.

49:45 – Eagles lose the lineout then give up the penalty for diving over. Riccardo Bocchino will attempt penalty.

47:50 – PENALTY GOOD. 13-10 Italy

46 – Italy knocks on the restart. Scrum USA

45:50 – TRY Italy. Edoardo Gori. Conversion is good. 20-10 Italy.

43:02 – Penalty against USA. Italy will attempt kick.

Injury time – MISSED Penalty by Italy. 20-10 USA

Injury time – Penalty to USA. Eagles run it because it is the last play. Italy steals it and is on the attack. Italy kicks to touch to end the half.

HALF – 20-10 Italy.

40 – USA kicks off to Italy.

39 – Penalty against USA. AGAIN. Ugh

37:50 – Italy knocks on. USA scrum behind their own 22. Injured Italy player.

McDonald on for Fry. Hawley on for Peterson for the USA.

36 – Lineout to USA after penalty. Backs spill it forward. Punch up. Both teams entering. Late tackle from USA made Italy take offense.

Andrew Suniula gets the Red Card. USA down to 14.

34 – Lineout deep in USA territory after penalty. scrum to USA.

33:12 – Lineout to Eagles after Italy kick away possession. USA working hard.

31 -  Italy lineout at their own 35 meter line after Petri box kick.

29:02 – Hawley throws it into himself on lineout. Eagles bundled into touch. LaValla out for USA.

28:20 – Italy throws it into touch on counter attack. Lineout for USA.

57:30 – Eagles on attack! Chants of USA! USA! Knockon by USA. Scrum to Italy kills the move.

24 – Lineout to Italy. Eagles scrum is getting destroyed.

LaValla back on, he changed jerseys from 7 to 24 for blood.

23:04 – Penalty to USA. Gives them breathing room.

22:50 – Italy knocks on clearing kick. USA gets a break just past midfield.

20 – Scrum to USA. Poor kick decision.

19:30 – But Italy leaves their feet to give USA a penalty at 40 meters. Wyles will attempt the kick for points.

17:30 – Penalty is short. 20-10 Italy.

16:45 – USA is game on attack, even with 14.

Durutalo on for Mokate.

13:40 – USA gets REAL lucky on Italy knock on going for the break.

Red Card for Paul Emerick for not wrapping. USA will play with 13.

62 -PENALTY good. 23-10 Italy

61:40 – Petri and Clever trying to make it happen. Penalty for USA. Quick tap! Knocked on inside the 15 meter line. Scrum Italy.

Lots of subs for USA.

The USA looked really good on that attack, but the unforced errors kill the move.

9:30 – Quick tap for USA, inside the 40 meter line.

Will Holder on for Roland Suniula

7:40 – USA turns it over in the ruck. BIG HIT by USA spills it as Italy player thought he could truck USA man.

6:40 – Italy slowing the game down. Penalty for professional foul. Lineout to the USA.

4:30 – USA spills in tackle.

2:30 – Try Italy. 30-10

Final Score – 30-10 Italy.

Many thanks to the good people of HARC for their fantastic hosting of the West 7s Qualifier at Houston Amateur Sports Park. Also, many thanks to our sponsor, Caring Senior Service.

Pool A: Woodlands Exiles, Fort Worth, HARC II

Pool B: Denver, KC Blues, HARC I

Pool C: Glendale Raptors, Oklahoma Rugby Academy, El Azul

Pool D: Dallas Harlequins, Aspen, KC Rogues

Pool Scores:

Fort Worth 26  HARC II 7

Oklahoma 14  El Azul 5

KC Blues 28  HARC I 0

Aspen 38  KC Rogues 0

Woodlands 33  HARC II 0

Glendale 19  El Azul 19

Denver 24  HARC iI 0

Harlequins 19  KC Rogues 0

Woodlands 22  Fort Worth 0

Glendale 12  Oklahoma 12

Denver 29  KC Blues 0

Aspen 31  Harlequins 5

Playoff Scores:

El Azul  26   HARC I 7

KC Rogues 21  HARC II 17

Glendale 21  Aspen 19

Woodlands Exiles 12  KC Blues 7

Woodlands Exiles on attack vs KC Blues

Denver Barbarians  36 Fort Worth 14

Oklahoma 31  Harlequins 7

7th/8th Place

El Azul 21  KC Rogues 14

Plate Semis

KC Blues  28 Aspen 12

Fort Worth 19 Dallas Harlequins 14

Cup Semis

Woodlands  19 Glendale 12

Denver 38  Oklahoma 0

3rd/4th

Glendale 40 Oklahoma 0

Finals

Denver Barbos 24  Woodlands 0

Houston Qualifier Champs: Denver Barbos