The Fort Hunt Eagles RFC Basics

This is the basic info for everyone on the team. If anyone has questions, please call or email me

"RFC" stands for "Rugby Football Club." We play rugby, more formally rugby union football, as opposed to the somewhat different rugby league football.

Background/Introduction
I started playing rugby in 1981. I have played mens club rugby since then, and have played in the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. I played for the US Forces Europe Select XV and US Army sides. I have been a rugby referee since 1987, and achieved the level of B3 in the late 1980s. I recently got my national certification from USA Rugby as a coach, and continuing my formal education as such. I'm just finishing my 10th season as an LMVSC soccer coach, and have coached boys basketball in FHYAA. I'm a Webelos den leader in Pack 1509.
This is the third summer of FHYAA rugby. Our program has grown quickly, and is shaping up to do that, and this season may see us transition to playing some tackle rugby. Our ultimate goal is full sides of U-9 and U-11 touch rugby, with optional touch rugby for U-13s and U-15s, and tackle rugby for U-13s and U-15s, with U-17 and U-19 tackle sides as well.
Eventually I'd like to see a West Potomac HS U-19 rugby team/club, or a combo WestPo/Mt. Vernon U-19 team/club.

Communication
I will communicate primarily via email.
Note that I have a number of email addresses that I use and monitor all day long: rugby007@aol.com john.dacey@associates.dhs.gov johnrd4@dni.gov daceyj@centratechnology.com john.r.dacey@ugov.gov
When you communicate with me, I recommend you use all of these to be sure I see it as quickly as possible. The rugby007 address is my primary.
My home phone number is 703-780-5859. My cell number is 301-503-3377.
If you have additional email addresses, let me know and I will add them to the team collective email list.

Registration
As you all know registration is open now.
Go to the FHYAA website at www.fhyaa.org, and click on the rugby tab to get to registration.
It is crucial that players register early, as we must declare our respective teams by 6 June. For returning players, get registered soon, and push your buddies to register. With the $100 registration fee comes a jersey for keeps. We are working on getting a keeper ball for each player, but this has not firmed up yet.

Recruiting
If we are going to grow our program, most importantly to get enough 11-and-older players to field tackle teams (for both boys and girls), everyone must take an active role in recruiting. If every player brings just one buddy to the club, we will double our participation. SYC has over 130 kids in their program; it is not unreasonable for us to shoot for 50 or more.
Our kids/players are our best recruiting tool. Make sure your players talk up rugby at school, in scouts, at the pool, at church and at other venues. Have them emphasize the sport's uniqueness, it's wide-open play in which all players run and score, the fact that we travel, the unique and highly positive social aspect of the sport, and the fact that we are playing touch (to calm parents' misperceptions).
Have your players wear their jerseys to school at least once a week. Attached are flyers. Please print a few out and hand them out to friends. Ideally, you can print some color copies and ask local businesses to post them, put them up on bulletin boards, etc. We're looking for coverage at Hollin Hall, Belle Haven, the rec centers, business, schools, etc. Can someone hook me up with a contact POC at Belle Haven elementary so I can deliver copies for Tuesday folders?
Many parents have questions about rugby, so have them contact me at 703-780-5859 or Andy Vonada at 703-360-1534.

Practice
Practices will start on Tuesday, 3 June.
We will practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Practice will run 6:30-8:00 pm.
Practice will be at our home field, Field 4 at Collingwood Park (same as last year).

Games and Match Schedule
The first matches will be on Saturday, 21 June.
The match schedule will not publish until approximately 15 June.
Expect Thursday evening matches beginning on 17 July. These could be home or away matches.
We will not have matches scheduled for the July 4th weekend.
The end of season tournament will be held at SYC (Hooes Road Park) on 2-3 August, touch on the 2nd and tackle on the 3rd.

Touch Versus Tackle
Our program has been and remains primarily touch, but we want to transition to a full program of both touch and tackle.
We have a number of middle and high schoolers who want to play tackle rugby, and we want to provide this opportunity. This will depend on how many come out for tackle, and at what ages. For those players who wish to play tackle, we will teach tackle rugby at practice, and will have a number of opportunities to play some highly controlled tackle rugby with other teams or in combination teams as the season progresses.
Unlike football, there is no weight/size basis for tackle ball; it is determined strictly by age. Players 10 and over may play U-13 tackle. Players 13 and older may play U-15 tackle. Players 15 and older may play U-17 tackle.
No players may "play down" for tackle rugby.
Girls may play tackle rugby with the boys, and we will speak directly with these players and their parents about this before we begin.

Volunteers
Parents must volunteer and assist to make our program work.

Coaching
I most happily will continue as head coach. Dan Dickert has graciously volunteered to assist once again this summer. Andy Vonada also will assist when his schedule permits. Jim Woods and Dale Roach also have volunteered to assist, and Bobby Strawbridge is a late and highly qualified addition to the coaching staff.
Any parent who has played rugby before is a valuable asset to our coaching staff, and I ask you to please step forward and help out. As we grow the program, we will need dedicated coaches for each team (U-9, U-11 and up, touch and tackle teams, etc.). This will be essential as our separate teams will not always play at the same time or at the same venue; we will need adult leadership and supervision at multiple locations.

Hosting
For a detailed discussion of this subject, see the "Hosting Protocols" post.
When we are the home team, we host our visitors warmly and completely, and we do it in proper rugby fashion. This is an essential part of the rugby tradition, and we will continue it, actively hosting our visitors. Our parents did some really outstanding work last summer with food and drink for visiting teams, and we will continue it this summer for our home matches. This aspect of our operation will firm up once we get the match schedule.
We also will choose a visitor man of the match, and will award him/her with a keepsake.

Safety
Safety of all players at all times is first and foremost.
All players should come out with a mouthguard--touch or tackle--and have one spare.
Boys are not required to wear a cup, and I do not recommend one.
Glasses: All players who wear eyeglasses should practice and play without them. If they must have glasses to see, then they need to have wraparound sports goggles/rec specs, as the league is very strongly discouraging the wear of regular eyeglasses for any player in touch rugby, as it is dangerous to both the wearer and other players. For tackle rugby, no form of eyeglasses whatsoever is permitted for a player, practice or match.

Equipment
Once again, I recommend Matt Godek Rugby and Soccer Supply, at http://www.rugbystore.com/
Matt has everything a rugby player will need, for youth players as well. He is a local merchant, in Merrifield, so you can go to the store and check out the merchandise yourself. He is also a former Army officer and lifelong supporter of our armed forces.
Players should have a pair of studded shoes. I recommend molded soles over screw-in studs, as summer fields likely will be dry and hard. Do not purchase American football shoes, as they usually have a center toe stud, which is illegal in rugby (and soccer). A player will not be allowed to play with shoes which carry a toe stud.
Players should have a pair of black shorts and black socks for games. I recommend black cotton twill traditional rugby shorts (with a drawstring waist). First, this is basic kit, and it just plain looks right. Second, especially for tackle play, nylon shorts or shorts with an elastic waistband will not stand up to the action.
As always, the jersey is a keeper, and is included with the registration.

Preparation
The best thing you can do for your novice player right now is buy him/her a rugby ball (size 4), and have them handle it all the time. Just roll it, toss it, get the feel in the hands.
There are a few helpful videos of rugby online, but the vast majority of online videos highlight big hits (which mostly are highly illegal and unsportsmanlike tackles) and fights. This is not what rugby is about, so I encourage you to be judicious when viewing or allowing your player to view rugby videos online.
Setanta Sports (channel 615 on Direct TV) runs a lot of top-notch rugby.