A great weekend of rugby, in general.
Terrible that we lost Henry to the ankle injury on Saturday morning. It was just a freak thing, no one's fault, but a shame that Henry has to miss the season, after just joining us and fitting in so well. Stay in touch, teammate, and we want you back, as soon as you're well.
Good practice on Saturday morning, concentrating on body position in the ruck/maul, making the ball available to supporting players, and the quick pickup to carry on the attack or transition from defense. We learned the saddle roll, too.
Saturday night was great under the lights, lots of rugby, especially for our rookies. Great discipline in the off-sides, with very few instances of that, or hands in the rucks. We need to work on player communication, and especially decision making going in to the rucks and mauls--we are putting way too many guys in, both when we're on offense and when we're on defense. We need to keep our heads up and eyes open, see what's happening, and make fast, solid decisions that benefit our side--we'll work this in practice this week.
Big thanks to our parents who supported the concessions sales at West Potomac HS this weekend, especially Barb Roach for leading the effort. If we are going to go on tour every other year--with 2012 being our next year--we need to think hard about fundraising, and parents and players both need to be ready to raise funds.
See you on Tuesday evening.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, 1 March
A great evening for training, clear and crisp. A bit muddy, though.
First night on the scrum sled. Thanks again, FHYAA Board, for hooking us up with this great piece of equipment. Trained two full scrums on the sled and against each other, easing the rookies into the unfamiliar physical setting of the scrum. Worked both on the sled and some gentle pushing against each other. Cant' wait to see the ladies doing some work on the sled.
Had about 12 ladies out tonight, another great showing. Gotta get registered, please, ladies. We've almost got a full team now. Your shorts and socks are in, too.
Custom shorts and socks are in and available, for all players.
First night on the scrum sled. Thanks again, FHYAA Board, for hooking us up with this great piece of equipment. Trained two full scrums on the sled and against each other, easing the rookies into the unfamiliar physical setting of the scrum. Worked both on the sled and some gentle pushing against each other. Cant' wait to see the ladies doing some work on the sled.
Had about 12 ladies out tonight, another great showing. Gotta get registered, please, ladies. We've almost got a full team now. Your shorts and socks are in, too.
Custom shorts and socks are in and available, for all players.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Second Practice, Cold and Wet
Cold, rainy day for rugby practice today. So the county closed Bucknell Manor Park, requiring us to displace to Quander Road School. Great flexibility on the part of players and parents--thank you.
Quander Road School is just north of the Bucknell Manor Park field. Exit the Bucknell Manor Park parking lot, turn right. Take an immediate left on Quander, go past West Potomac HS, and Quander Road School will be on the left.
This will be our SOP until further notice: if Bucknell Manor is unavailable, we will move to Quander Road School. If you get to Bucknell Manor Park and it is empty, look for a sign saying "QUANDER" hung on the park fence; that is the secret club signal to come to Quander Road School for rugby practice.
Next practice: Saturday, 26 February, 9:00-11:00am at Bucknell Manor Park. Bring boots and a molded mouthpiece. We will have waivers for parents to sign and codes of conduct for players to sign. We'll also have the team box with jerseys, balls, stickers, magnets, patches and pins for sale.
--Coach Dacey
Quander Road School is just north of the Bucknell Manor Park field. Exit the Bucknell Manor Park parking lot, turn right. Take an immediate left on Quander, go past West Potomac HS, and Quander Road School will be on the left.
This will be our SOP until further notice: if Bucknell Manor is unavailable, we will move to Quander Road School. If you get to Bucknell Manor Park and it is empty, look for a sign saying "QUANDER" hung on the park fence; that is the secret club signal to come to Quander Road School for rugby practice.
Next practice: Saturday, 26 February, 9:00-11:00am at Bucknell Manor Park. Bring boots and a molded mouthpiece. We will have waivers for parents to sign and codes of conduct for players to sign. We'll also have the team box with jerseys, balls, stickers, magnets, patches and pins for sale.
--Coach Dacey
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
First High School Practice
So, we have begun our Fort Hunt Rugby high school program. A good six years in the making, and now we're on our way. I couldn't be more happy.
We have almost 40 boys out, and 5 girls. Most of our veterans are back, we have a number of rookies, and we are extremely fortunate to have two new UK veterans coming out to help us out. Things are looking up very well.
Rookies: we need to work on our concepts. Discard football, think movement, flow, moving forward, and no whistle after five seconds. Things have to be fluid, so as soon as you get tackled or are a tackler, you've got to get right back up and get back into the game. Next practice we're going to introduce the maul, go over the tackle, and introduce the ruck. We want all rookies integrated into practice with everyone as quickly as possible, because the best way to learn rugby is not drills and lecture but to get into the field and actually play. And we will be doing a lot of play, full-on 15-v-15 scrimmages to get everyone familiar with all aspects of the game.
Mouthpieces. Buy 3, mold it, and bring it. No exceptions, non-negotiable.
Kit Bags: we are going to order kit bags. Need a $50 deposit in the next month, so we can order these. Choice of black/blue or green/gold.
Saturday we'll be doing paperwork: parents will be signing the USA Rugby and Rugby VA waivers, and players will be signing the players code of conduct. We'll have the team box out with gear for sale: balls, stickers, magnets, patches, pins, jerseys, etc.
The bare-bones schedule will be out soon. We're still working on exact dates, times and a suitable venue.
Parents: ask lots of questions.
Fort Hunt Rugby newsletter for March will be out on 1 March, via email, and posted to the website.
--Coach Dacey
We have almost 40 boys out, and 5 girls. Most of our veterans are back, we have a number of rookies, and we are extremely fortunate to have two new UK veterans coming out to help us out. Things are looking up very well.
Rookies: we need to work on our concepts. Discard football, think movement, flow, moving forward, and no whistle after five seconds. Things have to be fluid, so as soon as you get tackled or are a tackler, you've got to get right back up and get back into the game. Next practice we're going to introduce the maul, go over the tackle, and introduce the ruck. We want all rookies integrated into practice with everyone as quickly as possible, because the best way to learn rugby is not drills and lecture but to get into the field and actually play. And we will be doing a lot of play, full-on 15-v-15 scrimmages to get everyone familiar with all aspects of the game.
Mouthpieces. Buy 3, mold it, and bring it. No exceptions, non-negotiable.
Kit Bags: we are going to order kit bags. Need a $50 deposit in the next month, so we can order these. Choice of black/blue or green/gold.
Saturday we'll be doing paperwork: parents will be signing the USA Rugby and Rugby VA waivers, and players will be signing the players code of conduct. We'll have the team box out with gear for sale: balls, stickers, magnets, patches, pins, jerseys, etc.
The bare-bones schedule will be out soon. We're still working on exact dates, times and a suitable venue.
Parents: ask lots of questions.
Fort Hunt Rugby newsletter for March will be out on 1 March, via email, and posted to the website.
--Coach Dacey
Friday, June 25, 2010
Nekkid Rugby in NZ
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/nude-rugby-is-a-ball-for-players-and-fans-alike/19527289
Only One Ball Counts in Nude Rugby
David Moye
Contributor
(June 24) -- Rugby is tough enough when you're clothed, but it's even
harder when you're naked.
But that may just be the selling point of the annual nude rugby match at
Logan Park in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The seventh annual event was held June 19, and the freewheeling (and
free-balling) contest attracted around 2,500 fans, willing to spend the
first day of winter watching a very stiff competition between the
undefeated Nude Blacks and the visiting Welsh Leeks.
Wait, What?
Players compete in a nude rugby game at Logan Park on June 19 in
Dunedin, New Zealand. A naked rugby match is a traditional prelude to a
New Zealand All Blacks Test match in Dunedin against a visiting team.
The prize? A toilet seat trophy.
The event is the brainchild of Ralph Davies, who told Perthnow.com.au
that nude rugby was in keeping with the student-dominated city.
"Dunedin students are well known for getting their kit off and running
around, so that's how the idea really became, and it's just blown out of
all proportion since then," Davies said.
Although some folks might be offended by the idea, Davies said every
effort is made to keep the game -- and the players -- clean and tidy.
"It's not a nudie perve, it's a kick and giggle," he said.
The event actually ties together two separate but equal events: National
Nude Day and a test match against a local team by the All Blacks, a
rugby team in New Zealand that is as popular in Kiwi country as the New
York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Lakers are in the U.S.
Rugby is a brutal sport, and players don't wear nearly the amount of
padding that football players do, so playing completely naked is
obviously even more difficult. Despite that, Davies said there haven't
been any serious injuries since the very first tournament.
"One guy did pop a shoulder once, but apparently this frequently
happened, and it was popped back in and he went on to score a try,"
Davies said in an e-mail interview with AOL News.
"One lady in the crowd did get in the way of a tackled player out of
play and was bundled over, but no damage. I am not sure if she
appreciated the hugs from the players to see if she was OK. But I think
the smile on her face presumed all was OK."
Considering the game took place on the first day of the New Zealand
winter, it might seem that wind chill could be as much of a danger as an
untimely kick in the wedding tackle. Luckily, that was not the case this
year.
"[We had] brilliantly fine conditions -- a balmy winter's afternoon in
Dunedin [64 degrees] was a far cry from the frozen beach for the first
match in 2002, which was around [37 degrees]," Davies said.
But there were some problems. For instance, every year the event is
plagued by some spectator who insists on streaking while wearing
clothes. Inevitably, this scofflaw is arrested by a naked constable.
This year, a woman fan chose to get in on the fun.
"This year, we had a totally random woman drop her kit and run on to the
field to the delight of everyone, including the players as she kissed
and hugged them," Davies said. "She carried on to take part in a
line-out and score a try of her own."
Although playing nude might be a deal breaker for some teams, Davies
said he's never had a problem finding teams willing to do it. But even
if he did, he has that covered.
"We've never had any cancellations," he said. "A core group of Dunedin
University students -- or 'Scarfies' -- makes up the Nude Blacks, and
they can provide extras if we get short on the visiting team."
This year, the Nude Blacks once again won the trophy, and now, according
to the Sydney Morning Herald, the team already anticipates next year's
nude rugby World Cup.
"We know what the Scots wear under their kilts, so we can expect an
interesting matchup for that fixture,'' Davies said.
Since the Nude Blacks don't wear britches, there's no chance of the team
getting too big for them. Davies understands the appeal of nude rugby is
based on its now-you-see-it, now-you-don't quality.
"I think if it was held every week, the interest would wane," he said.
"So we only pull it out once a year as a precursor to the big matches
and thus maintain the interest and fascination of the public.
Only One Ball Counts in Nude Rugby
David Moye
Contributor
(June 24) -- Rugby is tough enough when you're clothed, but it's even
harder when you're naked.
But that may just be the selling point of the annual nude rugby match at
Logan Park in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The seventh annual event was held June 19, and the freewheeling (and
free-balling) contest attracted around 2,500 fans, willing to spend the
first day of winter watching a very stiff competition between the
undefeated Nude Blacks and the visiting Welsh Leeks.
Wait, What?
Players compete in a nude rugby game at Logan Park on June 19 in
Dunedin, New Zealand. A naked rugby match is a traditional prelude to a
New Zealand All Blacks Test match in Dunedin against a visiting team.
The prize? A toilet seat trophy.
The event is the brainchild of Ralph Davies, who told Perthnow.com.au
that nude rugby was in keeping with the student-dominated city.
"Dunedin students are well known for getting their kit off and running
around, so that's how the idea really became, and it's just blown out of
all proportion since then," Davies said.
Although some folks might be offended by the idea, Davies said every
effort is made to keep the game -- and the players -- clean and tidy.
"It's not a nudie perve, it's a kick and giggle," he said.
The event actually ties together two separate but equal events: National
Nude Day and a test match against a local team by the All Blacks, a
rugby team in New Zealand that is as popular in Kiwi country as the New
York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys or Los Angeles Lakers are in the U.S.
Rugby is a brutal sport, and players don't wear nearly the amount of
padding that football players do, so playing completely naked is
obviously even more difficult. Despite that, Davies said there haven't
been any serious injuries since the very first tournament.
"One guy did pop a shoulder once, but apparently this frequently
happened, and it was popped back in and he went on to score a try,"
Davies said in an e-mail interview with AOL News.
"One lady in the crowd did get in the way of a tackled player out of
play and was bundled over, but no damage. I am not sure if she
appreciated the hugs from the players to see if she was OK. But I think
the smile on her face presumed all was OK."
Considering the game took place on the first day of the New Zealand
winter, it might seem that wind chill could be as much of a danger as an
untimely kick in the wedding tackle. Luckily, that was not the case this
year.
"[We had] brilliantly fine conditions -- a balmy winter's afternoon in
Dunedin [64 degrees] was a far cry from the frozen beach for the first
match in 2002, which was around [37 degrees]," Davies said.
But there were some problems. For instance, every year the event is
plagued by some spectator who insists on streaking while wearing
clothes. Inevitably, this scofflaw is arrested by a naked constable.
This year, a woman fan chose to get in on the fun.
"This year, we had a totally random woman drop her kit and run on to the
field to the delight of everyone, including the players as she kissed
and hugged them," Davies said. "She carried on to take part in a
line-out and score a try of her own."
Although playing nude might be a deal breaker for some teams, Davies
said he's never had a problem finding teams willing to do it. But even
if he did, he has that covered.
"We've never had any cancellations," he said. "A core group of Dunedin
University students -- or 'Scarfies' -- makes up the Nude Blacks, and
they can provide extras if we get short on the visiting team."
This year, the Nude Blacks once again won the trophy, and now, according
to the Sydney Morning Herald, the team already anticipates next year's
nude rugby World Cup.
"We know what the Scots wear under their kilts, so we can expect an
interesting matchup for that fixture,'' Davies said.
Since the Nude Blacks don't wear britches, there's no chance of the team
getting too big for them. Davies understands the appeal of nude rugby is
based on its now-you-see-it, now-you-don't quality.
"I think if it was held every week, the interest would wane," he said.
"So we only pull it out once a year as a precursor to the big matches
and thus maintain the interest and fascination of the public.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
2010's First Matches
Well, we finally got to play on Saturday, and here's what I saw/heard:
9-U: I refereed, and you guys did great. We still have to remember that rugby is not keep-away, that unlike football you don't run away from the opposition, you run directly toward them to bring the defense in to create space for your teammates. Our control and passing was good, as was our communication. And it was clear everyone was having fun.
11-U: I refereed this one, too. Still playing a little bit too much magnetball on defense, everyone crowding to the ball to get into the action. Then the opposition makes two passes out, and it's off to the races. That killed us on Saturday. Our ball control on offense was good, but too many players still running sideways instead of straight ahead.
13-U: I refereed this one, too. Almost everybody was standing right outside the action, waiting for the ball to come to him, and therefore we didn't do or get anything; the other team got into the action, they got the ball, and they scored, over and over. Hardly anyone wanted to go into the rucks or mauls, and we therefore lost almost every single one. We had no heart, no aggression, and no grrr, 11 guys all playing their own individual game instead of playing like a team. We finally started to get into the game in the 3rd period, and were doing well, but our defense, and lack of desire to close with the offense and tackle someone, doomed us.
15-U: Very impressive start, guys. We got good help from BRYC, and took it to Warrenton. Our guys did great, even though the scoring was all by BRYC players. We were best at defense, with some really, really good hard, safe tackling. Our offense was lacking, as too many of us are still unsure, not confident with the ball in our hands, and we therefore made a number of blind, panicked passes.
17-U: I heard good things about ball control and team play, and we won.
Girls Tackle: I also heard good things about teamwork, and unselfish play. I heard they were good on defense, with good, hard, safe tackling.
Keep it up, team. Only a month to go.
9-U: I refereed, and you guys did great. We still have to remember that rugby is not keep-away, that unlike football you don't run away from the opposition, you run directly toward them to bring the defense in to create space for your teammates. Our control and passing was good, as was our communication. And it was clear everyone was having fun.
11-U: I refereed this one, too. Still playing a little bit too much magnetball on defense, everyone crowding to the ball to get into the action. Then the opposition makes two passes out, and it's off to the races. That killed us on Saturday. Our ball control on offense was good, but too many players still running sideways instead of straight ahead.
13-U: I refereed this one, too. Almost everybody was standing right outside the action, waiting for the ball to come to him, and therefore we didn't do or get anything; the other team got into the action, they got the ball, and they scored, over and over. Hardly anyone wanted to go into the rucks or mauls, and we therefore lost almost every single one. We had no heart, no aggression, and no grrr, 11 guys all playing their own individual game instead of playing like a team. We finally started to get into the game in the 3rd period, and were doing well, but our defense, and lack of desire to close with the offense and tackle someone, doomed us.
15-U: Very impressive start, guys. We got good help from BRYC, and took it to Warrenton. Our guys did great, even though the scoring was all by BRYC players. We were best at defense, with some really, really good hard, safe tackling. Our offense was lacking, as too many of us are still unsure, not confident with the ball in our hands, and we therefore made a number of blind, panicked passes.
17-U: I heard good things about ball control and team play, and we won.
Girls Tackle: I also heard good things about teamwork, and unselfish play. I heard they were good on defense, with good, hard, safe tackling.
Keep it up, team. Only a month to go.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Playing the Celtic Fest
Well, I have to admit I was disappointed by the Fort Hunt turnout at the Potomac Celtic Fest in Leesburg this past Saturday. In all, out of 77 registered players, we had six Fort Hunt Rugby players in attendance--and good on them, too. Thank you, Victoria, JT, James, Andrei, Alexandra, and Max for coming out and supporting your club. Thank you, too, to two Aidens (a litle brother and a buddy) for joining us and learning about rugby. We even got some mom/dad participation in there, which was great for the kids. You dedicated players will get a token of thanks at practice this coming week.
And as always, thanks to the moms and dads who got their players out to the demonstration.
That being said, it was optional after all, so I really can't get too upset about folks not being there.
It was a good time, though, a warm day out at the festival, with lots of cool stuff to see and do.
Yes, we do plan on doing this again next year, folks.
And as always, thanks to the moms and dads who got their players out to the demonstration.
That being said, it was optional after all, so I really can't get too upset about folks not being there.
It was a good time, though, a warm day out at the festival, with lots of cool stuff to see and do.
Yes, we do plan on doing this again next year, folks.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday Miscellaneous
Saw Invictus on Friday night, and I pronounce it a good film. It's not a rugby movie, as it's not the story of rugby. Rugby is the glue that holds it together, as Mandela finds a way to start to unite black and white behind a common effort, the Springboks' quest to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The film is about leadership and vision, and how that kind of faith and inner strength can genuinely change things, can make things happen.
Another great movie, in which rugby plays a role, is Forever Strong. This is a values movie, about a selfish punk who becomes a part of something bigger than himself, and finds the strength in team, instead of always playing on his own. This movie is also about leadership, making hard yet correct decisions, being honorable and honest, and staying true to yourself, your family and your team. This is a fantastic film for all rugby players, and is a great father-and-son movie.
The weather this week promises to be wacky; I don't know if we'll get to practice tonight. Stay alert, and check the website and your emails for updates.
The parents meeting we missed last Thursday has been moved to this coming Thursday, 7:00pm at Dave Poulin Field (Collingwood Park).
Tackle players: start reviewing the website links on the ruck and maul, and on off-sides. We're losing practice days to the weather, so if you do your homework ahead of time, it will save us a lot of explaining during practices.
Another great movie, in which rugby plays a role, is Forever Strong. This is a values movie, about a selfish punk who becomes a part of something bigger than himself, and finds the strength in team, instead of always playing on his own. This movie is also about leadership, making hard yet correct decisions, being honorable and honest, and staying true to yourself, your family and your team. This is a fantastic film for all rugby players, and is a great father-and-son movie.
The weather this week promises to be wacky; I don't know if we'll get to practice tonight. Stay alert, and check the website and your emails for updates.
The parents meeting we missed last Thursday has been moved to this coming Thursday, 7:00pm at Dave Poulin Field (Collingwood Park).
Tackle players: start reviewing the website links on the ruck and maul, and on off-sides. We're losing practice days to the weather, so if you do your homework ahead of time, it will save us a lot of explaining during practices.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday's Weather
Sorry, team, but that's the way it goes sometimes--I guess we should have practiced. Oh well. That's the price of being safe.
The parents meeting is moved to next Thursday.
See you next Tuesday evening.
The parents meeting is moved to next Thursday.
See you next Tuesday evening.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Another Great Practice
Team:
Things are going well, and it looks like we'll have two full days this week to train--stay tuned for weather updates.
Theme
We introduced it last night--DRS. That's Discipline, Respect, and Safety. Have the discipline to stay quiet, listen, do as you're instructed, and keep your head in the game. Be respectful of your teammates, your opponents, officials, coaches, and property which does not belong to you. Be safe at all times, whether it's weather or contact drills and play.
WATER
It's getting hot--bring water to practice, and when the coaches call water break, make sure you drink some.
Touch
You guys are doing great, learning the basics. We're going to reinforce the scrum this week, and move on to lineouts, then the maul.
Tackle
For the experienced players it may seem like baby steps, but we are setting the standard for all players, using our basic contact drills so that it becomes second nature.
As Coach Roach said last night, the more mature you are, the more you pay attention, and the more you work on these drills and master them, the faster we can move on to more complex drills and play.
Bring your mouthpiece!
See you out there this afternoon.
Things are going well, and it looks like we'll have two full days this week to train--stay tuned for weather updates.
Theme
We introduced it last night--DRS. That's Discipline, Respect, and Safety. Have the discipline to stay quiet, listen, do as you're instructed, and keep your head in the game. Be respectful of your teammates, your opponents, officials, coaches, and property which does not belong to you. Be safe at all times, whether it's weather or contact drills and play.
WATER
It's getting hot--bring water to practice, and when the coaches call water break, make sure you drink some.
Touch
You guys are doing great, learning the basics. We're going to reinforce the scrum this week, and move on to lineouts, then the maul.
Tackle
For the experienced players it may seem like baby steps, but we are setting the standard for all players, using our basic contact drills so that it becomes second nature.
As Coach Roach said last night, the more mature you are, the more you pay attention, and the more you work on these drills and master them, the faster we can move on to more complex drills and play.
Bring your mouthpiece!
See you out there this afternoon.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Fort Hunt Rugby Night at Primo's
Well, we did okay for our very first Fort Hunt Rugby Night at Primo's. We could do better, but we've got three more chances this summer to work it out. I did see Alexandra G and her dad there, Patrick K and his dad, and David B and his dad, too. Good on ya, guys and gals, for supporting our biggest sponsor.
Next Fort Hunt Rugby Night at Primo will be on Sunday (they're always on Sundays), 27 June. See you there!
Next Fort Hunt Rugby Night at Primo will be on Sunday (they're always on Sundays), 27 June. See you there!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Refer first to our website for all questions.
Another excellent practice last night, with super turnout.
Paperwork: players won't get their jersey until all required paperwork is turned in:
Tackle players: we started the basics of contact last night, with the intro to tackling. This drill is going to be a standard contact warmup for all practices, until it becomes second nature. We'll move this forward next week with the introduction of rucking pads, tackling dummies, and starting player-on-player contact drills. We'll also start getting into the scrum, ruck and maul.
Equipment: remember, take off all jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, watches, earrings. This includes friendship strings, etc. Empty all pockets. This goes for tackle and touch players.
See you next Tuesday.
Another excellent practice last night, with super turnout.
Paperwork: players won't get their jersey until all required paperwork is turned in:
- USA Rugby registration: this is the signed USA Rugby agreement/waiver, and your receipt with your CIPP number.
- Fort Hunt Registration: we have that already, so you don't need to bring it.
- Rugby VA waiver: we will have those at practice starting next week.
- Commwealth Games waiver: we'll have these at practice starting next week.
Tackle players: we started the basics of contact last night, with the intro to tackling. This drill is going to be a standard contact warmup for all practices, until it becomes second nature. We'll move this forward next week with the introduction of rucking pads, tackling dummies, and starting player-on-player contact drills. We'll also start getting into the scrum, ruck and maul.
Equipment: remember, take off all jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, watches, earrings. This includes friendship strings, etc. Empty all pockets. This goes for tackle and touch players.
See you next Tuesday.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
So We Begin, Summer 2010
Excellent practice last night, team, over 50 rugby-playing kids out there, learning about rugby. That's fantastic, hopefully on our way to 80+ kids, maybe even 100. Bring a buddy to practice, or two or three.
WATER: Bring water to practice. This is a player responsibility.
Jerseys are ordered, and will be in by approximately 10 June. You can't get your jersey until you are registered and have all required paperwork turned in.
Tackle Players: Take a look at the video of the week--also linked from the splash page of our website. This is how we are going to train in the basics of the tackle. Concentrate on these aspects
WATER: Bring water to practice. This is a player responsibility.
Jerseys are ordered, and will be in by approximately 10 June. You can't get your jersey until you are registered and have all required paperwork turned in.
Tackle Players: Take a look at the video of the week--also linked from the splash page of our website. This is how we are going to train in the basics of the tackle. Concentrate on these aspects
- Focus on the body core, not head, eyes, ball or feet
- Keep a light, moving, dancing stance
- Place the lead foot forward, with the lead hand to the center of the body core
- Keep the head up, eyes open, with the back straight
- Shoot the arms forward on both sides, and link up in back
- Take the ball carrier down, then immediately get up and go for the released ball
Friday, April 9, 2010
Too Long No Write
Okay, it's been too long without writing. Not much to write about in the off-season. And, I have to wonder how many folks actually read this. (Well, I know at least one does...)
High School Rugby: Not enough interest this spring in getting a U-19 team together. Coach Dale--Bog bless him--is so hard-core he's got 7 or 8 of our guys going out to SYC this spring to train and play with them. I hear the boys are digging it--you men will be core of the U-19 side for spring 2011, if we get enough guys out.
Canada Tour: We're still workinng on this, for 16-20 July 2010. Contact Coach Dale if you want to go. We will need adult volunteers, too.
New Equipment: Big thanks to FHYAA for springing for tackling dummies, rucking pads, medical kits and 30 more custom team balls. Now all we need is someplace to store this gear.
Trailer! We need a trailer to store and move our gear. All we need is $2000, and we're all set. Who can donate this, or knows someone who can help out?
Practice: We start on 18 May. Registration is open, so get there, get signed up, and get ready to play.
High School Rugby: Not enough interest this spring in getting a U-19 team together. Coach Dale--Bog bless him--is so hard-core he's got 7 or 8 of our guys going out to SYC this spring to train and play with them. I hear the boys are digging it--you men will be core of the U-19 side for spring 2011, if we get enough guys out.
Canada Tour: We're still workinng on this, for 16-20 July 2010. Contact Coach Dale if you want to go. We will need adult volunteers, too.
New Equipment: Big thanks to FHYAA for springing for tackling dummies, rucking pads, medical kits and 30 more custom team balls. Now all we need is someplace to store this gear.
Trailer! We need a trailer to store and move our gear. All we need is $2000, and we're all set. Who can donate this, or knows someone who can help out?
Practice: We start on 18 May. Registration is open, so get there, get signed up, and get ready to play.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Fort Hunt Rugby Marching in St. Pat's Day Parade, Saturday, 6 March
We've been invited to march with the Alexandria Roosters Rugby club and Alexandria youth rugby in the Alexandria St. Patrick's Day parade this Saturday.
This will be a great way to show our program to hundreds of potential players and supporters.
Players, parents, friends and siblings are free to join us--the more the merrier.
Uniform for players is full playing kit: shorts, socks, jersey, but do not wear your studded boots/cleats. Wear comfortable walking/running shoes. Players may bring a ball along if they'd like. Players, be prepared to run basic ball-handling drills when we stop at intersections and any time the parade stops. We won't be doing any contact drills, of course.
Showtime for all participants is 11:45, and the parade will begin at 12:30.
The rallying point is the corner of Harvard and Cameron (near the King St Metro station).
Parking: the best bet is to arrive via Metro to the King STreet station, so you can park at Huntington, Eisenhower, etc. The only problem is that the parade is a straight-line deal, and we all will end up near the bottom of King Street near the river. You can take the trolley back, but I expect it will be very crowded. Another approach would be to park early near the end of the parade, and walk up King Street to the marshalling areas. You can reach Coach Dacey anytime at 301-503-3377.
This will be a great way to show our program to hundreds of potential players and supporters.
Players, parents, friends and siblings are free to join us--the more the merrier.
Uniform for players is full playing kit: shorts, socks, jersey, but do not wear your studded boots/cleats. Wear comfortable walking/running shoes. Players may bring a ball along if they'd like. Players, be prepared to run basic ball-handling drills when we stop at intersections and any time the parade stops. We won't be doing any contact drills, of course.
Showtime for all participants is 11:45, and the parade will begin at 12:30.
The rallying point is the corner of Harvard and Cameron (near the King St Metro station).
Parking: the best bet is to arrive via Metro to the King STreet station, so you can park at Huntington, Eisenhower, etc. The only problem is that the parade is a straight-line deal, and we all will end up near the bottom of King Street near the river. You can take the trolley back, but I expect it will be very crowded. Another approach would be to park early near the end of the parade, and walk up King Street to the marshalling areas. You can reach Coach Dacey anytime at 301-503-3377.
Coaches will have goodies and flyers for players to hand out along the parade route.
Be there!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Tournament Wrap-Up, Picnic, Etc.
Dear Fort Hunt Players, Parents and Supporters:
So, our playing season is at an end, with only the picnic this Sunday left to do.
Tournament
Fort Hunt fielded two full teams this year--with no extra players from any other team. This is an important improvement over last year, in which we fielded only a touch side, and no tackle sides at all.
Our program continues to make steady progress, and I expect that next year we should be able to continue with fielding a U-11 touch side, and two or three tackle sides, ideally all four of our teams playing--and being competitive--in the tournament.
U-11s:
Saturday was hot, but our youngsters did great, with fantastic attitudes all day long.
Coach Dave Hughes reports: 1st match, vs. Chantilly. The match swayed back and forth with both teams playing pretty evenly. We played well as a team, and worked the ball down the line nicely. Scoring was spread out between Alex, James W, Andrei, and Connor, each scoring once with Simon converting one of our scores. Alex L even took some shots at a drop goal in open play, none of which went through, though. We won 27-24. 2nd match, vs. Vienna: We played this match on the large pitch and really made great use of the size of the field. We ran around the ends and extended our lines to use our speed. Smart passes and some good kickoffs that we ran down added to offense. The kids were the best team they could be. They did not play a better game all season. Andrei led the scoring with three tries, followed by Connor with two tries and a conversion, Jimmy with one try and Simon with one conversion, to finish at 34-15. 3rd match, vs. Fairfax Police Youth Club: We waited nearly three hours to play our semi final match, and it showed in the first two quarters of the match. Poor passing and sluggish play on our part gave our opponent a lead of 24-0 at the half. Our guys woke up in the second half and played well, outscoring FPYC 15-10, but it was not enough. Scoring for Ft. Hunt came from Connor with two tries and Simon with one.
All in all, the kids played great and showed that they had learned a lot this season. I know if we had not had the long wait before the semi game, they would have won. Everyone who made it out deserves a standing ovation...
Our tournament players: Jimmy F, Andrei G, Alex L, Cooper MacN, Simon M, Clare O'R, Fiona O'R, Connor T, Ciaran T, James W, James H. They were a pleasure to coach. U-15s:
Sunday was wet and cloudy all day long, with rain off and on. This made the ground soft--and muddy. The U-15s opened the day with a victory over Vienna, 14-0, on scores from Chris B and Colin G, and conversions from Chris B. Colin had another try that didn't count as the referee couldn't keep track of where the try line was. The next match was against our rival, SYC. They chose to pressure us with a kicking attack, and our lack of experience in positioning for and fielding kicks--and some unlucky boounces--led to a number of SYC scores, with the final score something like 29-5 (our try from Colin G as time expired). That loss finished our tournament play, but we managed to put together a friendly with our buddies from Braddock Road, and we played a few more periods of friendly ball in the mudpit so everyone could go home filthy.
Picnic
The end of season picnic will be this Sunday at 3:00 pm in Area E of Fort Hunt Park. A map of the Park is at: http://www.geocities.com/drottlodge/Picnic-Map.htm
The club will supply burgers, dogs, buns, water/soda, plates and flatware (and lots of leftover chips and bottled water).
Families should bring a potluck something extra (side/appetizer/dessert/fruit/whatever), along with a serving utensil.
There is no match fee for this event.
All families, please RSVP with your number attending by Saturday morning. It's fine to bring brothers, sisters, cousins, grandparents, relatives, and friends along. Bring a buddy or two who might want to be a rugby player next summer.
We will hand out end of season individual and team awards at the picnic. All players new to our program will get a certificate.
All players and coaches, please wear your jersey so we can take our official club photo, a copy of which we will be giving to both Rooga's and Primo's.
We will have the stickers, patches, balls and jerseys for sale, so bring cash or your checkbook. The more stuff we sell, the more money comes in to the club.
Looking Ahead--We Might Just Go On Tour
Coach Dale Roach has mentioned that our mates from last year, the Strawbridges, have brought up the possibility of hosting a Fort Hunt U-16 team in Ottawa, Canada next summer. So, we will explore the possibility of taking Fort Hunt Rugby on tour next summer.
It likely would be late July/early August, and probably would take the form of an eight-day Saturday-to-Sunday trip, with a social match with a US side on the way up and on the way back (somewhere like Syracuse, NY), something like 4 or 5 matches in 8 days, possibly with a one-day tournament in there, too.
We would be traveling in family cars, not by coach (too expensive). The club would spring for tour kit bags, custom tour jerseys and tour patches (all keepers for touring players), and all other costs would be borne by individuals. We would look to our hosting teams putting us up, so we'd save on lodging. We have no projected costs at this time, but we are thinking of trying to keep it to less than $500/player. This would mean rugby club car washes and other fundraisers next spring and early summer to help the club gain funds. Also, the more Fort Hunt Rugby gear we sell, the more money the club collects.
There is a lot of work to do to arrange this, and it's not a definite event, yet. Please think about it, and talk with your players about it, and we will collect more info to keep everyone informed.
See you on Sunday afternoon.
So, our playing season is at an end, with only the picnic this Sunday left to do.
Tournament
Fort Hunt fielded two full teams this year--with no extra players from any other team. This is an important improvement over last year, in which we fielded only a touch side, and no tackle sides at all.
Our program continues to make steady progress, and I expect that next year we should be able to continue with fielding a U-11 touch side, and two or three tackle sides, ideally all four of our teams playing--and being competitive--in the tournament.
U-11s:
Saturday was hot, but our youngsters did great, with fantastic attitudes all day long.
Coach Dave Hughes reports: 1st match, vs. Chantilly. The match swayed back and forth with both teams playing pretty evenly. We played well as a team, and worked the ball down the line nicely. Scoring was spread out between Alex, James W, Andrei, and Connor, each scoring once with Simon converting one of our scores. Alex L even took some shots at a drop goal in open play, none of which went through, though. We won 27-24. 2nd match, vs. Vienna: We played this match on the large pitch and really made great use of the size of the field. We ran around the ends and extended our lines to use our speed. Smart passes and some good kickoffs that we ran down added to offense. The kids were the best team they could be. They did not play a better game all season. Andrei led the scoring with three tries, followed by Connor with two tries and a conversion, Jimmy with one try and Simon with one conversion, to finish at 34-15. 3rd match, vs. Fairfax Police Youth Club: We waited nearly three hours to play our semi final match, and it showed in the first two quarters of the match. Poor passing and sluggish play on our part gave our opponent a lead of 24-0 at the half. Our guys woke up in the second half and played well, outscoring FPYC 15-10, but it was not enough. Scoring for Ft. Hunt came from Connor with two tries and Simon with one.
All in all, the kids played great and showed that they had learned a lot this season. I know if we had not had the long wait before the semi game, they would have won. Everyone who made it out deserves a standing ovation...
Our tournament players: Jimmy F, Andrei G, Alex L, Cooper MacN, Simon M, Clare O'R, Fiona O'R, Connor T, Ciaran T, James W, James H. They were a pleasure to coach.
Sunday was wet and cloudy all day long, with rain off and on. This made the ground soft--and muddy. The U-15s opened the day with a victory over Vienna, 14-0, on scores from Chris B and Colin G, and conversions from Chris B. Colin had another try that didn't count as the referee couldn't keep track of where the try line was. The next match was against our rival, SYC. They chose to pressure us with a kicking attack, and our lack of experience in positioning for and fielding kicks--and some unlucky boounces--led to a number of SYC scores, with the final score something like 29-5 (our try from Colin G as time expired). That loss finished our tournament play, but we managed to put together a friendly with our buddies from Braddock Road, and we played a few more periods of friendly ball in the mudpit so everyone could go home filthy.
Picnic
The end of season picnic will be this Sunday at 3:00 pm in Area E of Fort Hunt Park. A map of the Park is at: http://www.geocities.com/drottlodge/Picnic-Map.htm
The club will supply burgers, dogs, buns, water/soda, plates and flatware (and lots of leftover chips and bottled water).
Families should bring a potluck something extra (side/appetizer/dessert/fruit/whatever), along with a serving utensil.
There is no match fee for this event.
All families, please RSVP with your number attending by Saturday morning. It's fine to bring brothers, sisters, cousins, grandparents, relatives, and friends along. Bring a buddy or two who might want to be a rugby player next summer.
We will hand out end of season individual and team awards at the picnic. All players new to our program will get a certificate.
All players and coaches, please wear your jersey so we can take our official club photo, a copy of which we will be giving to both Rooga's and Primo's.
We will have the stickers, patches, balls and jerseys for sale, so bring cash or your checkbook. The more stuff we sell, the more money comes in to the club.
Looking Ahead--We Might Just Go On Tour
Coach Dale Roach has mentioned that our mates from last year, the Strawbridges, have brought up the possibility of hosting a Fort Hunt U-16 team in Ottawa, Canada next summer. So, we will explore the possibility of taking Fort Hunt Rugby on tour next summer.
It likely would be late July/early August, and probably would take the form of an eight-day Saturday-to-Sunday trip, with a social match with a US side on the way up and on the way back (somewhere like Syracuse, NY), something like 4 or 5 matches in 8 days, possibly with a one-day tournament in there, too.
We would be traveling in family cars, not by coach (too expensive). The club would spring for tour kit bags, custom tour jerseys and tour patches (all keepers for touring players), and all other costs would be borne by individuals. We would look to our hosting teams putting us up, so we'd save on lodging. We have no projected costs at this time, but we are thinking of trying to keep it to less than $500/player. This would mean rugby club car washes and other fundraisers next spring and early summer to help the club gain funds. Also, the more Fort Hunt Rugby gear we sell, the more money the club collects.
There is a lot of work to do to arrange this, and it's not a definite event, yet. Please think about it, and talk with your players about it, and we will collect more info to keep everyone informed.
See you on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
23 and 25 July Results, and Other Updates
Two more rugby game days, more results, and we're almost done with our season.
Thursday, 23 July
U-11
Coach Dave Huges reports: Thursday at PAC (Alexandria). As usual, we played better in many respects, but came up short in the end. 13 tries to 4, or PAC 65, Fort Hunt 20. Andrei G scored three times and Conor T scored once for us. Man of the match went to Will H for really putting into play what we have been learning. Claire and Fiona O'R also played a great game, as did Jonah R, who always made sure he was right in on the play. One thing that really stood out was we were able to get the ball moving down the line nicely. Good game, team.
Lastly, PAC put on a nice hosting for us, that unfortunately got cut short by the weather. Fresh cut melon, juice, brownies, chips, really nice.
U-13/U-15/U-17
The evening started off poorly, as we had U-13 strength on the Marshall HS main turf stadium field, only to find out Vienna had sent their U-13s to play with BRYC. So, we made the best of it and split into groups and ran a quick tackle scrimmage among ourselves. The guys were running straight, working on their tackling, and having fun playing on the big field.
The U-15s took the field, and things were shaping up nicely with our U-15 speed and ball running taking it to Vienna early. But, midway through the second quarter we detected lightning and instituted an immediate halt. Unfortunatey, the lightning and thunder did not abate, and we finally abandoned all play a little bit before 8:00.
Scoring from the U-15s was: Coling G (1 try), Peter F (1 try), and Chris B (2 conversions). The U-17s did not get to play.
There were no man of the match trophies awarded for any of the three tackle sides.
Saturday, 25 July
U-11
Coach Dave Hughes reports: Saturday at Winchester. We played six a side with Winchester giving us one player for each quarter. We kicked more in this game than in previous outings, including five attempts at converting the try. Though we did not make any of our kicks, Winchester made a few of theirs adding to their score. We lost, 51-25.
Conor T and Will H really stood out with James W having a great take-charge attitude. Simon M, even with his bad knee, made the trip to cheer us on. Tries were scored by Conor T (3), and Will H. The other Ft. Hunt score came form one of our Winchester loaner players. Man of the match went to James W and James H for their dedicated play (voted by the parents there).
After the game, the Winchester players brought over Gatorade and Chips. While it was a shame that we could not field a full side, everyone had a great time.
U-13/U-15/U-17
Our last home matches of the season. The day was long and hot, but we had a great day of rugby, with our last-minute guest in Chantilly at U-15.
Howard County came down to repay our U-17 visit for the first match of the season. They were very good opponents, lending us players, and played well, with enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
Unfortunately, we don't have our detailed results, scoring stats and man of the match awards ready right now, but we'll provide them as soon as we get them.
---------------
Practice
We will practice Tu/Wed/Th this week, 6:00-8:00. We will go light on contact for tackle players, with an emphasis on rest and recuperation ahead of the tournament. All players still should bring their mouthpieces.
The weather this week is supposed to be wacky, so stay tuned to email and the website for practice updates.
Tournament
The tournament will take place this Saturday and Sunday at Franconia Park, which is at 6432 Bowie Dr Springfield, Va 22150. There is a parking lot at Bowie Drive, and there is also a parking lot at the end of Cloud Drive.
Exact times will be out later this week. Expect to be at the field by 8:30 a.m. both days, and the first games to be at 9:00 a.m. Things should wrap up both days by 4:00 p.m.
The touch tournament will be on Saturday, 1 August. We have entered our U-11 side. I will be there early, and will be there until about 1:00 pm.
The tackle tournament will be on Sunday, 2 August. We have entered our U-15 side. Thirteen-year-old U-13 players who have played up with the U-15s this season may play with the U-15s. U-13 and U-17 players who would like to play on Sunday should show up ready to play, and the coaches will do their best to get players into as many matches as possible.
Parents should bring chairs and canopies, and sunscreen. The club will have water and cold drinks on hand. SYC will provide concessions for food, and there likely will be a rugby outfitter there selling rugby gear.
The Fort Hunt Rugby Store is Open!
We have a growing selection of Fort Hunt Rugby gear for you and your players. I have these at every practice, and they'll be at the tournament.
Jerseys: We have a number of extra jerseys. Jerseys from this year are $25 each ($40 original cost). Jerseys from past years are $15 each--great for practice, and to have an extra. Great for moms and dad, little brothers, birthdays, etc.
We have custom club balls for $25 each. There are about 25 left.
We have small and large club stickers. The large stickers are $5 each, 2 for $8. The small stickers are $3 each, 2 for $5.
We also have Fort Hunt Rugby patches, perfect for your kit bag, $5 each.
Trophies/Medals
Coach Dacey will order the trophies and medals on Friday evening, for handout at the picnic. If it's ordered but not paid for, he will not order it.
Medals are $5 and trophies are $7, payable in cash or check to Coach Dacey. His home address is 2207 Wittington Blvd, Alex, VA 22308.
Picnic
The team end of season picnic is on Sunday, 9 August at 3:00 pm in Area E at Fort Hunt Park.
The club will bring the main goodies, with families to bring extras.
We will hand out end of season individual and team awards there.
Thursday, 23 July
U-11
Coach Dave Huges reports: Thursday at PAC (Alexandria). As usual, we played better in many respects, but came up short in the end. 13 tries to 4, or PAC 65, Fort Hunt 20. Andrei G scored three times and Conor T scored once for us. Man of the match went to Will H for really putting into play what we have been learning. Claire and Fiona O'R also played a great game, as did Jonah R, who always made sure he was right in on the play. One thing that really stood out was we were able to get the ball moving down the line nicely. Good game, team.
Lastly, PAC put on a nice hosting for us, that unfortunately got cut short by the weather. Fresh cut melon, juice, brownies, chips, really nice.
U-13/U-15/U-17
The evening started off poorly, as we had U-13 strength on the Marshall HS main turf stadium field, only to find out Vienna had sent their U-13s to play with BRYC. So, we made the best of it and split into groups and ran a quick tackle scrimmage among ourselves. The guys were running straight, working on their tackling, and having fun playing on the big field.
The U-15s took the field, and things were shaping up nicely with our U-15 speed and ball running taking it to Vienna early. But, midway through the second quarter we detected lightning and instituted an immediate halt. Unfortunatey, the lightning and thunder did not abate, and we finally abandoned all play a little bit before 8:00.
Scoring from the U-15s was: Coling G (1 try), Peter F (1 try), and Chris B (2 conversions). The U-17s did not get to play.
There were no man of the match trophies awarded for any of the three tackle sides.
Saturday, 25 July
U-11
Coach Dave Hughes reports: Saturday at Winchester. We played six a side with Winchester giving us one player for each quarter. We kicked more in this game than in previous outings, including five attempts at converting the try. Though we did not make any of our kicks, Winchester made a few of theirs adding to their score. We lost, 51-25.
Conor T and Will H really stood out with James W having a great take-charge attitude. Simon M, even with his bad knee, made the trip to cheer us on. Tries were scored by Conor T (3), and Will H. The other Ft. Hunt score came form one of our Winchester loaner players. Man of the match went to James W and James H for their dedicated play (voted by the parents there).
After the game, the Winchester players brought over Gatorade and Chips. While it was a shame that we could not field a full side, everyone had a great time.
U-13/U-15/U-17
Our last home matches of the season. The day was long and hot, but we had a great day of rugby, with our last-minute guest in Chantilly at U-15.
Howard County came down to repay our U-17 visit for the first match of the season. They were very good opponents, lending us players, and played well, with enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
Unfortunately, we don't have our detailed results, scoring stats and man of the match awards ready right now, but we'll provide them as soon as we get them.
---------------
Practice
We will practice Tu/Wed/Th this week, 6:00-8:00. We will go light on contact for tackle players, with an emphasis on rest and recuperation ahead of the tournament. All players still should bring their mouthpieces.
The weather this week is supposed to be wacky, so stay tuned to email and the website for practice updates.
Tournament
The tournament will take place this Saturday and Sunday at Franconia Park, which is at 6432 Bowie Dr Springfield, Va 22150. There is a parking lot at Bowie Drive, and there is also a parking lot at the end of Cloud Drive.
Exact times will be out later this week. Expect to be at the field by 8:30 a.m. both days, and the first games to be at 9:00 a.m. Things should wrap up both days by 4:00 p.m.
The touch tournament will be on Saturday, 1 August. We have entered our U-11 side. I will be there early, and will be there until about 1:00 pm.
The tackle tournament will be on Sunday, 2 August. We have entered our U-15 side. Thirteen-year-old U-13 players who have played up with the U-15s this season may play with the U-15s. U-13 and U-17 players who would like to play on Sunday should show up ready to play, and the coaches will do their best to get players into as many matches as possible.
Parents should bring chairs and canopies, and sunscreen. The club will have water and cold drinks on hand. SYC will provide concessions for food, and there likely will be a rugby outfitter there selling rugby gear.
The Fort Hunt Rugby Store is Open!
We have a growing selection of Fort Hunt Rugby gear for you and your players. I have these at every practice, and they'll be at the tournament.
Jerseys: We have a number of extra jerseys. Jerseys from this year are $25 each ($40 original cost). Jerseys from past years are $15 each--great for practice, and to have an extra. Great for moms and dad, little brothers, birthdays, etc.
We have custom club balls for $25 each. There are about 25 left.
We have small and large club stickers. The large stickers are $5 each, 2 for $8. The small stickers are $3 each, 2 for $5.
We also have Fort Hunt Rugby patches, perfect for your kit bag, $5 each.
Trophies/Medals
Coach Dacey will order the trophies and medals on Friday evening, for handout at the picnic. If it's ordered but not paid for, he will not order it.
Medals are $5 and trophies are $7, payable in cash or check to Coach Dacey. His home address is 2207 Wittington Blvd, Alex, VA 22308.
Picnic
The team end of season picnic is on Sunday, 9 August at 3:00 pm in Area E at Fort Hunt Park.
The club will bring the main goodies, with families to bring extras.
We will hand out end of season individual and team awards there.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
End of Season Awards & Trophies
End of Season Awards/Trophies
The votes are in, and the choices are: a medal on a ribbon and a small trophy.
All awards are by individual choice--there is no requirement to order one for your player.
We'll use Crown Awards.
The medal on a ribbon will basically look like this, with a green and gold Fort Hunt ribbon, and customized name plate on the back.
Each medal will be $5.00.
The trophy will look like this with a rugby figurine and rugby insert, and with a name plate.
Each trophy will be $7.00.
I will place the order for all medals and trophies on the evening of Friday, 31 July. I need to have all orders and full payment by that time, in cash or check, payable to me (John Dacey).
You can email me the info, and mail me the payment, to 2207 Wittington Blvd, Alex, VA 22308. Or you can give me a note and payment--ideally in an envelope--at practice or a match.
The votes are in, and the choices are: a medal on a ribbon and a small trophy.
All awards are by individual choice--there is no requirement to order one for your player.
We'll use Crown Awards.
The medal on a ribbon will basically look like this, with a green and gold Fort Hunt ribbon, and customized name plate on the back.
Each medal will be $5.00.
The trophy will look like this with a rugby figurine and rugby insert, and with a name plate.
Each trophy will be $7.00.
I will place the order for all medals and trophies on the evening of Friday, 31 July. I need to have all orders and full payment by that time, in cash or check, payable to me (John Dacey).
You can email me the info, and mail me the payment, to 2207 Wittington Blvd, Alex, VA 22308. Or you can give me a note and payment--ideally in an envelope--at practice or a match.
End of Season Picnic, Sunday 9 August, 3:00 pm
End of Season Picnic
Well, the votes are almost all in, and the majority points to Sunday, 9 August as the day for our picnic. So shall it be done.
The venue is Fort Hunt Park, Area E. This is the same place we did the picnic last year.
The time is 3:00 p.m.
The club will buy burgers, hot dogs and drinks. We'll also spring for plates, napkins and flatware. Families should bring along something else to round out the food offering, like sandwiches, chip/dip, watermelon, cupcakes, cookies, bucket o' chicken, veggie platters, salads, fruit, deviled eggs (yuck!), the typical picnic fare.
Families should bring chairs and canopies.
Players need to wear their jerseys, as we will be taking the formal team picture to record our club for 2009. All coaches need to wear their coach's shirt.
We will hand out individual awards and trophies at the picnic (see the separate post), and also will hand out team awards. All players new to the program will get a Fort Hunt Rugby certificate.
We also will have stickers, patches, team balls and extra jerseys for sale, so get a jump on Christmas and bring your checkbooks.
Well, the votes are almost all in, and the majority points to Sunday, 9 August as the day for our picnic. So shall it be done.
The venue is Fort Hunt Park, Area E. This is the same place we did the picnic last year.
The time is 3:00 p.m.
The club will buy burgers, hot dogs and drinks. We'll also spring for plates, napkins and flatware. Families should bring along something else to round out the food offering, like sandwiches, chip/dip, watermelon, cupcakes, cookies, bucket o' chicken, veggie platters, salads, fruit, deviled eggs (yuck!), the typical picnic fare.
Families should bring chairs and canopies.
Players need to wear their jerseys, as we will be taking the formal team picture to record our club for 2009. All coaches need to wear their coach's shirt.
We will hand out individual awards and trophies at the picnic (see the separate post), and also will hand out team awards. All players new to the program will get a Fort Hunt Rugby certificate.
We also will have stickers, patches, team balls and extra jerseys for sale, so get a jump on Christmas and bring your checkbooks.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Thursday, 16 July / Saturday, 18 July Wrap-Ups
Thursday, 16 July
First, we have to finish the reporting for Thursday evening.
U-11s: Coach Jim Woods adds to the previous U-11 reporting: The kids played great and Dave Hughes and Layton Golding were terrific in both reffing and coaching. Jim, who is the coach of their team was a very nice guy and he was praising our team after the match. I also had several of their players come up to me to thank us.
U-17s: The stalwart Fort Hunt U-17s who traveled to Chantilly were Peter L, Nick A, Mike P, Joe Tr, Austin W, Ryan K and Mark P.
The final score was Fort Hunt 14, Chantilly 48. The Fort Hunt scorers were Mike P (1 try, 1 conversion), Nick A (1 try), and Joe T (1 conversion).
The Fort Hunt man of the match was Mike P for his tenacious defending, solid tackling, and the dashing try he scored from an incredibly well-placed clearing kick from Mark P.
Saturday, 18 July Wrap-Up
U-11s: Coach Jim Woods reports: Our kids played great. We stayed spread out more than ever, made very few emergency passes, and ran some great runs. Claire almost had her first try, but got stopped just shy of the try zone, and passed off to Connor for the try. Andrei had some incredible runs with some amazing dekes that left Winchester sprawled on the ground. James H really got into going for any ball that was on the ground and wrestled some nice pick ups for us. As usual James W played with grit and determination, making sure that every touch counted. Cooper just seemed to never give up and was were he needed to be every time. Fiona had some nice runs and made sure that her passes were on target.
So, we were able pretty much to stop most of the long runs by our opponents that we have seen in the past, and were able to break up many of their plays.
The final score was a win: Fort Hunt 30, Winchester 25. Tries were by Connor (4) and Andrei (2) I think, from the ref's position, I was trying not to see our players individually, but Jim has the score sheet. Man of the watch went to Cooper, for his all around great play.
Great day, guys
U-13/U-15/U-17: The day had all three tackle sides hosted at BRYC. The format was a little screwy, as BRYC has now combined with Vienna, and SYC showed up as well. So, in true rugby fashion, we set a round-robin schedule and we borrowed players from each other so as many young men as possible could play as much rugby as possible.
U-13s: We started the morning by placing two of our U-13s with SYC per quarter as they played BRYC, so all of our U-13s who came out got a warmup in SYC jerseys. We then played two periods against BRYC, with a couple of SYC players filling out our side. Play was pretty even, with a lot of wide runs taking advantage of the very wide pitch.
Then we played two quarters of Fort Hunt against hosts BRYC, with a few SYC mates filling our numbers. The final score was something like Fort Hunt 5, BRYC 25.
The Fort Hunt scoring was from Jack K (1 try).
The U-13 man of the match was Ruslan P, for the second match in a row, for his unceasing running absolutely straight up the field with the ball, and his fierce defense and contact in rucks and mauls. An honorable mention goes to Jack K for his long chases and cross-field defenses saves, including two full-field defensive chases with successful open field tackles to prevent the score.
BRYC did a great job of hosting us, with food and drink after the match, and even a spirited rendition of "Father Abraham."
U-15s: The U-15s took the field with a few of their U-13 mates playing up, and against the same SYC team that had beaten us by one point on Thursday evening.
SYC scored first in the first and second quarters, leading 12-0 at the half. But then Fort Hunt caught fire, and by the last minute of the match we were up by 7. A long kick coupled with a lucky bounce put SYC within a conversion of tying the game right at full time, and when our players (illegally) yelled during their missed conversion attempt, they were given another attempt, which they then made, to save the tie at Fort Hunt 19, SYC 19.
Our U-15 play continues to mature and improve rapidly, with better skills and on-field decision making over Thursday evening. The light is going on for our players; our guys really are starting to get the nuances of the game, and the types of immediate decision making that makes the difference in the match.
The scoring was Colin G (3 tries) and Chris B (2 conversions).
Man of the match was the Fort Hunt scrum players, for a particularly good, sustained 30-meter drive into the try zone and a Fort Hunt score. They performed well in the loose, and in the lineouts, providing the grit that wins games. Honorable mentions go to Nick A for his leadership at scrumhalf, and to the one-two punch of try-scoring and conversion, Colin G and Chris B. Chris even attempted a drop goal in open play--a Fort Hunt rugby first. His line was dead-on, but it fell just short. My offer still stands of buying a round of pizza for the team in the name of the first player to score a drop goal in open play.
After the SYC match, we combined to play another two U-15 quarters against our hosts, BRYC. The score was approximately Fort Hunt 24, BRYC 10. We had tries from Nick A, Austin W (2), Anthony A (2, and playing up!), and Chris B. Chris B also made two conversions.
BRYC hosted the U-15s very well, too, with chow and drinks after the match.
U-17s: The U-17s did not play as an official team due to our and our opponents' lack of numbers. But for those hard-core 17s who showed--Nick A, Austin W, with Chris T injured but present and cheering for his mates--we managed to work them into the U-15 play so everyone got some game time (covered in the U-15 report).
Upcoming
We will train on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
On Thursday evening, the U-11s will travel to PAC (Alexandria), and the U-13s/U-15s/U-17s will be at Vienna. Game day email to be out soon.
On Saturday we will have our last regular season matches, with the U-11s traveling to Winchester, and the U-13s at home v. BRYC/Vienna, U-15s at home v. Vienna, and the U-17s at home v. Howard County. The game day email will be out in a few days.
First, we have to finish the reporting for Thursday evening.
U-11s: Coach Jim Woods adds to the previous U-11 reporting: The kids played great and Dave Hughes and Layton Golding were terrific in both reffing and coaching. Jim, who is the coach of their team was a very nice guy and he was praising our team after the match. I also had several of their players come up to me to thank us.
U-17s: The stalwart Fort Hunt U-17s who traveled to Chantilly were Peter L, Nick A, Mike P, Joe Tr, Austin W, Ryan K and Mark P.
The final score was Fort Hunt 14, Chantilly 48. The Fort Hunt scorers were Mike P (1 try, 1 conversion), Nick A (1 try), and Joe T (1 conversion).
The Fort Hunt man of the match was Mike P for his tenacious defending, solid tackling, and the dashing try he scored from an incredibly well-placed clearing kick from Mark P.
Saturday, 18 July Wrap-Up
U-11s: Coach Jim Woods reports: Our kids played great. We stayed spread out more than ever, made very few emergency passes, and ran some great runs. Claire almost had her first try, but got stopped just shy of the try zone, and passed off to Connor for the try. Andrei had some incredible runs with some amazing dekes that left Winchester sprawled on the ground. James H really got into going for any ball that was on the ground and wrestled some nice pick ups for us. As usual James W played with grit and determination, making sure that every touch counted. Cooper just seemed to never give up and was were he needed to be every time. Fiona had some nice runs and made sure that her passes were on target.
So, we were able pretty much to stop most of the long runs by our opponents that we have seen in the past, and were able to break up many of their plays.
The final score was a win: Fort Hunt 30, Winchester 25. Tries were by Connor (4) and Andrei (2) I think, from the ref's position, I was trying not to see our players individually, but Jim has the score sheet. Man of the watch went to Cooper, for his all around great play.
Great day, guys
U-13/U-15/U-17: The day had all three tackle sides hosted at BRYC. The format was a little screwy, as BRYC has now combined with Vienna, and SYC showed up as well. So, in true rugby fashion, we set a round-robin schedule and we borrowed players from each other so as many young men as possible could play as much rugby as possible.
U-13s: We started the morning by placing two of our U-13s with SYC per quarter as they played BRYC, so all of our U-13s who came out got a warmup in SYC jerseys. We then played two periods against BRYC, with a couple of SYC players filling out our side. Play was pretty even, with a lot of wide runs taking advantage of the very wide pitch.
Then we played two quarters of Fort Hunt against hosts BRYC, with a few SYC mates filling our numbers. The final score was something like Fort Hunt 5, BRYC 25.
The Fort Hunt scoring was from Jack K (1 try).
The U-13 man of the match was Ruslan P, for the second match in a row, for his unceasing running absolutely straight up the field with the ball, and his fierce defense and contact in rucks and mauls. An honorable mention goes to Jack K for his long chases and cross-field defenses saves, including two full-field defensive chases with successful open field tackles to prevent the score.
BRYC did a great job of hosting us, with food and drink after the match, and even a spirited rendition of "Father Abraham."
U-15s: The U-15s took the field with a few of their U-13 mates playing up, and against the same SYC team that had beaten us by one point on Thursday evening.
SYC scored first in the first and second quarters, leading 12-0 at the half. But then Fort Hunt caught fire, and by the last minute of the match we were up by 7. A long kick coupled with a lucky bounce put SYC within a conversion of tying the game right at full time, and when our players (illegally) yelled during their missed conversion attempt, they were given another attempt, which they then made, to save the tie at Fort Hunt 19, SYC 19.
Our U-15 play continues to mature and improve rapidly, with better skills and on-field decision making over Thursday evening. The light is going on for our players; our guys really are starting to get the nuances of the game, and the types of immediate decision making that makes the difference in the match.
The scoring was Colin G (3 tries) and Chris B (2 conversions).
Man of the match was the Fort Hunt scrum players, for a particularly good, sustained 30-meter drive into the try zone and a Fort Hunt score. They performed well in the loose, and in the lineouts, providing the grit that wins games. Honorable mentions go to Nick A for his leadership at scrumhalf, and to the one-two punch of try-scoring and conversion, Colin G and Chris B. Chris even attempted a drop goal in open play--a Fort Hunt rugby first. His line was dead-on, but it fell just short. My offer still stands of buying a round of pizza for the team in the name of the first player to score a drop goal in open play.
After the SYC match, we combined to play another two U-15 quarters against our hosts, BRYC. The score was approximately Fort Hunt 24, BRYC 10. We had tries from Nick A, Austin W (2), Anthony A (2, and playing up!), and Chris B. Chris B also made two conversions.
BRYC hosted the U-15s very well, too, with chow and drinks after the match.
U-17s: The U-17s did not play as an official team due to our and our opponents' lack of numbers. But for those hard-core 17s who showed--Nick A, Austin W, with Chris T injured but present and cheering for his mates--we managed to work them into the U-15 play so everyone got some game time (covered in the U-15 report).
Upcoming
We will train on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
On Thursday evening, the U-11s will travel to PAC (Alexandria), and the U-13s/U-15s/U-17s will be at Vienna. Game day email to be out soon.
On Saturday we will have our last regular season matches, with the U-11s traveling to Winchester, and the U-13s at home v. BRYC/Vienna, U-15s at home v. Vienna, and the U-17s at home v. Howard County. The game day email will be out in a few days.
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