An initiative that we at Rugbyclubman.com thoroughly approve of is getting more lapsed rugby players playing rugby again. From my experience there are lots of them out there. If you have been out of Rugby for a while it can drop to the back of the mind and before long rugby is often even considered a possible alternative to going shopping on Saturdays. Sometimes all that is needed is for someone to plant the seed in the mind of these lapsed players and make them realise that a run out on a saturday could be the escape they are looking for. So it is the duty of all rugby club members to plant the seed in as many minds as we can. So everyone get on those phones and start getting those legendary teams back together again and get involved.
As a start join O2 Rugby Reunion this summer and make the comeback to end all comebacks. It’s time to put the old team back together and get back out there. Each event has food, drink, competitions, prizes and England players present.
Along with former England player Mike Catt, Rob Andrew, one of the North East’s favourite rugby sons, is backing Newcastle as the perfect venue for this weekend’s launch of the O2 Rugby Reunion campaign, a nationwide initiative supported by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to encourage players that have drifted away from rugby to reconnect with the game and their friends.
“The North East has a great reputation for welcoming visitors and providing them with a tremendous social environment and that should tie in perfectly with the O2 Rugby Reunion theme.” says the former Newcastle Falcons fly-half and Director of Rugby who is now England’s Elite Rugby Director.
“I think the O2 and RFU efforts to keep people in touch and involved in the game is a really good idea and the launch of the programme at Ryton RFC on the outskirts of Newcastle is an ideal choice.
“When any of us look back on our careers, memories of the early days and the characters we played with always remain vivid and precious. Ironically, while the 16/24 age group which this project caters for is probably the most vulnerable, it is also the period in which RU players get most out of the game and the friendships it generates.
Reunite old rugby friends
“The touch rugby festivals in the O2 Rugby Reunion programme offer a perfect opportunity for schoolmates to rekindle the rugby spark and the use of facebook as a means of pulling teams together is a smart piece of thinking.
“I’m sure Newcastle, the capital of fun and social interaction for a while now, will ensure that the O2 Rugby Reunion series will get away to a great start.”
Teams have been invited to take part in one or more of a series of touch rugby events across the UK, culminating in a finale event, ‘The Big one’ in London on September 12, but more importantly, the project is aimed at bringing together players and pals who has drifted apart.
Aimed at reigniting players’ passion for rugby, O2 Rugby Reunion not only uses facebook to reconnect players with their old teams, but also offers an enrollment on the day option for teams who want to turn up and play.
A captain can register a team and interest in a specific touch rugby event, send invites to friends and confirm attendance at the event(s) once a minimum of six team members have been recruited. Teams can then opt to take part in either the ‘fun’ or ‘competitive’ category for their local event.
The programme is aimed at the 16/24 age group, where, because of further education and employment issues, it is easy for players to become detached and lose contact with the game and their former teammates.
The RFU has an O2 Pathfinder scheme in place which seeks to provide an aftercare and tracking mechanism once players move from the clubs and schools where they learned the game and O2 Rugby Reunion offers a chance for friends to get together again and have a run out.
Registration on Saturday opens at 10.00am, with the tournament getting underway after a team briefing scheduled for 11.00am. In keeping with the mood of the event, efforts will be made to accommodate all teams and individuals who share in the spirit of the O2 Rugby Reunion, even if their arrival is delayed.
And if Newcastle is out of your parish, why not get the ball rolling now and enter one of the remaining regional events. They are:
London, Old Deer Park – Saturday 31st July
Bristol, Portway Centre – Saturday 7th August
Manchester, Broughton Park RFC – Saturday 14th August
Coventry, Coundon Hall Park – Saturday 21st August
Dorset, Oakmedians RFC – Sunday 29th August
To register a team via facebook simply search online for ‘O2 Rugby Reunion’ – and start getting in touch with your rugby mates from yesteryear.
For further information on the Newcastle event please contact:
Tom Wilkinson on 07894 489096
Dave Reed on 07736 517728
Rugby sevens has been played at three Commonwealth Games since its first appearance, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Appearing in 2002 and 2006, it is now considered a ‘Core’ sport by the Commonwealth Games Federation, necessitating its appearance at all future games, including the upcoming 2010 Games in Delhi India.
The 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia saw the introduction of rugby sevens along with cricket, field Hockey and netball.
New Zealand has never lost a match at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold in all three Games at which the sport has been played.
Following is a list of medal winners in all Commonwealth Games for Rugby Sevens.
Medal Winners at the 1998 – Kuala Lumpur Games Gold – New Zealand
Silver – Fiji
Bronze – Australia
Medal Winners at the 2002 – Manchester Games Gold – New Zealand
Silver – Fiji
Bronze – South Africa
Medal Winners at the 2006 – Melbourne Games Gold – New Zealand
Silver – England
Bronze – Fiji
2010 – Delhi Games
The International Rugby Board (IRB) together with the Commonwealth Games Federation has announced the pool draw for the Rugby Sevens event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India on 11-12 October.
Marking almost exactly one year since sevens’ inclusion as an Olympic sport at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, the tournament will be the first opportunity to witness its proven blend of high-octane action and competitive matches in a multi-sport Games environment.
Commanwealth Games Rugby Sevens
Defending Commonwealth Games Sevens Champions New Zealand are top seeds and head Pool A, where they will face opening matches against World Series regulars Scotland and Canada as well as Caribbean champions Guyana, who also competed on the World Series this season in Las Vegas.
New Zealand have won all three sevens gold medals on offer so far – in 1998 (Kuala Lumpur), 2002 (Manchester) and 2006 (Melbourne).
2002 bronze medalists South Africa head Pool B and face three challenging opening ties against reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens champions Wales, Tonga and the host nation, India.
Reigning IRB Sevens World Series champions Samoa top Pool C and face matches on day one against ever-dangerous Kenya, the Cranes of Uganda and Papua New Guinea’s Puk Puks.
England head Pool D but will meet the vastly improved Australians, who finished this year’s World Series in third place behind the Samoans and New Zealand. The two rugby superpowers will also face matches against the third African team in the draw, Namibia, and Sri Lanka.
‘Memorable tournament’
“Having Sevens played at the Commonwealth Games plays an integral role in the ongoing development and promotion of Rugby around the world. The event features teams from Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America and the Caribbean and continues to attract some of the world’s top players, delivering exciting matches and attracting new fans,” said IRB President, Bernard Lapasset.
“Sevens has consistently proven to be successful at the Commonwealth Games and this year we are particularly excited that the event is being held in India, where rugby is reaching out to new, young audiences in a rapidly developing market for our sport. We are looking forward to what promises to be a memorable tournament for the global rugby family.”
Mike Hooper, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation added: “With a record crowd of 50,000 at the final Rugby Sevens session in Melbourne in 2006, the Rugby Sevens tournament has become one of the most sought-after attractions at the Commonwealth Games, providing an excellent spectacle for both fans and television viewers.
“The inclusion of some of the world’s best Sevens teams and star players from every corner of the world continue to broaden the Games’ global appeal even further.”
The Tournament Schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
2010 Commonwealth Games Delhi Pools:
Pool A: New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, Guyana
Pool B: South Africa, Wales, Tonga, India
Pool C: Samoa, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Pool D: England, Australia, Namibia, Sri Lanka, African qualifier
Venue: North Campus, Delhi University (DU) Training Venues:
• Delhi University – 7
• Jamia Milia Islamia – 1
Competition Venue and seven Training Venues are in Delhi University. The two day competition will be held on 11 & 12 October 2010.
Teams: 16 Team size: 12 Athletes per team
1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
July 6, 2010 at 14:58
Now that the Summer is allegedly here and the Rugby season is over its time to think about keeping active during the summer and keep in shape for the new season. Touch rugby is a fantastic way to keep fit without the contact and anyone can play.
Touch is one of the fastest growing sports in England, played by people of all ages and skill levels. Introduced from the Southern Hemisphere in the 70’s, touch is a fast, evasive, non-contact form of rugby. Touch is one of the few team sports where men and women compete on teams together not only socially but at an international level. There are currently approximately 12,000 people playing touch in organised leagues around the UK.
It’s a non contact version of the game and is thus much simpler to learn and to play as there is no tackling, scrummaging, rucking, mauling, lineouts or kicking. It’s a fun game and is ideal for beginners to get to grips with the basics In fact, it’s a great way to work on your running, handling and dodging skills.
In Australia and New Zealand there are more registered touch players than the 15-a-side game and this trend is set up to be the case in the UK.
A touch rugby tournament hosted by Letchworth Rugby Club in Hertfordshire UK. This annual Summer touch tournament starts Wednesday 2nd June 2010. This is the fourth year of the Letchworth Touch tournament and every year it grows from strength to strength. Most of the teams are made up of members of Letchworth Rugby Club however teams from other clubs and organisations are invited and welcomed. In recent years there has been teams drawn from the RAF, various football teams, teams of parents from the junior and mini sections, Veterans, as well as current players from Letchworth including junior teams older than under 14s and girls sections.
The touch tournament is a fantastic success for Letchworth Rugby Club and the growth and popularity of rugby in general. It enables players, parents, coaches and to socialise and get to know each other and creates a cohesion within the club that otherwise would not be there. It has been known to enticed some to dig out there boots from the loft and start playing again.
In addition to these positives, it also helps the club with takings over the bar, raises the profile of rugby in the local area and most of all it attracts more potential players to the game, which is excellent for the game overall.
This annual touch tournament starts Wednesday 2nd June and of 10 at £100 per team. You will receive free team t-shirts and there will be a big Finals Party with a barbecue and fun for all!
It’s a real family day and families are encouraged to come along and join in.
An excellent idea for any club wanting to increase membership and raise the profile of their club and get more people discovering how fun and great exercise touch rugby is. Perhaps you would like to start a similar tournament over the summer, its a win win situation for any club willing to hold a summer touch rugby tournament. So if you fancy keeping fit and trying out touch rugby get in contact with your local rugby club and see if they have touch rugby during the summer.
A Short video explaining how to play rugby. There are variations to the rules played however the basics of touch rugby are explained here.
A video of some some touch rugby being played in New Zealand. This is the standard we must get up to, well maybe not yet but with more tournaments and touch rugby leagues, maybe we will get there.
Clips from the Dawgsouljahz touch team at the whakatane touch tounament in New Zealand.
1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
May 31, 2010 at 12:54
Whilst living in Germany and starting this very website a number of Germans I spoke to did not understand rugby at all. They suggested that I should write a post explaining the the basics of rugby. So for those people out there that can’t really get into watching a game of rugby because you don’t know what is happening here is a brief introduction to the game of Rugby Union.
Whilst this video is a nice introduction there is much more to learn, however the next time you are watching a game hopefully your understanding will be a little better.
It is my belief that talent is overrated when evaluating what is required to be successful in any sport. Every sports club up and down the country have naturally talented players that are not fulfilling their potential. On the Other hand you will see less naturally talented players achieving much greater success. The reason for this is, mindset. If you get your mindset right then you can achieve anything you want.
Sebastien Chabal
You Can If You Think You Can!
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.
~ C. W. Longenecker ~
To be successful you have to believe in yourself, have goals and be capable of visualizing and feeling success in your mind. If you learn to control of your mind and thoughts there is nothing that you cannot achieve.
The winning mentality
Success in any sport or indeed in any sphere of life requires one to have a positive mental attitude and for you to take full responsibility for your life. If you are one of those people that blame people or other external factors for your lack of success then this could be what is stopping you “making it”. Not taking responsibility for your own destiny and blaming others for your lack of success for example “the coach does not like me” or “they only pick their friends”, can be a very damaging way to go through life.
In the above situation players can give up playing completely or they may even leave your club and look for another club where they believe they will have a more favourable environment for them to succeed. However the problem is often not with the club at all. The problem is often with the player and his or her mindset. People with this type of thinking will not make it in any area of there life unless they change their mindset, this change is very possible if you want it to be. Please read on and maybe this will help you reach your goals or maybe give you that edge you are looking for.
Successful people with a winning mentality in any field are active and always looking for ways to improve themselves. They see failure and rejection as temporary obstacles that must be overcome, not as career ending events. When confronted by a challenge, winners immediately start to devise plans for overcoming them. People with a losing mentality will often stop in their tracks and look for someone or something to blame, they will often try to justify their attitude with various excuses, it is always someone else’s fault and not their own. In reality you can achieve anything you want in any given game if you want it bad enough. I honestly believe this to be true and it only takes a slight change in the way you think. By seeing problems or obstacles as challenges that must be overcome will give you the impetus to try harder and work harder to overcome these minor setbacks.
Visualize your goals
Visualize success
A powerful tool that can be used to improve your game is visualization. Before a big game or training vizualise (intend) what outcome you want and step into how it feels.
If your game is rugby then visualize yourself scoring a try or making those big hits and most of all visualize yourself playing the best game you could ever play or remember a time when you had your best game ever and try and remember how that felt. While visualizing these scenarios, you should try to imagine the detail and the way it feels to perform in the desired way and how you felt afterwards.
How Vizualisation Can Help You
Mentally Prepared
Being in the right state of mind at game time is crucial. The ability to focus and block out everything going on in the world outside of your game can mean the difference a mediocre performance and a great performance.
Improve Skills
Spending time visualizing yourself learning a new skill, or improving current ones can help you to perfect your skills. Review Your Game
Reviewing how you play in your position and how you would like to improve can help you perform better.
Rehearsal strategy
Mentally going over possible situations that may come up and imagining your strategies can help you be more relaxed and confident doing your game.
Get a winning attitude
After being dropped from your team or losing a few games, you often lose some your hard earned confidence. This can have a negative effect on your game. Using visualization to “see” yourself as a playing in the next game or as the winner can break through a negative attitude.
A video containing some great tips on using visualization.
Positive thinking and talking about yourself
Positive self-talk during competition is crucial for optimun performance. Talking negatively about yourself and doubting your skills will set you back both emotionally and techinically. Focus on what you are in control of right now.
Do not compare yourself to others. Try and focus on what are your strengths and play to these strengths. Do not worry about making mistakes as everyone at every level of the game can make the occasional mistake, never let it make you lose sight of your goals and objectives during training or in a game. Nervousness and anxiety is a natural response and if used correctly can be used to your advantage. Never let anxiety or nervousness get the better of you.
Never look for excuses
Trying to justify your mistakes is always a bad idea. When you make a mistake in a game or training just let it go and concentrate on your game. Try not try to blame teammates or external factors that you are not in control of, especially during a match. When you are a part of the team, you must share both responsibility and rewards. If you have to point out a mistake to a teammate, try and be constructive and keep it positive. Even more importantly please remember to give positive feedback whenever you can.
These days players not only have to be physically trained to win, they must be mentally trained also. A positive mental attitude and the ability to use Visualization can give you that extra edge coupled with a positive attitude and belief could make you irresitable.
14 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
May 11, 2010 at 15:23
Most rugby clubs in the UK have a provision for mini rugby for children aged 6 to 7 onwards, however a relatively new phenomenon is the rise of rugby themed classes specifically aimed at the younger age groups from 18 months to 7 years of age.
It seems that if parents want to introduce their children to team sports then the options are limited from 2 to 7 years unless you choose a football based class.
This is about to change in Hertfordshire with the advent of Little Ruggers a Rugby themed play class utilizing the transferable skills of rugby whilst instilling confidence and social life skills though there curriculum. The curriculum has been designed by Rugby coaches, teachers and child development specialists.
Little Ruggers will be working with rugby clubs across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire to enable them to offer rugby at or near their clubs from age 2 to 7 years. This will benefit those clubs immensely by providing skilled and confident children entering mini rugby at age seven.
Some may have preconceptions of rugby being a rough and tough sport which it can be once children reach the under 9 age group at mini rugby. However at Little Ruggers age 2 to 7 years age it is an positively active and fun activity with no contact whatsoever. Little Ruggers is designed so that it will equally appeal to both girls and boys.
Jag Johal, Head Coach at Little Ruggers
Little Ruggers Head Coach Jag Johal has extensive experience within rugby having played at Wasps, Moseley, Worcester Warriors and Tabard. Now back at his boyhood club Letchworth Rugby Club having served as first team captain for a number of season, he is now first team manager/player. In addition to still playing, Jag has also been actively involved with coaching mini rugby and his twin boys, who both play in the under 8s at Letchworth Rugby Club. Jag is very clear that to keep children entertained and within the sport of rugby then it has to be a fun and positive experience.
The fun at Little Ruggers is achieved using rugby specific skills, social skills and confidence building. It is believed that these skills can not only be developed further on the rugby field later on but also these are life skills which will be transferred into all other areas such as school and other sporting endeavors.
Jag goes on to explain that in New Zealand children are encouraged to participate in Rugby from around age four to five compared to age seven in the UK, which could be the reason for their huge success in the game. The Little Ruggers curriculum has been designed to address this gap in rugby skills by equipping children with the right skills to help give them a head start in not just rugby but all aspects of their lives. An alternative to football classes within this age group is here so get involved.
I think it is a good idea for children to be active from a young age. It instills a healthy lifestyle which they can take into there adult life. It is fantastic that there is a rugby alternative in place and rugby clubs in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas will now have the ability to offer rugby from age 2 to senior rugby.
I though that some of you may be interested in this. Rugby World Magazine are running a competition for junior clubs and this includes Europe. So my European friends get writing them emails now, I know as a fact there are many worthy teams out there.
With these things its usually the clubs that that can be bothered to write that win the prizes and the deserving teams never seem to win. Thats because no one takes the time to write. Lets correct this now.
It’s time for the big one. If you’ve had a season to remember, email alan_pearey@ipcmedia.com to tell us why you deserve to be the Rugby World Team of the Year. The award is aimed at junior clubs in Europe and the winning team will receive 22 sets of team kit jersey, shorts and socks from Playmore! So email your nomination TODAY.
1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
April 27, 2010 at 19:49
Having been to many rugby clubs across the country it is apparent that ethnic communities are under represented in the make up of Rugby Clubs, even in areas that have a big ethnic populations. Bolton is one such area and they stand to gain a lot from inviting them into their club and making the them aware of what the rugby club stands for.
Bolton RFC earned plenty of points for thinking ‘outside the box’ recently when they staged a bumper programme of music, dance and family entertainment entitled the Halliwell Cultural Festival at their Avenue Street headquarters.
The event, designed to bring local people together in a celebration of food, music and dance that represented all the different cultures of the community, ran from 10.30am until 1am the following day, with a kaleidoscope of free activities and entertainment which helped to introduce the club to a hugely cosmopolitan audience from across the district, many of whom were visiting the rugby club for the first time.
The whole event was aimed at families with children and comprised such diverse groups as a Caribbean steel band, morris dancers, a gymnastics team, a rapper, a folk band, a Somali dance group, a bouncy castle, birds of prey, a climbing wall, tug of war, krishna temple bollywood dancing, food from different cultural groups, a live radio outside broadcast and a Bolton Wanderers FC display and stand.
The rugby elements focused on showcasing the club and its facilities via a social event which flagged up the ambition and resource of Bolton RFC by demonstrating the enthusiasm and imagination to put together an event which brought well over 2,000 visitors to Avenue Street.
“We have raised our profile in both Halliwell and the wider Bolton area which will hopefully bring wide ranging benefits in the years to come,” said Chairman Mark Brocklehurst.
“While we operate as an independent club it is not possible for us to survive and prosper on internal funding alone. Being a community focused club is therefore very important when it comes to looking for future revenue streams, as well as the obvious player recruitment that can be gleaned from the Halliwell area.
“The Greater Manchester Police Deputy Chief Constable, Simon Byrne, who came down on the day said, that in 22 years of policing it was the best, most organised and community friendly event he had ever attended, praise indeed from a man who spends his life visiting shows and festivals.”
The ethnic communities are on the whole untapped from a rugby point of view and anything to encourage the participation in both playing and being a part of the club should be encouraged.
From time to time I will pick a random country and today that country is Chile, actually this time its not random at all, its because a good friend of mine recently visited Chile. My friend mentioned the nightlife, beautiful woman and Rugby is all of a high standard, this I thought could be a possible rugby tour. Instantly decided to do some further research into Chilean rugby and what I present here is what I have found out.
Rugby was first introduced by the British during the 19th century. It is believed that the first people who played it in Chile were the English who worked at the saltmines in Iquique. For many years it was a sport associated the upper classes. The first teams appeared in Valparaíso and Santiago de Chile, who latter formed the Unión de Rugby de Chile. The British influence can be noticed today in that several of the main Chilean teams still have English names like the Prince of Wales Country Club, who are one of the leading clubs in Chile. In addition to the English influence some rugby did trickle across the border from Argentina also.
Argentina dominate South American Rugby but Chile used to consider itself, the best of the rest. However they have not qualified for the world cup as of yet, Uraguay have managed that and are now ranked higher than Chile. Chile have however won the 1981 South American Championship in which Argentina did not play in. Chile is currently ranked 3rd in South America, 5th in the Americas, and 23rd in the world.
An incident that bought Uruguayan and Chilean rugby into the limelight was the film “Alive”, which was about the tragic crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, on which The Uruguayans were on tour to Argentina and were on their was to play some return matches in Chile when disaster struck. Alive tells the story of a Uruguayan Rugby team and their friends and family who were involved in the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. What those survivors had to go through was shocking, good film if you get a chance watch it.
During the 1980s, former French national coach Jean-Pierre Juanchich became national administrator of the sport in Chile it was during this time participation in rugby increased dramatically. Previously rugby was restricted to the Santiago and Valparaíso, after this time it spread across the rest of the country and now you can find clubs the length of this country.
The Chile national rugby union team who are nicknamed Los Cóndores, “The Condors” made their international rugby debut in 1936, against fellow South American nation, Argentina. However, Chile were defeated 29 points to nil by the Pumas. Although there was no qualifying tournament for the first World Cup, Chile would try and qualify for the third tournament, the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Chile lost a close game to Paraguay, but losses to Uruguay and then Argentina saw them knocked out of the qualifying tournament.
Today rugby is a big sport Chile, particularly in the Capital city Santiago. Hospitality my friend tells me, is fantastic and they are very keen to host visiting sides as they want to improve their game by playing against teams from bigger rugby playing nations in order to compete with their Argentinean and Uruguayan neighbours.
That’s a little bit about rugby in Chile, however I can hear you saying he has not mentioned the interesting stuff like nightlife, beer and woman. This is a family site so get out there do some research and get organising a tour to Chile.
My nephew gave me this idea, he told me there was a certain video he liked to watch before a big game to get him psyched up. I thought to myself what a great idea for a post, so here goes.
I have come up with a few videos that may inspire you the next time you feel you need that extra push or want to get psyched up before that big game. Bookmark this page so you can come back to it time and time again.
Not all these videos are related to rugby however they are very much relevant for any sports, especially rugby.
To start with here is a video to remind us why we play the game.
The next video is a very inspirational speech by Al Pacino from the film Any Given Sunday. Enjoy this scene, because this is why people play sports and why we watch sports. This is why we are passionate about sports. It really gets me fired up this one, I hope you enjoy it.
This one is from a sky sports add for rugby with Stephen Berkoff doing the Al Pacino ‘inches’ speech, but this time its definately about rugby. Personally i prefer the original Al Pacino speech. Which one do you prefer?
Now if Al Pacino or Stephen Berkoff did not inspire you enough thenl have a look at Ireland & Lions legend Willie John Mc Bride’s interpretation of the “inches” speach.
The Following video is some Rugby Video Clips set to music which i found to be very motivational.
Now I am going to have to put a little warning on the next video as it contains a few swear words,if you are easily offended please do not watch this next video. If however you can handle a little bit of swearing then go for it. The captain has a very nice way with words, I love the story about some bitch in the olympics, very inspiring stuff indeed.
Were you inspired and which ones work for you? I definately was.
If you have enjoyed them then great as i will be adding some more in the future.
9 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
April 13, 2010 at 18:43
I currently work in Germany and on the rare occasions I do stay at the weekends I usually go and watch a rugby game, this weekend was such a weekend. Woke up, the time was 10.30 so I had to decide what I am going to do today. I then quickly had breakfast and headed out of the door a long walk to the train station for a short train ride to Ulm.
The rugby club VfB Ulm is situated in the city of Ulm. Ulm is a city in the German Region of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube and incidentally the birthplace of Albert Einstein and Ulm is home to the Ulm Minster Cathedral, having the world’s tallest church steeple (161.53 m (529.95 ft) high and 768 steps).
The Rugby club is known as VfB Ulm a small club that plays in the Bavarian regional league. Today was a match against the Ingolstadt Baboons; no seriously that is what they call themselves.
Ulm is a one team rugby club which consists of players from a number of countries around the world but most were actually Germans. At Ulm the experience is added by the expats with the youth and energy provided by the less experienced Germans. Ulm have hopes on developing a junior and mini sections in the future which would be fantastic for them in providing a steady flow of players and for German rugby in general.
The Germans in the team are mostly new to the game having either just started to play or played just a couple of seasons however they are very keen and are taking to rugby like ducks to water. I would say the standard of rugby to be similar to level 10 rugby in the UK. The actual game was quite an even affair, with the Baboons showing there superiority in the forward play, which is not surprising as they had some big lumps in there including a huge prop from Blackpool. On the other hand many of Ulm’s forwards were playing there first ever game of rugby today. The final score 17-7 to the Baboons.
A notable difference observed at the end of a game is that both teams line up facing each other on the half way line give 3 cheers for the opposition and then they form the tunnel, which is slightly different from back home. Crates of beer were bought to the pitch for the players as soon as the game ended, so efficient these Germans.
Ulm is a club that does not have a club house so for afters the players and spectators are able to purchase beer and I am told some days they have barbecues after games. However most of the post match drinks and food the players almost always end up at the pub called cheeers who are also the sponsor of Ulm rugby club. I was invited to come along, which I did and had a very enjoyable evening. I can remember having a few beers and a little something to eat however not much more, needless to say that I made it back okay.
All in all I have a lovely day with the Ulm rugby club with some great people. Much like any other club in any part of the world this German team showed that they are a great example of a rugby club upholding the true spirit and traditions of Rugby Union, long may it continue.
10 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
April 11, 2010 at 14:03
Is your club registered?, if why not get yourselves registered for a chance to win some great prizes and a great way to raise money for your club and grassroots rugby generally.
Clubs, schools, referee societies, Constituent Bodies and universities across England have raised nearly half a million pounds for the game thanks to the latest RFU Grand Draw.
Organised by the RFU, the Grand Draw encourages institutions throughout the game to sell prize draw tickets, and across England £475,000 worth of tickets were sold since summer 2009. With 90% of that money (£420,000) staying with the institutions who sell the tickets, it brings the total raised for grassroots rugby over the six years of the draw to £2.2m.
Leading the way in sales this year has been Truro School, who shifted a mammoth 11,370 tickets in the RFU’s annual raffle.
And thanks to their efforts in the RFU Grand Draw, the Cornish school raised £10,233 for Max Levene, their 17-year-old schoolmate who was seriously injured while playing in October last year.
This year’s draw of the 60 prize-winners took place at the London Marriott Twickenham Hotel on March 30 – the first anniversary of its opening – with General Manager Paul Davies, his staff and guests joining RFU President John Owen to pick the winners, including the £10,000 first prize from England Rugby sponsors Investec.
A record 708 institutions entered, and Owen said: “The RFU Grand Draw is an effective and simple way for clubs, schools and universities to raise funds and its success over the last six years has been phenomenal. It gives them much needed income and at just £1 a ticket a great chance for people to win quality prizes.
“I must make special mention of Truro School. To sell that many tickets is an amazing effort to help Max, a very courageous young man, and they should be applauded, as should all the 100 schools who entered.”
The RFU Grand Draw is a simple and risk free way to raise funds for your club. Each year the Draw Society organises a pool of fantastic prizes for the draw. RFU registered clubs, schools, colleges and Referee Societies are then eligible to receive a quantity of free Grand Draw tickets, from which they keep 90 per cent of all sale proceeds.
The 2009/10 Grand Draw was made at the end of March this year. With a top prize of £10,000 donated by Investec, second prize of a pair of Business Class return air tickets to Dubai courtesy of Emirates plus 38 other great prizes, ticket sales once again raised tens of thousands of pounds for the game.
As well as the Grand Draw prizes, there were also awards for the clubs who raised the most money and returned their tickets on time.
The benefits to your club
Each year the Grand Draw provides clubs and schools with everything they need to take part in the fund raising: tickets, instructions, promotional material – even the postage is pre-paid. This means:
• No cost to your club
• No risk to your club
• Minimal time in organising ticket sales
• You receive 90 per cent of the value of the tickets sold as a tax-free donation
With the current economic climate making it harder than ever to raise funds, the Grand Draw gives your club or school and excellent opportunity to help itself.
Details of the 2010/11 Grand Draw will be available in August this year.
Having spent a considerable amount of time in Germany during the last year, I thought I would a good idea to report on the seemingly little known rugby scene in Germany.
Rugby union was introduced to Germany in the 1800s by British students who attended posh private grammar schools or studied in Heidelberg and others having completed their military service in Hanover and played rugby in their spare time. Heidelberg and Hanover are still to this day the major Rugby powerhouses in Germany.
The first German rugby team existed at Neuenheim College (Now called Heidelberg College) in Heidelberg. At around the 1850s, rugby started to attract lots of the students. It was during this time that the Heidelberger Ruderklub von 1872 (HRK 1872) in 1872, which is today the oldest German rugby club and still is amongst the strongest teams in Germany. The history of rugby in Germany is documented in the Deutsche Rugby-Sportmuseum, the German rugby sport museum, which is also located at Heidelberg.
In the build up towards the World War II the Nazi party did not like rugby, as it was considered as “too English”. As a result it lost all financial support to the game and much of the popularity it had gained in the western and northern cities of Heidelberg, Hanover, and Frankfurt. The sport was then further decimated by World War II as most of the players were killed.
The German Rugby Federation was set up in 1900 (Deutscher Rugby-Verband). The Germans claim to fame is that they were Olympic silver medallists in the rugby union competition in 1900; also they also beat France twice in the 1930s. The German national team is a third tier Rugby Union playing nation and competes in the European Nations Cup, the senior men’s rugby tournament for European nations just below the Six Nations. As of yet Germany has not qualified for the Rugby World Cup.
Today Rugby is on the up again in Germany. There are over 13,000 registered players and over 100 clubs across the country. The main goal for the German national rugby team is to qualify for the 2019 world cup, whether they will or not is anyone’s guess, but with the current growth it could well be a possibility for them.
Germany has a number of clubs across the country playing national and regional leagues and new clubs are springing up all the time. The national leagues in Germany are listed below. These are the top 30 clubs only, there are lots of clubs also playing the regional leagues and more clubs are being created as the popularity of rugby union grows in Germany.
The National Leagues in Germany
Bundesliga
Bundesliga Nord
Bundesliga Süd
The teams that currently play in Bundesliga (level 1) (2009-2010) are listed below.
ASV Köln
Berliner Rugby Club
DSV Hannover 78
Heidelberger RK
RG Heidelberg
RK 03 Berlin
RK Heusenstamm
SC Frankfurt 1880
SC Neuenheim
TSV Handschuhsheim
The second tier of German rugby is split into the Bundesliga North and Bundesliga South. You will find a good standard at all these clubs
Bundesliga North (level 2) (2009-2010)
Berliner RC II
DRC Hannover
FC St. Pauli
FT Adler Kiel
Hamburger RC
RU Hohen Neuendorf
SC Germania List
SG SV Odin / VfR Döhren
TSV Victoria Linden
USV Potsdam
Bundesliga South (level 2) (2009-2010)
Heidelberger RK II
Karlsruher SV
München RFC
RC Luxemburg
RC Mainz
RG Heidelberg II
SC Frankfurt 1880 II
StuSta München
Stuttgarter RC
TSV Handschuhsheim II
I have been to watch Stuttgart who played a friendly in pre-season against Victoria Lindon (Hanover) and on another occasion I was in Munich and I watched a game when they entertained Luxembourg. I would compare the standard in Germany’s second tier to be similar to the standard to a level 6 game in the England, which is London/Midland/North/Southwest 1. So the standard is not too bad at all. From my observance, it was clearly noticeable that the squads of all the teams were very international in nature. I heard Irish, American, British, New Zealand, South African and French accents. Which makes going to play in Germany a wonderful life enriching experience, if anyone fancies taking a contract to play over there.
Germany without doubt has great beer and great sausages; I have tried many types of both and have not tasted a bad beer yet. I have noticed a lot of clubs are sponsored by Irish pubs, perhaps something to do with the number of expats around rugby in this country. So in conclusion Germany is a perfect for a rugby tour destination which you can combine with one of the many beer festivals. Germany has all the essential ingredients and if you fancy a change of scene and play a good standard of rugby then it is possible to get a good contract to play here too.
Over the next few weeks, which are to be my last in Germany, I will be going to a number of games across Germany. In addition I will be attending an International game Switzerland v Lithuania which will be hosted at Basel Rugby Club in Basel Switzerland. So please check back for my reports.
10 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
April 2, 2010 at 19:19
I was looking around to find some really funny and entertaining videos. I could not decide whether this was funny or not, you decide. NRL Referee Tony De Las Heras gets knocked out by Tonie Carroll’s knee during play in the Broncos V Rabbitohs game in 2009 at Suncorp Stadium. I am told he made a full recover so please don’t worry too much.
A really funny clip next up. Watch out for Will Carling getting held up, spilled balls and some more referee incidents.
Here is more traditional big rugby hits video, not at all funny being on the receiving end of some of these.
We all enjoy a good punch and we all know where to go if you want to see a good punch up, yes you have guessed it, Romania oh and France.
Heres a couple rugby fights videos from both countries.
Starting with French rugby and the top 4 countdown.
A Romanian rugby match has descended into chaos after breaking out into a huge brawl. Who won, you decide.
Having been to lots of rugby clubs in both UK and Europe, I have found that some clubs are more welcoming and have a better atmosphere than others. What are the ingredients for having a welcoming and friendly club? I will be looking into how you can make a simple change to increase playing, social members and sponsors.
During training nights a number of new players can turn up. This is a critical time for these new players because if they don’t get the right vibe then these players may not come back and some other club will have their services. Therefore it is important that their first impression of your club is a good one. All new players should be greeted and welcomed to the club the moment they arrive. This is not just the job of the club captain or coaches as they may not be around at the time. It is the duty of ALL players and all officials around at the time. Introduce them to the other players prior to commencement of training and then after training have a brief chat with them to ensure they enjoyed themselves and find out a little bit about them and their aspirations, regardless of there ability to pay in the first team.
This is just common sense, I hear you say, however I am surprised the number of players that have ended up at my club having previously trained with another local club, stating a negative experience at training, for example no one spoke to them. They were not made to feel welcome or just did not like the vibe. Any decent rugby club would have retained these players if they had just been more welcoming at training and it should not matter if they are first team potential or whether they are beginners as these guys will go on to be paid up members of the club if treated well. More members are better for the success of all teams and for the clubs coffers.
I visit lots of different rugby clubs around the country, when I am not at my local rugby club on a Saturday. This may be to visit family in another part of the country or on holiday somewhere. I will always pop down the local rugby club and have a couple of beers and watch a game of rugby, much to my wife’s annoyance. I was impressed with a particular club in the Midlands that I recently visited.
What did they do right? I was greeted first as I walked into the bar area by a man in a suit, who later turned out to be the chairman, we shook hands and he welcomed me and mentioned that he had not seen me down there before and I had a brief chat with him about the weather and the likelihood of a win for the home side and I made my way to the bar. Please bear in mind this was a match day there were lots of people about and I could have easily have gone in there and no one spoke to me all day as what has happened on a number of visits to other clubs. The chap behind the bar was very friendly too asking me if I was from the opposition and whether I was new to the area. I explained to him I am visiting the wife’s family and just popped out to watch a game. He called me a top man, always nice to know.
Again after the game I had a beer before I headed back to face the in-laws. During the course of the day the Chairman introduced me to a number of people I honestly felt at home here like I was talking to old friends. I walked away feeling I had made some good friends and most of all a very positive opinion of the club and if I had lived nearby they would definitely had me as a member. As I visit my in-laws from time to time, I have visited a number of clubs in that area and some are not as friendly as this particular club needless to say, I will be going back next time I am in the area, at least they have gained a supporter who knows may take my boots along and get a game with there vets team.
You should always be on the look out for new faces on match days and training and say hello to everyone and at least acknowledge them as I understand it can be a busy. The next new face you see down your club could well be a potential player, member or even a sponsor. Lots of potential players turn up on match days just to check out the vibe of the place and see if it’s a club they would like to play for, it’s important not to let these people leave with a negative view of your club and its important to get them onboard.
ALL club members are ambassadors of the club. There is no passing the buck and saying it’s not your job, it is your job it’s the job of all club members. It is very obvious and a simple concept but it seems some clubs just aren’t good at it and are losing potential players and members. So lets be more welcoming, lets get more players, supporters and sponsors into your rugby club and lets keep them, its as simple as saying “Hello” and a smile and if someone looks lost help them out, unless you are a club close to mine, then keep it up please, we like the steady flow of players from your clubs.
On the whole rugby clubs are in fact very friendly and unique places however unknowingly you can become so caught up in what you are doing and sometimes can overlook this very simple thing. I would welcome comments on this subject and if you have experienced unfriendly clubs let me know what made them unfriendly and why you never stuck around (please don’t name these clubs). If you are a club member then I would like to hear what you do to make your club more welcoming for potential players and members.
Some of you out there may be surprised to hear that Rugby is in fact a huge sport in India and is growing fast. India has long been associated with cricket, wrestling and Kabaddi (cross between wrestling and rugby without the ball). There are numerous rugby tournaments, across India for many all ages groups and for both the mens rugby and womans rugby. All the major cities will have at least one rugby club and many of these cities will have a number of rugby Clubs and the capital city of India Delhi is one such City.
The earliest trace of Rugby Football in India dates back to a scratch match or two played in Calcutta and Madras during the visit of H.M.S. Galatea in 1871. The teak goal posts used on the occasion of the Calcutta Match were afterwards used by the C.F.C. up to at least 1886. The first recorded match was played on Christmas day 1872, at CFC in Calcutta, it was played between England and a combined team of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The game caught on and had to be repeated within the week.
In 1877 saw rugby’s popularity wane and it almost died out completely, leaving behind a full coffer. The wise G.A.J. Rothney, who had been acting as Captain, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the Club at that time, proposed that the funds should be devoted to the purchase of a cup of Indian workmanship to be offered to the Rugby Football Union- the parent body of the game worldwide. The withdrawal of these monies was done in the form of silver coins which were then melted to craft the exquisite Calcutta Cup.
The Calcutta International Challenge Cup was to be played for annually by England and Scotland, the Cup remaining the property of the Rugby Football Union. This cup is being keenly contested annually between England and Scotland for the last 122 years. After a few years the game saw resurgence and regular matches were conducted with several new clubs having been formed. Hearing of the popularity of the sport in India, the R.F.U. decided to reciprocate the earlier Indian gesture. In 1924 they presented to the C.F.C. an exact replica of the Calcutta Cup. This cup was then titled ‘The All India & South Asia Rugby Cup.’
The recent history of rugby in India is an exciting one. Rapid growth over the past several years since the formation of The Indian Rugby Football Union in 1968 and it subsequent membership to the sport’s international governing body the International Rugby Board (IRB) in April 1999 has seen numbers of clubs and players increase dramatically in all versions of the game – 15s, 7,s and Touch rugby. The adoption of the sport within the Armed Forces and Police means that the game has strong growth potential. To this end in 2008 the IRB committed the resources of a full time overseas Development Manager to assist the IRFU develop the game throughout India.
The current Indian national rugby union team is ranked 85th in the world (as of 9 March 2010 IRB Rankings). Their captain is Nasser Hussain, and they are currently being coached by South Africans Norman Laker and Henry Marnitz. There are, in total, 17,200 registered rugby players in India. They were admitted to the IRB in 2001, but it took three years before India got there first win – beating Pakistan 56-3 in the third tier competition of the Asian Biennial tournament.
Having visited India on a number occasions, I never quite made the connection between Rugby and India. However in future I will be making sure I visit a few clubs in India and watch some games and learn more about the rugby culture in India especially Delhi.
Boom
I would like to thank my good friend Kuldeep Singh Bist for providing me with information for his club Delhi Hurricanes Rugby Football Club for whom he is a player/coach. Kuldeep took retirement from International Rugby in the year 2003. He repersented India on several occasions including the first ever Indian rugby team who toured Singapore in 1998 for Asian Rugby Championship.
Delhi Hurricanes Rugby Football Club was formed in July, 2004 and is affiliated to the North India RFU, which is in turn affiliated to the Indian RFU. Delhi Hurricanes have already developed eleven players that have gone onto represent the Indian National Team. They are hopeful that at this pace, they will provide many more players in the future who will represent the India in the future. The Delhi State team won a Bronze medal in the Guwahati National Games-2007 (7 a side) & 4 players from Delhi Hurricanes RFC were part of this team and have already qualified for Jharkhand National Games, 2009. Currently two Hurricane’s players are in New Zealand with the Indian National Team for a rugby camp and practice matches. Hurricanes won Callaghan Cup in Oct.’ 2009. Five players currently in Commonwealth Games Squads.
Delhi Hurricanes Rugby match in India
IRFU has taken the initiative to introduce Rugby in schools curriculum & lots of schools have started to play Rugby in the recent years. Delhi Hurricanes RFC are actively involved in expanding Rugby across Delhi and other parts of North India and specially among school. Delhi Government is considering to include Rugby in their curriculum in near future, which bodes well for rugby in India.
Recently rugby has seen rapid growth in India and is set to grow even more with more and more children being introduced to the game at schools. Delhi Hurricanes have some great plans in place and its clubs like these that will be the driving force behind the growth of Rugby in India. Also a noteworthy point is that woman’s rugby in India is probably growing just as fast as the men’s game as the Indian ladies have taken to the game in a big way. Who knows maybe one day rugby will be competing with cricket as the most popular sport in India, though this is a while off yet but we can hope we can then welcome another billion supporters into the beautiful game.
Delhi Hurricanes website
http://www.delhihurricanes.com/
1 comment - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
March 26, 2010 at 09:22
Rugby sevens will become an Olympic sport in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Games such is the growing popularity of Sevens rugby. Not only is the popularity growing on the world stage also more and more tournaments are being created across the world catering for players at all levels of play. One rugby club in England will see its first sevens tournament this year, Woodford Rugby Football Club.
Woodford RFC 7s 24th April 2010
Woodford are to hold their inaugural rugby 7s invitational tournament at the Highams on 24th April 2010. This will be a one day event with around 14 teams participating.
There will be a high standard of rugby sevens with teams drawn from London and Essex and some from further a field. Fun for all the family is guaranteed and some of the attractions include Bouncy castles, Entertainers, hog roast and BBQ throughout the day and a competitively priced bar open all day.
The best bit is that its absolutely FREE to come and watch, so if you live in the area pop down, bring the family and join in the festivities make a day of it. In addition there will be a Late night Party with DJ from 8 and drinking into the early hours all are welcome to stay.
Woodford have ambitions for this tournament to grow next year with the possibility that it will be a 2 day event with around 20 teams participating and with camping facilities to aid further drinking.
It’s still not too late if you want to enter a team into this tournament the costs are below. However be quick as places are going fast.
£100 entry per team of 10
£250 prize money for the winners.
They are looking for strong club sides, University reunions, and wandering 7s teams so get your entries in as soon as possible to ensure your place.
Contact Elliott Kayser on 07525 367 473 for further details.
Address
Woodford RFC
Highams
High Road
Woodford Green
Essex
IG8 9LB
Tel: 02085046769
6 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
March 23, 2010 at 08:42
What a fantastic idea. I came across this article on the RFU website and this got my mind racing. I was thinking what similar things you could do down your club. This is just one of many novel ways of raising funds and raising the profile of rugby in general. I would welcome suggestions.
So if any of you would like to be a part of history or even watch a very long game with lots of players then get involved and contact them on the email address below it looks like it will be a good day out and help them raise some money for worthwhile causes.
Towcestrians bid for longest match and most players records
Busy weekend for Northamptonshire club
Northamptonshire club Towcestrians will attempt to set a world record for the highest number of players ever to play in a rugby match at their Greens Norton Road ground over the Easter weekend.
Towcestrians aim to play a match last between six and seven hours on Saturday April 3 which involve rolling substitutions to allow them to establish the record.
Towcestrians hope that their attempts to play the longest ever rugby union exhibition match and the match involving the most players will be validated by the Guinness World Records. Neither have been attempted before.
Towcestrians have invited clubs from Northamptonshire and East Midlands to take part in their record attempts and also hope to encourage illustrious former players, including former Northampton Saints stars, to take part.
The record attempts will form part of a busy weekend for Towcestrians which will also include fund-raising for the Help for Heroes, Royal British Legion and Wooden Spoon charities.
The weekend will also involve a beer festival starting at 7pm on April 2 and a music festival involving local bands The Bromptons, H2 and Reflexions.
Further information is available from David Taylor at david.taylor@towcestriansrfc.net.
2 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
March 21, 2010 at 13:43
I came across the following video whilst browsing youtube. It seems to be a promotional video for Havant Rugby Football Club who play in National League 3 South East which is the fifth tier of English rugby. It outlines some of its aims and ambitions for the future. I think that it gives a glimpse of a well run and ambitious rugby club. It shows what exactly a rugby club can offer its players of all age ranges from seven upwards, social members, sponsors and indeed the local community. Though this video is about a particular club, it’s no different to any other club. It shows what I believe to be how all rugby clubs should be run, with all the elements present to make a successful club on and off the pitch. So check it out.
An important issue that is raised in this video is that of paying players. I am not singling out Havant for this discussion, because most teams in the Havant’s league at level 5 will have a mix of paid players and local players and indeed I am sure some will pay all players, it is a sign of the times. I don’t think this is an issue at level 5 and above but in the leagues below it seems some clubs can be reluctant to admit it after all this is where it becomes a amateur game isn’t it?
Some clubs often get promoted with a good batch of players coming up through their youth systems combining with the experienced players in the club. Eventually this team will get as far as it can go with this set of players. Some clubs can even make it into the National leagues. What happens if some players go off to university or simply retire when you can see the club going through free fall through the leagues? I suggest at this point you decide what type of club you want to be as this is a big step for a non paying club as it maybe going against traditions, that’s if money is available or you can find ways of raising more funds though sponsorship deals and such like.
Some clubs will not see the opportunities available to raise more funds to bolster the squads and some clubs will decide that it’s against their principles. Some clubs will look to bolster their squad in a bid to stop a steady decline back down the leagues, this move will probably change the club forever.
If you have a team made up solely of paid players that come to training and game on a Saturday then straight after the game they shoot off to “a dinner party” then this can be detrimental on the rest of the club. Those players that are playing in the lower teams may not get to know any of the first team socially, this can then create cliques in your club with members of these other teams becoming resentful. If you get just a couple of paid players in then this could cause resentment “if they are being paid, why aren’t we?” So what is the answer? Insist these guys stick around after the game for at least a couple of drinks, it helps.
Decide what type of club you want to be. If you want to watch/play a good standard of rugby at level 5 and above, and maintain it, then paid players will be present at some stage in your club. It is important that you take a balanced approach and not let other sections of your club suffer such as the players in the lower teams and youth and mini sections as this is the lifeblood of any successful club.
2 comments - What do you think? Posted by
Mick -
March 8, 2010 at 13:39
