NEW YORK, NY

This is Part I…

Please feel free to comment below and forward to your mates.

Matt "Polar Bear" Hawkins

Team USA Eagle 7s star, Matthew “Polar Bear” Hawkins, who is also now working with Serevi, contributes weekly on Rugby Wrap Up – technology permitting.

Last week we spoke about what USA Rugby should be focused on and there were quite a few comments. In all fairness, it seemed to be a very hotly contested debate. The major concerns from all the comments were :
1) Where does the Youth Game and the Youth Development fit in?
2) Player Development? What that is?

Here are my thoughts on the above:

1) The Youth Game has a huge role to play in everything we have going on. Through the youth game we begin to grow our base of rugby followers but we also get the opportunity to introduce the game to an entirely new group.  Yes, we have an unbelievable pool of athletic talent here in this country, but unfortunately rugby is not something that you just pick up. Rugby really happens between the set pieces and that is the hardest part for every athlete that tries to make the transition from another sport. Before we go any further, I would just like to say that the term crossover athlete is used very poorly in rugby circles. Someone that excelled at one sport and now wishes to take their talent and try and excel at another is just an athlete… plain and simple .

If you look at American football, for instance, you have a playbook and you run a play that lasts about 6 seconds. Your job is to know   where you should be and what formation you should set up in and the route you should run. There are incredible athletes in NCAA Football and the NFL on display and they are amazing to watch, but that does not translate. If you ask the best rugby player in the world if that believed they were a perfect rugby player, I am pretty sure that they will answer “No.” In rugby, you rarely see the same situation twice and you very rarely react the same way twice to a situation and that is the beauty of it.

So… The key is to get kids when they are young expose them to the very raw aspects of rugby from the age of 6 though about 13. Then they can go off and focus on their other sports and work towards a scholarship or pro contract. If that dream doesn’t come true and they feel that rugby is a good fit for them, then when they then focus their talents on rugby,  at least they’ll understand the game and that transition will be a lot easier. It just makes more sense.

Test & Hawkins

A great example of that is Zack Test, who currently plays for the USA Sevens team – and who I’m sure is not far off the 15′s team, either. He had an introduction to rugby when he was younger, but he wanted to pursue a dream in football and went for it. But it did not work out and he turned his attention to rugby and is now one of the best players in the side. That’s why youth development is so crucial. It grows the game, but it also has an influence on that huge pool of athletes we have in this country for it to make sense for that transition to take place.

2) Player Development: I touched a little on that above, but Player Development for me is two fold: You have the athletes that come through the U20/All American programs, where the goal is to develop those groups of players all the way through, so a vast majority end up on the National teams and representing their country at the highest level. But even at that point as a player, you still need to be challenged and pushed and developed to become and even better player. The second part to this is developing players that have entered the competitive rugby world at a later stage. That is not to say that they have never played rugby before – their aspirations were just different for a few years. These players need to be placed in a system that works in a strong relationship with the National Team coaches but at the club level, these players need an environment that will help them develop under the guidance of someone that is trusted by the National Team coach, monitoring their progress. After a period of time they should have to go through the same channels that any other player would for recognition at the highest level and the opportunity to play rugby for our country.

Hopefully these additional thoughts shed a little more light on what we started last week. It has been a tough year for the Eagles 7′s team, but they held strong over the last few tournaments and know that they have a lot to work on over the summer. They have a great opportunity to start fresh and come out swinging at the World Cup Qualifiers in August.

Feel free to leave your thoughts and look for the interview with USA 15s Head Coach, Mike Tolkin.

Cheers.

Blaber

West Ghana, Bronx -Last week we looked at coaches affecting domestic tables. This week we look at international coaching… debutantes. Okay, so calling these coaches debutantes is a bit much but I assure you, all eyes will be on these 4 men as they introduce themselves as Head Coaches on the world Rugby stage.

Stuart Lancaster

1) Stuart Lancaster, England- So, this not his coming out party. He already had it during the Six Nations. But this is his first time he will lead the National team out as the Head Coach – no interim tag. He will also be leading his first tour as well, as the English team heads for an unprecedented (in the pro era) 5-match (including 3 tests), tour of South Africa. This tour will see if Lancaster can build on his 6N success and develop some depth. Fans want to see how he handles the young talent and how flexible he is regarding when a player is ready to earn a test cap.

Heyneke Meyer

2) Heyneke Meyer, South Africa- The time has now come, Mr. Meyer: Who will be your captain? How many from RWC 2012 will you get rid off? Will you show your Bulls Provincial bias? Will you give Youth a chance? Class, Experience or Form, what matters most? SA fans are fanatical, deeply biased by province and all think they should be coaching. It is a dream job for any SA coach, but it can turn into a nightmare in a hurry by losing a test series against England.

Steve Hansen

3) Steve Hansen, New Zealand- Take all that was said about Heyneke and add this little bit: Hansen is following Sir Graham Henry. Henry is the retired Head Coach of New Zealand whose winning of the RWC 2012 earned him a knighthood and the Sir prefix to his name. Hansen was Henry’s top assistant for 8 years so it will not be new to him, but any coach will tell you the move just one chair over, is worlds apart. Hansen does have the fortune of starting out against Ireland. That’s fortunate because Declan Kidney can’t coach a team to pour water into a glass. Granted, Ireland are not on New Zealand’s level talent-wise, nor have their key players have had any real rest since the RWC. However, Kiwi fans are sharp and will look to see how Hansen selects players and builds his team. Winning will not be enough… How they win will be the key.

Gatland (left) with Howley

4) Rob Howley, Wales- If Lancaster is a ringer, then Howley is the direct opposite. Howley is the interim head coach of Wales. He is taking over for the next 6-9 months from Warren Gatland. Gatland shattered the heel bones in both his feet (I know, I didn’t know one could do that either) while working on his house back home in NZ. You would think a man making good coin would hire a contractor but nothing like do-it-Yourself work, eh Warren. This inadvertently sets up Wales for the long term rather nicely. Howley gets the feel of sitting in the big chair and understanding the responsibilities of it without the pressure. This way he will know what to improve on when Gatland returns. When Gatland eventually steps down for good, Howley will be more than prepared to take the reigns. Howley’s challenges will be the same as the other men on this page. He must respect class, reward form, build depth, develop and evaluate young talent. He has proven his ability to get a backline firing as coach (as a player he had the sweetest pass from a ruck in the pro era and definitely got a backline firing), so know he must get the whole team to fire on all pistons.

It will be a long hot and interesting season of International rugby and summer tours. My only advice to these coaches – not that they need or asked for it – is stay low and keep pumping those legs. The same advice extends to you our readers. Please share your thoughts below.

Todd Clever with Ronan

SAN DIEGO, CA – On Saturday, April 7, 2012, Ronan Nelson, a sixteen-year-old sophomore student at Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, CA, was critically injured in a club rugby game in San Diego. He was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where surgery was performed to repair his broken neck. Subsequent strokes from blood clots formed from the injury causing temporary blindness and other health issues. After a several weeks at Scripps La Jolla, Ronan was transferred to Sharp Memorial Hospital for inpatient rehabilitation, where he continues his quest to regain normal function, including the ability to walk.

The Cathedral Catholic High School (www.cathedralcatholic.org) community and the Coastal Dragons Rugby Club (www.coastaldragonsrugby.com) along with Serevi Rugby (www.serevirugby.com) have joined forces to raise funds to help support Ronan’s rehabilitation. On Saturday, June 9, 2012, a special event, titled the “Team Ronan Rugby Challenge” will be held at Cathedral Catholic High School, 5555 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego, CA, from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The event will feature an attempt to break the world record for the largest scrum (840 students) on March 30, 2012 by Belfast’s (Northern Ireland) Ravenhill Royal Academy.

The June 9, 2012 event at Cathedral Catholic includes an exhibition game by USA Rugby Eagles 7s players, San Diego State University rugby players, and Cathedral Catholic High School rugby players. Autographs, food, rugby gear and other rugby related activities will also be available on site. The USA Eagles players, along with key athletes from X-Game exhibition sports, will be on hand to sign autographs.

Entry fee for the event is $10 and includes access to all exhibitions and events. All proceeds will benefit the Team Ronan Recovery Fund.

About Ronan Nelson: Ronan Nelson was born December 31, 1995 in Okinawa, Japan. He attended Flora Vista Elementary School, Diegueno Middle School, and is currently a student at Cathedral Catholic High School, having finished his sophomore year. Ronan played club, middle and high school rugby, soccer and football; he was a member of the 2006 Under-11 National Champion Futsal (indoor soccer) Team. As a freshman on the Cathedral Catholic rugby team he was named “Back of the Year.”

Ronan’s high school grade point average (GPA) is 4.5 and he most recently completed two Advanced Placement (AP) courses as a sophomore in Algebra 2 and History. He is a member of the National Honor Society.

Help get Ronan kicking again....

Ronan’s dream was to attend the US Naval Academy, as did two of his cousins (Class of 2007 and 2009); he now has his eyes set on Georgetown University. Ronan will help coach the Cathedral Catholic Highs School rugby team and the Coastal Dragons Rugby Club (Encinitas) next year. Matt Hawkins, former captain of the USA Eagles rugby 7s team and director of California for Serevi Rugby, has asked Ronan to help him work with the San Diego State rugby team next season.

Ronan is determined to overcome his current condition and is working very hard in rehab to achieve his goal of walking again.

For more information or interviews with any of the Team Ronan participants, please call Anamaria Repetti at 760-520-6444 or Email: teamronan@hotmail.com

The Ref

Cody Kuxmann is a Referee at the London Society Of Rugby Football Union Referees, while studying International Relations at Richmond, The American International University in London. He lives in Richmond Upon Thames but hails from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
LONDON, ENGLAND – All the local rugby I have seen on TV within Wisconsinhas always been on tape-delay. That’s acceptable because it at least gets the sport out there and allows for an enjoyable, if not diminished, viewing experience.

Outside of this, and the recent coverage by NBC/Universal, Rugby doesn’t get much air-time. More specifically, it hardly gets any live coverage in the USA. Why? It could be that networks are leery because Rugby has no breaks allowing for commercials or replays.

Which leads us to… 7s. We’ve all watched 7s. It’s great because the games are quick, there is lots of scoring and it has plenty of time for game review because the many scoring plays allow for a quick digesting of the previous play and replays.  This as a very American thing.  Baseball, for instance, has loads of replays. The NFL has a replay every other play. The NBA may not have as many as the previous two, but it has its fair share.  7s is the version of rugby that comes closet to its American cousins in this department.

This is important because the time broadcasters in the USA spend breaking down the game is amazing.  We see it all the time. But can rugby be like its American counterparts? The answer is yes. It’s obvious that it can work -  look at NZ, SA, AUS, ENG, etc.. But for it to work in America, sticking with the tape-delay may be the smartest way to hook the TV audience. It would allow for the intimate breakdowns that Americans have become accustomed to:  for all the replays, the breakdowns, etc.. It wouldn’t detract from the game (purists be damned), yet it would allow for an intimate understanding for the newest of rugby fans. And let’s face it – we need them.

What are your thoughts?

THE VENUE
PPL Park is one of the better venues for rugby that you’ll find in the USA; it’s new, sleek, has a great Jumbo-Tron and doesn’t have a bad seat in the house. Plus, you’re minutes from Downtown Philly, which is a crazy sports town.

Team USA's Tiberio & Mauer

THE TALENT
The big sell for us though, is the level of rugby that this weekend packs in. Current Team USA stars Blaine Scully, Rocco Mauer, and Peter Tiberio burst onto the scene via the College Rugby Championship with Cal, Bowling Green and Arizona, respectively. (RugbyMag.com named Tiberio as its 2011 College 7s Player of the Year). Dartmouth won the championship behind twin brothers Chris & Nick Downer, however, now coach Alex Magelby, is running Team USA’s Sevens squad.

THE SUBPLOTS
The College Rugby Championship is also where we got to meet and watch Nate Ebner, the Ohio State football star who is now in camp with the New England Patriots. Like USA ruby legend Dan Lyle, Nate’s a “cross-over” athlete who took up rugby after first playing football. And like Lyle, Ebner hits like a truck.

THE OLYMPIANS
The College Rugby Championship offers something that is uniquely special; the chance to see 2016 Olympic hopefuls making names for themselves in an action-packed, fast-paced two days of end-to-end rugby. Those that stand out, will be in the running to represent the USA in Rio. There is no other venue that gives that opportunity. Period.

THE PARTY
Sure, you can watch this on TV – thanks to NBC – but being part of this raucous rugby party in person allows you to take in the crazy outfits, see great bands like Yellowcard, 12 Stones and Breath Carolina and get your Philly fix. You might even rub elbows with some of the rugby stars and legends who will be there because of all of the above.

We know we’ll be there. The cheese-steaks alone are worth the trip.

Please free to comment below and come back tomorrow for England 7s star, Mathew Drew Turner.

Tickets for the two-day event of rugby, live entertainment, gourmet food, interactive games and activities are on sale exclusively through ComcastTIX. One-day and two-day passes, starting at $18, can be purchased online at usasevenscrc.com, by phone at 1-800-298-4200 or in person at the PPL Park box office.

The New England Patriots had some heads scratching a few weekends ago when they traded up to draft former Ohio State walk-on saftey Nate Ebner in the sixth round, which I first wrote about here on RWU on Draft Weekend. Aside from people like you and I, most people were quite puzzled. Why draft Ebner, a saftey who only saw three plays on defense this season? Ohio State defensive line coach Mike Vrabel knows why.

“He’s got the ability to run at a high rate of speed and move and bend without slowing down,” said Vrabel. “He can run through traffic without losing speed. Guys that cover kicks and maintain their speed in traffic are what you’re looking for.”

Oh yeah, and Mike Vrabel just happens to be a New England Patriot legend.

Not only was Ebner on the Ohio State football team, but he was on the rugby team for the Buckeyes as well. Ebner is know for his work horse and tenacious playing style, which one can guess he picked up from his playing days in rugby. Ebner did not play football in high school at Hilliard Davidson High in Dublin, Ohio, but he did play rugby; and was a world class-act.

Ebner participated on both the United States U19 and U20 national teams and was the MVP of the Rugby World Cup in both 2007 and ’08. Ebner is also the youngest player to play on the National 7s team for the United States at the age of 17.

Ebner was not on many team’s draft boards come draft day, but he did catch Head Coach Bill Belichick’s eye. The talk around the water cooler is that Ebner has a very good chance on making the Patriots’ special teams unit and a spot on the 53-man roster.

“I think if they’re looking to develop a talented player into something that they think can play a bunch of different spots, then I think it’s the right fit. I hope it’s the right fit,” Vrabel said of Ebner landing in his own former NFL home. “Certainly the way they develop people, the coaching staff’s ability and understanding how to develop a talented player that maybe doesn’t know all the techniques, doesn’t have all the experience, they’ve proven it’s a good place to start in New England.”

There can be comparisons made between New England’s Nate Ebner and new New York Jet signee Hayden Smith. Both players are coming from predominantly heavy rugby backgrounds, which is very interesting. If anything you would see a football player who didn’t find his niche in this sport, and move on to rugby. It is so rare for it to be the other way around, and for it to happen twice in less than a month. The reason these players fit in is because rugby is such an intense game, they have the physical durability to make the transition.

Ebner had this to say after he was drafted on his Twitter account, “Ayyyyeee! Up early dont kno what to really say.. Amazing, excited, grateful, dream come true. I got love for everyone! Thxs for the support!” If you would like to follow Nate Ebner on Twitter, his username is @natebner34.

I think that Nate Ebner has the better shot at landing himself on the New England Patriots 53-man roster. But that also doesn’t mean Hayden Smith won’t make it, because I think he has a pretty good shot too. Either way us here at RWU wish them the best and will be rooting for them!

Blaber

CLICK

RANDALL’S ISLAND, NY- As you already know, Saturday is a Rugby Day! That’s universal. This Saturday, though, is extra special here in New York City. Today is the New York Rugby Club Family Day. The one day where all sides: Under 19 Boys, Under 19 Girls, U19 Alumni Men, Senior Men, Senior Women and Old Boys all play a game in front of each other. Yours truly and RWU host Johnathan Wicklow Barberie will be pretty busy, so to keep you occupied and in the spirit of the summer’s biggest movie, The Avengers, we have put together a Marvel Comics Superhero rugby 15. Okay… So this one is basically for the kids. But why not sit with them and place real players in the role of the heroes - Team USA’s Todd Clever is a gimme? It’s a great way to hook your young ones on the game. So, without further ado, here to save the day are your heroes!

Captain Clever

1. The Hulk – Great Strength and Mobility and a mean disposition come scrum time.
2. Puck (from Alpha Flight, the Canadian X-men) – Small and agile with a sense of humor for dirty work.
3. The Thing – General always upset, perfect attitude for a tighthead prop. Will be a rock (ha ha) and the cornerstone of the scrum.
4. Mr. Fantastic – Natural leader so will have no problem making the line-out calls and with his flexibility your hooker won’t need to worry about his aim. Also he will be able to bind all 8 players and keep them tight for a good push.
5. Colossus – The right amount of strength and steel to move The Thing in scrums. With Mr. Fantastic as the other lock his inability to jump is irrelevant come lineout time.
6. Wolverine – Unbreakable and has no problem getting physical and helping create turnovers. His bad attitude is suited to this role as he can just continue to hit things, his inability to catch will not be and issue.
7. Daredevil – The man without fear is perfect for the role of openside flanker. A true fetcher fears nothing, plus with his heighten sense he will know when the ref is about to blow his whistle before it occurs thus avoiding penalties.
8. Thor – He will bring power and strength from the back of the scrum, provide great go forward ball and will amaze with that hair.
9. Spiderman – He is nimble and quick which will be useful at the breakdown, can dig for the ball and serve it on a plate to his fly half and has no problem giving direction to the forwards.
10. Cyclops – Brings a laser like focus to executing the game plan. His calm and leadership will be important to get that backline clicking.
11. The Human Torch – Blazing speed and with flair, ego and confidence. All that you want in a winger.
12. Beast – He provides the strength need to make line breaks but the intelligence to run through gaps as well as defenders and his ability to read situations will help in his ability to off-load and put guys into space.
13. Captain America – He is focused on duty and responsibility and with the 13 channel being the toughest defensively he is a defense first guy. However, he is also not shy in attack and give the ball in space with time, he will do damage.
14. Ice Man – He provides speed and quick thinking too. The big benefit is that he is a calmer more cerebral wing so he will be able to read and cover for the Fullback and not be about the glory like his fellow winger.
15. Iron Man – He can bring down any highball. He is a bit of a maverick but he will bring a Serge Blanco kind of flair to the attack as he joins the attack when he wishes.

That’s it for now, we look forward to your comments. And tune in tomorrow for D.J. Eberle’s column on Nate Ebner.

Blaber

Blackadder & Johnathan Wicklow Barberie

GHANA IN THE BRONX – We’re heading towards the playoffs and the end of the club/provincial season and in the coming weeks our focus will turn to the summer tours. But before we turn the page on the 2011/2012 domestic season, let’s look at some coaches that will be on the move.

Apologies to all if these moves seem to have a Kiwi weight to them. I assure you, I am not Kiwi. But NZ are the spiritual guardians of the game. As such they export players to many countries and affect the standings of loads of domestic teams and standings of many rugby nations. After players, the next thing they export are… coaches. Indeed, 3 of the final 4 teams at last year’s Rugby World Cup were coached by Kiwis. On the domestic level the coaching staff of the Top 4 teams in any table for the domestic season for 6N/3N teams has a Kiwi. It is not a bias, it is just the cold hard truth.

Coach… Name… From… To:

Mark Anscombe

Mark Anscombe – Auckland NPC – Ulster
Mr. Anscombe is moving north after cutting his teeth in the cauldron of NZ rugby. He coached the Auckland Province to very reputable finishes in the National Provincial Championship (4th, 5th and 4th) or as NZ version of home depot sponsor ITM would have you call it the ITM Cup. Besides his moderate success with the young Auckland side, Anscombe won the 2011 U20 Junior World Cup, which is the main young coach developer of the NZRU. His position at Ulster will be an awkward start as he accepted the position mid-season with plans to start at the beginning of the fall 2012 season. Since his appointment Ulster have gone on an impressive run and are now in the Heineken Cup Final. The current head coach Brian McLaughlin will step down and take over the academy to make way for Anscombe. Instead of a rebuilding job, he will be asked to improve consistency in the Rabodirect 12 leave and take the side from strength to strength.

Rob Penney

Rob Penney - Cantebury NPC – Munster
With all due respect to friend of the show, Todd Blackadder, it is a travesty that Penney was not given the chance to coach the Crusaders. Not to mention, how Crusader asst. Coach Mark Hammett was promoted to Head Coach of the S15 Hurricanes before Penney. Conspiracy theories claim that Penney is good friends with Robbie Deans, former Canterbury and Crusaders coach and current Australia head coach. Deans and the head of the NZRU Steve Tew are mortal enemies and therefore there was no way he would ever promote Penney. Now with leaving for Munster, Tew can claim, he would have promoted him, if he had stuck around. Anyway, enough of the gossip, Penney’s challenge at Munster will be to revitalize a province filled with players losing the fight against Father time. This includes the retired David Wallace, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes and the aging Paul O’Connell. He will have to nurture coming of age players Peter O’Mahony and Donncha Ryan as well as young talent in Simon Zebo, Keith Earls and Connor Murray. This is a re-building Job with potential to be a re-loading for Munster.

Pat Lam

Pat Lam – S15 Blues – TBD
In a move that had been awaited all season by S15 Blues fans, Pat Lam has announced he will be stepping down at the end of this season. After finishing 9th, 7th and 4th over the last 3 years, the Blues are miserable 1-10 this season and it appears that Lam is cooked. Though supported still by Blues General Manager Andy Dalton (coincidentally Dalton was unhappy with Anscombe’s results and let his contract expire), Lam has seen the writing on the wall. It is not that Lam is necessarily a poor coach or out of his depth, it is just the nature of the beast sometimes. The team plays poorly and shake up is needed. I disagreed with Lam’s tactics, selections and his style of coaching this season as the team seemed without direction, focus and unable to perform fundamentals in passing and handling. Maybe the voice got stall or maybe it really was the players, either way Lam will not be back in a head coaching capacity next season, he may be an adviser to the new coach or he may take one of the many coaching positions available in the Europe, time will tell.

John Mitchell

John Mitchell – S15 Lions – CC LionsCoach John Mitchell’s position is tough to describe but essentially he is being demoted. Not just him, however, but the whole franchise of the S15 Lions. The South Africa Rugby Union has decided to create a franchise in the Eastern Province and make them a Super 15 side, in order to do so they must drop one of the current super 15 sides. The odds-on favorite to be dropped are the Lions because of the side’s inability to finish above the bottom 3 throughout the history of Super Rugby. The S15 Lions could also end up merged with the S15 Cheetahs, their brothers in the bottom 3 throughout the history of Super Rugby. Either way, Mitchell will not be coaching the S15 side or the combined S15 Lions/Cheetahs. He will retain his post as head coach of the defending Currie Cup Champion Golden Lions. His success with them led many pundits including yours truly to expect a rather strong and positive season from the Lions, but that turned out to be fool’s gold. No matter what happens a coach of Mitchell’s caliber will be able to find work.

Speaking of work, play hooky for a few minutes and share your thoughts below – even if it’s not necessarily related to the coaching changes. We love any and all rugby talk here.  Plus, our sponsors like to see comments… Wink, wink.

Regardless, remember to stay low and keep pumping those legs!

Matt "Polar Bear" Hawkins

Team USA Eagle 7s star, Matthew “Polar Bear” Hawkins, who is also now working with Serevi, contributes weekly on Rugby Wrap Up – technology permitting.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – So, the question I have today is: How do we develop rugby here in the USA?

Yes, this is a very broad question and to some extent, there is no short answer. But….

We have to take what we have, combine the different parts and then add what pieces we can to create something that is not only sustainable but also constantly evolving and progressing. And what do we have right now? We have a Rugby Union that is doing its best to steer the rugby ship in the right direction but what exactly, is that Union really and truly responsible for? Off the top of my head, here are 4 obvious repsponsiblities:

- Sponsorship
- Continued Education
- Youth Development
- Player Development

Do they form the focus of what USA Rugby does? Should these form the main focus?  I’m not quite sure.

At the end of the day we need USA Rugby to be successful at whatever they deem necessary as an organization. Rugby can only flourish in this country if the governing entity is successful. But what does that mean?

Within USA Rugby you essentially have two groups that are structured to be help USA Rugby with what their focus is, while also diversifying and adding something different. Those two groups are split into private parties like SEREVi and PlayRugbyUSA and the more public, like the Territorial and State Unions.

Vanesha McGee

These groups have a huge role to play in the success of Rugby and the growth of it in this country. Unfortunately, one cannot be without the other and they need to realize that if all are successful, Rugby will be successful. Just paint a really generic picture for a second. We have a population of around 300 million people. The greatest number of total players is in England, who have around 2,5 million. I’m not saying that this is an easy task, but they have other huge sports like Cricket and Soccer that compete with Rugby – and they do it. If we could just get 1% of our population into rugby – from 6 years old to 50+ -we could have the greatest group of rugby players in the world. And with comes a voice.

A huge part to this is the women’s market and the women’s game. I think for too long now, the female portion of the rugby-playing population have really and truly had to deal with the male left-overs, per say. Realistically looking at it from the perspective of both the insider and as an outsider, I  ask you: Come 2016, who has the best chance of Qualifying and shooting for the podium? I won’t offer my opinion for obvious reasons, but just take some time to think about that.

So how do we get all these pieces of this enormous puzzle -  the US is an enormous puzzle – all to agree what role they play, how to play it and to grasp that doing so is for the good of the whole and each piece? Just as important, how do we get each piece to realize that the other pieces are just as critical?

I’ll leave you with these questions to ponder. Your thoughts are welcome below. Next week I’ll try to get some answers from a few members of this current USA Sevens Team, after they’re back from the final leg of the 2011/2012 HSBC Sevens World Series this weekend in London.

Cheers
Matt Hawkins