Top Thirteen Deep South Rugby Happenings 2012-13

1. New Orleans RFC finishes 3^rd in Div. 1 National Club sides.

To get to final 4 NORFC defeated Chicago Griffins (41-17), Potomac AC (57-8), and Metropolis MN (15-10). NORFC lost to Seattle/Old Puget Sound (43-25) and defeated Denver Barbarians in 3^rd/4^th play-off (32-28). Life also from USA South won Div. 1 defeating Seattle/Old Puget Sound 27-26.

2. USA South wins the NACRA (North American Caribbean Rugby Association) championship with lots of Deep South help.

USA South captured the North American Caribbean Rugby Association Championship. To get to the final the USA South defeated Mexico (56-23), Jamaica (29-12), Cayman Islands (9-7), Bahamas (42-15), Bermuda (24-12), and in the final Trinidad & Tobago (26-18).

Chance Doyle from NORFC scored the game winning try in the championship match vs Trinidad & Tobago. Other Deep South players who played with USA South during the run to the championship were NORFC: Jeff Reuther, Matt Upton, Saade Bou-Mikael , Tallahassee: Tyler Bishop, Kirk Swanner Birmingham: Brendan Smith, Auburn: Ben Winiarcyk, Panama City: Marcus Satavu

U. of South Alabama – Wes Darwin coach/technical

Here is roster from final match vs Trinidad & Tobago

3. Tracy Moens (New Orleans Halfmoons) is honored in Houston at USA v Ireland.

During her long  playing  career Tracy (who started playing for the New Orleans Halfmoons)  was capped for the USA. Tracey played twice for the US, once in 1987 in the first women’s international match against Canada in 15’s. The USA won. Tracey played inside center. Then 10 years later she played on the first women’s 7’s national team in Hong Kong. In Houston Tracey was among a group of past national team players who were honored. She was given a signed ball,,,” which was nice!”

4. Cameron Falcon (Shaw/LSU) played hooker for USA Men’s Junior World Cup team  in France.

Below is a post from “This is American Rugby” on selections for the USA’s match vs Scotland.

Having suffered three heavy defeats in the pool play but also able to judge which players played the best, Junior All-Americans coach Jason Kelly has named his starting lineup for his team’s knock-out match against Scotland tomorrow. Once again captaining the side will be Tom Bliss. He will also once again pair with Conor Kearns in the halfbacks.

Up front Kelly has named his most experienced front row with Chris Banks and Henry Hall lining up at the props and Cameron Falcon playing hooker. Teli Veamatahau and Chrisian Ostberg will form the locks while Zach Bonte, Vili Toluta’u, and Alex Goff will be in the back-row. Goff has been once of the team’s more consistent players and has beat out the likes of Ross Deacon, who is on the bench, for playing time.

Link to entire article: http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/06/junior-all-americans-name-starters-for.html

 2013 Junior World Championships Pool Standings

5. Two Louisiana high schools are nationally ranked.

Rugby.Mag ranked Shaw 14^th and Brother Martin 35^th in the USA.

6. University of Louisiana – Lafayette  wins the Deep South College Conference & U of West Florida is ranked 28th by NSCRO.

7. Deep South Rugby Union merges with Mid-South to become True South.

See DeepSouthRugby.net article with Jerry Gallion

http://www.deepsouthrugby.net/2012-2013-deep-sotuy-rugby-articles/jerry-gallion-true-south-geographic-unions-evolution-and-representation/

8. Montgomery Yellowhammers win Div 3 USA South Title

South Playoffs – April 27-28 in Fort Myers, FL
Semi-Final (4/27): Montgomery Yellowhammers 37-34 Palm Beach Panthers (FL)
Semi-Final (4/27): Hilton Head (SC) 19-5 Charlotte D3 (NC)
Final (4/28): Montgomery Yellowhammers 22-7 Hilton Head (SC)
The Montgomery Yellowhammers are the South #1 seed; Hilton Head (SC) is the South #2 seed

Montgomery lost to Kalamazoo Dogs (Michigan) 18-5 in the round of 16.

9. LSU finishes top of western division of new SEC Div. 1 rugby conference.

LSU lost to Eastern division champ U. of South Carolina in play-off.

10. Southeastern Rugby Conference player of the week

The following players from the Deep South area were named players of the week for the western division of the Southeastern Rugby Conference.

Week 1 Allen Alongi LSU

Week 2 Josh Oriez U of Alabama

Week 3 Will Middleton LSU

Week 4 Josh Eloy (sp?)  MS State

Week 5 Malcolm Gardner UM & Ben Winiarcyk Auburn

Week 7 Allen Alongi LSU

Week 8 Sebastian Kanyab (sp?) Auburn

Week 9 Malcolm Gardner  UM

11. DeepSouthRugby.net covers National Teams

 DeepSouthRugby.net covered the following tournaments involving USA national sides: NACRA 7s tournament Ottawa, IRB Women’s 7s in Houston, USA v Ireland in Houston, & Rugby World Cup 7s in Moscow.

12. Krebs Field was dedicated in Birmingham in honor of one of the founders of rugby in Alabama,  Eddie Krebs. See article in 2012-13 archive)

13. Lori Sutherland (the energy behind the founding of Mississippi youth rugby on the Gulf Coast) moved to California.

Please suggest other Deep South news items that you would like added and votes for  the top 3 of 2012-13  by emailing  deepsouthrugby@hotmail.com.