Glendale, CO

OK, perhaps that's a bit of an overstatement, but not much. Rugby is, after all, the official sport of Glendale, Colorado. With a population of a little over 4,600 Glendale sits right in the middle of Denver – the Mile High City actually surrounds Glendale on all four sides.
And with a neighbor like that you need something to help you stand out. Among other things, Glendale picked the sport of rugby. With former USA U19 manager Mike Dunfafon the Glendale Mayor Pro Tem, and former USA U19 and Denver Barbarians head coach Mark Bullock now working for the city, a plan was drawn up to build a rugby stadium in the town, and to promote and support rugby as the official sport of the municipality.

"Glendale is a very international city," Bullock told GoffonRugby. "The city has been looking for something that reflects that and gives us a unique identity."

For some years that identity was softball. The population would come out of their apartments and townhouses to play softball every weekend, and while that faded somewhat, rugby is expected to take its place.

They have appropriated funds for a multi-million-dollar rugby stadium, complete with seating for 3,000, a turf-grass-mix pitch, changing rooms and a 2,000-square-foot clubhouse.

In addition, Bullock was brought on as Director of Rugby, certainly the first such post given in the USA by a city government, and Bullock in turn brought in former All Black and his good friend Geoff Old as head coach of the new Glendale Rugby Club.

While work continues on the stadium, which could be ready next year, the rugby has begun in earnest. Old and Bolluck held open tryouts for the team in August and ran a group of experienced and very inexperienced players through an intense three-hour session.

"We got perhaps fewer players than we expected but more experienced players than we expected," Bullock said. "We got a lot of players who played in high school and just hadn't found the right fit yet. Or they really didn't know where to go."

From that they created a very young club that has started playing a series of friendlies around the region. Their 74-10 victory of the Air Force Academy C team was an interesting lesson for Bullock and Old both, as they saw the team perform well above expectations.

"Had we known more fully what we had we'd have probably played the Air Force B side instead," Bullock said.

Cedric Thompson, who is almost completely new to rugby, showcased impressive speed and scored three tries. But there are some players with plenty of rugby behind them, inlcuding former University of Northern Colorado standout prop Mike Tafel, No. 8 Ryan Chapman, Tyler Mintz, who played for the USA U19s under Bullock five years ago, and previous SFGG 7s speedster Dewon Reed.

Old and Bullock took some of the newer players with their Kudu team to Aspen Ruggerfest, and they have been amazed with how quickly the players have taken to the task at hand.

It helps, of course, to have an infrastructure of a city, albeit a small one, supporting you.

"We've got the city behind us, and that's great," said Bullock. "But we also know we have a lot of work to do. The citizens of Glendale are paying for this, and so we have a responsibility to them."

On the horizon then is full participation in the Eastern Rockies DII league, probably in the spring, and then the opening of the stadium, which could well become a venue for some important championship and even international games.

Glendale has also made forays into women's rugby, but instead of forming a club out of whole cloth, they have instead decided to adopt the Harlequin Olde Girls as their city club. This will work well for the Olde Girls, who have been a good team, but haven't yet cracked the upper echelon. Part of that comes down to the need to travel to find stronger competition, and support from the city could help that.

"It's kind of amazing what's going on," said Bullock. "But the City has been great and we're determined to make it work."

Austin Valkyries vs. University of Texas A&M

Sorry for the late update, this weekend was crazy! Crazy fun that is!

Saturday the Austin Valkyries played Texas A&M. What a great game...thanks ladies for getting us geared up for West Championships in just under 2 weeks!!

The day started humid as hell...like dripping sweat during plyometrics, not a good omen. Soon however, the clouds rolled in and we had a brief respite, we even had a few sprinkles here and there. The ground never stayed wet though...it just seemed to hit the ground and instantly evaporate. HOT!

We knew the Aggies were going to be SUPER fit as they always are, and we were not disappointed. They gave us a great fight, especially on defense! I watched over and over as our backs ran great lines, found holes and the holes were instantly closed up by piercing defense.

We played 40 minute halves and the heat was blistering. I myself started getting dizzy and more than once couldn't locate my flyhalf to get the ball out. I just ate it and my dilligent forwards plowed over me. PC!! Great job ladies!

At the end of the match it was 6 or 7 tries to their 2 tries. I only made a few kicks...my kicking foot was definitely not on! Must get some practice time in before West.

After the match the crazy forwards stayed kitted up and gave the Aggies a little advice on scrumming. The pics are awesome!


Monday Night Football

What a great night for football! It was an emotional game for the Saints as it was their first night back in the Superdome. There were several commercials and ads for restoring New Orleans...and Spike Lee was awesome as a commentator. The Saints suprisingly shut down the Falcons from the very beginning. They drove them deep into their red zone and then blocked the punter (who missed 6 of 8 field goals the game before...) and scored. All within two minutes of the starting kick-off. From there the Saints were on FIRE!

Reggie Bush didn't do to bad...a little to much dancing for my liking. Just put your head down and go little man! Also Brees did an amazing job blocking considering he is coming off such a serious shoulder injury! Vick...what happened? You are an amazing quarterback!

Great job guys!

Damm! Beaver

If you haven't heard of this...check it out...local event in Austin, TX.
http://myspace.com/dammbeaver

Playing with a few blogger add-ons or tools this morning...

Feed burner: Change from an atom or rss feed to a simpler service. My feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/ WestWomenRugbyBlog

Technorati: Create and add a technorati profile. It allows you to claim your blog in this huge blogosphere. It allows you to put an excellent technorati search on your blog. The best part is that whenever someone mentions or links to any page of your blog, technorati knows and a search for your blog on technorati shows exactly how many sites link to which pages of your blog and when they were added with a small description.

Site Meter: Site Meter is a free, fast, and easy way to add a web counter to your web page. Not only does it display the number of visitors to your web site, it also keeps statistics on the number of visits each hour and each day.

Review: Where is the Best Place to Get Rugby Gear?

What's your opinion? I have a few places listed below that I have had great experiences with!

Red Rhino Sports
- Located locally for me in Austin, TX. They are great, you usually get a free pump, ball or magazine when you order from them. They have my favorite pocketless adidas (under $30) and my favorite pocketless canterbury shorts (under $25). They have a great selection of big girl cleats (tall boys, or just simply metal cleats).

World Rugby Shop
- Has a great sale page with options for gear under $10, $20, $30 and more. Have several generic versions of collegiate jerseys. Also they have a few items that I have had a hard time finding anywhere else. Lots of dri-fit Nike stuff and plenty of options for cold and warm weather.

Balls Out Rugby
- When I played for the Oklahoma Roses we had a few problems with this company. We ordered new jerseys...they were supposed to be the new poly jerseys, they came in cotton. We were also missing several jerseys or they came without a number which we paid for.

Has anyone had any good/bad experiences with this company? They seem to have a good inventory and shipped items pretty fast, but we were not satisfied with the product.

USA Rugby Shop
- I really like the idea of this shop, but everytime I go and look or actually think about buying something, the site has an error. I was going to purchase a kooga hat and a usa rugby beanie the other day (getting ready for the frigid texas weather...brrr) and the links weren't accessing the shopping cart. I could put almost everything else in the cart but what I really wanted!


As far as other stores, outlets or online stores...these are all I have tried. Have any new ones? Diamonds in a rough? Let me know!

Northeast Women DI

Beantown 2-0
New York 1-1
Keystone 1-1
Boston 0-1

Mid-Atlantic Women's DI

NOVA 1-0
Maryland 0-1
Philadelphia 0-0
Washington 0-0

Midwest Women DI

Twin Cities 2-0
Chicago No Shore 1-0
Minn Valkyries 1-0
Wisconsin 0-2
Chicago 0-2

Pacific Northwest Women's DI

ORSU 3-0
E. City Mudhens 1-2
Seattle 0-2

Northern California Women's DI

SF Fog 2-0
Sacramento 1-1
Hayward 0-2
Berkeley 0-0
Chico 0-0
SF BASH 0-0
SFGG 0-0

Southern California Women's DI

BELMONT 0-0
SURFERS 0-0
SCOTTSDALE 0-0
COAST 0-0

*and since Goffonrugby.com forgot to include the Austin Valkyries...

West Women D1

Austin Valkyries 2-1

College Rugby Standings - From Goffonrugby.com

1. Army (-)
   Current Record 4-0
   Won Beantown and beat Navy and Penn State in the process
   
2. Penn State (-)
   Current Record 3-1
   Lost Beantown final on last-minute try
   
3. Virginia (-)
   Current Record 1-0
   Big win early. We'll see.
   
4. Navy (-)
   Current Record 3-1
   Always out of the blocks carefully. Will come along quickly.
   
5. New Mexico (-)
   Current Record 3-0
   On the strength of their 12-5 victory over Air Force
   
6. Air Force (-)
   Current Record 1-1
   Beat Eastern Rockies U23s.
   
7. Cornell (-)
   Current Record 3-1
   Solid results early
   
8. West Chester (-)
   Current Record 1-0
   Penn State this weekend real test
   
9. Dartmouth (-)
   Current Record 4-1
   Being active helps you early in the rankings. They will have to keep it up, though.
   
10. Eastern Illinois (-)
    Current Record 3-0
    Have trouble scheduling tough opponents, but schedule way to easy for them to be properly judged. Could be 3rd, could be 25th.
    
11. Ohio State (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    Should be coming on soon.
    
12. Vassar (-)
    Current Record 2-0
    Big wins in games they're expected to take.
    
13. UCSD (-)
    Current Record 1-3
    Took the trip to Boston for Beantown
    
14. U. Northern Iowa (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    Watch out.
    
15. Texas A&M (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    
16. North Carolina (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    
17. Princeton (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    Some challenging games coming up soon
    
18. Arizona State (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    Last Week idle
    This Week idle
    
19. Providence (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    New from DII and we expect much
    
20. James Madison (-)
    Current Record 0-0
    When in doubt, put someone from MARFU there.

I call this my maze of rugby connections and updates...you will see as you start to read!

College RUGBY...and a few club teams too!

The Arkansas Iron Maidens (club team) defeated the University of Oklahoma 5-17 on September 10, 2006.

From Coach Tracy Curtis:
"The Roses were defeated 5-17 by the Arkansas Iron Maidens on Saturday. They outgunned us with experience and were able to take home the win. Each of their tries were scored down the wing, which is where tries generally happen. They took advantage of our “newness” and were able to create overloads. That is what we expected.

The score was tied 5-5 in the second half, so we showed improvement as the clock ticked."

The Roses play Oklahoma State University this Saturday in Stillwater, OK. Good luck ladies!

The University of Texas will be attending Oklahoma's War of the Roses on September 30, 2006. The tournament will be a round robin between Denton, UT and the Roses.

The Iron Maidens will play the Kansas City Jazz on September 30, 2006.

Kansas City Jazz vs. St. Louis Sabres
Come and watch the Jazz take on the St. Louis Sabres in their first home match of the season!

When: Saturday September 23rd @ NOON
Where: Gillham Park (39th & Gillham)

There will be a motley with Truman State Bullets following at 2pm. The Truman State Bullets are celebrating their 15th anniversary this year! Congrats ladies! They are trying to get an alumni match together...so if you are an alum shoot an email to tsubullets@hotmail.com.

The St. Louis Sabres (club team)defeated the Milwaukee Scylla (club team) 21-14 on Sept 16, 2006. They traveled to Milwaukee, WI for the match. Great job ladies, good luck in the rest of your season!

espn.com - NORMAN, Okla. -- The Pacific-10 Conference suspended for one game the officiating crew and the instant replay officials that worked Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon football game after finding mistakes were made in calls near the end of the contest.

Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen said Monday that a review by conference officials of video of the game revealed that both the instant replay officials and the game officials assigned by the conference made errors in the final minute and 12 seconds of the game.

Oklahoma lost the game 34-33 after Oregon scored two touchdowns near the end of the game.

An onside kick by Oregon after its first late touchdown was touched by a Ducks player before it traveled the required 10 yards, and the Pac-10 ruled that the ball should have been awarded to Oklahoma. The league also said that video revealed that an Oklahoma player actually recovered the ball.

Officials on the field gave the ball to Oregon, and replay officials did not overturn that decision.

During a subsequent play, pass interference was called on Oklahoma, setting up the winning score. The Sooners argued that the ball had been tipped at the line of scrimmage, thereby nullifying the pass interference call.

Replay officials did not see indisputable evidence to overturn the penalty.

"The fact that the errors on the onside kick altered the outcome of the game is most unfortunate and unsettling," Hansen said in a statement. "We had a solid veteran crew assigned, and the instant replay official had a fine career as a referee in the Pac-10. We believe in the ability and integrity of each individual involved. It should be noted that not all of the seven officials were directly involved in the play in question, but the entire crew bears responsibility for every play. Game officials and replay officials have positions of great responsibility and must be accountable for their actions.

"Errors clearly were made and not corrected, and for that we apologize to the University of Oklahoma, coach Bob Stoops and his players. They played an outstanding college football game, as did Oregon, and it is regrettable that the outcome of the contest was affected by the officiating."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

USA Rugby Announces 2007 National Championships Sites

BOULDER , Colo. - USA Rugby announced today the host sites for the 2007 USA Rugby National Championships.

“We are very excited about the venues selected for this year’s championships,” USA Rugby Championships Director, Kim Brock said. “We received a lot of fantastic bids and it was a hard decision to make; but in the end, we have several repeat hosts returning and a couple of exciting new locations on the schedule.”

Among those returning is Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC), in San Diego , Calif. , which will hold the Division I, II, and III Men’s Club Championships for the third year in a row. However, because of a conflict with the highly anticipated Churchill Cup Final and the possibility of major television coverage for both events, USA Rugby has decided to change the date to June 9-10, a week later than originally announced. There is also a strong possibility that the Rugby Super League Finals could coincide with the Men’s Division I, II & III Championships on this weekend, bringing together the highest levels of Men’s Club Rugby in the United States .

Sites in Austin , Texas , Rochester , N.Y, and Salt Lake City , Utah , are among the new locations chosen to host the National Championships in 2007. This year, the Men’s Collegiate All-Stars, the event where most of our Collegiate All-Americans are chosen, will be hosted by the Rochester Colonials & Monroe County Sports Commission in Rochester, N.Y., while the Women’s Club Playoff’s will be held for the first time in Austin, Texas, and the Boys High School Championships are set for Salt Lake City.

In all, the USA Rugby Championships will crown 16 team champions following 24 championship events including boys high school, men’s and women’s all star, men’s and women’s club, men’s 7s and college playoffs and college championships in 2007.

With the official sites and dates determined, the process of writing the respective Championship’s programs is now underway. Look for more information on these 2007 Championships as it becomes available on www.usarugby.org/championships/index.html.

USA Rugby 2007 National Championships Schedule and Sites

April 20-22
USA Rugby Division I Men’s College Playoffs
Pool Play (A&B): University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Pool Play (C&D): Penn State University, State College, Pa.

April 21-22
USA Rugby Division I Women’s College Playoffs
Pool Play (A&D): University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
Pool Play (B&C): Penn State University, State College, Pa.

April 21-22
USA Rugby Division II Men’s and Women’s College Playoffs
All Pool Play: Central Florida Sports Commission & Orlando Rugby, Sanford, Fla.

May 4-5
USA Rugby Division I & II Men’s and Women’s College Championships
Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.

May 12-13
USA Rugby Division I, II & III Men’s Club Playoffs
All Pool Play: Columbia Olde Grey & Columbia Regional Sports Council, Columbia, S.C.

May 18-19
USA Rugby Boy’s High School Championships
Utah Rugby Football Union, Salt Lake City, Utah

June 8-9
USA Rugby Men’s Collegiate All-Star Championships
Rochester Colonials & Monroe County Sports Commission, Rochester, N.Y.

June 9-10*
USA Rugby Division I, II & III Men’s Club Championships
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC), San Diego, Calif.

June 15-17
USA Rugby Women’s Senior and Under-23 All-Star 15s Championships
National Sports Center, Blaine, Minn.

August 11-12
USA Rugby Men’s Club 7s Championships
Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club, Ferndale, Wash.

August 25-26
USA Rugby Men’s & Women’s All-Star 7s Championships
Park City Haggis, Park City, Utah

October 27-28
USA Rugby Division I Women’s Club Playoffs
All Pool Play: Austin Rugby, Austin, Texas

November 9-11
USA Rugby Division I Women’s Club Championships
Central Florida Sports Commission & Orlando Rugby, Kissimmee, Fla.

December 7-9**
USA Rugby Men’s All-Star 15s Championships
Central Florida Sports Commission & Orlando Rugby, Kissimmee, Fla.

*Date changed from original announcement
**Pending ongoing review

New Zealand retain Women's RWC crown

17 SEPTEMBER 2006

By Karen Bond and Katy Rank

New Zealand have been crowned IRB Women's Rugby World Cup champions for an unprecedented third time after a hard fought but pulsating 25-17 defeat of England at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada.

A try by full back Amiria Marsh in the final minute eased any nerves that may have been setting in for the Black Ferns after England kept alive their hopes of snatching victory with a 77th minute try by replacement Helen Clayton.

However it was not to be their day again - just as it was not four years earlier when they lost 19-9 in the final - as the New Zealand celebrations began to mark not only three in a row, but a 14th straight Women's RWC victory that ensured captain Farah Palmer lifted the trophy again before retiring.

It was England who drew first blood in the match with a third minute penalty by fly half Karen Andrew, their reward for taking it straight to the two-time defending champions and signalling their intentions for the game.

Black Ferns scrum half Emma Jensen missed a ninth minute penalty before a knock on metres from her own line by full back Amiria Marsh put her side under pressure. England though could not turn it into points and New Zealand stole the ball to clear their lines.

Perfectly weighted

Andrews missed the chance to stretch England's lead with a failed penalty attempt after 16 minutes, allowing Jensen to leave the score with her first successful kick of the game seven minutes later.

A second penalty miss by Jensen seemed to mean the half time score would be locked at 3-3 with neither side willing to give the other an inch in a fiercely competitive match which highlighted the strengths of the women's game.

However a wonderfully deft cross field kick by Marsh, who had a few minutes earlier received lengthy treatment on what appeared to be a hip injury, found a gap on the right and it was worked through for Monalisa Codling, playing in her third Women's RWC final, to run to score the opening try of the showpiece.

Jensen added the conversion to make it 10-3 and a long range penalty miss by Andrews for England meant that was the half time score. It would not remain that way for long though, as in the opening minute Melissa Ruscoe found wing Stephanie Mortimer who had the pace to cross.

---continued here.

3 Women Eagles Selected to Women's All-Star XV - womeneagles.com

9.18.06 - 3 Women Eagles have been selected to the Women's World Cup All-Star XV. US Captain and lock Jen Crouse, flanker Phaidra Knight, and wing Ellie Karvoski were among those selected by team managers and tournament officials to the elite squad. The announcement was made at the post-tournament dinner on Sunday evening. Each of the players selected received a certificate and gift at the dinner.

The All Star XV

1. Rocio Garcia (Spain)
2. Laetitia Salles (France)
3. Vanessa Gray (England)
4. Jenny Sutton (England)
5. Jen Crouse (USA)
6. Phaidra Knight (USA)
7. Rochelle Martin (New Zealand)
8. Anna Yakovleva (Kazakhstan)
9. Paula Chalmers (Scotland)
10. Sarahjane Belton (Ireland)
11. Ellie Karvoski (USA)
12. Exia Edwards (New Zealand)
13. Huriana Manuel (New Zealand)
14. Heather Moyse (Canada)
15. Amiria Marsh (New Zealand)

Not sure how many of you follow College football, but this weekend was a great weekend to tune in! Or a crappy weekend if you LOVE notre dame football like I do!

Notre Dame (ranked #2) was set to defeat the University of Michigan...who is ranked eleventh...but Brady Quinn had the worst weekend of football in his whole life! Fumbles, interceptions (Quinn has never been picked off before this weekend) and general bad-play by Notre Dame led Michigan to win 47-21. Well damn, next week we play Michigan State...that should be a great game!

Another crazy game was the University of Oklahoma and the University of Oregon. The last minute score by Oregon's quarterback and then the ball not being kicked 10 call...helped Oregon out quite a bit. Then another call under review for pass interference by Oklahoma...went Oregon's way and they put another pass into the endzone. The extra point was good. 34-33 with 46 seconds to go. Reggie Smith had a good return for about 30 yards...they have to go for it. The field goal is...NO GOOD. OREGON BLOCKED IT. Final score 34-33. Oregon hasn't beaten Oklahoma in their last seven meetings. WOW!

What a nail biter! The next nail biter is tonight at 7pm with Nebraska against USC.
And for the state of TX...they play Rice tonight at 7pm.

GO RICE! hehe. I'm still a small sooner fan!

McDonald's often emphasizes its "long-standing global commitment to environmental protection and leadership."

So why did they give away 42 million toy Hummers in Happy Meals? The fast-food chain that helped make our kids the fattest on Earth cut a deal with General Motors to sell future car buyers on the fun of driving a supersized, smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV originally built for the military. Use the Ronald McHummer Sign-O-Matic™ to say what you think of this misguided marketing marriage.

Check it out here.

**I am taking an awesome class this semster on Sprawl and the Environment. We are studying how the government pushed private ownership of cars vs. public transportation and the reasons behind it (profit, greed, etc). My brother sent me the link above...appalling.

I have to give a shout-out to Angela from the Austin Valkyries for her interpretive dance after practice last night. As I explained in an earlier post about our trip to Pumpkinfest... Angela was given the task of putting together an interpretive dance of the tournament.

IT WAS AWESOME!

She even made a medley of music to go along with it! I wish to GOD we had had a camera, or a video camera. It was history in the making.

I feel sorry for whomever has to do an interpretive dance next...big shoes to fill!

Peace.

An inspirational return - from rwcwomens.com

14 SEPTEMBER 2006

By Karen Bond

When Lynne Reid made her IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup debut against Kazakhstan, it was the culmination of a remarkable year for the Scotland prop which began with her undergoing surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edinburgh.

However this was no run of the mill surgery as Reid was actually having a prosthetic eye fitted, the consequence of an injury suffered 18 months earlier in a club game that had led to a loss of pressure in her left eye.

The loss of an eye may seem unthinkable to the average person, but for Reid it did not cause any major adjustments because the 29-year-old had always had no sight in that eye and therefore has never known any different.

“I have never really found it kind of as a hindrance,” Reid told rwcwomens.com. “I was actually born with a cataract which meant I never had sight in the left eye, so I have never had to make that adjustment when I play or in anything I do.

“Everything I do seems to be natural, compensating for that loss from an early age. I guess I have always been quite determined in sport and anything I do and the benefits of family and friends support making sure I can achieve everything I set out to do.”

Quick return

Even with this factor in mind though it is remarkable that Reid was, thanks to her dedicated team of surgeons and her own determination, back training with Scotland only three months later and playing in the Six Nations inside five months.

“I guess the injury itself, having the finger in the eye and the sudden loss of pressure resulted in there not being an option rather than to remove the eye and continue with the prosthesis,” explained Reid.

“I guess there was always a concern that particularly would I have enough time to do that and make my return into the squad before the World Cup, but I was certainly fortunate with the surgeons in the hospital I attended.

“They were aware of how determined I was and the level of commitment and understanding of that to get me back and prepared and in training in time, which I am really thankful for.

“In terms of the whole seriousness of the injury, there is always going to be risks involved in whatever you do. I guess certainly the family and that were more concerned about you know what if.

“There was always the question of what if it had been the other eye, what if this thing had happened and you can’t lead your life on the what ifs and on the risks, sometimes you have to grit your teeth and get on with it and I am glad I have.

“I have no regrets of being here.”

Even so it has not always been plain sailing for Reid, who has grown up with the inevitable snide remarks or narrow-mindedness of some who can’t believe she is able to play rugby, let alone at the highest level in the women’s game with vision in only one eye.

Anything is possible

Reid though has a clear message for anyone in a similar position to herself or for the parents of any youngster who wants to try their hand at a sport such as rugby union.

“Throughout everything I think if you are determined to do something and if you set your mind to it and you have got the support network around you, you can achieve anything you want to achieve.

Throughout everything I think if you are determined to do something and if you set your mind to it and you have got the support network around you, you can achieve anything you want to achieve.
Scotland prop Lynne Reid

“It is something I have always lived with and therefore I think I have been very fortunate in the fact that I have not had to make those adjustments.

"I think it would have been different if I had suffered the blindness just a year and a half ago and then had to compensate through that. The adjustment for me has been a cosmetic thing rather than it being any loss of further vision.

“I think youngsters have definitely got to go for it and a strong message to the parents and that behind them, my Mum and Dad never held me back from anything, they allowed me to go ahead and take those risks and do what I wanted to do just as any other child would do.

“I think that has been the greatest thing that has ever happened; I have never been wrapped in that cotton wool. It is a case of getting out there and giving it your best shot.”

These youngsters need look no further than Reid, who will hope to figure for Scotland in their fifth place playoff with the USA at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday, for inspiration of what they can achieve.

US Roster for Scotland Finale - from womeneagles.com
9.15.06 - The US has released its the roster for its final match of the 2006 World Cup. If the US can defeat Scotland, whom the Eagles have beaten this year on their Europe tour, they will finish 5th in Cup Competition. A fifth place finish will bring them up 1 place from their 2002 finish of 6th place.

US Squad vs. Scotland

1. Jamie Burke
2. Mari Wallace
3. Meredith Ottens
4. Erin Carter
5. Jen Crouse - Captain
6. Kelly McMahon
7. Kristin Zdanczewicz
8. Tina Nesberg
9. Claudia Braymer
10. Kristin Baja
11. Patty Jervey
12. Pam Kosanke
13. Hedwig Aerts
14. Laura Cabrera
15. Ashley English
16. Danielle Miller
17. Annie Collier
18. Kate Pope
19. Phaidra Knight
20. Lee Knight
21. Heather Hale
22. Ellie Karvoski

US vs. Australia II Highlights and Photos - from Womeneagles.com

Article from rwcwomens.com

WRWC Launch School Twinning - 14 SEPTEMBER 2006

Children from 13 Edmonton Schools were given a special treat yesterday when stars from the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup dropped in to classes as part of the tournament’s twinning initiative.

Players from the Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland, Spain, South Africa and the USA took time out from their busy training schedules ahead of this weekend’s finals and consolation finals to visit schools with which they have been twinned.

A key element of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006 legacy project, the twinning scheme is designed to enable the tournament and in particular the participating teams to interact with the local community, raising awareness of the game.

The twinned schools are: Lansdowne Elementary (Australia), W.D Cutts/John D Bracco School (Samoa), Fort Saskatchewan (Scotland), Bev Lacey Composite High School (Spain), M.E Lazerte (New Zealand), Paul Kane (England), Bellrose Comprehensive High School (France), Otteweu (South Africa), Louis St. Laurent (Ireland), Salisbury High School (USA), Weinos Elementary, Lorne Akins, R.J Scott/Lanton (Canada).

Many of the twinned schools have only just returned after the summer break and the visit of some of the biggest names in the women’s game really did help to alleviate those ‘back to school blues’ as the players dropped in on classes, ran physical education sessions and talked about their life as international sportswomen.

“The day was a huge success,” said Tom Jones, the IRB Regional Development Manager for North America and the West Indies. “Players from the teams attended classes throughout the day, talking about rugby and assisting in a variety of classes.”

Huge success

As part of the scheme, the children also get to see their team in action in the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Several schools will attend the finals day at the Commonwealth Stadium, while some were present at Ellerslie Rugby Park for the semi finals.

“Some of the schools were present at the semi finals and really enjoyed their day, while others will be present at the consolation finals at Ellerslie Rugby Park on Saturday and the finals at the Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday and I am sure that they will get right behind the teams that they are twinned with,” added Jones.

The Samoan team certainly proved to be a huge hit at John D Bracco School and made a big impact on the students, so much so that the country has been added into their version of "Heritage Days" in December as one to study.

"The team were wonderful guests to have in our building," Assistant Principal Dee Elder wrote in a thank you email to Jones. "They shared their culture with our students through dance and song and provided a tremendous look at the game of rugby.

"They included our students and staff in drills and activities and graciously posed for photographs with our students.

" I appreciate that in the planning of an international event such as this the additional task of including schools is often overlooked, but the long term impact that such a visit can have on students is incredible."

Statistics from Day 4 of the Women's World Cup

By Karen Bond

We bring you some interesting statistics after the semi finals and other playoff matches at the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006 in Edmonton, Canada.

* Scotland captain Paula Chalmers kicked the only drop goal of the Women’s RWC 2006 so far in her side’s narrow 11-10 defeat of Ireland to qualify for the fifth place playoff against the USA.

* The running points total for the Women’s RWC after four match days is 1,005 or an average of 41.9 per game.

* A total of 228 points were scored in the two semi finals and four other playoff games on Tuesday – the second lowest daily total so far in the tournament after 185 on the third day. This gives an average for the day of 38 per game.

* Samoa scored the most points on the fourth match day with 43 against South Africa, three more than defending champions New Zealand managed in their semi final victory over France. By contrast Ireland, France and South Africa all scored the fewest with 10.

* A total of 155 tries have been scored in the tournament at an average of 6.5 per game.

* New Zealand are the only team to have made their maximum seven replacements in each game, giving them a total of 28. This is two more than France. Kazakhstan have made the fewest with 18 across their four games.

* Canada full back Heather Moyse is the leading try scorer in the tournament with seven, one more than England wing Sue Day with France wing Catherine Devillers, Canadian flyer Maria Gallo and Black Ferns full back Amiria Marsh on four.

* Twenty-three penalties have now been kicked by nine of the 12 teams, Spain having kicked their first penalty of the tournament against Kazakhstan. Australia still lead the tally with five, one more than England and New Zealand.

* New Zealand have the best average points per game at 44.2 with Canada on 36.2 and England third highest with 34.8. By contrast South Africa an average of only 7.5 for their four games,
slightly worse than Spain’s 7.8.

* A total of 282 replacements have now been made by the 12 teams in the tournament.

* The Black Ferns and Canada lead the conversions tally with 15 of their 27 and 23 tries respectively having been turned into seven pointers. Next best are England with 11 and Australia on eight. By contrast South Africa have converted only one of their five tries.

* A total of 36 tries were scored on the fourth match day at an average of six per game – this is the second lowest daily tally after the 28 on the previous round. The highest tally was on match day two with 51 tries scored by the teams.

* The Black Ferns have conceded only 17 points in their four games – England are the next best on 30 points with USA third best on 47. By contrast South Africa have conceded 222 points in the tournament.

* Heather Moyse is the leading individual point scorer with 35, five more than England wing Sue Day and Australian full back Tobie McGann. Shelley Rae of England and New Zealand scrum half Emma Jensen have managed 29 points apiece.

* New Zealand remain the leading point scorers in the Women’s RWC 2006 with 177 in their four games, 32 more than Canada have managed with England third on 139. South Africa have scored the fewest with 30, one less than Spain have managed.

* England conceded more points against in their narrow semi final defeat of Canada [14] than they had done in a single match at this tournament – eight against France and South Africa.

* Canada captain Kelly McCallum tops the list with 13 conversions, four more than England fly half Shelley Rae and Black Ferns scrum half Emma Jensen.

* Defending champions New Zealand are the leading try scorers in the tournament with 27, four more than Canada have managed in their four games. Spain has scored the fewest with four.

* Only 15 of the 36 tries scored in the fourth day matches were converted – taking the total for the tournament to 79 which have been kicked by 22 different players – at an average of 3.3 per game.

* A total of 89 players have scored tries in this Women’s RWC so far.

* Australian full back Tobie McGann still heads the penalties table with four, one more than Grave Davitt of Ireland and Scotland captain Paul Chalmers.

* The Black Ferns conceded more points in their semi final [10] than they did across their three pool matches with Canada, Samoa and Scotland – seven and all by Canada in the opening game.

* Two yellow cards were handed out on match day four, taking the total for the tournament to 16 – all of them to different players. Samoa and Spain have each received three apiece, while New Zealand, Canada and England have not had a player sin-binned.

* Twelve different players have kicked the 23 penalties in the tournament so far.

* Samoa were the top try scorers on the fourth match day with seven against South Africa, one more than New Zealand managed against France. Scotland managed to corss the line only once in their win over Ireland.

* South Africa have conceded 35 tries on their Women’s RWC debut – an average of 8.75 tries per game. At the other end of the scale defending champions New Zealand have conceded only two and England four.

* Sarah Corrigan of Australia made a little piece of history as the first female to referee a Women's RWC semi final match when she took charge of the England v Canada encounter.

http://femsports.blogspot.com/

Kate Troescher On Women's Sports, Fitness, and Sports Business

She writes about all female athletes, her blog has a fair amount of satire, humor and facts. Her musings center on women's sports mainly, but she does make room to write about men.

All in all a good blog if you want to stay on top of women athletes. Ha, no pun intended.

Thanks.

Jackalope Tournament 2006 - Laramie, WY

Saturday Sept 9, 2006:
Wyoming vs Colorado 0-0
Colorado vs Boulder 13-10
Boulder vs N. Colorado 24-0
Wyoming vs Coloroda 3-10

Sunday Sept 10, 2006:
Wyoming vs Boulder 25-20
N. Colorado vs Colorado 0-5

Great job ladies!

Sorry all, just getting back to life after Philly and the Pumpkinfest tournament. I have come down with some bug...and am sick as a dog, but getting bored or sleeping...so decided to play on the internet for a bit.

FROM USARUGBY.org:

9-12-2006 - KARVOSKI, NESBERG LEAD EAGLES TO WIN IN AUSSIE REMATCH EDMONTON, Alberta – Paced by three spectacular second-half tries by Arkansas’ Ellie Karvoski, the USA Women's National Rugby Team opened up their backline attack and defeated Australia 29-12, today, at the Women's Rugby World Cup.

The victory, which is the third in a row at the tournament for the Eagles, means they play Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium for 5th place in the World. The Eagles started off the very physical test with plenty of offensive pressure. Within minutes of the kickoff they took a lineout five meters from the Australia line. The throw didn't hit the jumper, but was recovered by flanker Kristin Zdanczewicz (St. Louis Park, Minn.) and fed inside to No. 8 Tina Nesberg, of San Francisco, Calif., who burst through the Australian forwards to score.

Up 5-0 early on, the Eagles then spent much of the next 15 minutes on the back foot. Australia pressured off the restart and came close to scoring on several occasions, Ashley English (Oakland, Calif.) and Keenya Warner (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) were among the backs who put in big tackles for the Eagles. Australia earned two kickable penalties during that time, but both were wide, allowing the Americans to stay on top.
Once they cleared their lines the Eagles began to show some more effective attacking ability, with Heather Hale (Atlanta, Ga.) setting free Pam Kosanke, of Chicago, Ill., Karvoski, and Laura Cabrera (Oakland, Calif.) on several attacks.

Good coverage on a probing kick from Hale forced Australian No. 8 Alex Hargreaves to kill the ball, and she was sin-binned for the infringement. This set up a huge American opportunity. They drove off a lineout but were stymied repeatedly by the Australian defense. After five minutes on the Aussie line the USA earned another penalty. Captain Jen Crouse called for a scrum and Nesberg picked up from the back, stiff-armed one tackle, and scored. Kosanke's well-struck kick hit the post.
"If our scrumhalf [Claudia Braymer] had tapped the ball quickly I wouldn't have been upset, but I thought our scrum was stronger this game and we could suck in their forwards and run a play," said Crouse.
Up 10-0 at halftime the Eagles caught a break on the second-half kickoff as the Australian kick didn't go ten meters. From that scrum the Eagles attacked with the backs to the right, and only desperate Australian tackling kept Cabrera from scoring.

Still with continued pressure and Zdanczewicz, California’s Jamie Burke, and New York’s Phaidra Knight stealing the ball in the rucks, the Eagles kept up the attack. Kosanke hit the post once again with a penalty kick, but the Australians could breathe more easily only for so long.
A simple USA backline move eight minutes into the second half gave Karvoski the ball with some room and she easily rounded the corner for her first World Cup try. "The tournament has been one of putting the pieces together, so not scoring hasn't really been a frustration for me personally, but more of a team frustration," Karvoski said. "I am just trying to do the job a good wing is supposed to do."

In the 58th minute, the Eagle backline struck again, this time with sub center Hedwig Aerts (Brooklyn, N.Y.) fielded a pass a little behind her, turned and fed Kosanke, who popped the ball for Karvoski entering the right side of the backline from her left wing position. Karvoski zipped through the Australian defense with startling speed to score near the posts, and Kosanke's conversion made it 22-0.

Three minutes later is was Karvoski again showcasing her speed for her third try. Kosanke's kick made it 29-0. The Eagles appeared to be ready to score one more, as Karvoski, Kosanke, Knight and Cabrera combined on the most intriguing movement of the day, but Australia didn't give up and made the tackles they needed to make. With the USA bench emptied and time winding down, Australia kept attacking. The Aussies scored twice with wing Tricia Brown touching down in the 67th minute and inspirational captain Selena Worsely scoring at the 73rd minute. But a stern talking-to from Crouse saw the Americans hold their defensive line thereafter and win 29-12.

"I told the players we had 15 minutes to go, so that's what we've got; let's show what we can do," said Worsley. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for the Australians," added USA head coach Kathy Flores. "We stepped back a little, which is I guess natural when you're up 29-0. It was a mental thing more than anything else. But the Australians made us pay." Despite the iffy ending, the Eagles were generally pleased to have showed their scoring punch and also shown marked improvements in their scrums, lineouts, and ball retention.

"We had the pieces of the puzzle but we hadn't brought them all together at the right time," said Crouse. "Things all came together for large portions of the game today." Added double try-scorer Nesburg, "I felt everyone else was doing all the hard work. Jamie poached the ball, the scrums were solid. I was just behind it all taking advantage of everyone else's hard work."

The USA will now play the winner of Ireland and Scotland, both teams the Eagles have beaten this year, to finish 5th. "We're not really looking at it as finishing 5th," said Flores. "We're looking at it as we want to finish this tournament 4-1, and we'll have only lost to England, and that's not too shabby."

USA 29Tries: Karvoski 3, Nesberg 2Conv: Kosanke 2

USA Lineup (Hedwig Aerts replaced Patty Jervey on the bench due to illness) 1. Annie Collier (Meredith Ottens @ 57); 2. Mari Wallace (Danielle Miller @ 67); 3. Jamie Burke; 4. Erin Carter (Kate Pope @ 62); 5. Jen Crouse (c); 6. Phaidra Knight; 7. Kristin Zdanczewicz; 8. Tina Nesberg (Kate Cox @ 64); 9. Claudia Braymer (Lee Knight @ 65); 10. Heather Hale; 11. Ellie Karvoski; 12. Pam Kosanke; 13. Keenya Warner (Hedwigh Aerts @ 56); 14. Laura Cabrera (Kristin Baja @ 67); 15. Ashley English.

Australia 12Tries: Brown, WorsleyConv: McGann

Australia 1. Lindsay Morgan, 2. Louise Burrows, 3. Vanessa Bradley, 4. Alicia Frost, 5. Chris Ross, 6. Kim Wilson, 7. Selena Worsley (c), 8. Alexandra Hargreaves, 9. Cheryl Soon, 10. Tobie McGann, 11. Tricia Brown, 12. Rebecca Anderson, 13. Lisa Fiaola, 14. Ruan Sims, 15. Kelli Donnelly Reserves 16. Annette Finch, 17. Rebecca Trethowan, 18. Kate Porter, 19. Tasiletta Bethell, 20. Alana Thomas, 21. Lito Fata, 22. Iliseva Batibasaga

9-11-2006 - DREAM RUN FOR KOSANKE SPRINGBOARD FOR FUTURE PERFORMANCES EDMONTON, Alberta - For many rugby players the situation Pam Kosanke (Chicago, Ill.) found herself in was the stuff dreams are made of.

The inside center for the USA Women's National Team found herself with the ball in her hands, some space to move, and the game on the line. What she did then was magical, selling a dummy to teammate Laura Cabrera (Oakland, Calif.) on the wing, taking a gap, and running 60 meters for a try that turned a 6-5 deficit into a 10-6 victory.

"It was like a dream," said Kosanke. "To have that opportunity and to score a try that important in a World Cup was incredible. I was really surprised they gave us that much space on the weak side, but when I got the ball I saw a 7s field in front of me. Laura looked like she was going to be covered, and because of that I had no intention of passing. I love open field running and thought I had a good chance."

Kosanke's run tired her out enough that teammate Heather Hale took the conversion, but it is Kosanke who has been taking the majority of the kicks in the two World Cup games she has played in, and she is painfully aware that she has missed them all.

"Both were really windy days and I tried to adjust for the wind, but it just didn't work out," Kosanke said. "In the game against Australia we had a strong gust coming across so I aimed the kick to catch the wind and drift in, but it went perfectly straight. So I guess I feel OK because I am striking the ball well and have missed by a little, but goal kicking is a huge part of playing at this level and whether it's me or anyone else taking the kicks, we've got to make them."

The Eagles spent Monday morning in meetings (and doing some laundry) and then bussed out to the training fields for an afternoon session on the grass. Key among the backs will be their work on execution.

"We are doing the hard stuff," said Kosanke. "We have put in some great goal-line stands and overall we're tackling well. But it’s the basic stuff - passing the ball and catching the ball - that haven’t really shown what we can do as an attacking unit."

The USA is currently eighth out of 12 teams with 34 points scored in three games, but they are 2-1 in large part because they have the third-best defense.

Look for the USA Women’s National Team to be ready for their second meeting with Australia on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 2:30 p.m.

9-8-2006 - USA WOMEN EDGE AUSTRALIA IN PHYSICAL BATTLE EDMONTON, Alberta - With a huge defensive effort and up against a big, physical Australia team, the USA Women's National Team held on to defeat the Aussies 10-6 in Round 3 of pool play at the Women's Rugby World Cup.

The victory puts the USA at 2-1 in the World Cup standings, but because they failed to earn a bonus point by scoring four tries, they did not secure a spot in the semifinals. The game was played in a brisk wind that favored Australia in the opening half. The USA, which had used the kick regularly in the earlier matches, was forced to keep the ball in hand more. Early breaks by Keenya Warner (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) and Ellie Karvoski (Little Rock, Ark.) put Australia under pressure, and the Wallabies were forced to commit penalties to slow the ball down. From one of these penalties flyhalf Heather Hale (Atlanta, Ga.) kicked to the corner, and the USA lineout and maul saw captain Jen Crouse (Oakland, Calif.) touch down for the opening try.

Leading 5-0 the USA immediately went on the back foot, giving up penalties and seeing the huge Australian center Ruan Sims blast through the line. A penalty in front of the posts gave fullback Tobie McGann an opportunity for goal and she made no mistake. The score was 5-3 USA after 14 minutes.

The Eagles spent much of the next eight minutes on defense, with several last-ditch tackles halting Australian breaks. A superb tackle from Karvoski and a USA turnover gave them some relief, but the Eagles were called for holding onto the ball on the ground, and McGann kicked her second penalty to give Australia the lead after 22 minutes, 6-5.
Led by outstanding tackling from Hale at flyhalf and Erin Carter (San Francisco, Calif.) at lock, the Eagles held the line from then on. But Australia was patient when the U.S. had the ball and forced a turn-over and kicked back downfield.

"They did a really good job of slowing our ball down," said USA head coach Kathy Flores. "We knew they were going to be physical and we knew they wanted to slow down our ball to make it harder for us to attack. They did a good job of that." Late in the first half came the turning point for both teams. The Eagles also forced several turnovers deep in their territory, and on one scrumhalf Claudia Braymer (Clifton Park, N.Y.) sent the ball weak to Pam Kosanke (Chicago, Ill.). The inside center took off and outfoxed the Aussie defense by selling a dummy pass to wing Laura Cabrera (Oakland, Calif.). The defense took the bait, and Kosanke went 60 meters for the try. She missed the conversion, but the USA led 10-6.

As time wound down Australia seemed to have the measure of the Americans and attacked down the wing. But Cabrera shoved wing Tricia Brown into touch to end the half. The second half was dominated by penalties, most committed by the USA as both teams ramped up their physical play.

"We were getting a little tired, especially as we were going backward, and that made us commit penalties," said Carter. With their scrum under significant pressure and problems in the lineout, especially with American-born Aussie lock Chris Ross stealing plenty of ball, the USA did not get regular possession.

"The plan was to kick to the corners and pressure, but we couldn't get good enough possession to do that on a regular basis," said Flores.
When they did kick, Cabrera, Karvoski, and especially California’s Ashley English were very dangerous following up. English was also a handful on the counter.

"Every time we kicked to her on the full she did something," said Australia coach Steve Hamson. "We really wanted to keep the ball away from the USA deep three." Australia looked close to scoring on several occasions, taking a tap penalty five meters from the USA line and driving over the line off a lineout, but being held up. Meanwhile the Eagles spent the final eight minutes in the Australian 22, and several movements looked close to bringing a score. But neither team could put the game away and the second half ended as it started, 10-6.

"We knew this was a big game, and we talked about getting the four tries and things like that," said Crouse. "But in the game we were just taking it one moment at a time, one tackle at a time." The USA moves to 6th in the pool standings at the World Cup. They can finish no higher than 5th, and will then move into the Plate bracket playing for 5th along with Australia, Ireland, and either France or England.

USA 10Tries: Crouse, Kosanke

Australia 6Penalties: McGann 2

USA 1. Jamie Burke; 2. Danielle Miller; 3. Meredith Ottens; 4. Erin Carter; 5. Jen Crouse (C); 6. Phaidra Knight; 7. Kristin Zdanczewicz; 8. Tina Nesburg; 9. Claudia Braymer; 10. Heather Hale; 11. Ellie Karvoski; 12. Pam Kosanke; 13. Keenya Warner; 14. Laura Cabrera; 15. Ashley English; 16. Carrie Dubray; 17. Mari Wallace; 18. Kelly McMahon; 19. Kate Cox; 20. Lee Knight; 21. Kristin Baja; 22. Patty Jervey.
Australia1. Lindsay Morgan; 2. Silei Poluleuligaga; 3. Vanessa Bradley; 4. Alicia Frost; 5. Chris Ross; 6. Kate Porter; 7. Selena Worsley (C); 8. Tasileta Bethell; 9. Cheryl Soon; 10. Rachelle Pirie; 11. Tricia Brown; 12. Ruan Sims; 13. Lisa Fiaola; 14. Lito Fata; 15. Tobie McGann; 16. Louise Burrows; 17. Alexandra Hargreaves; 18. Paige Butcher; 19. Kim Wilson; 20. Kelli Donnelly; 21. Rebecca Anderson; 22. Niseva Batibasaga.

I just booked the USA vs. Australia match at 24.7!!! I am so excited! I am going to watch it at the airport with my layover on the way to Philly.

Wish us luck at Pumpkinfest!!

US Selects for Aussie Match

9.7.06 - The US must win, and win BIG, against Australia in Friday's pool match. A winning score of four tries or more will help the Women Eagles to advance into the semi-finals. The Aussies have a different ending in mind, but the US is ready for the challenge. Coach Kathy Flores says her players are "excited to play. They are ready to go knowing this is a make or break match for them."

US vs. Australia Squad

1. Jamie Burke
2. Danielle Miller
3. Meredith Ottens
4. Erin Carter
5. Jen Crouse - Captain
6. Phaidra Knight
7. Kristin Zdanczewicz
8. Tina Nesberg
9. Claudia Braymer
10. Heather Hale
11. Ellie Karvoski
12. Pam Kosanke
13. Keenya Warner
14. Laura Cabrera
15. Ashley English
16. Carrie Dubray
17. Mari Wallace
18. Kelly McMahon
19. Kate Cox
20. Lee Knight
21. Kristin Baja
22. Patty Jervey

**found this article here. pretty interesting.

Irish Women’s Rugby World Cup Update: “The Despair We Can Cope With. It’s The Hope We Can’t Handle.”

Sport: it's all about the romance, the fairytale, the little 'un overcoming the Goliath with a spirited blend of pluck, dash and faith. Like, say, the Irish Ladies Rugby Team daring to dream the impossible dream of actually winning the World Cup in Canada. Right? Erm, possibly. But is there any chance the Indo's David Kelly missed the Big-'Em-Up 101 Tutorial in journalism college?

The harsh reality is that, barring a miracle like Ireland actually winning the thing, nobody in this country, aside from family and friends, will give a hoot what happens in Canada over the next week.

Get serious, Dave. Even if they did manage to win it, they'd get about as much coverage as a lice epidemic in Tibet. Like, who in their right mind wants to watch half-dressed hookers scrummaging around in the mud after odd-shaped balls? Eh?

More: Ladies Out To Give Media Something To Sing About (Irish Independent)

More: Ireland Vs France, Friday, 12 Noon (irb.com)

Pools / Standings

2006 Women's Rugby World Cup