News

Retractable Sideline Ropes – Please Read

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The TRU Board of Directors had a competitions meeting recently and one of the items that came from this was a discussion and policy change as it relates to Field Barriers / Sideline Policy.

The policy has been in place for two season now and it has been deemed that ALL TEAMS (Rugby Texas, SWC, TRU Collegiate and all Senior levels) have had adequate time to find suitable barriers and to have them installed for all league matches with it being strongly recommended for friendlies and Tournaments.  We know that each club has their own unique situations with respect to field / stadium preparation.  However, there has been ample time for compliance and excuses will no longer be accepted.

The fine for failure to have adequate ropes, per published policy has now been raised to $500 per occurrence.

The first fine will be used by the TRU to purchase and ship the Rope / Sideline System (or similar product) detailed below to the offending Club, subsequent fines will continue until such time that the offending clubs can fully require with this two year old policy.  This includes proper field flags (grass or turf venues) that are also required by policy.

TRU Board of Directors

 

Costs $159.00 PER SIDELINE:

The QuickWinder QuickBee Safety Series is Yellow and Black for Greater Visibility and added Safety.

https://www.quickwinder.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=11&products_id=74

CORNER FLAGS with INDOOR BASE: The plastic pole measures 60″H x 1″ OD, which slides easily and quickly into the dome base and comes with the high visibility red flag with white border which is the choice for all colleges and universities. The base can be filled with sand if the extra weight is required.

Measurements: Post 60″H x 1/2″ OD – Flag 13″ x 13″

Suggested Manufacturers Retail Price: $125

https://www.goals4sports.com/product/ccmib

 

 

 

Lost Afternoon is fast approaching (8/5), sign up now!

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Former USA Eagles Captain Brian Vizard will be a featured speaker at the Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon on August 5 and the Houston Westchase Marriott.

Vizard, currently the executive director of the U.S. Rugby Football Foundation and a regular commentator on rugby television broadcasts, will share great stories of leading the Eagles before the game became predominantly professional.  Additionally, he will be able to provide interesting perspective on the current squad as it heads off to the Rugby World Cup in September.  His appearance is being generously sponsored by MaxEn Capital and its managing director, Bob Erwin.

Previously announced as the Keynote Speaker is former Springbok legend Rob Louw, no stranger to the World Cup himself.  Not only will Louw enthrall and amuse, but his personal story of overcoming a near-fatal battle with malignant meloma — thanks to aggressive treatment at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Hospital — will inspire.

NOW is the time to make your reservations for what has become the most anticipated annual social event on the Texas rugby calendar.  The great speakers, delicious lunch, raffles for exciting door prizes such as collectible signed jerseys, and the all-afternoon happy hour all combine to make it a memorable day with friends old and new.  Great rates for rooms and suites (perfect for the post-luncheon parties which have become popular) are available — just check the website.

All monies raised go to support locally youth rugby initiatives.  This past January, a highly successful youth camp led by All Blacks great Scott “Razor” Robertson was held in Houston and Dallas thanks to underwriting from the luncheon proceeds.

Remember, tickets can only be purchased on line at https://www.lostafternoon.org.  None will be sold at the door.  Also, please consider being a table or corporate sponsor.  Thanks to the Houston Heathens and BARC (Bay Area RFC) for stepping up, among others.  Seats are limited by room size, and — frankly — you would be doing the organizing committee a huge favor by purchasing tickets soon, ensuring a sell-out and letting us focus on staging a great event.  So get your mates together and buy a table … or just make your individual reservation NOW.

NOTE … When making your reservation for the Lost Afternoon luncheon at www.lostafternoon.org, be sure to enter your credit card expiration date exactly in the format called for — just a two-digit month/four digit year.  e.g. 04/2014.

 

Jamie Varano Sevens on July 16th – New Location

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Jamie Varano Sevens is pleased to announce a new location!

The tournament will be held on the brand new fields co-owned by the Houston Dynamo (MLS Soccer) and Houston City Parks and Recreation.  The fields are in fantastic condition.

The location is on Hway 288 South at Airport Blvd (between Loop 610 and Beltway 8 South).  The pitches are to the right / west.  Look for all of the light poles.

There will be Social and Competitive brackets.

Go to www.houstonrugby.org for more information or contact: Ericphillips1@hotmail.com

Entry fee before July 8th $200.  After July 8th $240

Scheduled start time is 2:00pm and will end at 10:00pm under the lights.

VaranoFlyer2011

Officiating Sevens Level 1 Course Introduced – July 24, 2011 in Palo Alto, CA

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The Northern California Rugby Football Referee Society will host the first delivery of the IRB’s new Level 1 Officiating course on Sunday, July 24, 2011. The Level 1 Officiating Sevens course is a one day, attendance only program focusing on the following:

  • The principles of attack and defense in Sevens Rugby;
  • The timing, space, and tolerance needed for refereeing Sevens; and,
  • How assistant referees and in-goal judges assist the referee.

The entry requirements for the for Level 1 Officiating Sevens course for all USA Rugby participants are USA Rugby CIPP membership and an IRB Level 1 Officiating (generic Fifteens) Certificate of attendance. The course fee is $50.00. Lunch will be provided by the Northern California Rugby Football Referee Society.

It is anticipated that the course will be conducted either at Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose, CA or at Steuber Rugby Stadium’s clubhouse facility at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Course participants from outside of the Bay Area therefore may wish to fly into either San Jose International Airport, where cheap flights are offered by Southwest and Alaska Airlines, or, alternatively, San Francisco International Airport. Hosting for course participants from outside the Bay Area will be attempted. Where hosting is not desired or available, economic hotel rooms in the vicinity are available.

The course will be delivered in conjunction with the Palo Alto Sevens Tournament on Saturday, July 23rd. Participants in the course will be used as the referees, assistant referees, and ingoal judges for that event.

The course will be delivered by lead IRB Educator Bruce Carter, assisted by IRB Educator Aruna Ranaweera, and IRB Trainer Mike Malone. Registration for course participants coming in from outside the Northern California area is available online with USA Rugby.

Members of the Northern California Rugby Football Referee Society, those unable to register online, and online registrants desiring hosting or economic hotel accommodations are requested to contact Mike Malone (prior to June 16th and subsequent to July 4th when he will be unavailable for contact) or Bruce Carter (between June 16th and July 4th.

Michael G. Malone
USA Rugby
R&L Training Committee
Pacific Coast Representative
52 Canyon Oak Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 472-2091
mgmalone@comcast.net

Bruce Carter
USA Rugby
R&L Chairman
19235 Creekside Lane
Salinas, CA 93908
(831) 455-1933 or (831) 521-1643
RUGBYREFMD@aol.com

IRB Updates / Key Areas

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Breakdown

All areas of the tackle law need to be strictly enforced.

Tackler(s)

•Must roll away immediately.

•Assist tacklers who do not go to ground must release the tackled player prior to attempting to win the ball.

Tackled Player(s)

• Must release the ball after being tackled

Arriving player(s)

• Must enter through the gate (both the attackers and the defenders)• Must remain on their feet when attempting to win ball

• Players going off their feet unintentionally must immediately roll away

•Players deliberately going to ground must be penalized

•A trend has developed where players are clearing out ahead of the ball and then intentionally holding the cleared out player preventing him from defending.

Referees and ARs are asked to be particularly vigilant in this area of the game.

If at a tackle situation a clear and obvious Maul develops the Referee should call ‘Maul’ and referee this phase accordingly. Once he has called maul neither team may deliberately collapse the maul. If however the Maul goes to ground and the Referee is undecided regarding which team caused it to go to ground, he should whistle a turnover if the ball isn’t immediately available from the collapse.

Scrum

• 4 clear and precise calls each followed by 4 clear actions.

• Zero tolerance to early engagement and failing to engage on referees call.

• Loose heads to be hitting up and tight heads to be square on engagement.

• Binding of props to be on body not on arms.

• Loose heads who end up putting a hand on the ground to prevent a collapse at engagement occasionally may be able to rebind. This should be an exception rather than a norm and a loose head who continually puts a hand on ground needs to be sanctioned.

Offsides

Referees and Assistant Referees need to be strict on applying the offside law to both teams at the breakdown. Players close in at the breakdown must be policed strictly to ensure that they remain onside to allow the ball winning team the legal space they are entitled too.

Offsides both in general play and from kicks where offside players are within ten metres of the receiver are to be strictly enforced. MaulPlayers supporting the ball winner at kickoffs and lineouts must do so from alongside or behind the ball winner. Players doing so from in front of the ball winner are to be penalised for obstruction.Both the ball carrying side and the defenders are to be refereed equally at the Maul. A player who is caught up in the Maul and makes his way through the middle of the formation is not obliged to leave the Maul.

Foul Play

Referees are reminded of recent circulars from the IRB regarding actions to be taken for Dangerous tackles including the lifting tackle where a player is not brought to the ground safely and tackles around the head/neck region.

A trend is also developing across all competitions where cleanouts at the breakdown involving a player being grabbed around the neck/head region and his neck/head being twisted as part of the clearout. This trend needs to be stopped immediately as it is extremely dangerous play.

Match Officials are to make Foul play a player issue not a Match Official issue.

 

A Forward Pass?

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from Nigel Melville’s Blog:

I know that you will like this You Tube clip showing a pass that travels forward but isn’t a forward pass…

The video is an attempt to show that the commonly held view that a forward pass is simply one that travels forward is incorrect.

The LAW in Rugby Union states that the ball must be THROWN forward and does not say that it cannot travel forward!

TRRA Promotion – Fil Keuppens

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On behalf of the TRRA and the Referee Advancement & Training Organization (RATO), it is my pleasure to announce that referee Filip Keuppens has been promoted to L1.

Fil has been a great addition to the TRRA.  His quick transition from player to referee has seemed effortless.  Fil has become a leader in the North region and we are excited to see him excel at the next level.

Please join me in congratulating Fil.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to improving the Texas Rugby Union.

Traci Schmidtke
TRRA Vice-Chairman
RATO

 

Referee Advancement & Training Organization (RATO)

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New referee training initiative launched in Texas

Referee Advancement & Training Organization (RATO) steps in to the ring officially today in Texas. Referee centered, tech friendly and broad based, the new training initiative will replace the current top down model (RDO) and will, we believe, increase opportunities and cast a wider training net across the board at the local (up to L-1) level

We will post the Referee Development Officer (RDO) position for interview if RATO deems necessary.

RATO mission:

Advance referees by skills training and review the maximum number of Texas referees in the shortest reasonable time frame and prepare those willing and able for further advancement.

  • Develop and maintain a short list and long list of potential territorial referees and work through exchanges and interactions with domestic and foreign sources to provide them with opportunities and intensive training.
  • Use film and technology to exponentially expand numbers of reviews.
  • Train more coaches and mentors (targets set by RATO)
  • Exclude no referee for age, sex or ethnicity from the opportunity to be reviewed and advanced
  • Develop a cadre of young referees
  • Train and develop a cadre of trained AR’s
  • Link training of referees and team coaches to promote best practices and advance the game here in Texas
  • Revise and refine mission statement and work with schedulers to execute plan.

RATO Staff:

Group leader: Traci Schmidtke – TRRA Vice Chairman

Head of TRRA: James Wolfinger

Head of TRU R&L: Greg Varnell

Regional RDO’s:

South: Chris Callan & Rich Prim

North: John McConnell

Central: TBA

High performance advisor: Bryan Arciero

Statewide RDO: If deemed appropriate

Teams/coach representative: If deemed appropriate by RATO

IT manager: If deemed appropriate by RATO

Changes/additions/subtractions as group feels necessary. Group leader retains veto power. Veto may be overridden by unanimous vote of the organization staff.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments. We hope to use this a feature in the proposed Conference on the Game here in Texas. Hopefully we can pull in some top flight referee talent from the USA/IRB ranks and promote the “way forward” for rugby in Texas.

All the best,
James F. Wolfinger
Head Coach
STHS Varsity Rugby
TRRA Chairman
President
HYRA
713-823-1901