Virginia Peninsula Rugby Foundation

RUGBY

ISSUE 1 MONDAY 17 MARCH 2014

INSIDER

Virginia Peninsula Rugby Foundation

2014 SEASON

Opening Day is behind us. All the bumps, bruises and great weather.

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It was great seeing the ol’ and new faces back on the pitches this weekend for opening day. Loyal supporters to fresh new blood-ready to take the field of battle-on what turned out to be a wonderful sunny Saturday afternoon of rugby. A special thank you to all that pitched in to help out this weekend from picking up trash to setting up ropes the night before to coming out to paint the lines on the field. A warm and heartfelt THANK YOU. (see page 4 for our thanks you this week).

Each Monday (or Tuesday) you can expect to see the RUGBY INSIDER in your email boxes and posted online to our new Facebook Page: Peninsula High School Rugby. (Please encourage your teams, fans, and supporters to like this page.)

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Please make sure to send by Sunday nite to peninsularugbyfoundation@gmail.com your game day scores, any photos that you would like shared, and your lady/man of the match. If we receive it-we will include it. If we don’t get anything from you…it can’t be included. Select photographs each week will be submitted to the local media.

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This is OUR Insider.

If you want anything added or would like to submit something to share with others, please do so. It’s electronic so the cost is FREE and we can grow this to however big or small we all want.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE GAME DAY! Field Set Up/Break Down!

What you & your team need to know" See Page 2"

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NEXT WEEK MATCH UPS! Who’s on & Where" See Page 2"

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SLOW UR ROLL……!

Shame on those who behave badly" See Page 4 "

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THANK YOUS! Volunteers are the foundation " See Page 4 "

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NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! It is LIVE and READY FOR some liking!"

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See Page 4"

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Looking forward to seeing you all at our first Friday nite game! (see page 2 for details).

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RUCK. SCRUM. KICK. PASS. SCORE. Do Something.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

ISSUE 1 MONDAY 17 MARCH 2014

ALL Coaches, Administrators, Team Moms/Dads:!

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Please pay close attention to field set up and break down. Each team has a responsibility each week to do their part. Let’s make sure we are all doing ours to keep our fields clean and ready for play."

WEEKEND KICK OFF!

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Friday Nite!

Under the LIGHTS! Crittendon Middle School!

6158 Jefferson Avenue!

Newport News VA!

" Buckroe vs Menchville! " 6pm Kickoff! " B Side 7s to follow game! (any CIPPd High School ruggers that would like to play a game of 7s come to the game with your boots ready and jump on after the main event!)!

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Saturday!

Dozier Middle School!

432 Industrial Park Drive!

Newport News!

" 11 am Kickoff! " Field #1!

Denbigh Ladies vs Heat Ladies!

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Field #2!

Heat vs The Beach!

" 1pm Kickoff! " Field #2!

Denbigh vs Canes!

This past weekend we were a little dusty but I am certain we will all be back in top shape this weekend-getting it down."

" Here is how it goes:! "

If you are an AWAY TEAM. Away teams are the second team to appear on the schedule. For instance, Buckroe vs Menchville.

Menchville would be the away team."

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AWAY team are ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE for FIELD SET UP.!

What does field set up mean?!

Field set up means that you and your team are responsible for making sure that each WHITE trash barrel has a trash bag placed in it. All pads for the field posts are placed on the posts. All flags are on the field. All rope for sidelines is up and in right spot."

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You are responsible for these duties if you are the FIRST game of the day/night on the field."

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HOME teams are ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE for FIELD BREAKDOWN.!

What does field break down mean?!

Field breakdown means that you and your team are responsible for making sure the field is CLEAN and free of any debris. SO, you must pick up any debris that did not make it into the trash cans.

Empty ALL trash cans in the dumpsters. Remove all pads, flags and rope (that is not permanent). Any items that are left behind-such as clothing, boots, jackets, baby strollers…please place those in the shed. DO NOT THROW away or KEEP lost items. "

" Snapshot of this weekend duties:" " SET UP:! ! !

Menchville/Crittendon!

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Heat Ladies/Field #1 Dozier!

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Denbigh Ladies/Field #1 Dozier!

Beach/Field #2 Dozier!

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Denbigh/Field #2 Dozier!

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Breakdown:!

Buckroe/Crittendon!

If everyone can do their part to keep the areas clean it will make less work at the end of the day for all."

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ISSUE 1 MONDAY 17 MARCH 2014

SIR SPOTLIGHT

Here are some great points shared recently from USA Rugby High Performance Referee Manager Richard Every. In the email, it was shared that New Refs and games at lower skill levels, should limit use of advantage where it is obvious that the non offending team is going to gain an advantage. Otherwise you are just hoping something will happen, which is unlikely. In these games, he suggest an use of a penalty or scrum to restart the game to give more structure. The points shared below are for all to learn from: players, coaches and sirs:

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TACKLE: Running lines and positioning are key to refereeing the tackle. You should be the third person at the tackle and preferably not to close to have a wide view of the tackle as it unfolds and in a north/south position to visually comprehend the gate and that arriving players enter the tackle area legally."

The tackler has to clearly release and roll away or get to their feet."

The tackler assist has to clearly release and may only play the ball then through the gate."

When these two areas are not correctly refereed we see many “Tackled Player Holding On” Penalty Kicks.

If players turn the ball over they have to do it legally.

A tackler assist or arriving defender that wants to play the ball has to have their weight on their feet – they cannot have their weight supported on their hands/elbows as they are attempting to play the ball. If you want to turn the ball over, do it according to law.

SCRUM: Safety is paramount."

A collapsed scrum should be reset or a player penalized. Do not play on unless the ball is out of the scrum."

There have been a few occasions when the loose head is penalized when in fact the tight head has folded under pressure. If the loose head is pushing straight it is a good indicator of the tight head folding under pressure and you should advise the tight head to scrum straight."

Straight feed: We do not want to prescribe as some countries have that you escalate from FK, to PK, to PK and warning, to PK and YC as the game is never really that black and white in most areas. We expect referees to manage this effectively to ensure the feed is straight.

If you feel that players are deliberately not complying then you have additional options to escalate the penalties."

BALL OUT: At rucks, mauls and scrum, the ball is NOT OUT until the scrum half or another player clears it. It is NOT OUT when the scrumhalf puts hands on the ball.

At Rucks when the ball is clearly available to be played the referee should instruct the team in possession to“USE IT”. They have 5 seconds to use the ball. Let’s

not be pedantic but if players are deliberately not complying to this instruction then you should enforce this, however, it is only WHEN THE BALL IS CLEARLY AVAILABLE TO BE PLAYED." " •" At Rucks this will force defensive players to maintain their position behind the offside line until the ball is cleared from the ruck. Remember, defensive players with their hands on the ground need to have their hands behind the offside line." ! •!

ADVANTAGE and IN-GOAL: " " •" If there is an infringement you should always consider a moment that ADVANTAGE may be gained, and if you decide to play advantage then also give it that extra moment. Many of the teams are highly skilled and everything happens at pace. An extra moment could develop in a great opportunity to gain an advantage." " •" Similarly if attacking players go into in-goal you should allow it that extra moment for it to develop, I.e. A tackled player partially held up may break loose and score or you need an extra moment to get into a better position to see whether or not the ball is held up or if a try is scored. You can also stop the game and address your (officially appointed) AR. Especially in in-goal, the most important aspect is to get the call right, the speediness of your decision is not essential." " •" Have noted that some teams have commentary on the video or at their grounds and that sometimes the commentary is incorrect. YOU DO NOT NEED DOWNWARD PRESSURE TO SCORE A TRY. ]" " •" There are two ways a player can ground the ball:" " •" (a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. ‘Holding’ means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required." " •" (b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck inclusive."

Points Courtesy of USA Rugby High Performance Referree Manager Richard Every

ISSUE 1 MONDAY 17 MARCH 2014

ATTENTION FANS, COACHES, PLAYERS! Our SIRS are the reason we can play the game. If we didn’t have them, we would not play. Please respect the LAW and RESPECT our SiRS. Sure they aren’t perfect and may not call a perfect game.

BUT we aren’t in a sport with instant replay, watered down rules that lacks entertainment and thrill. " WE ALL HAVE TO DO BETTER! !

Our players, fans and coaches should not be SIRn the game. Let the SIRS DO THEIR JOBS! OR BE WARNED" -Your teams will be penalized for your poor behave.

FACEBOOK!

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LIKE US!

PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY FAN PAGE!

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Thank YOU!! "

Scott Miller!

Painting by Scott! for lining the fields" His helpers: Sean Connery & Joshua Whitaker"

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Josh, Russ and Chaz! for putting up new rope for the sidelines the night before. Good LOOK Fellas!"

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For our EMTS and SIRS,!

Thank you for the thankless hours that you spent on the pitch tending to our bumps and bruises and keeping the game fun & exciting."

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To all those that volunteered this weekend. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

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