Before you get to the good stuff, just a reminder that it all kicks off big-style on Saturday, 1pm at the line-o-rific Douglas Street field. Get your click on here for directions. If you plan on playing, then you'd better be there at early to make your presence felt. Lot's of rugby for all.
Now, on to the parenting showcase...
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Rugby.net shameless plug
I've recently updated the Rugby.net World Rugby News site to include news from some of the on-going competitions from around the world, including the remains of the Tri-Nations series in which the Wallabies and Boks fight for the table scraps of the All Black feast and the ever-entertaining domestic competitions of New Zealand and South Africa - the NPC and Currie Cup, respectively. Chock full of fine journalism that doesn't include run-on sentences or sentence fragments like this post.
And don't forget to click on the Google ad links. Each time you click on an ad God sets aside a small thimble-full of beer for you in heaven, so get clicking so you don't go thirsty in the hereafter.
And don't forget to click on the Google ad links. Each time you click on an ad God sets aside a small thimble-full of beer for you in heaven, so get clicking so you don't go thirsty in the hereafter.
Rugby News Roundup
I'm not normally one to bring down the tone of these pages by writing about actual rugby, but a number of stories have peaked my interest in the past couple of days, so in case you missed them, I thought I'd give you a little recap here, at the only site you ever go to.
No longer a reason to be fat?
In one of his recent columns for the Guardian, Welsh rugby pundit Eddie Butler has suggested that the whole concept of the scrum is under review by no-less eminent bodies than the RFU and the IRB, given a recent rash of spinal injuries. Eddie envisages pointless scrums, a la rugby league, and squads made entirely of "generic 6ft 1in protein guzzlers" ready to beat the crap out of each other in open play. Well, while that might be hard to picture at our level, it might be an incentive for some of you to grow a pair of wheels and find an alternate source of protein other than cheese doodles.
Aussies suck the joy out of touring.
Given the propensity for Australians to get drunk and make arses of the themselves while playing Tri-Nations and Super 12 games in South Africa, the Wallaby management has drawn up a strict alcohol policy in an effort to reign in their boorish behavior. If they suspect you of a hangover you'll find yourself taking a breathalyzer test. Blow .02 to .05 and you can expect some disciplinary smackdown. Over .05 and you'll find yourself on the first plane home. Phew, in my day, blowing less than a .05 was cause to be sent home from a tour. How the times have changed.
However, as memory serves me correctly, Portland has never been a very strong Sunday team, so maybe there is something to reigning in your pre- (or post-)rugby alcohol consumption. My experience is that drinking before training tends to make you think you're a lot better than you actually are, and have the inverse affect on your view of those around you. Go figure...
Official: women's rugby now more important than men's.
When Brandi Chastain took her top off to celebrate victory in the most boring game of soccer ever (aka the 1999 Women's World Cup Final) the world tipped on it's axis slightly and we found ourselves in a twilight zone in which a nation's greatness was now all of a sudden measured by their performance in women's soccer. Fortunately the world has managed to right itself, largely because the U.S. women's team has done even less than the men's team since then, but brace yourself for another seismic shift - the U.S. women's rugby team recently brought down Ireland in Women's Rugby World Cup currently taking place in Edmonton, Canada. If the U.S. continue their streak and are able to beat the Australian Wallaroos tomorrow in the final round of pool matches, the hysteria will know no bounds. You can expect all USA Rugby funding to be diverted immediately to the L'Oreal School for Women's Rugby Excellence. There, I said it.
Of course, the U.S. did lose their opening round game to England, which seems to have created a short circuit in my chauvinism relay. Must...resist...can't watch...England's next game...vs...OMG...France!
Come on you beautiful English roses!
Wolfhounds to play rugby for "The Man"?
After having turned their noses up at the idea of playing rugby in the Super League for several years, it appears as though the BIW have scraped together the cash to play up in the Bigs, starting in 2007 . My sources tell me that it takes a fair amount of scratch to play in the Super League, but given that they and the other SL newcomer (and National D1 champs) Santa Monica arguably represent a better standard of rugby, my guess is that the powers that be were able to cut them some kind of deal in order to expand the happy rugby-elite family. All very cozy I'm sure, but I can't help feel a pang of regret to see the Wolfhounds cross over to the dark side having made a joke of the SL for so long. I'm sure they have their reason.
This also begs the question of what kind of reshuffle will be in store for the BIW teams. Will they sport a SL, D1 and D3 lineup similar to Old Blue? If their bleating from previous years is anything to go by, that sounds as though it might be a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure their success last year didn't hurt recruitment any and their cup runneth over with fresh young talent. Good luck to them and their new CIPP headaches.
Practice for the rest of us will be tonight, at Douglas Street, 6pm.
Carry on.
No longer a reason to be fat?
In one of his recent columns for the Guardian, Welsh rugby pundit Eddie Butler has suggested that the whole concept of the scrum is under review by no-less eminent bodies than the RFU and the IRB, given a recent rash of spinal injuries. Eddie envisages pointless scrums, a la rugby league, and squads made entirely of "generic 6ft 1in protein guzzlers" ready to beat the crap out of each other in open play. Well, while that might be hard to picture at our level, it might be an incentive for some of you to grow a pair of wheels and find an alternate source of protein other than cheese doodles.
Aussies suck the joy out of touring.
Given the propensity for Australians to get drunk and make arses of the themselves while playing Tri-Nations and Super 12 games in South Africa, the Wallaby management has drawn up a strict alcohol policy in an effort to reign in their boorish behavior. If they suspect you of a hangover you'll find yourself taking a breathalyzer test. Blow .02 to .05 and you can expect some disciplinary smackdown. Over .05 and you'll find yourself on the first plane home. Phew, in my day, blowing less than a .05 was cause to be sent home from a tour. How the times have changed.
However, as memory serves me correctly, Portland has never been a very strong Sunday team, so maybe there is something to reigning in your pre- (or post-)rugby alcohol consumption. My experience is that drinking before training tends to make you think you're a lot better than you actually are, and have the inverse affect on your view of those around you. Go figure...
Official: women's rugby now more important than men's.
When Brandi Chastain took her top off to celebrate victory in the most boring game of soccer ever (aka the 1999 Women's World Cup Final) the world tipped on it's axis slightly and we found ourselves in a twilight zone in which a nation's greatness was now all of a sudden measured by their performance in women's soccer. Fortunately the world has managed to right itself, largely because the U.S. women's team has done even less than the men's team since then, but brace yourself for another seismic shift - the U.S. women's rugby team recently brought down Ireland in Women's Rugby World Cup currently taking place in Edmonton, Canada. If the U.S. continue their streak and are able to beat the Australian Wallaroos tomorrow in the final round of pool matches, the hysteria will know no bounds. You can expect all USA Rugby funding to be diverted immediately to the L'Oreal School for Women's Rugby Excellence. There, I said it.
Of course, the U.S. did lose their opening round game to England, which seems to have created a short circuit in my chauvinism relay. Must...resist...can't watch...England's next game...vs...OMG...France!
Come on you beautiful English roses!
Wolfhounds to play rugby for "The Man"?
After having turned their noses up at the idea of playing rugby in the Super League for several years, it appears as though the BIW have scraped together the cash to play up in the Bigs, starting in 2007 . My sources tell me that it takes a fair amount of scratch to play in the Super League, but given that they and the other SL newcomer (and National D1 champs) Santa Monica arguably represent a better standard of rugby, my guess is that the powers that be were able to cut them some kind of deal in order to expand the happy rugby-elite family. All very cozy I'm sure, but I can't help feel a pang of regret to see the Wolfhounds cross over to the dark side having made a joke of the SL for so long. I'm sure they have their reason.
This also begs the question of what kind of reshuffle will be in store for the BIW teams. Will they sport a SL, D1 and D3 lineup similar to Old Blue? If their bleating from previous years is anything to go by, that sounds as though it might be a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure their success last year didn't hurt recruitment any and their cup runneth over with fresh young talent. Good luck to them and their new CIPP headaches.
Practice for the rest of us will be tonight, at Douglas Street, 6pm.
Carry on.
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