Friday, April 13, 2007

College Cup shelved...for now


Curse you mother nature! Oh, what cruel torment!

Just when the grass was coming into view again, along comes another 4" of freshies to squash any hopes of pulling off the Maine College Cup this weekend.

The logistical challenges of staging this tornament are hard enough on a dry day, so even those of us in deepest denial have to concede that there's just no (safe) way to make this happen.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of open slots on our calendar in early May, and efforts are underway to try and postopone the whole shebang until then, by which time we hope it will have stopped snowing. So all you stoodents better re-sort your priorities and prepare to plough your finals in favor of the Maine Cup.

I'll tell you, when I was a lad it snowed all the time, and it was up hill both ways, and we couldn't afford boots, and...and...

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Maine Collegiate Cup runeth over



While we might let a little snow derail our own playing plans, there will be no such accomodations this Saturday when we present the 6th Annual Maine Collegiate Cup (pictured here) in association with Hews Truck Bodies and Equipment.

Conceived of by the late, great Dom Tracey, this competition brings together the best and brightest in Maine collegiate rugby talent for a winner-takes-all deathmatch rousing display of youthful athletics. Men and women will be competing for what is in effect the State Championship, as well as a spot on the Maine Select Sides that will travel to compete in the New England Championship.

As if that weren't enough, Portland will also crash the party with a game of their own against what is shaping up to be a mixture of Stripers, Bull Moose and anyone else who wants a game. Just to get in the spirit of things, we're calling this one the championship on Maine and erm...Eastern New Hampshire. Woot!

The carnival begins (come hell or high water) at 8:30, which is uncharacteristically early for college students, but a lie in for us working stiffs. Club members of all shapes and sizes are required to attend and man the pumps (and snow shovels) since and undertaking of this magnitude doesn't come off without an under pinning of slave labor. For once, "the man" will be keeping you down for a good cause.

For (slightly) more information about this event, check out Dom's minimalist website, where two of our own can be seen gracing last year's All Star roster. Watch the stars of tomorrow, today!

Well....on Saturday, actually.