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This month, we review 2012. Our review is so big that we are breaking it up into two parts, with 2012 Year in Review Part 2 coming in January.

Our latest reprint excerpt from RUGBY COACH WEEKLY details an exercise you can replicate at training to produce the right results at the ruck.

Our latest reprint excerpt from RUGBY COACH WEEKLY details an exercise you can replicate at training to produce the right results at the ruck.

The full-time Olympic Training Center contracts have been around for about a year now. It was in Wellington last season that the Eagles fielded their first mostly-contracted side, so we mark that tournament as the beginning of the contract era.

DEAR SANTA 

As a longtime member of the rugby family, I haven’t really asked for many things over the years from you.

It’s a common enough story, but is not less accurate for the repeating.

The USA men’s 7s team finished their last two tournaments 3-7, but with a series of very close losses.

USA captain Todd Clever is now looking toward helping NTT Communications move up in the Japan Top League, but two recent losses have seen them slip to 9^th.

It’s been a bit of a wait to replace Scott Lawrence as USA U20 men’s coach, but Jason Kelly now officially has the job.

College Apps - Kutztown University  ttp://www.kutztownrugby.com/

Karen Fong is a college admissions expert with specialized knowledge of the collegiate rugby landscape. She is a credentialed guidance counselor backed by a team at Dunbar Educational Consultants with over 130 years of combined experience in this field. She is also a former Division I Rugby player at University of California at Davis, National U-23 Team player and currently is on the USA Rugby Referee circuit. With her deep knowledge and strong ties to the collegiate rugby world, Karen is the best resource for families searching for the best fit college for their young rugby player. Various packages are available to suit every family’s needs. To schedule a consultation and discuss client options, please call Karen at (310) 497-0619 cell or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .www.DunbarConsultants.com

College Apps - Kutztown University  ttp://www.kutztownrugby.com/

Karen Fong is a college admissions expert with specialized knowledge of the collegiate rugby landscape. She is a credentialed guidance counselor backed by a team at Dunbar Educational Consultants with over 130 years of combined experience in this field. She is also a former Division I Rugby player at University of California at Davis, National U-23 Team player and currently is on the USA Rugby Referee circuit. With her deep knowledge and strong ties to the collegiate rugby world, Karen is the best resource for families searching for the best fit college for their young rugby player. Various packages are available to suit every family’s needs. To schedule a consultation and discuss client options, please call Karen at (310) 497-0619 cell or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .www.DunbarConsultants.com

There’s some schizophrenia going on in the women’s college sphere. With the advent of conferences, a lack of coordination between USA Rugby and administrators has teams questioning their eligibility for national playoffs or wondering if they’ll have an opportunity to play-in against other conference runners-up.

In the larger picture, the move to conferences was a necessary evolution, and it will help the sport’s growth and recognition. But that lends little comfort to college teams today, who can’t plan their spring seasons or allocate their budgets until some clarity emerges.

USA Rugby’s College Management Council will meet in January, face-to-face, to address some of these issues. Temple, for example, eagerly awaits their decisions, as their fate balances in the wind. At present, Temple is ineligible for DII national playoffs, as USA Rugby informed them over the summer that the program must play at the DI level. That mandate was passed down due to Temple's DI football program. When we spoke with Temple coach Owen Jones in late August, he wasn’t distraught about playing a league season without possibility of nationals.

“Not an ideal situation, but it is what it is,” Jones said. “I understand what USA Rugby is trying to do, and I think it is great how they want the level of play and organization to improve. I just feel they’re going about it too quickly and casting blanket rule over everyone without really understanding the dynamics of each club’s situation.”

But then word started to spread that teams in a similar situation – ones with DI football programs – were eligible for national playoffs. DII’s Washington State, which finished third at 2012 nationals and won it all in 2010, were planning on returning to the 2013 national tournament.

“The last discussion I heard was that in 2015 teams would be required to play in the conference that their school is a part of,” Cascade Conference president Sami Allen said. “This will mean that University of Washington and Washington State University will be asked to either move up or be ineligible for playoffs.”

It was the inconsistent ruling that Owen found troubling, especially since Temple went on to win the Mid-Atlantic Conference. He’s appealed for Temple’s inclusion at DII nationals, and Temple’s case will be reviewed in January.

Division I has evolved a bit easier, but that’s not to say conflict won’t arise. There are currently eight conferences, and thus far, only the champion receives an automatic bid to nationals. That leaves another eight spots to be awarded or contested across conferences in a play-in. In 2011, the Pacific Mountain Conference received six seeds to account for three territories combining into one. But with the fractioning of other territories into conferences, and those conferences receiving their own bids, it’s unlikely that PMC can retain all six seeds.

“The women's re-structuring is in semi-disarray due to miscommunication or no communication prior to [Collegiate Director] Rich [Cortez] and my joining USA Rugby, coupled with directives from some conferences and inconsistent opinions offered by some committee members,” USA Rugby Associate Director Tam Breckenridge said. “There is plenty of blame to go around!  For now, we want to move forward in a timely and consistent manner to ensure that all programs, deemed suited and ready for Division I women's rugby, receive the message and have assistance and direction in joining or forming a new conference.”

Right now, the hope is that January provides a clear, fair plan for the path to nationals. But it’s inevitable that  more conflict awaits in this continual evolution.

The 7s great Waisale Serevi talks about who are the most underrated players he has seen, and why.

We'd like to welcome Nicki LaMonde to our family of columnists. Nicki is an experienced fitness coach and works closely with her clients on nutrition plans as well as fitness plans. She will be writing on nutrition. - AG


As an athlete and athletic trainer myself, nutrition plays an important role for supplying the nutrients required to fuel workouts and promote recovery. For years I went along with the traditional "athlete diet,” which focuses on lots of grains, processed power bars, sugary sports drinks and few fats.

We'd like to welcome Nicki LaMonde to our family of columnists. Nicki is an experienced fitness coach and works closely with her clients on nutrition plans as well as fitness plans. She will be writing on nutrition. - AG


As an athlete and athletic trainer myself, nutrition plays an important role for supplying the nutrients required to fuel workouts and promote recovery. For years I went along with the traditional "athlete diet,” which focuses on lots of grains, processed power bars, sugary sports drinks and few fats.

There are two aspects of the Women’s Sevens World Series (WSWS), which kicked off at the Dubai 7s last weekend, that continue to resonate. First, the parity of the teams. Second, the vast improvement of countries who were, prior to the tournament, more likely to play in the Bowl competition instead of the USA.

Simply looking at the Cup final score – New Zealand 41, South Africa 0 – one might be tempted to think the Black Ferns dominated the competition, but that is an erroneous assumption. After getting a good start against China (31-0) in pool play, New Zealand tied both Russia and Canada 12-12. The Kiwis turned it on during day two, defeating England 31-0 and Australia 28-14 before seeing South Africa in the final.

Onlookers were repeatedly entertained, and subsequently shocked, as the upsets proliferated pool play. It became evident that England was not in their groove, as South Africa beat the Roses 20-5; Spain defeated eventual finalist RSA 5-0; and Russia topped Canada (photo) 15-12. The playoffs were no different.

One of the biggest attention-grabbers was Russia, which won the Plate. As mentioned, they tied New Zealand and bettered Canada twice, lost to Spain 7-5, and toppled the Netherlands 21-5. It’s evident that hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens in June has pumped up the women’s program, and they have no intention of being walked over on home soil.

“The IRB must be happy with the parity in the women’s game,” USA Women’s 7s coach Ric Suggitt said. “On day one, New Zealand tied Russia and Canada. Funny, if Russia or Canada had won their games by one point, then the Black Ferns would have in the Bowl.”

On one hand, it’s encouraging to know that no team enjoyed an easy road to success. On the other hand, the experience – especially for the Americans – reinforced that every error, every opportunity unrealized can have dire ramifications. Hence the USA finishing 9th overall.

“Of course we want to win every game by 100 points,” Suggitt responded to whether the level playing field was a welcomed evolution. “But for the growth of the game, this has to happen. No one wants to watch one-sided victories all of the time.”

When Suggitt wasn’t tending to his squad, he was in the stands watching the other women’s teams, or heading to the men’s competition when there was a break in play. As the game evolves, Suggitt knows it's important to not be labeled an "old" coach and be in touch with how the best teams are playing.

“There are a few nuances in the game,” Suggitt explained. “I really like South Africa. They’re really good at keeping the ball alive and not going into contact. They just ran out of gas against New Zealand in the final.

“The Kiwis are really good at deep switches and changing direction in open space,” Suggitt continued. “The Aussies are more direct and have some steppers. The Netherlands are similar. But I can tell you what Canada’s going to do in the lineout, or what New Zealand will do from a right-footed scrum. With all the video, we’re well aware of the competition. Main focus for me is that all we can do is control what we have. If we’re organized, we can make life difficult for the opposition.”

The Eagles have a couple of months to tweak their nuances. The next leg of the WSWS occurs on February 1-2, 2013, in Houston. Suggitt indicated that the players aren’t feeling any new pressure due to the uptick in competition, but he will have a mental preparation coach working with the squad as they build toward a tournament on home soil.

There’s another benefit of the international field catching up with each other. No one team will be able to rely on a presumed dominance and will have to play their hardest to secure the win. Watching that kind of battle unfold on the pitch is inspiring, and the Eagles are excited to have their fans experience that brand of rugby firsthand.

“They’re real ambassadors for the USA and USA Rugby,” Suggitt said after Dubai. “I can’t say enough how impressed I am with their maturity; it’s those intangibles you appreciate as a coach, when you want to thank the parents for raising great role models – because that’s what they are.”

The USA will see the majority of the same teams; they know what awaits them in the near future. The Eagles will have their shot to join the exciting group of "unexpected winners" soon enough.

On the one hand, it’s disappointing that the USA Women’s 7s team finished ninth out of 12 teams at the Dubai 7s last weekend. On the other hand, the two losses that relegated the Eagles to the Bowl competition were tough, close games against excellent opponents. What that means is that the Americans aren’t far off; however, their lack of composure saw them miss out on opportunities to close out wins.

“We’re still a little bit naïve regarding international competition, but we’re getting there,” USA Women’s 7s coach Ric Suggitt said. “But we’re not hitting the panic button. We lost to Canada in the finals of [the 2012] Amsterdam and Las Vegas 7s; we were ranked #4 coming into Dubai; and we lost two close games. We could have gone to the Cup. We’re going back to the drawing board, refining our fundamentals, decision-making, fitness and will try to analyze what the opposition is doing and exploit them next time.”

Some of that naivety is a product of experience. Against the Netherlands (12-7 loss) and Australia (15-7 loss), there were times when the USA had an advantage in space and numbers, but didn’t realize the opportunity to attack quickly, and instead took the harder road.

“We need to play more games; that’s the bottom line,” Suggitt said. “We need to create domestic competition that keeps taxing and challenging our players, so they’re not shell-shocked by the pace and level of international competition. We’re trying to do that – the club 7s championships were good, and so are the NASCs, and with the college 7s championship in our backyard, that’s three right there. Can we get another half dozen?”

All of the 7s professionals are affected by this lack of exposure; no one is necessarily progressing faster than their teammates. However, Suggitt was particularly pleased with a couple of performances in Dubai.

“Kelly Griffin [photo right, top] had a great tournament,” Suggitt said. “She has a high work rate around the field and does all of the nasty work on the ground. She’s reading the game well. She’s one of our unsung heroes; she doesn’t get recognition, but every minute she’s on the field, she’s not making it easy for anyone [on the opposition]. I love grinders; people who want to work hard.”

Suggitt was also happy with youngster Lauren Doyle [photo right, bottom]. The college senior played in her second international tournament, the first occurring in China in October, and kept up with her veteran counterparts.

“She’s coming along quite well,” Suggitt said. “I’ll have more news on her in a couple of weeks, but she’s been a pleasant find. She’s really picking up the game.”

Doyle’s speed was showcased at sweeper, which also allowed Suggitt to experiment with some of his burners. Captain Vanesha McGee was used in the pack, while Christy Ringgenberg gave hooker a go. Having Ringgenberg on the field beside Bui Baravilala makes for a nice kicking duo, and they’ve got a lot of weapons between the two of them. Suggitt was also happy with Vix Folayan, who started to find her feet in 7s and was fitter when she showed up to camp.

Suggitt was quick to note that everyone did well to clean up their first-up tackles and decision-making on day two, when they defeated China 36-7 in the Bowl semifinals and France 26-12 in the Bowl final.

“We were happy with the character they displayed to rebound and take it China, and then play a physical game against France,” Suggitt said. “We’re not worrying too much about two tough losses. We’ll fix that at the OTC. As we were leaving the dining hall [Sunday in Dubai], all of the girls were sitting around the breakfast table going through their injury review and recovery sessions. There are no days off. They’re a proud bunch and are back in it.”

The Eagles next test will be during the second leg of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series in Houston. The players will not only face the same caliber of competition from Dubai, but also do so in front of friends and family, and on home soil.

For more of Ian Muir's photos of the USA at the Dubai 7s, visit the women's album (HERE) or the men's (HERE).

We rank Pool B the toughest of the Women’s Collegiate 7s Championship. Navy, Harvard, Colorado and Northern Iowa have a tough day one ahead of them, but on the bright side, their pool should produce some of the better 7s seen on the day.

During the second year of the Women’s College 7s Championship, the field has been filled out by teams that are better prepared for 7s and more intrigued by the opportunity for another national title than in 2011. And we’re willing to bet that at least a finalist will come out of Pool A.

The USA Women’s 7s team is ramping up for the first leg of the IRB Women Sevens World Series in Dubai this weekend. The team departed from the USA on November 23, banking more time than usual to adjust to the time difference and climate.

But more time on the ground isn’t the only improvement we’re seeing during this tour. Coach Ric Suggitt has assembled his most experienced squad since professional 7s players were introduced to the American landscape, and they’ll face the toughest lineup of teams since the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

“There are some mature players on this squad, and our previous captains [Deven Owsiany and Beth Black] have done a really good job getting us to this stage that we are at right now,” Suggitt said. “There are a lot of leaders on this team, and the key is that they are all accountable for their role and fulfilling their responsibilities within the framework of the team.”

Suggitt appointed Vanesha McGee captain for this tour, and the figurehead must ensure that the players function as a unified group. She has all but Kimber Rozier and Kaelene Lundstrum from the Chula Vista group with her, as is joined by veterans Emilie Bydwell, Vix Folayan and Teena Mastrangelo. Lauren Doyle is the lone youngster, who earned her first 7s caps in China a month ago.

As of yesterday, the team had four quality training sessions, according to Suggitt, and the team has made the necessary adjustments from the 15-hour flight. The coach reports that the players are relaxed and looking forward to day one of the tournament.

The Eagles will have little time to settle into their first game against France and will be pushed even harder against the Netherlands. The USA is familiar with both sides, facing them regularly in Las Vegas, Hong Kong, London and Amsterdam. Those games are always close, and often come down to a try or fewer, but the USA is capable of defeating those fellow core teams.

Australia is a different story. The reigning world cup champs have been able to keep the Americans at arms’ length. When the two sides last met at the London 7s, Australia beat the USA 22-5 during pool play. This year, Australia have shown some vulnerability, losing to New Zealand 35-24 in the final of the Oceania Women’s 7s Championship this August. In September, Australia rallied to win the Asia Pacific Women’s 7s Championship 36-17 against Japan, a rematch of a game that went Japan's way earlier in the tournament.

The Eagles' games against France and Netherlands are must-wins, but it’s the third game against Australia that will help pinpoint what progress the USA has made since taking up residence in Chula Vista 10 months ago.

“As usual I would like to see a lot of victories,” Suggitt said. “But as we know, all teams want the same thing when we enter competitions like this one. I am excited for our team to test themselves against the best in the world. This squad has put in the hours at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, and now it is time for them to go out and express themselves.”

The action kicks off Friday at 12:04 p.m. (9:04 p.m. EST) against France, followed by the Netherlands at 4:14 p.m. (1:15 a.m. Saturday) and Australia at 8:42 p.m. (5:42 a.m. Saturday). With three pools of four teams, the field will be reseeded 1-12 for playoffs. The top eight teams will be placed into the Cup bracket, with 1 v 8, 2 v 7, etc., while the bottom four will compete for the bowl.

Heading into the Women’s National Team’s tour of Europe, expectations were set. They weren’t all met, but the trip overseas wasn’t without its merit.

“I think the 1-2 [record] is disappointing,” WNT coach Pete Steinberg said. “However, I think it was a reasonable expectation coming into the tour. As a program, we have focused on player development and not performance. These were the only matches we played this year, and we got what we wanted: a view of where we were.”

So where is the USA? Right now, they are not a top-four team. They could be – there's a good amount of experience in the pool, especially in the forwards, and fitness nor physicality were an issue. But the team performance didn't gel but they didn’t gel.

“The skills issues are across the board,” Steinberg said. “And it is really focused on us playing a faster game. There needs to be a rethink about how to create a more dynamic game in America. We showed that we can play a physical, static game, but when we want to speed it up, we were unable to execute effectively.”

France was able to execute, and that ability evolves when a team enjoys a season of international tests versus yearly tours. To compare, Les Bleus played their eighth and ninth games of the year against the American; the Eagles played in their second and third since August 2011. 

“However I think the staff and players feel that even with those difficulties, we should have played better in the final game,” Steinberg said. “We all learned a lot, and the pressure of playing in the Stade de France on TV was new to most of the players – and I think it affected us in our ability to play. Now we need to use that learning to improve over the next seven months, and we have already started that process.”

The Eagles will hopefully have their chance to avenge their losses on home soil. There are plans to host France in June 2013, before the Nations Cup, so the players who toured have seven months to significantly improve their individual skills and prove they are competitive in a full-time environment.

Referee Mark Richards humbly submits his first column for RUGBYMag.com’s Referee Section.

Mark is a longtime referee from Southern California, and we’re delighted to have him on board.

Referee Mark Richards humbly submits his first column for RUGBYMag.com’s Referee Section.

Mark is a longtime referee from Southern California, and we’re delighted to have him on board.

The last 24 hours or so I have fielded a few comments from rugby observers saying the USA Men’s National Team win over Romania was no big thing – Romania is terrible, they said, and Russia even worse; beating them is no achievement.

The November, 2012 issue of RUGBY Magazine digital is the 2012 Awards Issue!

Premier Members can find out who won all of our awards!

If you're not a Premier Member, you will very (very) soon be able to purchase individual magazines through PixelMags.

Check out the magazine for your computer, laptop, tablet or other device here:

Click here to read the November 2012 issue of RUGBY Magazine!