Tornados High School Rugby

Set Plays Part 2 - Scrums

2011-03-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

In rugby a scrum is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the free opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap between the two forward packs and they both compete for the ball to win possession. Teams can be penalised for intentionally causing the scrum to collapse, and for not putting the ball into the scrum correctly. A scrum is most commonly awarded when the ball is knocked forward, or passed forward, or when a ball becomes trapped in a ruck or maul.

To prepare for a scrum each team's eight forwards (referred to as the pack or forward pack) bind together in three rows — the front row, second row and back row. The front row is composed of the two props and the hooker. To the left is the loosehead prop with the hooker in the middle, and the tighthead prop on the right (jersey numbers one, two and three). The three bind together tightly and there is no gap between the hooker and either prop. According to the laws of the game; "When a player binds on a team-mate that player must use the whole arm from hand to shoulder to grasp the team-mate’s body at or below the level of the armpit." Failing to bind properly results in a penalty, and the opposition team being awarded a free kick.

The two second row forwards (jersey numbers four and five) bind together and directly behind the front row with each putting their heads between the props and the hooker. They are more commonly referred to as locks as they "lock" the scrum. Lastly the back row is made up of the two flankers and the number eight. The flankers bind on each side of the scrum — next to a lock and behind a prop. Generally the number seven flanker is referred to as the openside flanker, and with the number six flanker as the blindside flanker. "Openside" and "blindside" refer to the wide and narrow side of the pitch respectively, as scrums usually occur closer to one of the touchlines than the other. The openside flanker's job is to get to the next ruck or maul as quickly as possible, so he will usually bind on that side. The number 8 binds behind the two locks, with his/her head between them.

To form a scrum the two forward packs approach to within an arms length of each other. The referee gives the command crouch and the opposing front rows then crouch so that their backs are parallel to the ground and their head and shoulders are no lower than their hips. Then the referee calls touch and "using their outside arm each prop touches the point of the opposing prop’s outside shoulder.^] This command is to ensure that the two front rows are not too far apart.The referee then issues the pause command and inspects the scrum. Finally the referee then says engage (this is not a command, but rather permission to the front rows to engage) and the two front rows come together. When this happens both front rows thrust forward with the tighthead props heads going between the opposing hooker and loosehead prop. The props then bind by gripping the back or side of the opposing prop's jersey.

The scrum-half from the team that has possession (referred to as having the feed or put in) then throws the ball in the gap formed between the two front rows. This gap is called the tunnel. With the ball in the tunnel the two hookers (and sometimes the props) compete for possession by trying to hook the ball backwards with their feet, while the entire pack tries to push the opposing pack backwards. The side that wins possession usually transfers the ball to the back of the scrum — which is done with their feet. Once at the back it is picked up either by the number 8, or by the scrum-half. From here the ball is in play and the player with possession will either run, pass or kick the ball. On other occasions the forwards will hold the ball in the scrum and try to push the opposition backwards.

Here are a couple of videos of scrums in action:

Set Plays Part 1 - Lineouts

2011-03-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

With our first scrimmage and then game quickly approaching, it's important we cover some of the skills involved in 'set plays'. Set plays are those in which the ball is restarted including lineouts and scrums. In this blog, we will discuss lineouts.

The lineout is the way in which the ball is restarted after it has been kicked or knocked out of bounds. The lineout is 'awarded' (meaning they get the throw in) to the team that DIDN'T put the ball out of bounds. Players in the lineout can simply jump for the ball without support or they can help lift other players to try and secure the ball (e.g. two players lifting one player by the legs to increase his jumping height).

If the ball is kicked fully out of bounds from behind the 22 (and was not brought into the 22 by the kicking team) the lineout is taken where the ball went out of play. If the ball is kicked fully out of bounds from in front of the 22, the lineout is formed from where the kick was taken. If the ball bounces in bounds before going out, the lineout is taken where the ball went out of bounds.

The following video from IRB provides a good basic overview of lineouts:

Forming A Lineout

Typically the eight forwards and the scrum-half are the players who make up the line-out and they do this by forming a line to the side of the 'mark' the referee has indicated (each team forming on their respective side of the mark). A lineout may have as many players on offense or defense (a minimum of two) and, according to the ELV's, neither side has to match numbers. The lineout must be formed past the five-metre line and no more than 15m in from the touchline, and both teams must have a one metre gap between them. If the referee decides one team has purposely closed the gap a penalty can be awarded to the other team.

Lineout Throws

Once the lineout has formed with each team forming a line of players with a gap between them, the ball is restarted by throwing the ball down the center of the gap between the two lines. The team that has been awarded the lineout is the one that makes the throw in.

Often times, teams will use various calls and codes to communicate lineout plays so that they can try and take the opposition off guard and secure the lineout. The team throwing in can use these calls to their advantage because since they are throwing in, they can dictate where the ball is placed in the lineout and get the jump (pun intended) on the opposition in getting there, at least in theory.

The Laws of the Lineout

Here are some of the laws regulating the lineout:

The ball must be thrown straight
All players not in the lineout must be 10m behind the last man in the line
No player can use an opposition player as support when they are jumping
No player is allowed to push, charge or hold another player in the lineout
No player can be lifted before the ball is thrown
No jumper can use the outside of their arm to catch or deflect the ball

Here are some videos relating to rugby lineouts:

Scrimmage set for 3/19 in Springfield

2011-03-09T07:46:00.000-06:00

More information on this to come at Practice, but we will be having a pre-season scrimmage against the Springfield Celts on 3/19 in Springfield.

We realize that this will be spring break and some of you may be out of town so if you cannot make it to the scrimmage, we understand. However, for all that can make it, this will be a great chance to get a good feel for the game of rugby before our first league match on 3/26. As it is a scrimmage, the coaches will also be able to evaluate different players in different positions and different combinations of players.

In addition to playing, this will be a good opportunity to view a rugby match between two men's clubs. After the high school match the Peoria Piggies will be taking on the St Louis Ramplers on the same pitch (field) and then there will be a match between Springfield and a mix of Peoria Pigs and St Louis Ramblers.
The exact time of this scrimmage is yet to be determined but will most likely start at 10 or 11 AM. Further details and directions will be shared in practice leading up to this event.

Reminder - Outside Practice starts Tomorrow (3/9/2011)

2011-03-08T19:40:00.003-06:00

Reminder that outside practice begins tomorrow at NorthPoint Elementary. Practice will be held rain or shine.

For those needing directions, NorthPoint is located at 2602 E College Avenue between Hershey and Airport Road. For a link to Google Maps for NorthPoint, click here.

A couple of reminders about outside practice:

Dress appropriately. If it is cold outside, dress warm. Our games may be in bad weather, so we need to practice outside in the weather to get used to the temps. However, we don't want eveyone to get sick. First, dress warm. We don't want everyone to get sick. If it is cold outside, dress in warm clothes. Also, please dress in old clothing that you don't mind getting some mud on.
Wear cleates. Soccer or football cleats will do. It's also time to start looking into rugby cleats if you are wanting to buy some. For a recommended pair of rugby cleats, check out the Recommended Rugby Boot blog.
Bring a mouth guard. These are cheap and can be picked up almost anyplace (sporting good store, wal-mart, target, etc.). As we go outside we will be having more contact drills. Mouth guards are necessary to protect your teeth!

Looking forward to getting outside where we will have more room to run and can get into more complicated drills which will prepare us for our first match!

Place Kicking

2011-03-01T15:34:00.002-06:00

Within the sport of Rugby, the ability to successfully convert a penalty kick at goal (similar to a field goal) often determines which team wins/losses a match.

Whenever a penalty is committed, the opposing team can elect to take a penalty kick for goal. If converted, this kick is worth 3 points. Converting on these kick for goal opportunities is essential for a winning rugby club. This blog post is meant to give some tips on the kicking process.

The basic kick process:

1. The ball is placed on the tee (or if preferred, the ground). The preferred method taught by many coaches is to place the ball on its end and point it towards the target (goal posts)

2. The deliberate approach, or the “dance”, to the ball.  The modern game stresses an oblique approach to the ball while more 'old fashion' players prefer a straight on approach.

a.   The kicker places himself at an angle behind the ball of approximately four paces behind the ball and two paces to the side of the centerline of the ball (to the left for right footed kickers, or two the right for left footed kickers).

b.   The kicker approaches the ball at a slight arc, being sure to keep the eyes focused on the specific location where he plans to make contact with the ball.

3. Making contact with the ball. The kicker needs to thrust his hips forward at the final step, properly plant his foot, and maintain balance by extending his arms.

a.   Imagine your kicking foot as a weight at the end of pendulum. The best place in the path of the foot to make contact with the ball is when it is at its lowest and starting to move up. The best place for the supporting (planted) is slightly behind and approximately hip width to the side. This will enable the foot to make a straight line path to the ball. The toes of the planted foot should be point towards the target.

b.   It is now up to the kicker to put as much force behind the kick. Assuming the kicker tilted the ball to the target (many American football players will tilt the ball back) the kick should make contact were the four panels meet at the end of the ball. The movement of the foot should also be as quick as possible.

4. The follow through. The kick is generally through the ball giving it both lift and forward momentum. The kicker's leg should be fully extended when the kick is made. This will maximize the time the foot is applying force to the ball. Toe making contact should be pointed to the target. You chest should be facing in the direction of the target. Very rarely is the flight of the ball perfectly parallel with the kickers chest. It may be a difference of up to five degrees. As the kicker gets more experience, he will determine the best alighment for the chest.

5. Do not underestimate the power of imanging the kick from initial stance. Many great kickers imageinge the successful kick from standing, to the dance, through the kick, to final location of the ball.

6. Practice. Kicking is not an easy skill

Elite High School Rugby Camp - E-Mail Post

2011-02-26T18:53:00.004-06:00

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Eagle Impact Rugby <info@eagleimpactrugby.com>
To: rlorourke@ymail.com
Sent: Wed, February 23, 2011 2:00:15 PM
Subject: Elite High School Rugby Camp

Eagle Impact Rugby was established to bring the highest level of rugby, both in training and in competition, to a younger generation of rugby players in YOUR CITY! Eagle Impact Rugby has a long history of success based on superb skills and a winning attitude. These are the qualities we want to share with you during our camp. Camp is run completely by current and former members of the United States National Team, players who have played at the highest levels, both professionally, and on the ultimate stage, THE RUGBY WORLD CUP! In addition, we want to provide your organizations an opportunity to raise money while bringing in the best!

Become a premier rugby player and learn how to excel in one of the world's most popular sports. Your journey starts at Eagle Impact Rugby! Our camp emphasizes safety and fun, while we remain on the cutting edge of rugby training. Come join us and experience the drills, skills, and thrills!

Eagle Impact Rugby is coming to Springfield, IL this Spring and will be hosted by Springfield Celts Rugby Club on May 28Th and 29Th, times and location are below.

Location: Springfield Celts Rugby Pitch at Kennedy Park, across from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
http://www.celtsrugby.com/location/index.html
Time: May 28th, 10AM-2:00PM
May 29Th, 10AM-2:00PM

If you're ready to Make an IMPACT on the rugby pitch, and learn from the BEST then sign up now!

For more Information or Inquiries please visit our web page or email us Info@EagleImpactRugby.com

EagleImpactRugby.com

Mauls

2011-02-22T21:23:00.003-06:00

In addition to rucking skills, we will also begin working on Mauling skills. This is an area that we did not exploite much during our last season, but with the talented Pack we will have this year, I hope to implement Mauling into our game plans for this season.

This is a skill that we will practice frequently, but this blog should give you all a good head start.

Maul

A maul occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team mates bind on the ball carrier. Once a maul has formed other players may join in but, as in a ruck, they must do so from their own side. If the maul stops moving forward, and the ball is not available to be played, then the referee awards a scrum to the side not in possession when the maul began (unless the maul was formed immediately after a player received a kick other than a kick-off). The tactic of the rolling maul occurs when mauls are set up, and the ball is passed backwards through the players' hands to one at the rear, who rolls off the side to change the direction of the drive. This tactic can be extremely effective in gaining ground and both doing it properly and preventing it takes great skill and technique. It is a tactic most commonly used when the attacking side is inside the defending side's 22 m line.

On the other hand, a maul is not properly formed if the ball carrier binds on to a team-mate from the rear, and both of them then drive into one or more opponents – or if the ball-carrier breaks off from the back of the maul, which continues to drive forward. The players in front are either accidentally or deliberately offside and the referee awards either a scrum or a penalty to the opposing side, depending on whether the infringement was viewed as accidental or deliberate.

The tactic is sometimes referred to by players, commentators, and referees by the colloquial term "truck and trailer".

Here are a couple of more You Tube videos which demonstrate Mauls:

Some practice drills for Mauls

Example of a great Maul from a Real match

Rucking

2011-02-21T21:21:00.001-06:00

Great practice tonight everyone! It's amazing to see how far our new players have come with their passing skills and the returning players have definately picked up right where we left off last season!

Thus far in practice we have worked mostly on passing and ball handling skills. Staring Wednesday, we will be shifting gears a little to the part of rugby I love! While we will continue with passing and ball handling skills, on Wednesday, we will start mixing in Rucking skills.

For the new folks, we will walk you through the basics of each of these facits of rugby, but I want to use this post to give everyone a head start.

Rucking

A ruck is formed when at least one player from each side bind onto each other with the ball on the ground between them. A ruck often ensues following the tackle-ball phase. As soon as at least two players, one from each side, are in physical contact together with the ball on the ground, a ruck has formed. This physical contact, or binding, is generally by locking shoulders while facing each other. Additional players may join the ruck, but must do so from behind the rearmost foot of the hindmost team mate in the ruck; this is often referred to as "coming through the gate". Players must also be on their feet to join the ruck, and must bind onto the ruck with their whole arm around the body of a team mate.

In a ruck, no player may use their hands to win the ball; instead each side attempts to push the other side back, and players use their feet to hook the ball back towards their own side — an action known as rucking the ball. The team with possession attempts to ruck the ball back towards their own goal-line, where it is picked up by one of their own players. Once the ball is out of the ruck, the ruck is over.

Players in a ruck may not deliberately go to ground themselves, and must try to stay on their feet. Players must also not attempt to ruck the ball near players on the ground as this is dangerous. If a player is on the ground, they must try to move away from the ball and not interfere with the ball in any way. If the ball becomes trapped in a ruck, the referee awards a scrum to the side moving forward.

The ruck and the maul are the two phases of the game where the offside law is particularly important. Any player not taking part in the ruck and maul must retreat behind the offside line, a notional line that runs through the rearmost foot of their hindmost team mate in the ruck or maul— the line runs parallel to the goal-lines.

Many infringements occur in rucks. Players may seek to slow down the speed that opposition can recycle possession. This is done by using their hands illegally, or lying over the ball, or going to ground deliberately. Such infringements result in penalties. As a result of the quickened pace in the modern game, there is increasing confusion among players regarding when a tackle-ball has become a ruck. Players are often penalised for using their hands in a ruck when they think the breakdown is still at the tackle-ball phase.

Check out the following You Tube videos which demonstrate rucking skills.

Basic Rules of Rugby

2011-02-20T21:03:00.000-06:00

Although to the naked eye a game of Rugby Union can appear like a carefully orchestrated riot, this is not actually the case. There are some rules that govern and bind the orchestrated riot to make it, perhaps surprisingly to those new to the sport, very methodical and tactical when played properly. Below is a quick overview of the basics of Rugby Union.

Duration: A high school rugby match is played over 70 minutes, split into two 35-minute halves generally with a 10 minute half time break. Normally only one match is played during any given day with the exception of playoffs when 2 rounds of matches may be played during one day.

Number of Players: Each team has 15 players who assume various positions, which play critical parts in the team's play. Eight players make up the forwards or 'pack' (roughly similar to the linemen and line backers in American football) and seven players make up the backs (roughly similar to the backs and "skill positions" in American football). Here is a link to a more detailed description of the different Rugby Positions. In addition to the 15 players on the field, 7 players are allowed as substitutes.

Our team has an A-side (varsity) and a B-Side (Junior Varsity). Each team plays during all of our matches.

How to Play: The ball can be moved by carrying it in the hands, or kicking at any time during play, but under no circumstances can the ball be passed or made to go forward by the ball carrier other than by kicking the ball. If the ball is hit or passed forward without it being kicked, it is called a 'knock on' and is an infraction which results in a scrum to the opposition.

A scrum is used to restart in a number of situations and involves each team's forwards coming together, binding together by the shoulders over the 'mark' and trying to hook the ball back to their team's side once the ball is placed in the channel. This is similar to a tip off in basketball with each team having a chance at winning the ball.

When the ball is being kicked during a kick off or 22 meter drop out it must be drop kicked (toouch the ground before being kicked).

If a ball is kicked or taken out of bounds the ball is restarted by a lineout where players in oposing line compete for the ball as it is thrown in. This is similar to the throw-in in soccer and works on the same principle.

If a team is awarded a penalty (meaning the other team committed a penalty against them) they have the same three options at every penalty. They can either:

Kick the ball out of bounds and receive a lineout where the ball went out
Take a free kick. The ball only has to be 'kicked' through the mark in this instance. Most teams will typically just tap the ball over the mark to keep better control of it and restart play quickly by running it or passing it to a teammate.
Take a penalty kick at goal at the spot of the penalty (similar to a field goal in American football, but in this instance the defense cannot rush the kicker). If the penalty kick is missed, play is immediately re-started by the player that catches the ball or if kicked out of bounds, a 22 drop kick is taken by the defending team.

In any of these instance, the guilty team must retreat 10 meters from the spot of the foul. Failure to retreat 20 meters results in another penalty being taken after advancing the bar another 10 meters.

The aim of the game is, you guessed it, to score as many points against your opponent as possible while conceding as few as possible. Points are scored by the following methods:

Tries: A try is worth 5 points and is scored by a player touching the ball down into the opponents "try zone " (between the try line and dead ball line). It is the rugby equivalent of the American football 'touchdown'. Tries can also be awarded as penalty tries when an attacking player is illegally kept from scoring a likely try. Unlike football, in rugby the ball must be physically touched to the ground (thus the football term 'touchdown').
Conversions: A conversion is awarded when a try is scored and allows the attacking team to gain 2 more points by kicking the ball between the posts of the rugby goal. Again this is the rugby equivalent of American football's 'extra point'. The conversion is usually taken from the line in the field where the try was scored. This means you can back up as far as you would like so long as you are kicking along an imaginary line which runs parallel to the sidelines through the place the ball was touched down.
Penalty: A penalty kick scores 3 points and is awarded if a serious foul has been committed. The kick is taken from the spot of the foul or any where behind it on a line through the referees mark.
Drop Goal: A drop-goal scores 3 points and is a kick at goal during the run of play, where the ball is kicked just after touching the ground. These can be kicked at any time, from anywhere, by anybody. All that is required is that you literally drop the ball and let it hit the ground first.

The team that has been scored on always restarts play by kicking to the team that scored the points (except in sevens rugby where the team that scores kicks to the team that was scored on).

In rugby, ettiquette is extremely important. After the game each team exchanges hand shakes at the middle of the field and gives each other 'three cheers'. It is also customary for the players to mingle after the game and possible share a meal.

A complete copy of the Official IRB Rules can be obtained by clicking here.

Rugby Positions

2011-02-18T13:00:00.000-06:00

Rugby Positions

The following descripotions are an attempt to explain the different positions on a rugby team.

Rugby is one of the first sports that caters to all body types. Within every team, the small, the fat, the slim, and everyone in between can find a position that suits them.

Each side is composed of 22 players. This includes the 15 who start the match plus 7 reserves. The 15 players that start the game are split into the 8 forwards and 7 backs. The forwards are primarily responsible for winning the ball and the backs are responsible for doing something with it when they get it. An old adage says that forwards decide who win a match and backs decide by how much. No matter what the position, every player must posses a basic set of skills. This includes being able to tackle, catch the ball, run with the ball, and pass the ball.

Unlike most other sports, the position on the rugby team cooresponds to the number on the Jersey. In addition to the name of the position, the position is sometimes referred to by the number,

Rugby Positions and Descriptions: The Forwards (#1-8)

Props and Hookers (Props - 1&3, Hooker - 2)

The front row is like a large boiling pot which does the job of providing foundations for every play. Anyone who plays in the front row is typically characterized for being broad sholdered and having brute strength. Ironically, longevity is the mark of such players and you will observe that experience and intelligence are inherently present. These are arguably the most important of all rugby positions.

The hooker earns his name due to the fact he hooks the ball with his feet in all the scrums. The hooker also traditionally throws the ball in at line outs. The two props get their name because in the scrum they 'prop' up the hooker.

The Second Row (Also called Locks - 4&5)

This row typically requires people with strong legs. The second row athlete, also known as the lock forward, is tall and very strong. Mobility is not expected, but if the lock forward has it, this becomes a big advantage. The power and the strength of the lock forward comes in very handy during scrummage. (Scrummage is the method of beginning play in which the forwards of each team crouch side by side with locked arms. Play starts when the ball is thrown in between them and the two sides compete for possession of the ball.)

Locks earn there name for the fact that they provide they 'lock' out the scrum once a ball is won.

The Loose Forwards (Flankers - 5&7, Eight Man - 8)

They comprise of number 8 and other flankers (amusingly, 'number 8' does not have any other English name). The loose forwards are known for their agility and speed. The loose forwards have to defend and do all the support work for the forwards. They have to also participate in scrummage, whenever it is required of them.

Although part of the scrum, the loose forwards get their name because they are only loosely bound into the other scrum players. When thinking of Loose Forwards, think middle line-backers. These are very athletic players, but sometimes lack finess.

Rugby Positions and Descriptions: The Scrum Half (9)

Considered half Forward and half Back. The scrum half athlete is someone who provides the ball to the players behind. The job of the scrum half requires him to get dirty with other people in the scrummage while still being able to run the ball and make decisions like a back.

A good scrum half is very volcal and can make quick decisions. Some scrum halfs can be considered to have an attitude. When thinking of Scrum Halfs, they are similar to athletic quarterbacks. They normally touch the ball on ever play and are responsible for starting every play.

Rugby Positions and Descriptions: The Backs

The Flyhalf (10)

the Flyhalf needs to have a very good vision, amazing hand eye coordination and superb kicking ability. The flybacks are the on field strategist of the team. Many times there are such situations where you would feel the need to divert from main pre-decided strategy; the flyhalfs are always instrumental in such decision making. Often, the forwards of the opponent team attack the flyhalfs as they feel that flyhalf is comparatively an easy target. But it is understood that flyhalfs would not let the opponents get the best of them.

In American Football terms, a flyhalf would be a combined quarterback, tailback, and kicker.

The Centers (12&13)

The athletes with good instinct fit this position. They are also very good tacklers. These guys are back-up to every position. A center needs to be agile, fast, quick thinker, strategist and always ready to ruck with the opponent team.

In an idea world, one center would be a big hard running bruiser similar to a fullback while the other would be a slashing runner with a lot of speed similar to a tailback.

The Wingers and the Fullbacks (Wings - 11&14, Fullbacks - 15)

These guys are supposed to have excellent striking ability. They are responsible for fast counter attack and good many number of tries on touchdown. These guys have a talent for catching kicked balls and returning by either running or kicking the ball back. They do have very high respect for rugby rules and positions.

When thinking Wingers and Fullbacks, think defensive secondary and wide recievers. Although they may not participate in large parts of the game, when they do they are instrumental. Whether it's streaking down the sidelines to score or making a game saving tackle, these are your big play guys. Give them the ball on the outside and let them run.

Hope the rugby positions explained on this page proves to be of help. If you are lookin for more detailed information, I'd highly suggest the book Rugby for Dummies.

Comical Description of Positions

For a more jovial dexcription of the different positions, check out the following blog:

Rugb Positions Blogpost

Catch Up with Past TCT Rugby Blogs

2011-02-17T13:00:00.003-06:00

For those of you that missed out on some of the club's early posts, I want to provide a link to some past blogs that provide some good information. If you take the time to read through the blogs below, hopefully they'll help you get to know the club and the sport of rugby better.

You can sign up to follow the posts to be notified of new posts and we will put links to important posts on our facebook page and a link to our website. Also keep up the comments and let me know of anything else you would like to see posted on the website.

Monthly 'sneeze pages' such as this one will continue to be used to catch everyone up on significant posts from the previous months. Let me know your thoughts on this by using the comments field below. Interested in hearing whether or not everyone finds these posts useful.

Affiliations of TCT Rugby
Recruting
Stay in Touch with TCT Rugby

Website

FaceBook

Shutterfly
Recommendations for Rugby Boots

Information about Rugby Boots

A Recommended Boot
An overview of TCT Rugby Financials
It's not too late to watch 6-Nations Rugby on BBC America
Want to know more about Rugby? Check out Rugby for Dummies

Make sure you keep checking back for more updates on http://tornadohsrugby.blogspot.com/! You can also sign up to follow the Tornado HS Rugby blog to get notified of future posts.

TCT Rugby on Shutterfly

2011-02-16T20:56:00.000-06:00

2011 TCT Rugby Photos and Video

We will be using Shutterfly to host photos and videos of the 2011 TCT Rugby Team. The link below is to our Shutterfly site:

2011 TCT Rugby Shutterfly Site

Everyone loves pictures and videos. We encourage you to post any pictures and/or video that you take relating to the TCT Club throughout the season!

Warning - Use common sense when posting pictures. Any innapropriate pictures will be immediately removed and those posting innapropriate pictures will be punished through suspension of playing time and possible removal from the team.

How to Post Photos to Shutterfly

Here are instructions to Post to the Shutterfly site:

The easiest method is to simply e-mail photos to tctrugby2011.pictures.5@sfly.com. Pictures e-mailed to this address will be automatically added to the Shutterfly site.
Alternately, you can add photos to the site by visiting shutterfly. To add pictures in this method, you will have to join Shutterfly if not already a member. Joining Shutterfly is free and easy.
1. Navigate to the site using the link above or by tying in the following URL:
  
  http://tctrugby2011.shutterfly.com
2. Click on the 'Pictures & Videos' tab.
3. Click on 'Upload New Pictures' or 'Click to Add Video' depending on whether you are uploading Pictures or Video.
4. Click 'Choose File'
5. Select the picture you want to upload from the appropriate folder on your computer.
6. Once pictures are selected, chose 'upload photo'
7. Close the picture uploader and the picture(s) will now show up in the album.

Additional instructions for the use of Shutterfly can be found on Shutterfly's Customer Service page.

Recommended Rugby Boots

2011-02-15T20:56:00.000-06:00

We've had a lot of questions at practices lately concerning what to look for in a rugby boot. I've addressed this in a previous blog, but want to give a specific product recommendation.

The Adidas Regulate boot is the one that I currently use and it has been a very good choice for me. I purchased this boot about 3 years back and it still looks like new!

As I have previously stated, my experience is that cheap boots give much the same performance of the more expensive ones. This boot is no exception. In the mid $50s, this boot is definitely on the cheaper side of the spectrum. However, I have owned expensive boots in the past and this one stands up or surpasses boots I have purchased for more money in the past.

Being a 'Mid' boot, it provides some ankle support while not being too movement restrictive. This along with the long spikes of the boot make it especially good for pack players and for playing in soft ground situations. This may not be the idea boot for backs who like to make quicker cuts and may feel more comfortable in molded cleats or soccer style cleats. However, I know many backs who like the more traditional rugby cleats such as this one.

Another advantage of these boots is that they have screw in cleats. Personally, I've always stuck with the cleats that come with the boots, but if you do want to be adventurous, these boots will allow you to buy different sized cleats to screw into the boot depending on field conditions (longer cleats for softer ground and shorter cleats for harder ground).

As an added bonus, these cleats have Tornados Royal blue highlights to match our uniforms... They not only perform but will coordinate with the uniforms which is always an important consideration for the backs.

In summary, if you are looking for a good affordable rugby boot, this might be the one for you. It is available by clicking on the Amazon.com link listed above.

See you all at practice on Wednesday!

Another Great Practice on 2/14

2011-02-14T21:52:00.001-06:00

Another great practice tonight! We mixed the new players with the returning ones for the first time and it was great to see everyone playing together. I'm impressed how quickly all of the new players are picking it up!

Tonight's practice we spent a lot of time on fitness. Still a long way to go on this front, but we are getting there and everyon is working hard at it. Keep up the work and make sure you are also working on this outside of practice.

Tonight we also mixed switches and loops into our drills for the first time ever. For a review of these passing concepts, check out the following YouTube links:

Keep up the recruiting. We need more players! I'll see you all out on Wednesday!

TCT Rugby Website

2011-02-13T20:03:00.001-06:00

For this post, I want to provide an overview of our website (http://www.tctrugby.com/).

When searching for anything Tornados, this is the place to start. The pages on our website includes:

About the Team page - This page contains general information about the team and also profiles of all of the coaches.
Play Rugby page - This page gives information on how to sign up to play for the tornados. This is a great page to refer any friends to who you think may want to play. Of course, if there are any questions that this page doesn't answer, let me know!
Rugby Gear page - This page contains links to popular websites from which you can purchase rugby gear. Looking for a pair of rugby boots, these links will help! For boots, also make sure you check out my previous blog on choosing boots (All You Need is Boots).
Schedule page - This page contains up to date information on the TCT schedule.
Player Profile page - This page is still a bit of a work in progress. In the future, we hope to build profiles of our current TCT players. More to come...
Ways to Give page - This page gives information on how you can help us out. Our club operates largely on donations from our generous supporters. On this page, we also list all of our great sponsors. We appreciate you giving them your patronage and when you do, make sure you mention the rugby club!

Keep on checking out the website for future updates!

Rugby for Dummies

2011-02-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

Want a fun and easy way to learn more about Rugby? I want to use this post to review a great book named Rugby for Dummies by Patrick Guthrie and Matthew W. Brown.

The review from the authors:

Once primarily a British and Australian pastime, rugby is now second only to soccer as a televised international sport and is growing rapidly in popularity as a school and amateur club sport across Canada and the United States. Rugby USA, the governing body for American rugby, boasts more than 50,000 players on its adult, collegiate, and youth teams. Filled with illustrations and photographs of drills and shape-up exercises, Rugby For Dummies gives players, coaches, and parents the heads up on just how the game is played and coached over here--tackling North American rugby rules, various levels of play, and how to coach junior players as well as adults.

This book provides a complete overview of the sport of rugby including sections on:

The History of Rugby
The Basics of Rugby
International Rugby Leagues
Coaching and Refereeing Rugby
A Guide to Being an Informed Fan

I did not obtain this book until I had been playing almost 5 years and I wish I would of gotten it a lot earlier. It explained in simple and easily understanding terms complex aspects of the game that I still didn't grasp after being a 5 year veteran. It also did a great job of explaining the basics which would of greatly benefited me when I had started playing.

It would also be a good reverence for parents, friends, girlfriends or anyone else who wants to come to a game. Be perusing this book it will make them much better informed fans and hopefully help you avoid the million and one questions you get when first bringing someone to a rugby match.

This book is available on Amazon.com for only $13.98 and can be accessed through the associated link. If you are looking for a good book on rugby, you should pick it up!

Can't wait for next week's practice! I'll see you there and make sure and bring a buddy.

Great Second Practice!

2011-02-09T21:58:00.001-06:00

We had a great practice tonight! Only our second practice of the year, but things are looking good for the tornados!

Tonight we again concentrated on conditioning and ball handling skills. For the second practice, we again split the returning players and the new players to allow the newer players to concentrate on the basics. I spent the practice with the returning players.

Although we need to continue to work on conditioning, and we will, the grit that was shown in practice by pushing through all of the conditioning was truly impressive. I think everyone liked the addition of jingle jangles (a sprint and recover exercise) to our practice routine. Due to it's popularity we'll make sure to keep bringing it back to practice. As much as everyone liked Coach McFarland's Ab workout that will also be put on the schedule for repeat performances. A quick shout out to Mark who especially showed a lot of hart by pushing it hard all practice. Keep working on conditioning outside of practice. It'll pay off...

The 2 on 1 and 3 on 2 drills were also impressive. Great decision making skills were shown with players consistently passing the ball to the open player. This is especially true for our returning backs Brock and Alex. It's amazing to see compared to where we were this time last season.

Gage, I don't think I have to mention the gloves...

Although I didn't get to spend much time with the new players, I liked what I saw. There's a lot of talent there and I can't wait to see them grow in the game of rugby. We'll soon be joining our returning and new players and molding them into one big force to be reckoned with!

I know I've mentioned it already, but we need to keep recruiting! Make sure and spread the word especially to some underclassmen. We need more players both for this year and for the future years of the club!

The 2011 season is looking promising...

Great First Practice!

2011-02-07T22:23:00.001-06:00

Awesome first practice tonight! Was very glad to see a lot of returning faces from last year and very happy to see all the new faces!

Tonight we worked mainly on ball handling skills and on conditioning. Get used to those two items. If we do nothing else, by being the best conditioned team and the team with the best ball handling skills on the field, we will win a lot of games.

Here is a link to an article on Ball Handling skills Rugby Side-Step Central.com that may be a good one to review in your spare time.

For those of you that were struggling with conditioning at practice tonight, it will get easier, so stick with it. Also make sure and get in some work on your own outside of practice. Running is good, but that alone may not be enough. Make sure you work in some resistance training with weights (or as Coach O'Rourke mentioned, pushing a lawn mower). And for the record, running from the couch to the refrigerator is not enough... If you are looking for some help in organizing your workouts, Sports Fitness Advisor has an article with links to tons of good rugby specific workouts. Who knows, I may even devote some future blogs to specific training programs that I found useful back in the days that I was in shape and playing.

All in all we had 21 at practice which is great numbers for the first day of practice. However, we still need more players! Make sure you spread the work and recruit! We are especially light on underclassmen this year so make sure you reach out to younger players. Mentoring a younger rugby player can be an extremely rewarding action for those that have a year under your belt.

See you all for another practice on Wednesday!

Recruiting - Want to Play? Ask me how...

2011-02-06T19:42:00.001-06:00

With the first week of practice snowed out, hopefully you've all taken the time to do some extra recruiting!

I can promise you that the coaches will do all we can to make this a successful season. As important as what we do as coaches is the recruiting that is conducted by each of out players. The more players we have, the better we will be as a club.

Also remember, new recruits are welcome to come out and watch practice, but we need for everyone to complete the necessary paperwork before they will be allowed to participate in the first practice. Here are links to the paperwork to get them started:

For all of you seniors out there, make sure you are talking to the underclassman as well. I'm sure that you all want to be able to come back and watch games well after you graduate. To ensure this is going to happen, we need underclassmen on the team. The future of the club depends on it!

Now get out there and spread the word. See you all at our first practice tomorrow!

Six Nations on BBC America

2011-02-05T17:38:00.000-06:00

As I sit at home watching my recorded copy of today's Scottland vs France 6-Nations rugby match, I am dissapointed for not sending this out earlier.

BBC America is showing five of the matches from the 2011 tournament. With the first Televised contact being today. If you live in the Bloomington/Normal area and have Comcast, it is on channel 173. Here is a Schedule of Telivised Matches being shown on BBC America. Make sure and toon in! If you have any questions when watching the matches, let myself or one of the other coaches know.

The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. At the end of the tournament a Champion is crowned! As these teams are known as the best of Europe, the winner of the competition is known as the European Champion. You can follow the results of the 2011 Six nations Tournament on the official website.

Here's a run down of things to watch for with each of the six team:

England – they should win overall. They have an all court game that didn’t exist two years ago. Perhaps still a couple of centres short, they will be the front runners. Watch out for how they use runners off the fly half.
France - probably second favourite. Plenty of talent available, but can it be melded? Will we see a pragmatic approach, with lots of set piece, or will they let loose?
Wales - could beat England or France but unlikely to win both. Struggling with key injuries to their front row. I will be looking to see if they will continue to play to the touchlines before opening up.
Ireland – sleeping giant. Leinster and Ulster are looking so strong, Munster a shadow of themselves. Which province will reflect Ireland – I can’t see Grand Slam confidence seeping through at the moment. I will be looking out for their defensive structures. Will they drift from second phase?
Scotland – jock in a box team. Cleverly marshalled by Andy Robinson, they are more than a kicking outfit. How will they create try scoring opportunites?
Italy – still the poor relations. As the other teams accelerate, can Italy make a real impression? Unfortunately, it is down to a couple of key players having big games, and hiding some of the weaknesses.

Being able to watch Rugby on television in the United States is a rare treat. For us to have the opportunity to watch the Six Nations tournament on BBC America is truly outstanding. As newer players, watching rugby is one of the best ways to learn. When watching, pay attention to the position for which you are aiming for on the team. Today's Scotland versus France Match shows just how much a dominate scrum can make in a match.

Rugby Kit - All You Need is Boots

2011-02-04T21:43:00.000-06:00

As a team, we will provide Rugby Shorts and Socks to each teammember upon the payment of their dues. In addition to these items, all you must have is footware. I will address some other optional equipment in a future blog, but all you have to have is footware. In a pinch, a pair of soccer or football cleats will work, but a good pair of rugby boots may be worth the money. I'll use this post to describe some of the different types of cleats.

Let's start by discussing price. In my 12 years of playing and multiple boot purchases, it has been my experience that the more expensive boots are often not worth the extra money and cheaper boots hold up just as well. My advise is to save the money and on the boots don't be afraid to go cheap.

Next lets discuss three basic types of rugby boots, Hard Ground, Soft Ground, and Turf Cleats.

Let's start with Turf shoes as it will go quickly... These shoes typically have molded cleats of hard plastic and are made to grip into turf or solid ground. We don't play on Turf, so these are not recommended.

Hard Ground boots as the name implies, are made for harder surfaces. Most of these types of shoes come with molded cleats. These cleats typically have molded spikes that are shorter than the longer screw in spikes. These cleats are also generally thought to be better at being able to perform quick cuts and fast movements.

Soft Ground cleats, again as the name implies, are made for softer surfaces. These cleats typically have longer screw in spikes and provide greater stability on softer groound. An additional benefit is that multiple sizes of spikes can be purchased and used depending on the conditions of he playing surface.

Now what do I recommend? For forwards, I suggest always getting Soft Ground cleats. These cleats will provide greater stability and a better ability for traction which allows the player to get a better push. For Back Line players, I still think that Soft Ground boots are a good option. However, some players may prefer Hard Ground boots which sacrifice some traction with better manueverability.

Here are some sites that I have used in the past when buying rugby boots:

There are many other sites that can be found by doing a simple search of the internet.

For more comprehensive information, Rugby Boots.net has a great blog that provides a lot of information including reviews of specefic boots by position.

Hope this helps!

TCT Financials

2011-02-02T20:49:00.000-06:00

Another Snow Day... Another Canceled Practice. I hope you all are being safe and staying warm during this winter storm.

As I once again do not have a practice to discuss, I thought I would use today's Blog to review the Financials for the TCT Rugby Team contained in the following link:

Financial Statement for the 2010 TCT Rugby Season.

As you can see, this link includes:

An actual Financial Statement
A page showing Donations, Sponsorships, and the Results of Fundraisers
A detailed Ledger showing all Income and Expenses for the year
A 2011 Budget

Even though we ended the 2010 season with a surplus, at times money was very tight. In addition, funding for the 2010 team was due in large part to very generous donations by among others the TCT Rugby coaches. We most likely not be able to recieve this large amount of donations in the future.

Here's an explanation of some of the major expenses our club will incur this season:

Dues and Fees - We must register each of our players with USA Rugby. The cost of this registration is $30 per player.
Facilities - Our indoor practice facility at the National Guard Armory is super nice, but it comes at a cost.
Equipment - Last year we recieved a very generous donation of equipment from the Peoria Men's Rugby Club including a tackle bag and other pads. These are expensive! This year we will be looking to add to our equipment to make our practices even more effective. This is also the area we would like to spend some money on if we do get extra money.
Jerseys/Shorts/Socks - As a team, we supply Jerseys, Shorts, and Socks for our players. We did recieve a very generous donation from Mike's Collision last year that helped a lot with the Jersey purchase and we will be using them again this year so that helps. Socks and shorts will however need to be purchased for each member. At $25 a pop, this is expensive...
Advertising - Why we wish word of mouth would be enough, we do have a small amount budgeted for advertising. This includes business cards, flyers, our website and other essentials. We keep this very bare bones!
Administration - What's this? It includes items such as trophies given out at the end of the season, paper supplies for the endless forms, and basically any other expense we don't have a place to put.

Now, lets turn to how we make money:

Dues - We require each player to pay dues of $100 before they play in their first rugby game. As you can see with all of the expenses listed above, this doesn't quite cover everything...
Donations - We greatly appreciate any and all donations. We are grateful to the many parents who went above and beyond the $100 dues payment last year with additional donations. Donations made in the form of a check to Illinois Youth Rugby Association are even deductible. IYRA is a 501c3 charitable organization and we are chartered under them as a member organization. If you write a check to them and give it to us, we will mail it to them and they will return the funds to our club. If requested, they will even send you a reciept of your donation for your taxes. Also, worth mentioning here is the State Farm Good Neighbor Grant. If you are a State Farm Employee, and volunteer 40 hours of time to us, State Farm will make a $500 donation to the club.
Sponsorships - We are always lookig for sponsors. What do we have to offer? We will place their logo on our website, for enough money we will order t-shirts or other items for the kids displaying the logo, and above all we offer our patrionage. If you know of a possible sponsor, let me know.
Fundraisers - Everyone hates these... We try to keep them to a minimum. We will sale concessions at our home games and will have a raffle. Last year, these were hugely successful thanks to the involvement of our parents! We hope not to have to do more than that.

A coouple of other things to note:

All coaches volunteer our time and are in no way paid. Coaches receive no pay and are not reimbursed for normal expenses such as travel to/from games. We look at this as a way to give back to the wonderful sport that gave us so much and being able to share this sport with others is payment enough. Personally, I can say that coaching TCT last year was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Any extra money made will be put back into the club. We run things pretty bare bone and would love to have money to buy additional equipment. However, we will make due. After all, rugby is not about money.
All you need is boots! Although other equipment is available, all you really need to buy is a pair of rugby boots. In a pinch soccer cleats or football cleats will do... If you are going to buy rugby boots, my advice is don't spend a lot of money. It's been my experience that typically the cheaper boots hold up and perform just as well as the expensive ones.
Dues are not a deterent to play. If you have problems paying dues, let us know. We will work something out. During the past year, we had players who paid on a payment plan throughout the season. If this will in any way be an issue for any player, see one of the coaches. We will keep this confidential. We want everyone to have the wonderful experience with Rugby we have had.

With all that being said, updated copies of the 2011 financials are available to any player or parent upon request. We want to be as open as possible about all of this.

Hopefully we will have practice next week!

Snow, Snow Go Away - Stay Tuned on the TCT FaceBook Page

2011-01-31T22:16:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately the first practice of the year that was scheduled for today was canceled due to inclement weather. Please do not be discouraged, we will begin practices soon, but for safety reasons, tonight was not the night. Since we did not have a chance to practice tonight, I encourage all team members to complete some fitness on their own and for the record walking from the couch to the refrigerator does not count as fitness.

With the poor weather expected throughout the week, please stay tuned to our facebook page for further updates concerning future practices. Wednesday's practice will be a game time decision.

This does give me a chance to promote our facebook page. On this site, you can view pictures from the past season, stay in touch with friends, and it is yet another avenue for you to ask questions about the great sport of rugby in general or specifically about the TCT team. Check it out! And don't be afraid to post on the site.

Affiliations of the Twin City Tornado Rugby Club - List Post

2011-01-30T17:15:00.001-06:00

For my second post, I want to insure readers that the Twin City Tornados High School Rugby Club (TCT) is part of a well organized organization belonging to an internationally recognized governinig board and affiliated with national, state, and local organizations.

To start, all rules of play that are followed by TCT are laid out by the International Rugby Board (IRB).

In addition, TCT is governed by USA Rugby and indeed each teammember will be registered with USA Rugby.

At the State Level, TCT is affiliated with the Illinois Youth Rugby Association. This organization is a registered 501(c) charitable organization which I will explain in more detail in a future blog. They organize the State Title which we will have an opportunity to play for and also organize the state's select side (allstar) team.

At a local level, TCT participates in the Illinois and Iowa Rugby League. In addition to TCT, teams which make up this league include:

Rest assured that the TCT Club belongs to established organizations and is here to stay!

First TCT Rugby Blog

2011-01-29T14:31:00.000-06:00

2010 TCT Rugby Team

Hello,

My name is Pat Roan and I am a Coach of the Twin City Tornado High School Rugby Club. Our club is in our second year competing in the Illinois High School Association. After a 12 year playing career, I am anxious and excited about being able to give back to the rugby community as a coach. The purpose of this blog will be to chronicle the 2011 season of the TCT Rugby Club and provide a forum for discussion on the season.

After our hugely successful first season, I can't wait to get this one started. Look for future blogs which will re-cap the first season and also give some hints at the undertaking of getting the first season and second season started.

Please bear with me and forgive any missteps as this is my first attempt at blogging.

Thanks!
Coach Pat