United Rugby

United 22 - Highland 17

http://www.ustream.tv/usarugby

A fantastic game!!

Congratulations to both teams!!

United was ahead by 17-0 at half. A dominating first half of play by United. Highland came back strong and showed a lot of heart in the second half. Tied the game at 17-17.
But the day, the game and the National Championship went to United as they scored the final try. Kia Kaha!

The Highland players should be very proud of their valiant effort. Two excellent and awesome teams made Utah proud today. The home of the two very best rugby teams in the country.

Watch the games on ustream

http://www.ustream.tv/usarugby

Single School Teams across the state

Rugby has the potential of becoming a sanctioned Utah high school sport in the next 5 years.

School districts a seeing millions in revenue shortfalls all across the state.

Compared to other traditional sports, a rugby program is very inexpensive to start and maintain.

A rugby team at every Utah High School. Would that not be awesome!

Rugby Brotherhood ... Good luck to Highland

Let me say that the athletes and young men on the Highland teams are awesome. This blog should in no way take anything away from or diminish their efforts in the least. I know they leave everything on the field each time they play.

I wish them the best and hope they cherish the memories of being a part of such a great sport.

The rugby brotherhood, allows brothers and the best of friends to play on opposite teams, yet off the field we are one. It is this fellowship, of mutual respect, off the field that will define and shape our lives into the future.

Scores and records are quickly forgotten, while the memories of warriors sharing a coke or hamburger after the game will live forever.

Cherish these memories.

HR has 10 losses this season

HR teams have a total of 10 losses this season.

Very difficult to scale up and duplicate the, thirty year 390 - 9 super dominating team model when you now have multiple teams and only the U-19 has the 8 import players.

The U-19 continues with the 100 point wins until they met United, Skyline or Kearns. Two of 100 + point wins, 126-0, came over FIRST YEAR teams. Cheers to those two teams for walking on to the field.

This begs the question. If other Utah teams are getting more and more competitive while HR increases the numbers of import players on the U-19 squad from year to year. Why? HR has confirmed that this year there are 8 import players. Two are US citizens but do not live in the USA.

All of the other HR teams have found fair, good and very good competition form week to week. Yes and finding themselves on the short end of the stick 9 times.

9 losses in one year compared to 9 losses in 30 years is very significant.

This dilutes the HR magic. Magic mixed with 8 import players,100 point wins and no losses appears to be leading to mediocrity not superiority and domination. A good loss once and a while is the best experience for any team.

The U-19 team was lucky, not magic, to squeak out a one point victory over United. Only scoring when United had 14 men on the field. The ref put a United player in the sin bin for being offside in the final 5 minutes. This created the opportunity for HR to score. They could not score when United was at full strength.

The key for United in the upcoming rematch, hopefully, in Rio Tinto will be keeping 15 men on the field

The losses are not listed on the HR website, only the wins. Keeping up appearances, the perfect record, is hard work.... "delete" ... ha ha

Now confirmed by our friends at HR ... Pretzel Logic

This gets very technical but I will give it a try.

Not as per US Immigration service or the state of Utah. But as defined by HR.

HR U-19 Squad

6 of the import players are non US residents and non citizens.

2 are not residents or living in Utah or the USA but they were born in the USA and are US citizens.

That is a total of 8 import players who came here from other countries to play for HR and will be returning to their homes at the end of the season.

As US citizens but living in New Zealand, two imports qualify as residents under the rules of USA Rugby.

One of the 6 non citizens cannot dress for each U-19 game because only 5 can be on the roster.

A US citizen living anywhere in the world for any length of time can now meet the USA Rugby residency requirements and play for any team.

A US citizen is a resident of Utah and the USA even if he lives permanently in New Zealand or England etc

This opens the door for a future hybrid HR U-19 or Eagle team comprised 100% of players who do not live or reside permanently in the USA. As long as 10 of them have US citizenship regardless of the country in which they reside. Local players will be sitting on the bench as reserves and water boys.

HR is currently at 50% of this hybrid model with 8, non resident citizens and non citizens, 53.33% of the team.

If I was born Boston but I now live in New York, then I should be able to play for the team in Boston because I meet the residency requirement by birth even though I am not a resident of Boston because I live in New York ........

The drafters of the USA Rugby rules used the word "resident" for a reason. Don't make me explain this one. Use your common sense. What does resident mean in high school and college sports?

BRILLIANT pretzel logic !! ha ha

U-19 v. Dixie

U-19 v. Dixie

Highlights: The game was over pretty quick against Dixie, who played hard all game but is a first year team with a lot of green players. Tries came early and often by our boys, who had go-forward all day long. It is still early season, so we are playing with some different lineups and seeing who we have where. All 15 starters were pulled at halftime of a runaway game, and although the bench was emptied, there was not much drop off from the starters to the reserves in a 101-0 victory. Great play by John Kacinski, Levi Card, Maika Hafoka, Dion Stevens, Eric Pauni, and Brigham Tukukino, among many others.

Lowlights: Placekicking is still inconsistent, and we need to continue to find a comfort level with each other and function as one…but there were great improvements there form last week.

1: DJ Ferris (Moises Peraza @ half), 2: Levi Card (Iniki Tauveli @ half), 3: Kesni Tausinga (Seni Fauonuku @half), 4: Sam Brookham (Kap Pauni @ half), 5: Matt Jensen (Justin Hill @ half), 6: Aaron Hanson (Nate Fairbanks @ half), 7: John Kacinski (Ara Elkington @ half), 8: Maika Hafoka (Kingston Liavaa @ half), 9: Sean Harwood (Mitch Larsen @ half), 10: Danny Tuai (Kepu Lauti @ half), 11: Eric Pauni (Etu Moli @ half), 12: Dion Stevens (Wini Elkington @ half), 13: Brigham Tukukino (Leva Bloomfield @ half), 14: Josh Anderson (Jace Peterson @ half) 15: Tana Afeaki (Dane Madsen @ half)

Other reserves: Michael Western, Jaxon Phippen, Josh Nilsen, Clyde Reaveley, George Kafalava, Percy Angilau, Tonga Angilau, Tyler Byrge, Sione Folaumoeloa, Isi Manu

Scoring – T: Card, Tausinga, Kacinski(2), Harwood, E. Pauni, Stevens, Tukukino, Anderson, A. Elkington(2), Phippen, L. Bloomfield (2), Madsen, Kafalava, Angilau K: Afeaki 3C, Stevens 3C, Madsen 2C

Sticks and stones ....

For those of you who may be thinking of creative ways to use this blog as a lever against the United Rugby Club, please read on.

I have no affiliation with the United Rugby Club other than Colin Puriri the coach, is my brother. I do not speak for or on behalf of the United Rugby Club.

These are my opinions.

My brother and I have had strong disagreements about issues. He is his own man and I love him as a brother unconditionally. Always have and always will. And by the way is a pretty damn good coach.

The last time I looked out the window there is an American flag in one of my neighbor's yards. The United States of America, home of the free,the brave and protector of liberty and the right of free speech. I love this country and feel privileged to live here.

I also love the principles of truth and integrity based on the show me principle.

This blog places my opinions with supporting documentation on the table.

Opinions only become valid or truthful when they are substantiated with the cold hard facts. Otherwise they are just hot air, good for balloons and blowing smoke.

Read the .pdf files, correct me and show me if I am wrong and make your own judgments.

And yes I am a legal immigrant.

CALL ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU!!

Sticks and stones .............

Import players...Highland 6,7,8,9? - United 4

Who knows how many? It's a mystery and closely guarded secret.

Like a soap opera "As the Black Planet Turns". Stay tuned.

Why do the import numbers increase every year? Over the years we have seen the import ranks grow from 2 to 4 to 6 and now 8 maybe 9 in 2010!

If local talent is benefiting from this practice then the numbers of import players should be getting smaller and smaller from year to year to maintain the same level of play and scoring.

Quite the opposite is happening. HR teams, other than U-19, are finding themselves in very competitive games across the board from week to week. Discovering the benefits of losing, that we all have enjoyed for years.

Rio Tinto to Expensive for Nationals

Highland is sponsoring the National tournament at Rio Tinto in 3 weeks. An email was sent out asking teams to help with the event and to share the proceeds.

You smash a team by 126 points, then you ask them to help you. Charity? These type of requests require forward planning, building friendships and brotherhood. Don't be surprised by the lack of response.

This is liken to the Pharisee walking by the beggar on the side of the road (The Good Samaritan)and walking away without helping him.(126-0) The next week you need help pushing your car into a gas station and you ask this very same man to help you.


Some FREE & friendly advice for the black planet:

1. Rio Tinto is to big and expensive, tickets will need to be $60.00 each or more to cover your costs. People cannot afford this in today's economy
2. Hold the event at Murray Park, its a great facility
3. You can lower the cost to attend, or make it free, and have food and vendor booths to cover your costs.
4. None of these opportunities are available at Rio Tinto.
5. You will avoid the black hole of debt and scrambling to find donors to fill the big gap at the end of the day
6. Not as fancy as Rio Tinto. But who cares about fancy? We just care about rugby and the young men participating.


Good luck.

The Highland Review of the game with United

Highland U19 v. United

Saturday saw a phenomenal game of rugby between rivals Highland and United, one which could have gone either way, and often did with a back-and-forth lead throughout the game. In the end, Highland found a bit of that old magic from somewhere to earn the #1 seed to nationals in an 18-17 victory.

The game was unbelievably intense from the opening kickoff, and it became clear from the opening breakdown that both teams were going to go viciously at each other all game long. Murray rugby stadium was filled almost to capacity, with a crowd that probably numbered around 2-3,000 screaming rugby fans who made the noise almost deafening at times. Big hits, nasty rucks, and handling errors in the backline marked much of the first half of play, as both teams went at each other back and forth on the field without much to show on the scoreboard. Highland threatened more consistently in the half, spending a great deal of time in the opposition half, but a strong United defense and an inability to hold on to the ball kept the score at zero until United conceded a penalty straight in front of the posts which was successfully taken by lock Sam Brookham, 3-0. United responded right away, with the Whippy twins (12/13) deftly moving the ball down the field both on the ground and through the air with the kicking game. Two interesting side notes – 1. Marcus Whippy, older brother of the twins, was a standout wing for Highland about 6 years ago, very talented family. 2. Both teams were had sets of twins on the field, with the aforementioned Josh and Jared Whippy for United, and Ara and Wini Elkington for Highland (whose older brother Raha excelled at #10 for Highland back in 2005). Quite the family affair!

Back to the game, United was given a penalty of their own, which was slotted through to tie the score at 3. Highland would get close a couple more times, but would come away with no points. Levi Card made several strong runs only to lose possession, and handling errors continued to plague the backline. Both sides showed very strong defense, and after some more intense play on both sides, that’s the way the half would end.

If the first half was intense, the second half was intensity on steroids. Both teams came out with plenty of fire. The excitement in the air was palatable, as both squads knew that the winner of the game would go straight to nationals as the #1 seed, while the loser would have to win a 4-team playoff (with NorCal, PNW, and Arizona) for the #2 seed. A Highland attack saw the ball spend a lot of time near the goal, and although a score seemed imminent, it was tough going. Eventually a United penalty led to another Brookham kick, and the lead was Highland’s again, 6-3. It was United who would score the first try of the game. Following a 5-man lineout, a kick ahead by fullback Ezra Hirawani caused havoc near the goal, and with Highland unable to field cleanly, United would pick up and touch over for the unconverted try, 10-6.

The physical play would get a hair out of hand, as United’s Whippy (#12) would be sent off for a high tackle, much to the dismay of the very opinionated United fans, who had no problem letting the official know exactly how they felt. It was the first of two yellow cards on the day for United. Taking advantage of the man advantage, Highland moved the ball down the field where it appeared they would be once again rebuffed. Not to be denied this time, though, the ball was spun wide to inserting fullback Tana Afeaki, who carried himself across the line with a second effort and reached across for the try. The sideline conversion was missed by Brookham, but the lead was regained, 11-10. With around 8 minutes left in the game, it was desperation for United, who had to make something happen. Once again, it was the kicking game that would move them down the field, and they put one in across the line for a converted try, and Highland was left with less than 5 minutes to score, and convert, a try. What happened next is another piece to add to the Highland legend. Hard running, great execution, and fanatical effort moved the ball down the field. Sean Harwood found DJ Ferris on the weakside, but he came up about a meter short from scoring. As the try would have to be converted for the win, it may have been a blessing in disguise that he did not get in, as the kick would have been difficult. Highland got the ball back quickly and after a perfectly executed lineout, got close once again. Harwood took the ball from a ruck and spun wide to #10 Danny Tuai, who glanced off of a tackler, spun inside, and sprinted in to the try zone for a diving try that sent the crowd and the sidelines in to an absolute frenzy. The noise was deafening, and for a moment the crowd seemed to forget than a conversion was still needed to go ahead. Not to worry, however, as Brookham continued a fantastic day of kicking by putting the pressure-packed kick through the uprights for an 18-17 advantage. 30 seconds was all that remained on the clock, and following a good take by Kesni Tausinga on the kickoff, Highland was awarded a penalty. Apparently wanting to add just a little more drama on the day (like it needed more!) Afeaki did not quite get the kick in to touch. Thankfully the kick was well-covered, and the United wing was forced out to end a game for the ages. Hats off to Wini and Ara, who were both incredible all day and showed a tremendous will to win, and to Brookham, who had his best kicking day of the year when it was needed most. Also, kudos to sophomore Leva Bloomfield, who played hard in making his first-ever U19 start.

Highland gets a bit of a rest before nationals on the 21st and 22nd, while United must win the previously mentioned tournament, which they will host, to qualify.

Highland

1: Maika Hafoka (Matt Jensen @ 20:00 blood, Hafoka re-enter), 2: Levi Card ( c ), 3: DJ Ferris, 4: Sam Brookham, 5: Kesni Tausinga 6: Aaron Hanson (Kap Pauni @ 60:00), 7: Ara Elkington, 8: John Kacinski, 9: Sean Harwood, 10: Danny Tuai, 11: Leva Bloomfield, 12: Eric Pauni, 13: Wini Elkington, 14: Josh Anderson, 15: Tana Afeaki

Scoring – (T): Afeaki, Tuai (K): Brookham 2P, 1C

Highland 18 United 17

Perhaps the best game of rugby many have ever seen. Congratulations to both teams.

Yesterday the black planet met its equal.

Rumor has it that Highland will be practicing 2x's a day, six days a week to find that 100 point edge.