Rugby NY: News

Teams set to compete for 2013 RugbyNY Championships

Albany NY - The matchups are set for the 2013 RugbyNY Championships being held this Memorial Day weekend at Aardvark Park in Rochester, NY. Upstate representatives to the championships were decided after a round of playoff matches last weekend and they join league champs from Met NY, Capital District and North Country to battle for the RugbyNY crown.

The Girls championships sees the return of all four of last year's participants. Two time defending RugbyNY champions New York Rugby Club representing the Met NY league are the #1 seed and will face the #4 seed Adirondack in a semifinal match. Hamburg makes their second straight championship appearance after defeating previously unbeaten Kenmore Girls Rugby to win the Upstate league and are the #2 seed. They will play the #3 seed, Capital District league champs Kingston who are making their third consecutive appearance in the championships.

In Boys Tier 1, top seeded McQuaid Jesuit (Upstate #1) are the defending RugbyNY champions and will face the #4 seed Xavier (Met NY #2) in a semifinal featuring two of the premier programs in high school rugby. The other Tier 1 semifinal pits #2 seed Kenmore Rugby Club (Upstate #2) against the #3 seed New York Rugby Club (Met NY #1) who are particpating in the championships for the first time.

The Boys Tier 2 competition features four teams with previous RugbyNY championship experience. #5 Fairport (Upstate #3) will take on the #8 seed Adirondack Barkeaters in one semifinal while #6 seed Pittsford (Upstate #4) faces the Capital District champion Saratoga Mustangs.

Schedule
Sunday May, 26
11:00am Boys Tier 1 #1 McQuaid Jesuit vs. #4 Xavier High School
1:00pm Boys Tier 1 #2 Kenmore Rugby Club vs. #3 New York Rugby Club
1:00pm Boys Tier 2 #5 Fairport vs. #8 Adirondack
3:00pm Boys Tier 2 #6 Pittsford vs. #7 Saratoga
3:00pm Girls #1 New York Rugby Club vs. #4 Adirondack
5:00pm Girls #2 Hamburg Rugby vs. #3 Kingston

Monday, May 27
11:00am Boys Tier 1 Consolation (3rd/4th place)
11:00am Boys tier 1 Championship
1:00pm Girls Consolation (3rd/4th place)
1:00pm Girls Championship
3:00pm Boys Tier 2 Consolation (7th/8th place)
3:00pm Boys tier 2 Championship (5th/6th place)

About RugbyNY: Rugby NY is a NY State not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to teach the concepts of fair play, sportsmanship, camaraderie, and boys and girls in grades K-12 across New York State through the sport of rugby.

RugyNY is recognized by USA Rugby as the state based rugby orgainzation ("SBRO") responsible for administering youth and high school rugby and is responsible for staging the annual NY State High School Champioships and providing resources and programming for players, coaches, referees, educators and parents.

Buffalo Rugby Club accepting applications for scholarship

Buffalo, NY - The Buffalo Rugby Club is focused on enriching the rugby community in Western New York and is seeking a deserving candidate. Buffalo Rugby Club is also pleased to acknowledge that this scholarship is funded, in part, by Orchard Park Rugby in memory of Frank “Poopsie” Koch.

The scholarship this year will be full tuition to the Nike Elite Rugby Camp in Garden City New York. The camp runs August 4-7 2013 at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. The full registration of $599 will be covered by the Buffalo Rugby Club for the selected applicant.

More information on the camp is provided at http://www.ussportscamps.com/rugby/elite/elite-rugby-camps-new-york/ . Please be aware that the selected winner will still be responsible for transportation to and from the camp.

In order to apply for consideration, applicants must complete the following:

Application form
Coaches letter of recommendation
Provide an essay which answers the question, “How has rugby impacted you?”

The winning applicant will have demonstrated leadership and passion on the rugby field, the classroom and the community. Additionally, consideration of the applicant’s future plans, with regards to rugby, will be taken into account.Scholarship finalists may be asked to provide additional information.

Completed Applications should be submitted to Dave Cieslik (dmcieslik@gmail.com) AND Nick Kusmierski (kusmierskin@hotmail.com). If you have any questions, please email either of the above.

Deadline for Application is June 1, 2013.

2013 RugbyNY Championships Information

Rochester, NY - Click on the link to download the official 2013 RugbyNY Championships information package.

2013 RugbyNY Championships Information (pdf)

For more information or any questions you may have, please contact Mike Kaseman at mkaseman@fairport.org

Pat Laczkowski hired as RugbyNY Youth Development Officer

Albany, NY - RugbyNY, in partnership with USA Rugby, is proud to announce the hiring of Pat Laczkowski, as its new Youth Development Officer.

After completing training with USA Rugby, Pat will be RugbyNY's point person responsible for developing programs to grow the number of boys and girls participating in rugby across the state, as well as growing the number of high school teams playing 7’s and 15’s.

Pat comes to RugbyNY with an extensive rugby and background. A graduate of Buffalo State College, Pat has been playing, coaching and refereeing rugby for 30 years. In addition, Pat is also the owner of a successful rugby and athletic gear and apparel business and a B Panel USA Rugby certified referee.

After an arduous selection and interview process, the hiring committee was privileged to choose Pat as the final candidate from amongst a group of highly qualified individuals.

Pat will begin his duties as RugbyNY Youth Development Officer immediately upon completion of his training with USA Rugby.

Pat can be reached at pat.laczkowski@rugbyny.org

USA Rugby Membership Registration and Coaching Certification Issues

Albany, NY - RugbyNY president Rob Sliwinski's correspondence regarding issues with USA Rugby's new coaching certification and registration systems. The bulk registration form Rob mentions is available as a download here.

From: Rob Sliwinski [mailto:cdyrugby@nycap.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 8:01 PM

Rugby NY,

I have heard from a number of teams that many of us have been having trouble registering our players through USA Rugby’s new membership software. Please contact Lucy at USA Rugby directly and see if she can help you out. If you are still experiencing problems, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do. But honestly, I’m not getting resolution to my problems either.

Lucy has provided the attached bulk registration template for your use.

Rob

From: Lucy Zugschwert

Sent: Monday, April 1, 2013 5:24 PM

To: 'Rob Sliwinski' ; 'Jen Cope' ; 'Kurt Weaver' ; 'Erin Kennedy'

Cc: 'Dave McCann' ; 'Joshua Sutcliffe' ; 'Frederick J. Bressette' ; 'John Durant' ; 'Kevin Flood' ; 'Mike Gallagher' ; 'Mike Hodgins' ; 'Rob Sliwinski' ; 'Rosalie MacGowan' ; 'Tammy Morgan'

Subject: RE: USA Rugby Membership Registration and Coaching Certifications

Rob,

Thank you for your email and I am sorry for the delay in my response. I understand your frustration and your criticisms are well received. The communication for this membership launch were delayed and many of the features the new system provides are showcased in that information. Many of this has already been updated on the USA Rugby website and are featured with FAQs and step by step instructions under the “Member Resources” tab. Please understand that the email sent last week did include that the system would be switched on and that we would be in the process of transferring the data from the old to the new. It said

Also, we are working through the transfer of all current registration data. Please be patient while we transition to have everything updated by next week. The Easter holiday weekend has put a kink in our timeframe. We will provide assistance from the current active member data so please ask.

My staff and I are working with any members who need assistance with their rosters as we understand that the lack of information can hinder their season. We are also working closely with team administrators for the bulk registration as we would like to ensure they are not enduring any additional steps. If you have teams who need to register multiple members please have them use the attached spreadsheet and forward it to us. We can assist with the payment and provide registration for many members at one time.

I would also like to set up a time with you and any of your team administrators to show you the administrator features so that you can continue to find the value in the new change.

Thank you for your continued support of USA Rugby and feel free to contact me if you have any additional needs.

-Lucy

---

Lucy zugschwert | Membership Manager | USA Rugby

e: lzugschwert@usarugby.org t: 720.508.8021 p: 303.539.0300 | f: 303.539.0311
2500 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 200 | Boulder CO 80302

From: Rob Sliwinski [mailto:cdyrugby@nycap.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2013 11:32 AM
To: Lucy Zugschwert; Jen Cope; Kurt Weaver; Erin Kennedy
Cc: Dave McCann; Joshua Sutcliffe; Frederick J. Bressette; John Durant; Kevin Flood; Mike Gallagher; Mike Hodgins; Rob Sliwinski; Rosalie MacGowan; Tammy Morgan
Subject: USA Rugby Membership Registration and Coaching Certifications

Folks,

I need to write to complain about my frustration with the “improvements” being made at USA Rugby. It seems that things are being rolled out before thinking them out completely and working out the bugs. As a result, the process of registering players and trying to assure compliance with the basic requirements of member registration and coach certification (which is handled by SBROs and other local unions) is made more difficult if not impossible. According to the email I received this week, I believed that the new registration system was in test mode. I misinterpreted that email and unbelievably the new system went live without, it appears, the proper testing and data review. That email had me checking data for the first time on a system that already went live. Data errors (first thing I check is my membership and I don’t show up as a coach on my team) and reduced functionality of the new registration system will make team administrator’s role more difficult. Bottom line - we are now embarking on a new season without a properly functioning registration system.

This isn’t the first time this has happened this year. The rollout of the new coaching certification process was also a fiasco. Starting the competition year without the process being finalized; the changing requirements for the on-line courses; having information on the website that didn’t match up with the new requirements; and, the inexcusable delay in getting background checks completed and putting that information up on the website in a timely manner has created a climate of frustration among our members. To be fair, I have not heard any valid complaints about the actual certification process, but the rollout could have been handled much better. Now the problem lies in the data management making it much impossible for SBRO administrators to assure compliance with USA Rugby requirements. Rugby NY is requiring that all High School teams have a coach certified at the LEVEL 200. Again I checked my information first and the information on the coach certification page on the USAR website has me at LEVEL 100 and not 200 as it should be since I completed the LEVEL 200 course over a month ago. I have other coaches who have completed the requirements that do not show up at all on the USAR certified list. Therefore, I cannot even tell who’s met the LEVEL 100 USAR requirement. If I cannot trust the USAR information, I cannot verify compliance of the teams in Rugby NY and I have no ability to enforce these requirements. This is an untenable situation.

Now the registration system rollout seems to following a similar route and I am already hearing the frustration of my membership. I went onto the system to check for myself and to complete some registrations. As a team administrator, I went onto the system to register more players and found that system no longer accommodates the registration of multiple players by the coach or administrator. I have already heard complaints about this change and cannot understand how such a change could be made without ample notification. This change will create a tremendous burden on those who have set up their team player registration procedures based on the ability of the team administrator to handle this duty. It also creates a credibility problem for us. especially with those new to rugby, if we have to go back and tell parents to complete the on-line registrations.

It is also troubling that this change has been made without first polling membership about a change like this. As President of an SBRO (Rugby NY), at a minimum, I should have been made aware of the nature of the changes being considered so I could have provided input. As with verifying the coach certifications, I, as an SBRO administrator, cannot trust the data in the system to verify player registrations. Therefore, I am not able to confirm whether players are registered and eligible to play. This too is an untenable situation.

Instead of making things easier, with these changes USAR has added to the burden of SBRO and team administrators. These people are volunteers and we should not be alienating our volunteers. They are hard to find and getting harder to keep. I await your response and trust that these issues will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Rob Sliwinski

President, Rugby NY

President, Capital District Youth Rugby

Coach and Administrator, Rensselaer Dragons (Boys)

Coach and Administrator, Schenectady Chargers (Boys)

RugbyNY & USA Rugby offering Strength and Conditioning certification course

Albany, NY - RugbyNY in conjunction with the USA Rugby Coaching Development Program is pleased to offer the IRB Strength and Conditioning Certification course to coaches interested in developing basic knowledge and understanding of practical skills. The course will provide an ideal opportunity for coaches to increase their understanding of rugby training and its application to coaching.

The Strength and Conditioning course comprises six modules covering several topics:

Long Term Player Development Pathway
Functional screening
Anatomical adaptation
Demands of the Game
Principles of Training
Speed and intermittent sprint endurance
Periodization Recovery

The primary aim of the course is to help coaches prepare a player to safely play rugby and reduce the risk of injury. The course breaks down the specific demands of rugby and provides the strength and conditioning framework to meet those demands. The course consists of two parts: online course work and an in-person assessment.

Coaches who complete the course will earn 10 Professional Development Credits. Professional Development Credits are necessary to maintain an active USA Rugby Coaching Certification.

The cost of the clinic is $65. Payment will be required at check-in, cash or check only. All participants must be pre-registered, click here to register.

USARFU / RugbyNY Strength & Conditioning Clinic
April 14, 2013
9:00am - 5:00pm Archbold Gymnasium
Healthworks Exercise Science Lab
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244
Directions

RugbyNY accepting applications for Youth Development Officer

Albany, NY - Rugby NY is now accepting applications for the paid position of Youth Development Officer (YDO).

The YDO position is a part-time position of 20 hours per week through December 31st, 2013. The position will be up for renewal as of January 1st, 2014. Start Date is April 1st.

The YDO is tasked with coordinating the Rugby NY activities related to growing rugby for youth and high schools in New York State. The YDO will work with the Rugby NY Board of Directors and Executive Committee to create a development plan and implement that plan for growing the sport of rugby in New York.

For more information and instructions on applying, go to http://usngbjobs.teamworkonline.com/teamwork/r.cfm?i=53415

Life University offering summer rugby camps for HS boys

Marietta, GA - Life University has announced their 2013 Summer High School Rugby Camps.

High School Boys Rugby Camp - July 9-12
The staple of the Life U Rugby camp menu, this will be the 4th annual summer for our HS Boys Rugby Camp. Campers are organized according to age and skill level. The week focuses on teaching all of the many aspects that go into becoming a successful rugby player: all skills, diet, strength and conditioning, and much more. The final day concludes with a competitive match.
Experience level – Beginner to Advanced
Overnight Camper Cost $450/Commuter $350

Position-Specific Skills Camp - July 13 & 14
This camp provides two days of intensive technique and training for your specific position. Players can choose between Front Row, Lock, Back Row,Scrum half, Flyhalf/Center or Back 3 and focus on those specific skills and decision making traits required for each position.
Experience level – Beginner to Advanced
Overnight Camper Cost $200/Commuter $150

Elite Competition Camp - July 15-19
Having offered this camp for the first time last summer, we’re excited about building on last year’s success. We will increase space for additional campers to enroll in an attempt to accommodate the strong demand built from last year’s camp. The Elite Competition Camp focuses on skill development and coaching built around live matches. Campers will be arranged into teams and assigned a coaching staff that will work with them throughout the week. During the week there will be multiple live matches for each team. The matches will be video-taped and the video breakdown will be presented back to the player/team by their coaching staff. Adjustments, teaching and player development will be the focal points as the coaching staff works to improve and prepare the players/team for the next competition. The live environment is a
great learning opportunity for all players.
Experience Level – Intermediate to Advanced
Overnight Camper Cost $500 /Commuter $400

Registration Form (pdf)

RugbyNY player development camps are filling up, register today!

Albany, NY - Space is still available at RugbyNY's Player Development camps March 1st & 2nd in Albany, and March 8th & 9th in Buffalo.

Each camp will consist of a Friday evening session and a second day-long session on Saturday. The camps are an ideal way for high school teams to kick off their spring season. Boys and girls of all experience levels are welcome and the program will be tailored so everyone will benefit regardless of rugby experience.

The Buffalo camp will be led by USA Rugby Men's National Team Head Coach Mike Tolkin. Mike will be assisted by University at Buffalo mens coach Mike Hodgins, St. Bonaventure University Men's Head Coach Clarence Picard and other local college and club coaches.

The Albany camp will be led by USA Rugby High School All-Americans Assistant Coach Paul Barford. Assisting Paul will be USA Rugby Women’s National Sevens Team Assistant coach Joanne Kos and 2-time USA Eagle World Cup scrumhalf Claudia Braymer and University of Albany Men's Head Coach John Durant.

The camps are also open to coaches. USA Rugby will award coaching development continuing education credits towards ongoing certification to all coaches that attend. For details on continuing eduction credits, please contact RugbyNY Director Mike Hodgins at mhodgins@usarugby.org

The cost for both of the camps is $30 per player. Payment is required at check-in prior to the Friday evening session, cash or check only.

Click here for our online registration form. Spots are limited so register now and be sure to reserve your place today!

Albany Area Player Camp (Note new location)
March 1-2
Afrim's - Latham Dome
6 Jacqueline Ave.
Latham, NY 12210
Directions

Buffalo Area Player Camp
March 8-9
Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse
1 Bills Drive
Orchard Park, NY 14127
Directions

Fairport Rugby to host 2013 RugbyNY Championships

Albany, NY - The RugbyNY board of directors has selected Fairport Rugby (Rochester) as hosts for the 2013 RugbyNY Championships. Champions will be crowned in boys and girls competitions on Memorial Day weekend May 26-27.

"Fairport has tremendous parent support and we expect that they will do a great job hosting our premier event" said RugbyNY president Rob Sliwinski. "We recieved a number of quality bids, but we felt that Fairport provided the best combination of venue and support" he added.

The matches will be played at Aardvark Park in Rochester, with additional fields available if needed at nearby McQuaid Jesuit High School.

Seeds and competition format will be announced soon, be sure to check back for details.

RugbyNY hosting USA Rugby Coaching Certification course

Albany, NY - Registration is open for the USA Rugby Level 200 Introducing Rugby coaching course for February 23rd in Kingston, NY. Details below:

February 23, 2013 – Level 200 Coaching Course at Kingston High School, Kingston, NY

· WHEN: Saturday February 23^rd, 2013, Starts at 8 am goes until 5 pm

· WHERE: Kingston High School, 403 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401.

· HOW MUCH: $ 90 (Does not include CIPP Registration)

· HOW TO REGISTER: http://89.185.144.30/Coaching/OnlineSignup/SelectCourses.aspx?Category=EVENTCAT_COACH

Rugby NY Accepting Applications for All-Star Coaches

Albany, NY - Rugby NY is now accepting applications coaching positions for the following representative teams:
- Metro NY Boys

- Metro NY Girls

- Capital/North Boys

- Capital/North Girls

- Western NY Boys

- Western NY Girls

These will be three year appointments that will run thru the 2015 season. Preference will be given to applicants with prior select side coaching experience, but prior experience is not a requirement.

Interested coaches should submit an application that includes the following:
- Team for which you are applying.

- Rugby curriculum vitae of the head coach and any assistant coaches, managers, trainers, etc.

- Program events calendar - training dates, tryouts, practices, tournaments or competitions you plan to enter. Calendar should be specific for 2013 season, with general milestones for the 2014 and 2015 seasons

- Budget estimates with anticipated expenses, revenues and approximate player contribution

- Coaching and player development philosophy and experience

- Overall direction and goals for the program during the term of the appointment

Anyone wishing to coach a Rugby NY select side must file an application. All applications will be reviewed by the Rugby NY Competition Committee and Executive Committee who will appoint coaches for each program.

Applications should be sent to RugbyNY President Rob Sliwinski at rob.sliwinski@rugbyny.org and must be received by Friday, February 15, 2013.

Coaching appointments will be announced by Monday, February 25, 2013.

RugbyNY launches new web site design

Buffalo, NY - RugbyNY has launched their revamped web site design today, incorporating new graphics and a cleaner layout style.

"We wanted to make more current information accessible from our home page" said RugbyNY webmaster Fred Bressette. "By rearranging the content, we can now show more information in the same space" he added.

Another update is the return of Facebook Like and Comments to news and events. "Facebook is constantly changing their applications and its difficult to keep up sometimes, but the new code should help us generate more traffic for both our web site and our Facebook page." said Bressette.

Like the new site design? Hate it? Want to see changes or additions? Send us an email to webmaster@rugbyny.org and let us know what you think.

RugbyNY hosting USA Rugby Coaching Certification clinic

Albany, NY - Rugby NY is pleased to announce that they will be holding a USA Rugby Level 200 Coaching Certification clinic February 3rd in Batavia, NY.

WHEN: Sunday February 3rd, 2013, Starts at 8 am goes until 5 pm
WHERE: Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY.
HOW MUCH: $ 90 (Does not include CIPP Registration)
HOW TO REGISTER: Register online thru USA Rugby at: http://tinyurl.com/avvfkw8

All participants should be CIPP registered as a coach with USA Rugby (www.usarugby.org) and complete the on-line Concussion and SafeSport training modules prior to attending this course. It is a requirement of USA Rugby to complete your Level 100 certification prior to earning your Level 200 certification.

Level 200 Description:
This workshop is aligned with the ARM (American Rugby Model) designed to continue the learning process and education of a coach with a focus on the progressive implementation. The new coaching structure focuses on coaching the right thing at the right time with the best interest of the players at hand.

The level 200 courses consist of a required prerequisite online session and a 1-day in person workshop. The shift in theory in the new course gets coaches on the field with ample opportunity to put into practice their coaching style and technical application.

This course is aligned with the NFHS (National High School Federation), interscholastic coach certification and is required at a minimum for every USAR registered coach teaching the contact game. The goal of this workshop is for coaches to refine their coaching skills and knowledge with a focus on teaching the technical aspects of the game through the use of games, questioning and progression. Throughout the workshop coaches will not only get hands on experience but participant in continuous feedback, evaluation and a peer review processes aimed at improving and creating more well rounded coaching approach.

All Rugby NY teams are required to have at least one Level 200 USA Rugby Certified Coach starting this year. If you have previously taken Introduction to Rugby course and have completed the Level 100 USA Rugby on-line coaching requirements (see above), that classroom course will be applied to your certification and you DO NOT need to take the Level 200 course.

Under USA Rugby’s new coaching certification guidelines, you do not need to repeat the Introduction to Rugby or the Level 200 course if you keep your certification current. It is hoped that you will continue to pursue additional higher level certifications.

PLEASE CONTACT USA RUGBY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON YOUR PREVIOUS COACHING CERTIFICATIONS.

For questions regarding the RugbyNY coaching policy, please contact RugbyNY President Rob Sliwinski at rob.sliwinski@rugbyny.org

UPDATED: 2013 RugbyNY Player Development Camps

Albany, NY - RugbyNY is proud to announce their 2013 Player Development Camps.

RugbyNY is hosting two development camps for players and coaches, March 1st & 2nd in Albany, and March 8th & 9th in Buffalo.

The cost for both of the camps is $30 per player. Payment is required at check-in prior to the Friday evening session, cash or check only.

Click here for our online registration form. Spots are limited so register now and be sure to reserve your place today!

Albany Area Player Camp (Please note new location & time)
Camp Location: Afrim's - Latham Dome, 6 Jacqueline Ave., Latham, NY 12210
Dates: Friday March 1st from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm and Saturday March 2nd from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Buffalo Area Player Camp:
Camp Location: Ralph Wilson Fieldhouse, 1 Bills Drive, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Dates: Friday March 8th from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm and Saturday March 9th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Player check-in for both camps begins 1 hour prior to the start of the session.

Player Camp schedule will include:
* Handling
* Continuity
* Positional Skills
* Unit Skills
* Game Organization
* Controlled Scrimmages

What to Bring
Each player should bring the following:
* Rugby jersey
* Rugby shorts or similar
* Flat-soled athletic shoes
* Athletic shoes appropriate for turf field (NO METAL CLEATS ALLOWED)
* Any appropriate headgear
* Lunch (saturday)
* Water or sports drinks

RugbyNY continues partnership with World Rugby Shop

Albany, NY - Rugby New York has once again partnered with World Rugby Shop and this will provide both Rugby New York and its members a number of benefits.

As part of the agreement Rugby New York will receive free training equipment for its All Star assembly and a percentage of all sales from member teams will go to support Rugby New York and its mission of growing youth rugby in New York.

Every new high school and middle school club (or age grade equivalent) will be eligible to receive a free New Team Start Up Equipment Pack courtesy of World Rugby Shop that includes the following:

- 5 Rugby balls

- Kicking Tee

- Ball Pump

- Ball Bag

- 40 Flat Cones

New teams need to contact RugbyNY President Rob Sliwinski and LoraineTuck of WRS (contact information below) an email so we can get the start up kit out to you as soon as possible.

All members will receive special flat rate Partner Pricing on all team orders as well. There are no minimums required to receive this pricing (attached). Additionally all teams will have access to a special Partner Priced team website called www.WorldRugbyShopElite.com with login in details below:

www.WorldRugbyShopElite.com

User: RUGBYNY (case sensitive)

Pass: RUGBYNY (case sensitive)

Additionally Rugby NY will have a dedicated Team Sales reps you should contact for all team orders. This will help ensure order continuity and that everyone is taken care of appropriately.

Rob Sliwinski

Rugby NY

rob.sliwinski@rugbyny.org

Lorraine Tuck

ltuck@sportsendeavors.com

1-877-776-7651 ext. 1347

Complete 2013 World Rugby Shop Partner Price List (MS-Excel)

Level 1 Officiating Course January 19th at NYU

New York City, NY - The Rugby Referee Society of New York will be holding a Level 1 Officiating Course on Saturday, January 19th 2013 at New York University, Furman Hall, 245 Sullivan Street, New York, NY.

Course Instructors:

Brad Kleiner bk.rrsny@yahoo.com

Mark Kenny makenny99@yahoo.com

Time
10AM to approximately 6PM (with lunch break)

The Level 1 Officiating Course is the basic refereeing course. There are no prerequisites for attending this course and it is the education course for entry level referees to become certified USA Rugby referees.The Level One Course includes both classroom and participation modules to prepare the participant to referee rugby matches. The course covers the referee's priorities, an introduction to the Laws, and the critical parts of the game and how to referee them. When a student has completed this course, and the accompanying law test, they are ready to begin refereeing safely.

Registration
Please register at least 10 days before the course (by January 9^th) to ensure we have course materials and reserve a space for you. If you register late we may or may not have materials for you but you can still take the course (provided space is available) and you will receive those materials later.

Fee: $50 in advance online to USA Rugby,$75 after online registration closes 2 days prior to the course. Bring a check payable to USA Rugby to the course. Please register in advance and pay on line if possible (you must be CIPP registered to do this):

On Line Registration

www.usarugby.org

Click on 'Officiate the Game' on the left menu

Click on “Training Courses” on the left menu

Scroll to the bottom and click on “Register for a Course”

Forward your confirmation email to bk.rrsny@yahoo.com

Attire - comfortable clothing and shoes suitable for both indoor class work and practical exercises/demonstrations in an indoor gym.

UPDATED: RugbyNY AGM set for January 26, 2013

Albany, NY - The 2013 Annual general Meeting of RugbyNY will be held January 26, 2013 in the Large Auditorium of the Albany Public Library. The meeting begins at 11:00am and is expected to run until 4:30pm.

Albany Public Library (Click link for map)
161 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12210
(518) 427-4313

The keynote workshop topic/speaker is Dr. Hamish Kerr, Player Welfare Training for Coaches. Dr. Kerr is the Pediatric and Adult Sports Medicine Program Director at Albany Medical College and a medical consultant to USA Rugby. Dr. Kerr has also worked closely with Capital District Youth Rugby over the past 4 years, including providing baseline ImPACT testing to players free of charge. He will also report on the IRB medical conference he attended last month in Dublin.

Board of Directors – There are several positions up for election this coming year. The three At-Large Directors are up for election and, with the upcoming resignation of the Western Director, there will another Director position to fill. Directors serve for a two year term. The At-Large Directors will serve for calendar years 2013-2014. The Western Director position will be up for election again in 2014 with the other three regional Directors, Central/North, Capital District and Downstate. Nominations can be accepted up to the election at the AGM. Current At-Large Directors are Mike Hodgins, John Durant and Bruno Faria. Bruno has expressed his desire to step down from the Board. The current Regional Directors are completing the first year of a 2 year term and are Fred Bressette (Western NY), Tammy Morgan (Central/North), Rob Sliwinski (Capital District) and Rosalie MacGowan (Downstate).

Executive Committee – The entire Executive Committee is up for election this coming year. This includes the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer and the term will run for 2 years (2013 and 2014). Nominations can be accepted up to election at the AGM. The current Executive Committee consists of Rob Sliwinski (President), Rosalie MacGowan (Vice President), John Durant (Secretary) and Fred Bressette (Treasurer). Fred will be stepping down from the Treasurer position this year.

Committees - Rugby NY has several standing committees to assist in the operation of the organization. The Executive Committee appoints committee members and each of these committees has a chair elected by its membership. The current Committee chairs are:
Competition – Bruno Faria (Bruno is stepping down as Chair so the chair needs to be filled)
Communication – Fred Bressette
Game Development – Tammy Morgan
Organizational Development – John Durant
There is no limit to the number of members who can serve on these committees. Recently, we have had several people step up to serve on the Competition Committee and regional league committees. Thanks to all who have volunteered.

The By-laws of Rugby NY can be found on the Rugby NY website:
http://www.rugbyny.org/files/file/yrny/YOUTHRUGBYNYBYLAWS-%201_17_11.pdf

We need more members to serve on the Board, Executive Committee and standing committees. We all have much we would like to see happen in youth rugby, but to do that we need your help. Quite frankly, we are all limited by the time we have to put towards our own teams and Rugby NY Still, Rugby NY needs more people to be involved to improve our organization and grow the game. Ideally, no one would serve at multiple levels. Please consider serving Rugby NY at any of these levels or finding someone from your club to serve.

AGM Business Meeting at 10:30 – 12:30
AGENDA
President’s Report
Strategic Plan
Treasurer’s Report
Committee Reports
Competition
Communication
Organizational Development
Game Development
New Business
2013 USA Rugby Grants
Restricted Grant Program (Development funds)
HR Grant (Youth Development Officer?)
Transition to Non-Profit Structure
Pathway to Hiring Executive Director
2014 Dues and other Financial Business
State Championships Structure
Elections
At-Large Board Members (3) 2 year term
Western NY Director

Executive Committee (2 year term) President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary

WorkShop 1:30–4 pm
1:30 – 2:30 – Dr. Hamish Kerr, Player Welfare Training - Recognizing and Responding to Head and Spinal Injuries

2:30 – 3:15 – Rosalie MacGowan, Update from National Development Summit, Developing Rugby in New York an Interactive Forum

3:15 – 4:00 – Open Discussion of Member topics

Thank you to Fred Bressette and Bruno Faria for their service to Rugby NY. Fred served as Western Regional Director, Treasurer and Communication Committee Chair since our founding in 2010. Fred also has served as webmaster, building and maintaining our website and Facebook page and will still be helping out on the Communication Committee. Bruno served as an At-Large Director and Competition Committee Chair since our founding. Bruno will still serve on the Competition Committee.

NZ Coach Graham Henry to speak to NY ruggers December 6th.

New York City, NY - Graham Henry, former Head Coach of the New Zealand All Blacks, will be speaking in NYC on Thursday, December 6th at 7pm. He will be speaking about universal principles required for the success of any rugby team, as well as his career as a coach, not only with the All Blacks, but also in regards to his time at Auckland Grammar, Auckland, Wales and the Lions.

The location is:
The King's College
52 Broadway (corner of Exchange Place and Broadway, one block south of Wall Street)
New York, NY 10004

There will be an open Q&A session and all topics are welcome. It is asked that questions be submitted prior to the event, so that Graham can be concise and answer as many questions as possible. (Questions will be taken at the event, too, time permitting)

Please submit your questions to Renee Ovrut at renee@metnyrfu.org

This is an open event, free of charge. No recordings of any kind are permissible at the event.

USA Rugby 2013 Eligibility Guidelines

BOULDER, Colo. – The 2012-2013 club eligibility regulations have been released by USA Rugby’s Club Eligibility Committee and can be found on the Eligibility section of the USA Rugby website at http://www.usarugby.org.

While registration deadlines, waiver criteria, and player participation specifications remain largely the same, there is an increased emphasis on members being responsible for meeting the Eligibility and Competition Regulations as provided on the USA Rugby website. In addition, in the event of any ambiguity in these Bylaws, members are urged to seek an official interpretation from the CSC's Eligibility Committee.

Key points include:

All member teams and players will be held to the Eligibility and Competition Regulations posted on the USA Rugby website.
In event of any ambiguity in these guidelines, members are to seek an official interpretation from the Eligibility Committee.
Definition of a Qualifying Competition has been incorporated throughout the Regulations.
Existing Bylaws and Regulations have been updated to provide consistency and clarity throughout.

For more information, or inquiries regarding eligibility, please email USA Rugby at eligibility@usarugby.org

Click here to view the complete 2013 USA Rugby Eligibility Guidelines