Challengers in the Bay.

Junípero Serra high school is no longer known for its powerful football program any more, rugby is on the rise and soon will be competing for championship banners. There is a surge of rugby growth happening in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of the premier high school athletic confrence is seeing its members slowly begin to start rugby clubs. Ken Peralta along with the coaches Bob Benson and Moses Similai are the ones leading the charge with the Padres rugby club. Ken is a very enthusiastic man who is energized and ready to get the young club to the top of the Northern California high school rugby rankings. 

LLR- How did you came into rugby ?

K- I picked up rugby after college football in the mid 1980's. I played with The Castaways in San Francisco. The Castaways then merged with another club, The Barbary Coast to form what is now called Golden Gate Rugby Club. I have moved around with my job, I'm a school teacher and football coach so I also played briefly for clubs in Washington, Kansas and New Mexico.

 

LLR- What where some struggles in the beginning starting the rugby club

K- Our biggest struggle continues to be recognized as a sport at Serra. Our "club" status keeps us out of the athletic team loop and the advantages of field and weight room space. We have to go off campus to train.

LLR- What's been the reception on campus with rugby?

K- Both years of rugby at Serra have begun with solid numbers of kids signing up (35-40). Signups have not yet translated to kids sticking around though. This is one of our challenge's that we will solve this off season.

LLR- Over the first couple of years what things have you've had to adjust with the rugby club in how recruitment or a practice is ran?

K- Our first year we had 6 am practices in the gym. Our second year we rented a 40 yard x 30 yard middle school turfed field. Better but cramped. Next year, the plan is to get space at Serra. We are putting turf on our baseball field so there is room there. The normalization of rugby begins with the ability to train at Serra. More kids see the game, more kids get interested. The encouraging thing for us is that during our school club periods every few weeks, we have 30+ kids playing touch on the football field and having fun doing it. Lots of promise here.

LLR- There's a few WCAL schools with rugby clubs, has there been discussion with other schools in the conference about trying to start more up?

K- Not yet but this will happen this spring.

LLR- How's the relationship been with other high school programs in the area?

K- The rugby guys are great. Very helpful and accommodating. Pretty typical in my experience with rugby guys. It's always about maintaining the sport and the rugby traditions.

LLR- Where would you like to see the Serra rugby club in 5 years?

K- Two solid teams. Practicing and playing at Serra HS.

LLR- In 5 years what's your vision on rugby at the high school level across the Bay Area region?

K-There is talk about the single school model being picked up at the California Interscholastic Federation (The CIF). If that takes off, we will see rugby take off too. The CIF endorsement carries weight around our state and interest in starting rugby at the high school level will increase.

LLR- Has Rugby NorCal been helpful in providing any assistance needed?

K- Yes. Nate Dalena, the gentleman who runs NorCal Rugby, is all in on helping high school rugby expand to the CIF level. Nate hustles and is the right man for this pioneering type of work. It's going to take a concerted effort by the established HS rugby programs to making rugby a recognized CIF sport. The path is direct but one or two schools will struggle doing it alone. Team effort on this one is needed.

LLR- Any key players for us to keep an eye on ?

K- Yes; Seniors Timo Poloka, Collin Tahitua, Jun-Jun Jennings can play. Juniors Christian Calero, Jonah Alapati, Soren Blanchard and sophomore Peyton Thomas will be guys to look at next year.

LLR- What words of encouragement could you provide to anyone who maybe considering starting their own rugby program?

K- Jump in! Rugby today is like lacrosse 15 years ago, obscure and unknown. Rugby has a place in the American high school sports scene. It's coming, get in on the bus.

LLR- How can people get a hold of you and fallow along?

K-  Easy - email me at: kperalta@serrahs.com 

*I wish Ken and the Padres the very best and truly excited to see where this club goes going forward. Now with Bellarmine, Saint Ignatius, Saint Francis and now Serra high school fielding rugby clubs, how soon till Valley Christian breaks with their old ways and joins in along with Archbishop Rirdon and Archbishop Mity and others.  

Pride of a Nation

  When I first moved to Oregon I began to look into the rugby scene through the state. Many club names kept coming up but Battle Ground always stuck out, the name alone would make anyone interested as to why Battle Ground. Some years passed and now that we are coming out of covid and rugby is now being played I wanted to recheck in and see what programs are coming back online and who's playing. I couldn't find anything about Battle Ground but Chinook now took its place. So when I did a quick search it came to my attention that Chinook rugby is Battle Ground youth rugby. I Thank Lance , club vice president and head youth coach,  for taking the time to answer some questions and giving great insight to where this amazing program is and going. Even though located in the state of Washington,  Chinook Rugby sits just outside Portland and near Vancouver, WA plays under the Rugby Oregon banner. 

LLR- Chinook Rugby was previously named Battle Ground Youth Rugby and Hockinson Youth Rugby, why the name change?

LH- Most of our players originally were from those areas so were known as that. We represent all of North & West Clark County so formed a club to encompassed the wider community and a new name search began. Went through the process of considering lots of names like Clark County but another club/team had that, the mountains like St. Helens and Silver Star we could see from our original home field. We moved from that to wanting to represent  the heritage and native culture of the area. First name that came to mind was the Klickitat tribe and the battle they were to have with the Army became known as Battle Ground, but having klickitat as a neighboring county might again be confusing. The next tribe in the region were the Chinook so we approached the Chinook Indian Nation for permission to use the name, they gave us their blessing and to this day we still liaise with the tribe and have their support.

 

LLR- What age levels does Chinook offer for those interested in joining?

LH- Cater for all student athletes. Officially 3^rd to 12^th grade but often get 1^st and 2^nd grade that can cut it with the 3^rd graders and are keen to play, so we welcome them to participate. The 3-6^th play non-contact co-ed Flag Rugby and 7^th grade up we commence Tackle Rugby with boys and girls teams. The divisions are now all in 2 year brackets to ensure safety and appropriate size.

 

LLR- With the covid pandemic have the programs seen numbers dropped with registration?

LH- Short answer is yes. 2020 was tough on all sports, rugby included. We did pre-season practices for 8 weeks, had our pre-season Jamboree and 3 days later the season was cancelled. We wanted to get students back out in 2021 so delayed the start to the season. For the older grades it was not feasible to do tackle rugby wearing a mask and we also had to localize the league as crossing boarders was not recommended. Not to be deterred we had a successful season of Touch Rugby with the generous help and support from Portland Touch. We had 86 turn out for the Spring and another 19 new to the sport with Girls Rugby in the Fall, so achieved our goal of getting student athletes out of lock-down and back outside having fun with their mates. 2022 we still have the largest club in the Rugby Oregon league (OR & SW WA) with 108 eager and ready to go for this Spring season.

 

LLR- What is a few highlights that Chinook rugby has experienced over the years?

LH- Sometimes the first thing some think of is State Championship titles. Yes, all our divisions have those. The HS Boys have a couple, HS Girls have more, and they are both currently hold the title since the last competitive league in 2019. Highlights are more than State Titles for us, it is about the growth or providing the sport to local student athletes. Best I explain with some bullet points on history of the growth in our club:

• 2007 Founding of Rugby in our local area by Coach Andre de Klerk with a combined Battle Ground & Prairie High Schools boys team.
• 2011 Introduced the HS Girls Lady Pack team.
• 2012 First youth 4-6^th grade team and a 2^nd combined High Schoolboys team. 4 teams, 78 players.
• 2013 First 7/8^th Boys team and another 4-6^th. High School boys divided into Prairie Wolf Pack & Battle Ground Bulls school teams.
• 2014 Added another 7/8^th boys team. 7 teams, 105 players.
• 2015 Introduced 7/8^th Girls and 4-6^th became 3/4^th and 5/6^th grade. 8 teams, 138 players.
• 2016 First official year for 7/8^th Girls and now 2 of each 3/4^th and 5/6^th. 10 teams, 168 players.
• 2017 Split High School and had 1^st JV team. 11 teams.
• 2018 More 3/4^th and 5/6^th with 3 of each. 13 teams, 189 players.
• 2019 First club in OR and SW WA to have 4 x 5/6^th teams. 14 teams 200 players.

 

LLR- When is the first game for 2022 season?

LH- Pres-season tournament was March 12^th and first round of the league March 19^th. Season runs until the finals on May 21^st.

 

LLR- Are there any key players that everyone should keep an eye out for in the coming season?

LH- That is a tough question. With so many missing out the last 2 years and all the Freshman missed their Middle School tackle. We are proud to say we got 5 players into college scholarships this current school year and are looking to do better than that after this season. Aiden Kerr is one of those and he is really making his mark with the WWU team and he could very well go all the way to a national side. We have 2 seniors, Israel Duncan and Brett Ebert that have already been accepted into WWU rugby team so watch out for them this season. On the High School Girls side there are some Freshman like Mae Otoupal, Clara Kapelka, Dillynn Ledbetter who were outstanding as 8^th graders in last year’s touch season and represented us in the high performance teams, so with 4 years in tackle ahead of them they are looking good to go far in the sport.

 

LLR- How can people follow along on what's happening ?

LH- We try our best to keep the community up to date with practice and game schedules. We have put a lot of work into our website to do this so all you need do is go to: https://www.chinookrugby.com/2022-spring-schedule

 

LLR- Many youth programs have various ways of recruiting new players, what's the one or two ways that Chinook has found to be the most effective way of getting new people to join?

LH- Yes, we put a lot of our fundraising dollars into flyers into schools, social media and the like, but word of mouth is what we have found to be most effective. To achieve that we stand by our clubs one and only priority goal for the youth of “Have Fun At Practice And On Game Day”. Even with the season about to start I still have kids coming to me and saying this is so much fun, can I bring a friend along. A long time servant of the game, fellow Kiwi who got me into the club in 2013, and past Head Coach of Prairie High School team who took them to 2 State titles in 2014 and 2019, once said to me. “If you can start the pre-season with 10 of 12 players you will have a full squad of 23 before the season starts. Just be a good coach make it enjoyable and they will all bring a mate along”. And yes when he won State in 2019 that is exactly what he did.

 

LLR- Seattle has the Seawolves, many of our hopes is that eventually another MLR team joins the PNW. Is a Portland team the final piece needed for rugby growth in Oregon?

LH- That is a great question. I love going to Seawolves games and a best mate and fellow coach Bradford Batten has season tickets. The growth of the sport will eventually need another team and Portland is and ideal spot for that. I see from Super Rugby and Northern hemisphere they sometimes struggle maintaining a high standard when they have too many teams vying for the same pool of players. Then again isn’t it great to see teams like Moana Pasifika and Fiji now in the Super Rugby.

The Rugby Oregon Red Hawks, our high performance teams, have built a relationship with The Loggers, the USA pathways academy in our region. They in turn are supported by the Seawolves with coach and player education. It is great for a coach like me down in SW WA to be involved in meetings with the Seawolves coaches and players.

—

  I wish all those in the Chinook Rugby programs the best this season, and I look forward to following them not just this year but in the many years to come. 

*if you have a program, youth, College or senior level that you wanted featured here please reach out at llrugby@yahoo.com or on any social media accounts. 

Young Slug

    When I played rugby during my brief time at San Jose State University there was always one game we looked forward to. No matter how the season went, it was the rivalry match with University California Santa Cruz. But with that I never really had a opportunity to speak with a player from the opposition let alone learn a bit about the rugby program at UC Santa Cruz.  I am very lucky to able to get in contact with this year's captain of the Santa Cruz rugby club. Jackson who is a a junior at the college was able to give some info on the club, his own career thus far and his thoughts on who will win this year's MLR shield. Hope you all enjoy. 

LLR- Can you please share with us your rugby playing career up to now?

J- I first started playing rugby my freshman year of high school for the Marin Highlanders. I played for the JV my first year and we barely had enough kids to field a team. Now I play for the UCSC men's team with enough guys to put out two sides, so it's a blessing to have that kind of depth to practice and play with.

LLR- How did you get into rugby?

J- I got into rugby after my football teammates begged me to come out and try it. I got one practice in to figure out the rules and then played my first game against Lamorinda two days later.

LLR- Many people may not know about the UCSC rugby club, can you share with us a brief history on the club?

J- The rugby club is the oldest club and sport at UC Santa Cruz. We have alumni still helping the club that were part of the first team in 1967. We play in the PACWEST conference.

 

LLR- There is a pretty heated rivalry with San José state rugby, do you have any memories that stick out from any of those game ?

J- There's always been a rivalry between us and SJSU, we play for the Macbeath-Porter cup, named after the founder of UCSC and SJSU's first coach, but I've never played in the game. My freshman year our B side played them and lost in a close match and my sophomore year it didn't take place because of COVID, so this year I'm extremely excited to get after it.

LLR- How is recruitment done on campus and for incoming players?

J- At UCSC, our coaches and some players handle outreach to clubs that we have connections with or have played for. We can sometimes help players get into the school and if not we can certainly help them find a place that's right for them. Other than that, we have a big club day on campus where we recruit the bulk of our new players, with experience levels ranging from veteran to complete newbie. 

LLR- If you had a chance to speak with high school and youth students, what would you say to them to get them to not only come to UC Santa Cruz but join the rugby team?

J- UCSC is certainly a special place. I understand it's not for everyone, but I will say that you are guaranteed a team who is going to welcome any guy who is willing to commit and work hard. If you can do that, you'll have a strong community of people who look after you. We're not a team with clicks and separate groups. We work towards a common goal together. The rugby community in particular is one that celebrates the game and having fun, rather than wins and losses, even if we do want to win. 

LLR- Lastly, who do you fallow in the MLR and who are your two teams playing for the shield this season?

J- I got the Gillitini's taking it home again over the Warriors. Gotta root for the West Coast!

*This Q&A is out after the Macbeth-Porter Cup played on 1/29/22. Score was 

UCSC 57 - 17 SJSU 

If you would like to fallow and learn more about the rugby club at UC Santa Cruz please fallow them on Twitter @MensSlugRugby and also on Instagram @ucscmensrugby

*if you know of a club or player you'd like to be featured on here please email @ llrugby@yahoo.com or reach out via any social media platforms,  Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

Veggie delight.

   

 Growing up as a kid in San Jose the crazy old man seen at many sporting events was just a normal sighting. you where excited to see him because he just carried this aura of excitement with him and it was infectious. from San Jose sharks games to San Jose earthquakes, San Jose State University to Oakland Athletics and many more Krazy George was a staple at sporting events. your team could be getting blown out and season could already be lost but George had a way of whipping the crowd into a frenzy regardless if it was a few hundred or tens of thousands he knew how to command everyone's attention. Jim Stewart Allen also known now infamously as Broccoli Man has now slowly become what KG is to the San Francisco Bay Area. that is not a bad thing by any stretch, going back to when I was a kid I looked forward to when Krazy George came to my section of the stands and now as a parent before we moved to Oregon I was excited for my kids to experience Krazy George energy as I did, and they loved it. Jim is a kind loving man full of passion and I my self look forward to meeting him and when I am able to bring my kids to a Seawolves match and experience Broccoli man in the flesh.

LLR -Right off the bat question on everyone's mind, why broccoli?!

BM- Hahaha well what a valid question to ask! I made my first national TV appearance (ESPN Sportscenter) with potatoes at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in early 2020, and I decided I wanted to keep doing stuff like that! Because dancing with and eating vegetables on TV seemed like such a wholesome endeavor! I still dance with Potatoes, but only at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, that’s a special event, I needed another vegetable for the larger Pacific Northwest sporting community! After reflecting on it with some friends I decided on broccoli! Broccoli is my favorite vegetable, I love the texture, especially raw! They are very vibrant, when you see them you know, “oh, that guy brought giant crowns of broccoli with him to the game! That’s interesting!” One time I was doing my thing at a Seawolves game, and a lil 3-4 year old saw me, and started uncontrollably giggling, and he tapped on his Dad and said, “Daddy! That guy is dancing with broccoli!” in a very kind way, and then kept giggling, so cute! People compare them to pom poms, which I love! They are nature’s pom poms, and I use them to cheer on my favorite teams! In this case, the Seawolves!

<3 div="">

LLR- You've become a bit of an icon now in the Washington sports scene, do you see yourself as the Krazy George of the PNW?

BM- Hahahaha I don’t quite know how I see myself yet, this thing I do is so young still, ol George has been at it for years! I am tickled you’d compare me to such a legendary figure though, the inventor of the wave, wow! I think I’m definitely cut from the same cloth as he is, so to speak! That’d be fun to meet him, I think we’d both feel very validated knowing each other!

*(there is some controversy about the creation of The Wave. let it be known Krazy George is the inventor of the wave dont care what anyone says)

LLR- Can you share a little about yourself, day time profession and what led you to want to be an entertainer at events?

BM- My day job is being a teacher! A professional full time substitute teacher, I work in one school with that community of teachers and students and admin! But I try to be a good role model for healthy masculinity and for healthy eating. And that desire to try comes from working with kids!

I also have been doing stand up comedy since 2006! Since I was a junior in High School! So entertaining and working the crowd and figuring out how to get the crowd on my side! That is what stand up comedy is all about, and I definitely use those skills while veggie dancing, hah! Stand up taught me how to come up with a message, and then figure out how to get that message across in a way that many people will tap into and appreciate. My message is broccoli and kindness. And PNW love! And rugby love! And I guess just love in general <3 div="">

LLR- Last season for the Seawolves is when broccoli man was born, had you attended any games prior to that national television game?

BM- So this is actually an interesting question! Broccoli GUY has been a thing before rugby! The XFL Dragons in February and March, right before everything shut down, this is where I cut my teeth in the broccoli dancing biz! They liked me, the league liked me, I liked them, the XFL will be back in 2023 and I’ll be with them as Broccoli Guy

<3 div="">

    Broccoli MAN though, was never bestowed upon me though until the 2021 MLR season, so you are indeed correct, the 2021 Seawolves MLR season is when I became Broccoli Man!

I go by either and maybe I need to figure out my branding, but I think Broccoli Man fits the rugby aesthetic and I think Broccoli Guy fits the Mariners or the Dragons or the Seahawks aesthetic! Who knows hahaha, it’s just an honor to be known as these things, I do it for you broccoli! <3 div="">

As for the Nationally televised Broccoli eating session and dance, I had been to 2 games doing my thing before the Broccoli Man viral hit! The first game everyone was confused, but kind! They warmed up to me! The highlight of that game was someone successfully starting the chant, “Brocc-o-lee!! Brocc-o-lee!!” Very fun!

    The second game was during a PNW heat wave! And I actually was featured on the broadcast! But not much was said about my broccoli! I was wearing a pride romper and full on dancing during a heat wave, and they had never seen me before, so there was a lot to process, hahahahaha. But they did compliment my rhythm and I felt very validated.

The third game I went to though, that was where the magic happened! The Rugby Network was ready for me and I was ready for them, hahaha. The stars aligned!

LLR- What are your thoughts of Rugby in America, where the MLR and the Seawolves are at now and where you'd like to see it go?

BM- Ya know, here is the deal with rugby in America, ***in my humble opinion*** I always knew it existed, I went to Western Washington University, pretty big rugby school. I had friends in rugby, I went to some of the parties, they were wild, hahaha. But I never went to an actual game! After having gone to a few now, I can say I love it! It’s engaging, it’s fun, it’s accessible, I think it’s great! Americans have heard of rugby, but it’s one of those things you hear and go, “rugby. Yeah, that’s that sport all those other countries play right?” And it’s like, yeah, they do, but we play it too! On a club level, on a collegiate level and on a national level. We actually have our own full on major league, that’s broadcast on local networks and streaming services (shout out to The Rugby Network) and every once and again we are on FS2, or even CBS! So people know it exists, and I think if they came out and saw a game, they’d love it! The game speaks for itself! But Rugby in America has to find a way to get people into seats for the first time! Because as of right now it’s kind of still this thing people hear and go, “yeah but that’s not really a main sport here,”

    But there is no reason it shouldn’t be! Again, the game speaks for itself! And the atmosphere that rugby communities around the US are able to create together is I think magical, and something very beautifully American! The games I have been to, the tournaments, that’s just something I think Americans would have an easy time getting into! One of the reasons I bring my broccoli to the Seawolves, and to rugby in general, is to spotlight how much fun American rugby can be!

     As far as the Seawolves and the MLR? I would love to see them continue to build their brand based off of the excitable, kind and inclusive US rugby community. I think Rugby doing well here would add a lot to our American culture! And I think our American culture has a lot to offer Rugby! Rugby players and fans are so kind and respectful, yet competitive and fun. It’s good stuff, more of that in the US please! I’m here to help!

LLR- For those of us who have not attended a seawolves match yet, me and my wife will be attending the Austin match at the end of February. Can you share with us a few positive things about game day experience and one thing you'd like to see the club start to do?

BM- I mention this a lot, but before the second rugby game I ever attended started Seawolves player Ben Cima came over to me with a Seawolves ball, and thanked me for my energy and for what I gave of myself in my first game there!

    I just got so much of a jolt of passion from that. Rugby is still so small here, and every bit helps! Your presence is appreciated by the community! When you are at a game, you see people you know. People who are fans, people who are family members to the players, people deeply embedded in the sport and in the community. It’s humbling, it’s a cool atmosphere. I am privileged to get to be a part of it!

    Where would I like to see everything go for me personally? I’d love to see the Seawolves move to a bigger stadium, with a jumbotron! Either Cheney Stadium or Lumen Field? I have nothing but love for Starefire, and it gives so much to the Rugby community! But I think it’d speak to the growth of rugby as a whole to see the Seawolves in Lumen Field! Oh that’d be sweet!

LLR- What do you look forward to most in the coming season?

BM- Seeing people again! Yeah! There are a lot of folks within the community that I am really excited to see <3 div="">

LLR- -Any final message you'd like to get out to everyone before the first game?

BM- Go Seawolves, practice kindness, and eat some plants! <3 div="">

*if you'd like to fallow Jim the Broccoli man be sure to fallow him on any one of his social media accounts and be sure to say hi and snag a picture at Seawolves matches or many of the events around Seattle.

Twitter: @PNWBroccoliGuy

Instagram: @PNWBroccoliGuy

Rucky- the friendly fish.

As a kid I've always found mascots fun, exciting and if they are good enough a key part of the game day experience for all fans of any age. Some mascots , to me, are just there from an organization to check off a box and say that they are doing something "for the kids". 

With that said I honestly feel like the MLR and it's teams have done a fantastic job in making every teams home game experience memorable. One of the Keyes to that is the mascots that some of the teams have and how active they are through out the game in engaging with all the fans , players and staff. 

(My daughter Zatanna with her own Rucky) 

Being a Seawolves fan my self I've grown a liking to Rucky. He's very active on social media, active in the community and during home games. Being in Oregon it is hard to see Rucky in person and as often as I'd like to, but as my own kids get older we hope to make a few trips to Washington to catch a few Seawolves games our self's and the kiddos a chance to say hi to Rucky. 

As busy as Rucky is he was very kind enough to answer a few questions for me and I hope you all enjoy. 

LLR- Who's your closest MLR mascot buddy? 

LLR- Who would you say is your role model in any league or sport ? 

LLR- Best Moment thus far in the MLR?

LLR- Anything special planned for the 2022 MLR season? 

LLR- Any words you'd like to share with everyone?

Growing up in San Jose and as a Sharks fan, Sharkie  has a phrase used when describing him as which is  "The Hardest Working Fish in sports", then Rucky must be the Hardest working Fish in MLR. 

#TogetherWeHunt

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

 Since moving to Corvallis Oregon I've always tried to keep up with the local rugby clubs, college, men's and youth. Linn Benton Youth Rugby supports primarly both main towns , Corvallis and Albany, in the neighboring counties, Linn and Benton county. since the lions where founded in 2001 the program has become a staple of excellence in the youth club landscape for Rugby Oregon. The director of Linn Benton was able to answer some brief questions about the lions and how to fallow. 

LLR -can you introduce yourself and what is your position with Linn Benton and when was the program founded?

JA- My name is Joe Alvernaz, I am Director of Linn Benton Rugby, I serve as middle school boys coach and an assistant coach to HS boys.  I have been involved as a coach since 2004.  Linn Benton Lions rugby was founded in 2001, winning the Rugby Oregon boys championship in its first season under coaches Amanda Six and Joey Webber (who is now Timber Joey, mascot of the Portland Timbers MLS team)

 

LLR -what age levels does LB offer? 

JA- Linn Benton Rugby offers HS boys and girls, middle school (7-8^th) boys and girls, and a co-ed flag rugby program for 3^rd-6^th grade

 

LLR -how many kids on average a year register with the Clubs? 

JA- 60 to 80 kids participate each year

 

LLR -what is a few highlights that LB has experienced over the years?

JA- HS girls were 2017 and 2019 Rugby Oregon Champions, 2018 runners up and 2017 Rugby Oregon 7s Champions.   In February of 2020 Lions alumni Joe Montgomery was signed by the Seattle Seawolves to a professional contract.

LLR -how can people follow along every season on what's happening?

JA- When things are going, we update Facebook and Instagram almost daily.

 

LLR -if a MLR team would come to Oregon, most likely Portland, how big would that be for rugby in Oregon?

JA- One good thing I can say about Portland is this:   They really do come out to support their professional sports teams, the Blazers sell out every game and the Timbers and Thorns are league leaders in attendance for professional soccer.   The addition of a Portland based MLR team would likely attract a solid following and lead to a natural growth in rugby participation.

 

LLR -Who in the MLR do you support?

JA- Given that we had an alumni on the Seawolves team in 2020, it is fair to say all of our coaches are solid Seawolves fans.    Although, I do have a soft spot for the New Orleans Gold.

 

LLR -if people want to learn more about the Linn Benton Lions how best can they do so?

JA- We use our team Facebook and Instagram for information and communication.   There’s always our team email,  lbyouthrugby@yahoo.com

*Rugby Oregon is going ahead with a 2021 season but modified. Click Here here to read how they've adjusted. 

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

www.lbyouthrugby.org

Portland Rugby Project- MLR ?

Like many of you, last week we where all thrown into a frenzy when a survey for the rugby community in Oregon began making it's rounds through social media inquiring about the potential of a MLR team coming to Portland, PDX. Of course being in Corvallis, which is about just over hour drive from Portland , my excitement was sparked. And of course naturally I had to reach out to find out more right away. Ben from Portland Rugby Project which is a consultanting firm was gracious enough to answer some questions and let us all know where everything stands at this time. 

LLR- Would you please introduce yourself and your involvement with the Portland Rugby Project?

 

B- My name is Ben Barlow, and I have been working with the Portland Rugby Project to determine the feasibility and assess the market conditions related to bringing a Major League Rugby team to Portland. I have been involved in rugby as a fan, player, and coach for a little over a decade and very much so look forward to exploring the possibility of bringing a new high performance pathway to the region.

 

LLR-What is the Portland Rugby Project, is the PRP seeking to be owners of a MLR team?

 

B-The Portland Rugby Project is a consulting group dedicated to identifying the feasibility of bringing a MLR team to Portland. ­

 

LLR-Have clubs throughout Oregon been contacted by PRP to seek feedback or just the clubs in and around Portland?

 

B-We just began phase two of our market research plan. As such, a variety of clubs from the Portland Metro and surrounding area were chosen to participate for more in depth research. Portland Rugby Project expects this to be the prime target market due primarily to their geographical proximity, but welcomes feedback from across the state and sincerely hopes to engage fans and supporters from the entire region as we progress.

 

LLR-Has there been any communication between this group and MLR, is the commissioner or any owners been spoken to?

 

B-No significant communication has taken place as yet. Portland Rugby Project is still in the very early stages of this process.

 

LLR-Is it possible to name a facility or more that are currently being looked at for a home venue, will this team build their own similar to what was done in Huston?

 

B-Portland Rugby Project is still reviewing a variety of possible venues and all of its options.

 

LLR-If everything falls into place what is a realistic year a Portland team can begin playing?

 

B-It is difficult to say as this is still one of the major items we are trying to identify, but the more buy in and support we continue to receive from individuals like yourself, the more likely things are to continue to progress in an expeditious manner.

I would like to thank Ben very much for getting back to me so quickly and being honest and open. As more information comes in time more information will be posted here and on LLRugby social media accounts. 

pdxmlr.com

*For more inquiring please send emails to marketing@pdxmlr.com

Also PRP has social media accounts that will be active soon. 

Newberg Girls rugby- Tigers.

It may not be Portland, or Eugene or even Salem but in Newberg Oregon there is something special brewing. The Newberg high school girls rugby team is growing and improving year after year. It is unfortunate that due to covid the State of Oregon has had to shut down and close down facilities that has made it hard for any sports team to practice let alone play games. Marcus is in a tough spot in trying to keep his players together and continue to build a program that is of varsity status through the local high school. I want to thank Marcus for agreeing to answering some questions and I hope like me you all also become new fans of the Tigers! 

LLR-  How long have you been coaching and how did you get involved with Girl’s Rugby?

 

MG- I have been coaching on and off since 2013. I started as an assistant coach for the Newberg HS Boy’s Rugby Club in 2013 and then in 2015 – 2016 I was an assistant coach for the Oregon Pioneer (Boys) Rugby Club. It wasn’t until fall of 2019 that I officially accepted the title of Head Coach for the Newberg HS Girls Rugby Varsity Team.

 

How did I get involved? I was lucky! It was the 2018 Rugby Oregon Finals Tournament at Western Oregon University (Go WOR – Western Oregon Rugby. I played 2008 – 2011). It was right after I refereed a match that the former NHS Girls Coach Bailey came up to me and said “Hey Marcus! Wanna take over as Head Coach?” It wasn’t an automatic answer, however, after a few conversations and a meet up with Bailey I decided to myself “Why Not?!”

 

Like they say in the Snickers commercial ‘No Regrets”!

LLR- When was the club founded and is it a multi school club or strictly for one high school?

MG- I had to reach out to Coach Bailey for this answer. Per her recollection the club was founded sometime in 2009 – 2010 and then excitingly became a varsity sport in 2018. To maintain the team’s varsity status, we can have a maximum of 3 players from metro areas and/or 5 players in rural areas. Their ability to play for NHS depends on whether there is a local team closer to them that they can join instead.

LLR- Due to covid how has the program stayed active since not being able to play or practice thus far?

MG- This is a good question. I will say that covid has totally impacted the team emotionally and mentally. Our last practice was on a Wednesday and then only a few hours later I had to send out mass emails saying, “Sorry girls, no Friday practice and we have no definite answer on to when we can come back.”

On of my ideas to try to keep an open and fun line of communication with them was that I created a Discord channel for my players. I created several different channels; one for rugby talk, rugby memes, rugby videos, non-rugby talk, non-rugby videos, and a channel where I attempted to live stream games from YouTube. I was super excited I found a great way to keep my team entertained. Yeah… it flopped hard. At most I had maybe 2 or 3 participants every few days. 

Other than that, I have just been regularly reaching out to the players at random via Instagram to see what they’re up to and how they’re feeling.

LLR- How many players does the team average every season?

 

MG- I would say the team gets anywhere between 12 – 23 players depending on the season. during 7s (Fall) we would see around 12 – 15 players and during 10s/15s (Spring) around 15 – 23ish.

LLR- How big is it for the club to have the varsity status compared to it being a non-varsity program through the school?

 

MG- I think for both the players and their parents the ‘varsity’ status is super important. I might be biased, and this might sound weird; however, I believe that schools show more pride and are more willing to boast the teams when they can say, “oh we have a girls varsity rugby”. Girls’ sports need as much support from the schools as they can get to flourish. I’m just excited for the future when I can have both Varsity and JV players wearing the Tigers Blue and Gold!

LLR- Has there been many crossover athletes that have come out for the team over the years?

MG- I believe that we have quite a few crossover athletes. Some of the sports that my captain tracked down was the following: Track, Soccer, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Basketball, and possibly volleyball. I hold the personal belief that players who do multiple sports excel in general! However, I have no qualms with the ladies who only play rugby. Because… Rugby!

LLR- Who would you say is the Tigers’ biggest rivals?

MG- I would have to say the rival to beat is East Portland Girls Rugby – David Douglas HS (coached by the AMAZING Toni Fuji).

LLR- What are some highs and lows the club has encountered thus far in its history?

MG- Highs: The team bond and comradery! I love seeing the Veteran players take the time to explain to the newer players different ways on how to be successful and the most important High – The love for Rugby!!!!!!

Lows: Numbers, we started of Spring 2020 with 15s in mind. However, due to circumstances outside our control we had to settle for a 10s team.

LLR- What division does the Tigers compete in?

MG- Oregon actually doesn’t have your typical ‘divisions’ for Rugby like other school sports do. For both Girls and Boys Rugby you either play as a school sport or a club sport so during finals it’s the varsity/jv finals or the club finals. 

LLR- In your opinion is Rugby Oregon and USA Rugby doing enough to help grow the game for girls at all levels?

 

MG- Rugby Oregon? Absolutely, I’ve been a Rugby Referee longer than I have been a coach and I have had the pleasure working for our former CEO Jenn Ackerman Heinrich for many years. The number of amazing things she has done to promote Rugby in Oregon (not only for the girls) is too hard to explain. I just wanna say; ‘thank you for everything you’ve done Jenn.’ Additionally, I am excited for her replacement Laci Betts who’s just as amazing. I can’t wait to see what becomes of Rugby Oregon; ‘Good luck Laci!’ 

 

USA Rugby? * cough * chapter 11… * cough * No comment…

LLR- What words of advice can you offer for others who are considering coaching Girls teams and to potential players who are thinking about giving rugby a try?

MG- For Coaches thinking about it? In the words of the majestic Shia LaBeouf “JUST DO IT! What Are You Waiting For?” Honestly, it’s the best feeling in the world being able to share your love and knowledge of Rugby. Whether you’ve only been a player, been a Team Mom all those years and want to step up, or you been refereeing so long you want to share your knowledge in a way that doesn’t require you to have to run around and chase 14 – 18 y/o for 75 – 80 minutes on Saturdays!

For Players? Don’t listen to those people who say, “oh my gosh, rugby is such a dangerous sport!” It is so much safer than American Football. Each year we’re finding new ways to ensure the highest respect for safety for players on the field. On another note, my number one philosophy of Rugby “Rugby = Family.” I don’t know how many times my WOR or Piggy family has had my back; when I lost my job, my housing, or just needed someone to be there for me, they were there! Lastly, the #1 thing about Rugby is that there is a position for EVERYONE! Are you tall? Short? Fast? Slow? Want to score by running around other people? Want to tackle a lot? Then Rugby is for you!

LLR- How can others follow along with Newberg's progress and help in any way?

MG- You can join us on the following social media platforms! 

Facebook: Facebook.com/nhsgirlsrugby

Instagram: newberggirlsrugby

Twitter: @rugby_nhs (give me a little time on this one... I’m new to Twitter!!!)

If you’re in the gift giving spirit, you’re more than welcome to support the team in many ways. Contact me via email at nhsgirlsrugby@newberg.k12.or.us, you can reach out to me directly if you have any questions on how you can contribute!

 

                                                                    Beautiful Kazoo pictured

Cheers! 

- Marcus Gillette, a WOU Wolf, a Portland Piggie, and a Newberg HS Tiger!

*Oregon offers 10s during the traditional 15s season for smaller clubs and is a great idea to keep the game growing even for smaller programs and clubs that may from time to time see numbers dip.