The Birth of Women's Rugby Champions

Ever wonder what it takes to be a commissioner of a collegiate sport confrence, let alone a rugby commissioner. Tiffany Lopez from West Coast Rugby Conference was very gracious to take time out of her very busy and exciting schedule to answer a few questions that I think will put you all at aw and excited when learning about Tiffany and how she's breaking down doors and positioning the WCRC as thee collegiate rugby Conference to play in and dominate the western side of the United States. It is not just one team or two but many who Tiffany has taken the time to work with to elevate not just competition side of the various clubs but also the professionalism of each member. 2033 World Cup will be a every lasting effect for women's rugby here in America for all levels, but the WCRC has already begun to lay the ground work and build the infrastructure for young girls and current college players will be ready to dawn their country's colors and show the world that The Game has arrived and we've been waiting.

LLR- When did you assume the roll as league commissioner?

TL- I was voted into the role at the beginning of the 2019 season, just a few months after I graduated from San Jose State University.

LLR- What level of collegiate rugby does the conference play at?

TL- The conference is a D2 women’s collegiate league.

LLR- What was the hardest transition when leaving a club team and into an administrative roll that now over sees multiple clubs?

TL- I didn’t really have any difficulty transitioning into the position. My professional background was actually in professional sports already and this transition was actually really smooth. The previous board was doing everything right by the book. My promises coming in was to continue facilitating a competitive conference and following protocol with the addition of some progressive rugby ideologies: to promote rugby in the United States, we need to start marketing it. Rugby is more than just showing up on a Saturday with some lines and uprights. It’s about getting fans out, support, funding, and highlighting players for higher level rugby. That’s how we grow women’s rugby.

LLR- What's been a highlight ?

TL- Last season my playoffs was an event that was talked about around the United States. We had a rugby clubs from high school to club D2 to WPL teams out there supporting the event, awarding players of the final match, and recruiting. We had HS students coming up to coaches saying “I want to join your team. I’ll see you next season”. That’s what it was all about. In addition we had event partners like Topo Chico giving out free waters and new flavors, vendors, food, and 500+ fans come out for what was a small championship. We invited vendors like the Modish Rugger & Callipygian who are small businesses owned by conference alumni and allowed our visiting teams to use the event as a fundraiser. It really was something special. This year’s event will likely be the same!

LLR- What's been the hardest moment thus far in your administrative time?

TL- We've had a lot of changes in our competition management systems and registration with USA Rugby. With every season typically having a new President every year, there is no continuity in training. It’s like starting over every year and then having to learn the new system and be expert enough to walk them through registration.

LLR- Where would you like to take the conference, what's the next step?

TL- I would like to expand the conference. Could I take on adding D1 to the conference? I think so. I would love to oversee a bigger picture program that leads into more higher pathway opportunities. So far last season we’ve had many players get selected for teams like the U23 National Team, the U23 Grizzlies and now selections on high performance squads like: Rhinos Rugby & The Grizzlies 7’s. I want to see more of that. I have been connecting with teams from All Around the US, coaches, conferences, organizations and more. It’s that network that’s important for our growth as a conference.

LLR- With a Premier Rugby 7s team essentially calling San Jose home and the conference having a footprint in the same area , is there benefits for both the PR7s and WCRC to have from each other?

TL- I believe it’s too new to see any direct benefits. But I think it has potential to build a strong network. Some of our players have already tried out for the player pool and we have had a player that made it. But with the way the draft works, it doesn’t guarantee that if she was selected it would be for the San Jose team. As one of the franchise managers for PR7’s, I see the growth and the development behind closed doors. I really do think the direction it’s going will have a major positive impact on our conference goals in the future.

LLR- If there is a women's program that is looking to join a conference or wanting to move up a level, what criteria is needed to do so to join the WCRC?

TL - Per our bylaws, they would need to contact me directly and join us at our AGM to be voted into but would have a probationary year. We would get them friendly matches with our teams and then would need to vote them in after their first trial year.

LLR- Last two questions, there's been rumors and hints that between now and the USA Women's Rugby World cup in 2033 that we could see a MLR women's version or something similar being established. Have you had any discussions with interested parties in helping provide players for and pathways to fill rosters and what's your opinion on such plans?

TL- I haven’t heard much about it. My focus has been supporting PR 7’s, World Rugby and will have some exciting rugby career updates soon. Right now the sport is growing exponentially in so many directions.

LLR- What would you say to that middle school or high school female student who doesn't know if she should play rugby, what words of encouragement do you offer to college players who maybe coming out for the first time?

TL- Give it a chance! You may just find lifelong friends, a passion for something new, a community that is growing and a professional career. I came into college rugby my 3rd year of college not knowing anything about the sport. And now I am running the largest women’s college conference, work with international teams, got to work at the World Cup, traveling the United States, am a paid professional team manager and soon will be traveling internationally. 6 years ago, I had no idea that my first rugby practice would have lead to this now being my career and passion… all because I gave it a chance.

Instagram - @wcrc_wc

Tiffany Lopez

Commissioner West Coast Rugby Conference

(510)-468-8949

www.ironparadiseontour.com

tiffany@ironparadiserecovery.com

Rebirth of Sparta

Men's Spartan Rugby Club at San Jose State has a very rich history that any program would be excited to have. However playing rugby in the San Francisco Bay Area unfortunately has its down sides. With Saint Mary's and Cal , and Stanford for that matter, many people tend to not realize there are plenty more college rugby being played although not at the consistency winning as the programs mentioned before each has a rich tradition and each has at times added wood to the fire as to why the Bay Area is a hot bed for Rugby in this country. San Jose State over the past several years has unfortunately slowly fallen down the ladder and become inconsistent in league play. Not for lack of trying by each of the coaches and staff but the culture and communication has broken down. 

Thankfully out of the ashes a rebirth is happening. With the rallying of alumni there's change happening to position the Spartan Men's amongst the best in the San Francisco Bay Area and out west. To be part of the conversation when speaking about St.Marys , Cal rugby . First step was hiring a homerun of a hire for a new head coach. Next was rebuilding communication & community among its alumni base and re-engage the players. I would like to thank the Chairman of the alumni association Lance for answering questions about the program and its future. A Rebirth of Sparta is happening,  take note and beware. 

LLR- Can you share a bit about your connection with the Spartan Rugby Club, when did you play and what position?

LC- I played from 1991-1995 for SJSU. I started playing my High school position of open side flanker #7 but when I got to college, I was undersized for that position. I was always a bit faster than I looked and had a good boot so I made the adjustment to flyhalf #10 and played at that position through my career at SJSU and beyond.

LLR- Most college rugby teams have some sort of alumni association, what makes this alumni association different from years past?

LC- SJSU never really had an organized Alumni Association. It was always seen as a social rugby club with a few bright spots of success on the pitch here and there. Mike Annab established the Alumni Association by vetting and selecting board members from various generations of SJSU Rugby that had a passion for the club, its history and the awareness of its impact on student athletes and the broader rugby community. We are just over a year into the establishment of the Alumni Association and we have made some positive moves to improve the club. We have hired a new coach, fundraiser for new kit, held a successful Spartan Rugby tailgate at the Homecoming game, began to develop sponsorships and partnerships with area companies to sponsor the club, rebranded our social media presence and committed to keep alumni updated with schedules, scores, events and highlights.

LLR- What is the relationship currently between the current players and those who have graduated and part of the alumni group now?

LC- This is an area of opportunity for us to connect these two groups. Formally, it occurs at the alumni match in spring each year but we are working on having more events throughout the year to foster tighter connections. We feel this is incredibly important for a number of reasons; to connect college players with men’s club teams like the San Jose Seahawks, connect current players with established professionals in their field of study who may be able to provide job opportunities and to share the love of the sport across generations. Rugby is a welcoming community and it’s important to crest the opportunities for those connections to occur.

LLR- As an association what's being done to help the growth of the team?

LC- We hired a new coach this season, Nick Schlobohm, who came via a close friend and former coach of mine at the Olde Gaels RFC, John Compaglia. When I told John we were looking for a coach to transform our team from a social club to a high performance competitive side, John simply said “I have your guy”. Nick was an Assistant Coach for the Olde Gaels at the time but had aspirations to lead his own club and the timing could not have been better. Nick is a two time Collegiate National Champion with St. Mary’s with a deep love of the sport and a high rugby IQ. We chatted a number of times, conferred with the Board and hired him. Coach Nick’s impact has already been felt with solid wins over Stanford and Cal Maritime this season. The team is looking good and the future looks bright.

We have also committed to providing more content for the alumni to raise the level of engagement and interest in their former team. So far, we have seen a nice uptick in our comments and feedback about the content and information we are providing online. It’s been very positive.

I arranged for a sports photographer to take team photos which is a hallmark of any organized team. This is a seemingly small act but means a great deal to the players, their family, and friends communicates history and tradition as this will be a standard from now on.

Through my company, I donated funds to purchase the Rugby jerseys for the season. The club was in transition, their finances were a mess which left them with no funds to replace their older incomplete set of jerseys. As an Architect and designer myself, I designed the jerseys for the team and presented them to them before their first match earlier this year. It was a humbling moment to be able to give back to the club that means so much to me.

The Board is working hard to connect the active players and coaches with ClubSports to secure funding moving forward. During the coaching transition, this was not addressed and left the club on the brink of collapse. It’s been great to work with Coach Nick on this and we are looking forward to more support from the school in the years to come.

LLR- What are some goals for this year and next season, and where would you like to see things with the alumni and club team in 5 years time?

LC- As an alumni association, We have some big goals but now we have a hill to climb to establish some of the basics including solid organization, reconnecting alumni with the current team, developing our Spartan Rugby Community, fundraising, putting on more events and supporting the coaching staff. If we do those things well, what happens on the pitch will take care of itself. Beyond that, we want to be a part of creating an experience for the players during their time at SJSU that they will never forget and hope they return as alumni and stay connected and to give back to the club in some way. 

LLR- What's been the most rewarding part and difficult?

LC- The most rewarding part is seeing the team on the pitch doing what they love and enjoying themselves. Talking to the players after the match and getting to know them as people, hearing their stories and supporting them in whatever way we can. The most difficult thing has been locating, connecting and engaging with the alumni. SJSU Rugby has been around for over 50 years now but it has been surprisingly challenging to find those players and develop a platform of connectivity. Depending on their generation, we have found that they use a wide variety of communications, so we end up communicating across several platforms to reach as many alum as we can. It’s been a good pace of growth but there are many more out there that we still need to connect with. We are excited about that challenge.

LLR-To the players what message would you like to tell them and also to the alumni who may not be aware of the change at hand, what would you like to pass on to them ?

LC- To the players, we want you to know that the alumni board is committed to supporting the club to help you succeed on the pitch. For the first time in the club’s history, you have an organized group of committed alumni focussed on the team’s success short term and long term.

To the alumni, change is here. For the first time in club history, the team is led by two coaches who each have won Rugby National Champions twice! Coach Nick and Assistant Coach Hadin are transforming the team into a competitive team with their sites on a league title and more. So, engage with us on social media, keep up to date on the team and attend the events to reconnect with your team and meet up with friends new and old. You will love it.

LLR- Are there any special events coming up or key dates we should all keep an eye out for?

LC- Yes. March 18 is the last home match of the season. Kickoff is at 12:30pm vs Nevada. It should be a great one.

April 28 is the alumni Golf Tournament. Please contact me if you are interested in playing. You can email me at llcrannell@yahoo.com

April 29 is the alumni Match. All are welcome to watch. There will be a BBQ and an opportunity to meet the players and buy some team gear. Bring a friend.

We are active on Facebook and Instagram. Look up Spartan Rugby or SJSU Rugby Alumni and you will find us. You can always text 925-550-6800 for any updates, information or questions you may have.

We are also continually fundraising and we have found that Venmo is the quickest and easiest way to show your support. You can venmo any amount you can spare to

@Spartan_Rugby_Alumni

Your donations will go a long way toward helping the club.

www.spartanrugbyalumni.org

#UnitythroughRugby #RuntotheFight 

Unity through Rugby

Change is coming, slowly but it is coming. over the last few years the health of rugby League in the USA has been on a decline and then for the most part a sudden blow up. currently there is still only 1 Governing body but now four competitions. Two out west and two out east, its hard to know exactly what is happening and who has the right formula to move the game forward. Over the course of time my plan is to speak with all parties involved to help shed light on where the code of League is going in America. Thus far the Pacific Coast Rugby League has been the only party willing to answer, others have been reached out to such as the USARL , Championship Rugby League and Rugby League United. Championship has responded but still waiting for answers from that organization and when they come in they will be posted soon as possible. I appreciate Ady from PCRL for responding to some questions I hope helps everyone learn a little bit more on they're development and how they are helping to grow the game and improve the National teams, all while unifing players from all backgrounds through Rugby regardless of union or league. 

LLR- How has 2023 gone so far for development of the teams involved?  

A- We have made great progress over the past 12 months. Our original plan was to play a one off game between Los Angeles Mongrel and San Diego Barracudas, however, we had other teams reach out to us with interest of joining our league. We currently have 4 teams with the Los Angeles Bandidos and Santa Rosa Dead Pelicans joining the fold. We expect to announce additional teams in the coming weeks.

LLR- Do any of the teams involved have their own website or social media accounts? 

A- Yes, see below:

LA Mongrel Insta @la_mongrel

  Twitter @la_mongrel

  FB /lamongrel

  Web www.lamongrel.com

SD Barracudas Insta @sd_barracudas

  Twitter @SD_Barracudas

  FB /SDbarracudas

  Web www.sdbarracudas.com

LA Bandidos Insta @bandidos_rl

  Twitter @lBandidosRL

  FB (Search Bandidos Rugby League)

  Web www.bandidosrugbyleague.com

Dead Pelicans Insta @deadrugby

  Twitter @DeadRugby

  FB /DeadPelicanRugby

  Web www.lamongrel.com

PCRL Insta @pacificcoastrl

  Twitter @pacificcoastrl

  FB /pacificcoastrl

  Web www.pacificcoastrl.com

LLR- How can potential players in the various teams markets get in touch if they would like to play ?  

A- There is a signup form on the Pacific Coast Rugby League website https://www.pacificcoastrl.com/contact

LLR- Is there any financial assistance for the teams who have to travel outside their home towns to matches, and if so in what form?  

A- Our model is based around teams being self-sufficient, we provide support to teams in numerous different ways including assistance with sponsorship, formulation of teams including but not limited to creation of their constitution, bylaws, code of conduct, 501(c)(3) applications etc. We have been very clear that the league is self-funded and that teams cannot be reliant on the league to cover the individual team expenses. We have seen that when sponsorship is pulled at league level it has an immediate impact to clubs. We encourage all teams to work with their local business partners to help grow locally and organically.  

In addition we recognize the travel implications for all teams so will be looking to host multiple games at one venue to limit the expense and travel commitments.

If the league secures a long term significant sponsor, then we will review this policy accordingly.

LLR- Where can fans find rosters for each of the teams?  

A- Rosters will be posted by individual clubs through a combination of their websites and social media channels. All players will also need to register with USARL under our league rules.

LLR- On the union side of things players have to register with the Governing Body, are players with the PCRL having to do something similar with yourselves or USARL?  

A- Players are required to register directly with USARL, currently we do not charge players or teams to participate in our competition.  

LLR- Can you provide insight as to what is happening with the national governing body, are players from the PCRL eligible for the men's and women's National sides?  

A- PCRL was sanctioned as an official competition under the NGB and all players who play in our competion who must register with USARL are eligible for selection as long as they meet the criteria for the national team, (and are good enough) the fee is nominal in comparison to the fees paid to USA Rugby Union. The IRL is working with USARL on governance and a new board is due to be voted in for 2024. Teams registered as full members with USARL will hold voting rights and be eligible to sit for positions on the board.

LLR- How has the Pacific Coast Rugby League been received here in America and internationally?  

A- We have had some great feedback from the rugby league community as a whole, our decision to be transparent certainly helps given the complexities and politics in Rugby League in America. We continue to offer our monthly town hall and hold bi-weekly meetings between member teams. We continue to promote the sport across all social media channels and have support throughout Europe and Australasia as well as here in America

LLR- How is the relationship between the League clubs and local union teams, do you think it's a recipe that can be replicated for other markets in the USA?  

A- We have had great success working with local Union teams, this was highlighted in what we believe was a first here in America where both league and union games were combined in a single day event. You may recall we worked with San Diego Legion to host two union games for their development and youth teams against Belmont Shore, sandwiched in between a women’s introduction to rugby league clinic and the league game between Mongrel and Barracudas. Furthermore LA Mongrel have close links to Eagle Rock Rugby Union and the Bandidos close ties to Belmont Shore. The Dead Pelicans go one step further and play both codes under the one name.

LLR- What more can fans expect going forward this year? 

A- We have a number of ongoing projects including a men’s game between the Bandidos and Dead Pelican and a dedicated SOCAL v NORCAL women’s game which will be the lead into our season which is slated to run June through August with all of our games being recorded and then posted to YouTube. Further events will be announced in due course, but per our policy, will not release details until everything is in place.

LLR- Are there discussions for plans on next year, can you share a bit what those might be?  

A- We hope to build on 2023 and continue with our expansion plans. It is important to build clusters of teams throughout the western region to limit travel and accommodation expenses for teams, we will bring them together for dedicated events as well as end of season playoffs. All interested teams should register at: https://www.pacificcoastrl.com/contact

LLR- Last one, if there players from Rugby Union who maybe on the fence or have been told not to play League. What would you like to say to them on why they should at least give it a try, and same for those from other sports.  

A- We are firm advocates that players should play both codes, our season structure will compliment the Union season and we do not want to clash with their schedule. We believe there are benefits for all players learning a new style of rugby and maintaining fitness and keeping skills sharp instead of taking long breaks between seasons. Many of the lessons learned in rugby league translate over to Union and vice versa, you see many former professional and international level league players coaching at the highest levels of the Union game. Similarly, we are keen to see crossover athletes try our sport, many have the dream of say making the NFL after college and completely stop all sports, we know once they try playing rugby league that they will be hooked. We do not want to limit this to football players and welcome athletes from any background to try rugby league.

I hope this has been helpful in some form and I implore anyone interested in playing to reach out to any of the current club teams and the PCRL as well. 

#RugbyforALL

#RugbyLeague

Girls Rugby

This past year two of my daughters completed their first season of playing flag rugby. They absolutely loved it and keep asking when does the next season start (there is two, fall and spring but my family can only do spring ) . It's an amazing tool to help teach the very basic skills of the sport and help young kids build confidence, friendships and memories without the stress of competition. PLEASE reach out and sign up. If your area doesn't have a team inquire how one can get started.