Assorted items

Cleaning out my inbox, I found these items interesting and hope to follow up on some of them.

* In the must-read Pelican's Beak, one gets the (facetious) point that the Northern California referees' society will set high standards and enable its members to achieve them.

Rumor has reached [us] that there is resentment afoot in the land, resentment that Northern California should be so well-represented at the territorial, national, and international levels in rugby refereeing, evaluating, coaching, administration, touch judging, fourth/fifth/sixth officiating and in the judiciary realm with citing officers and match commissioners.

Let there be no mistake: it is our policy to feed such resentments. Our latest initiative should provide a hearty meal to those who would dissipate their time and energy in envy rather than enterprise.
 
The NCRRS Board of Directors would like to announce sponsorship of a referee-specific professional fitness training program overseen by a licensed professional trainer for our members.

In a related matter, Pelican's Beak editor Bruce Carter was recent named chair USA Rugby's Referee committee, a promising appointment based on the past record of NorCal and particularly Carter.

* Lamorida, one of the larger youth and high school clubs in America, released a recruiting poster that provides some insight into how the San Francisco Bay Area program wins over so many youngsters.

The poster prominently identifies the playing season (it's January to April -- but preseason conditioning begins in December) and makes it clear that 'parents and players' -- note the order of presentation -- are expected at an informational meeting. Lamo also drives sign ups through its web site.

The sales pitches are more familiar, including 'you will handle the ball every game' and, in a slightly retrograde flourish, 'you will get muddy and smile a lot.'

* Tickets have gone on sale for the USA 7s. The San Diego event has become a bellwether for our game's commercial prospects.

* USA Rugby's chief executive has started blogging. A stylish columnist for London's Guardian newspaper, Nigel Melville has been posting for a few weeks now. Welcome Nigel!

Comments

[promotion]

high schools and rugby in general are getting better and better at promoting itself in an inviting way to outsiders. Instead of the intimidating Give Blood. Play Rugby. bs. rugby is putting out stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZP9y_PYoc
found that on playrugbyusa's website. its the recruiting video for philly high school. pretty darn good. I wish USA rugby would put stuff out like that that could be used by all high schools and programs to recruit.

[Dan]

Bruce Carter is a top class ref, administrator and gentleman. His contributions to the game in Northern California are enormous, not the least for keeping the Hail Pelicus!/Pelican's Beak going for so many years.

Good to hear he's been promoted.

[Amen]

Agreed. Bruce is the glue that keeps a very capable Referee Society together.

[Flynn Hagerty]

Yep, Bruce is a truly outstanding ref and administrator. If we could make a few clones of him, American rugby would be off in better shape.

By the way, Melville at the rugby expo:
"
Nigel Melville (USA) - USA has requested support from IRB in getting fixtures with major nations however this has been ignored totally - USA has to arrange own fixtures against emerging nations such as Uruguay. As with Russia a request for structured competition to help self sufficency has been placed. No opportunities for young players in US schools, IRB help requested."

Dan Lyle was there too.

[doug lyons]

This is a complete non-sequitor but since the heading says "assorted items" I guess this is as good a place as any to throw this out there .... the All Blacks / Munster game yesterday was riveting. Well played game played at an amazing pace (particularly the 1st half).

The post match scenes were great to take in and serves as a reminder as to why the game of rugby is so unique.

I hope that the game is repeated in another 25 years. It'll be worth the wait!!!!

[serzhantovo]

Doug-Hear hear on the AB/Munster game. The most engrossing game of rugby I've seen in years. You just feel the electricity in the stands too. Top notch rugby on display and an absolute treat to watch.

[M.O.]

Doug,

I agree totally. That match was unbelievable. To see the Munster forwards (most who who are second and third choice players)stand up to the All Blacks was inspirational. The match was one of the most enjoyable that I have watched in a long time.

[Reggie Lewis]

Promotion,
The video is a great recruiting tool, but one that anyone with a hand camera at games and any basic video editing software could do. Those of us coaching HS/College should stop looking for hand me downs from USAR all the time, and be proactive about putting together our own excellent recruiting videos.

And I agree with the rest of the board, the AB/Munster match was some of the best rugby I've seen in a while.

[assorted response]

Cheers to Bruce Carter. Best of the best.

Cheers to Lamo rugby for their new player recruiting approach. Former Cal football and rugby players are the teams head coach and JV head coach. Little surprise the varsity model is being used in the community club format.

Melville is such a light weight. What an embarrassment. We're on the dole for millions (more than any rugby union on the planet) and he shows up at the business conference, not to do business, but to complain/point out what we don't have and what others should be doing for us. Un-American.

Cheers to AB's vs Munster, best match in a very long time. The setting was magical. The players represented. Cheers to Setanta for bringing it to my living room.

[Promotion]

Reggie,

Not really. Those videos are actually quite difficult to make. At least one that is as well done as the one i posted. Most clubs don't have the money to film all their matches let alone a volunteer to put together something like that. Go on youtube and see if you see anything half as good as that one. Mostly you will just see shoddy highlights with no music, text, message, etc.

My point was that it would be an opportunity for USAR to promote itself and rugby in general if they made a high school and college recruiting video available to all of the clubs. They have the good footage, the know-how to do it, etc. Would it not be more effective to have one very good one made and made available to everyone than for each individual club to try and make their own? Has nothing to do with hand me downs. Only least cost avoidance.

[M.O.]

Promotion:

I think the video is good, but they are very easy to make. Most computers are loaded with the Microsoft packet that includes Microsoft Movie Maker (which is the a very simple, but effective movie-making package). With Microsoft Movie Maker you can easily include edit transitions, text, music, voice overs, etc. It won't take you very long to produce something of very similiar quality to what you posted.

[Reggie is Bill Middleton]

Reggie you are the biggest tool in the whole box.

"hand me downs". Hell, I just want USAR to provide some service for the thousands of bucks we send them and their co-conspirators the LAU's and TU's.

You are so busy being the foreign defender you constantly make a fool of yourself. I bet you're a board member. I remember someone catching Middleton on ERN. Is this you again?

What is ripe, is when Middleton and the board take credit for the growth of HS and college rugby, when they do f_ckall.

What's wrong with the rugby union being involved with promotional materials? It makes sense to centralize these types of materials for consistency and expense purposes.

What tools like YOU should be defending is why these kid and their dues are subsidizing the Eagles and high priced salaries which do nothing for the game they play.

[promotion]

It may be "easy" to edit. but that just means you dont have to actually clip the actual reel by hand. It takes hours upon hours to sync up music like that to action on the screen. Figuring out where all the clips go and just finding the clips in the video you have recorded is very time consuming.

The most difficult part though is actually getting the footage. You need a good video camera and you need scaffolding to be in the elevated position that you see in that video. Most teams dont have that and it would be difficult to get just because of the scarcity in resources in grassroots rugby.

i get your point though. It can be done. But it just isnt what I would call easy.

[Flynn Hagerty]

"Melville is such a light weight. What an embarrassment. We're on the dole for millions (more than any rugby union on the planet) and he shows up at the business conference, not to do business, but to complain/point out what we don't have and what others should be doing for us. Un-American."

Melville was on a panel discussing expanding the reach of rugby - his entire reason for being there was to talk about what the IRB are doing for development. Singapore and Russia's chairmen were there as well, doing the same thing. IRB guy was apparently throwing his hands up at getting the RWC on TV, something I don't entirely believe.

Also Dan Lyle participated in a workshop on the ELVs and slated them apparently! Go Dan!

[ofgkjnc ejwt]

sftxphole vpigaqu ixqyv hjqir lqgnr xcqh womyifqdb