HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB’S 31 7’S … · 2017-06-15 · HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB...

P.O. BOX 161 FEDERAL SQUARE STATION, HARRISBURG, PA 17108 • USA • [email protected] • WWW.HARRISBURGRUGBY.COM

HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB’S 31ST ANNUAL

2017 OFFICIAL PROGRAM7’S TOURNAMENT

Phot

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HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB • 31ST ANNUAL 7’s TOURNAMENT 1

Welcome to the 31st AnnualHarrisburg Rugby Club 7’s Tournament!

The Harrisburg Rugby Football Club (men and women) appreciate the opportunity to continue our tradition of hosting the best grass roots Rugby 7’s Tournament in Pennsylvania and in the Mid-Atlantic Region. We strive for the true spirit of rugby, forging bonds of friendship that last a lifetime.

We would like to offer special appreciation to all of our sponsors for their support. Without them, this tournament would not be possible. We urge you to patronize the advertisers in this program, as they are true advocates of rugby. Many thanks to the 2017 Tournament Committee and Harrisburg Rugby Club volunteers who are responsible for making this tournament run so seamlessly. Special thanks to all the referees—without them there would be no game. Thanks also go to the Campbelltown Volunteer Fire Company for the use of their facilities and fields, and to the Borough of Highspire for the use of Memorial Park.

Good luck to all participants in the 31st Annual Harrisburg Rugby Club 7’s Tournament. Thank you for coming, and we hope to see you next year. Remember, rugby is not just a game, but a way of life.

Sincerely,

Jeff CookChairman, Harrisburg Rugby Football Club, Inc.

2017 Tournament CommitteeChairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott “Scooter” StrelecReferees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott StrattonTeams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott “Scooter” StrelecFields Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wade Edris, Jeff PaineFields Set Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russell Bucks, Wade Edris, Jeff PaineGrills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Cook, Mike Bressi, Andy VazquezPress Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.J. CarrProgram Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney ReapsomeProgram Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtney ReapsomeProgram Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric KovacT-Shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angi RaubRegistration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angi RaubBracketologist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott “Scooter” StrelecSecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff CookFinancials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin “Goody” StrelecGreenery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff PaineCampbelltown Volunteer Fire Company Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Paine

HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB • 31ST ANNUAL 7’s TOURNAMENT2

Tournament Rules1. A roster limit of 12 players will be enforced. The roster must be completed and submitted prior to the

initial game for each side.

2. Players identities will not be checked against a team roster unless a formal complaint is filed with the tournament director. In the event that a complaint is filed, all players on the field will be expected to produce identification for roster verification. Cross rostering will not be tolerated.

3. If disciplinary action is taken against a player (i.e., ejection), the offending player will be ineligible for the remainder of the tournament.

4. Ties will be allowed during the round robin portion of the tournament. During the single elimination portion of the tournament, ties will not be allowed. After regulation time, teams will play additional five (5) minute halves until a winner is decided.

5. The tie-breaking criteria in the round-robin portion of the tournament will be as follows:

6. Teams will be expected to be on time. Games will start promptly as scheduled. For each minute a team is late, a five (5) point penalty will be assessed. After five (5) minutes, a forfeit will be declared.

WANTEDNEW PLAYERSNo Experience Necessary

MEN’S TEAMPractice Tuesdays and Thursdays from

6 – 8 p.m. at Memorial Park, Highspire, PA.Contact Scott Strelec at (717) 951-8149

or [email protected].

WOMEN’S TEAMPractice Tuesdays and Thursdays from

6 – 8 p.m. at Memorial Park, Highspire, PA.Contact Adi Horrell at (703) 489-4934or [email protected].

Visit us at www.harrisburgrugby.com

A. Heads up competitionB. Point differential - all gamesC. Offensive points scored

D. Number of triesE. Number of tries surrenderedF. Drop kicks from 25 meters - sudden death

SPECIAL THANKSTO THE HARRISBURG RUGBY

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

YouthCumberland Vally Youth Rugby Association

High SchoolWest Shore United BoysWest Shore United Girls

Dauphin County Boys

CollegeShippensburg University Women


Where Rugby is PlayedRugby is played on a level grass covered surface. When this is not available, however, clay or sand may be used providing the surface is not of dangerous hardness. shows a layout of the playing area, known as the pitch or field.

Some general rules about the lines of the field are as follows:

• The touch lines along the length of the field are out of bounds.• Corner posts and touch-in-goal lines are in bounds.• The goal line is in-goal, but the dead-ball line is out of bounds.• The twenty-two meter line is within the twenty-two meter area.

How Rugby is PlayedRugby is a game played by two teams, consisting of fifteen players each, who attempt to score points by carrying the ball over the opponents goal line (end zones) and touching it on the ground, called a try, or by kicking it over the cross bar of the goal posts. A try is worth five points, and a kick is worth either two or three points depending on the type of kick. The ball used is slightly larger than an American football and has no lacing. Gaining and retaining possession of the ball is the key to scoring, with the highest scoring team winning the game. The players in each team are divided into two main categories: forwards who gain possession of the ball, and backs who gain ground and are expected to score points.

Possession of the ball is gained by various methods:

• Following a stoppage in the play, a set piece is formed (i.e. kick-off, scrum, or line-out) to restart the game.

• Seizing the ball during open play, such as rucks, mauls, and following a tackle.

Gaining ground can be achieved by various methods:

• Advancing the ball by passing it from one player to another while running toward the opponent’s goal line. This is done by finding gaps in the opposition’s defense. All passes must be lateral or in a backwards direction.

• Kicking towards the opposition’s goal line either for position (i.e. touch) or kicking over the opponents heads into open areas and sprinting forward to regain possession.

Both the forwards and the backs attempt to stop an attacking player carrying the ball by tackling either around the body or legs to bring him to the ground. In rugby you can only tackle the ball carrier; no form of blocking is allowed as in American football. What makes rugby fascinating is that possession can change from one team to the other in an instant, and the role of a player can switch from offense to defense and back again throughout the game. Unlike a football player, a rugby player who starts the game will remain playing, unless injured, for two forty-minute halves with a five-minute break at halftime. This creates an activity that is demanding both physically and mentally.


30th31st


The Rugby PitchDEAD BALL LINE

Not exceeding 70mN

ot exceeding2

2m

Not exceeding

22

mN

ot exceeding 100

m

15m 5m

5m

22m

10m

DEAD BALL LINE

= goal posts and the crossbar

IN-GOAL

GOAL-LINE

GOAL-LINE

22-METRE LINE

22-METRE LINE

10-METRE LINE

10-METRE LINE

HALF-WAY LINE

TOU

CH

-LINE

TOU

CH

-ING

OA

L LINE

TOU

CH

-ING

OA

L LINE

TOUCH

TOUCHIN GOAL

TOUCHIN GOAL


Harrisburg Harlots

Photo Credit: Annetta Comstock


7’s for the SpectatorRUGBY VS. FOOTBALL: The first step as a new spectator is to understand the fundamental differences between rugby and football. In rugby, all players are allowed to handle the ball, but the ball cannot be passed forward. Instead, players run or kick the ball forward, or pass it laterally to a teammate. Also, there is no blocking in rugby. No player can shield or protect the ball carrier and by the same token, the ball carrier cannot run behind his own players in an attempt to shield himself from the other team. If the player is tackled, play does not stop. Rugby is a continuous sport. Once tackled, the ball carrier must immediately release the ball. A penalty will be called if a player is tackled and does not make an attempt to get away from the ball.

GAME: The match starts with a kickoff, and as in football, the ball must travel 10 yards before the kicking team can play it. Unlike football, though, kicking off in rugby is considered an advantage. The team that was scored on kicks off to the team that just scored. A team may kick in the air 10 yards and try to play the ball, or kick long and pin the other team deep in their end of the pitch.

OBJECT: The object of the game is to move the ball down field across the opponent’s try line and physically touch the ball down. Supporting the ball carrier is very important in the game, especially since the ball carrier must release the ball once tackled. If a team is supporting well, then once a player is tackled there should be at least two or three players around him to take the ball.

At any time, a player may kick the ball towards an opponent’s goal and try to regain possession up the pitch. In 7’s, however, this is very dangerous. Possession is the key to the game, and if you do not recover your kick, then you have lost possession of the ball and basically screwed up.

THE GAME: In 7’s, teams try to keep possession of the ball at all costs. Therefore, players have much more responsibility both offensively and defensively. Fixed positions are virtually eliminated after set plays. If a player is tackled, he tries to push the ball back to his own teammates as he falls to the ground. Once on the ground, a player cannot touch the ball. When on the ground, you’re part of the ground. Often a player tries to get tackled so he can create a hole in the opponent’s defense. As he gets tackled, he may quickly pass the ball off to a streaking teammate. However, if a player tries this, is tackled, and loses possession of the ball, then basically he screwed up.

SCORING: There are four ways to score in rugby. A try, worth five points, is scored when a player carries or kicks the ball over an opponent’s goal line and touches it down. A place kick or conversion is attempted after each try from a point perpendicular to where the ball was touched down. When kicked through the uprights, a conversion is worth 2 points.

The other two methods of scoring are also for kicking the ball through the uprights. Penalty goals are worth 3 points. A penalty situation comes about after a serious violation of the laws, and the victimized team is awarded a free kick from the point of the infraction. Drop kicks can be attempted at any time during the game, and a drop goal is worth 3 points.

COMMON ERRORS:KNOCK-ON: Hitting the ball forward with the hands.FORWARD PASS: Passing forward instead of laterally.OFF SIDES: Basically, you cannot kick to a teammate down field on offense, and on defense you must stay behind the ball or the group of people trying to win the ball.HIGH TACKLE: You’ll know when you see it.FAILURE TO RELEASE: You must release the ball immediately after being tackled.


A Football ComparisonA rugby team consists of fifteen players. Usually they are divided into eight forwards and seven backs. The American football fan will find their positions confusing, but some comparison to the more familiar sport is possible if we look at the team’s position during a set scrummage.

THE FORWARDS:The first row of three forwards consists of one PROP on each end and a HOOKER in the middle. They can be compared to the requirements of guards and a center. The second row is made up of a FLANKER forward on each end pushing in at an angle, with two second row forwards or LOCKS on the middle. They are somewhat like two ends and two tackles, and provide 75% of the forward thrust of the scrum. The rear row is simply the lonely NUMBER EIGHT who can best be compared to a linebacker.

THE BACKS:The back who stays near the scrum and receives the ball is similar to a split-T quarterback, and is known as the SCRUM HALF. He controls play to some extent, especially when the ball is thrown into the set scrum. Angling back from the scrum are the FLYHALF, the INSIDE CENTER, the OUTSIDE CENTER, and the RIGHT and LEFT WINGS. They are all sort of halfbacks, while the rugby FULLBACK acts as a safety man and often saves the day by a long kick back at the enemy goal.


Where Does Rugby Come From?One afternoon in 1823 during an intramural soccer game on the campus of Rugby School in England, William Webb Ellis became frustrated by his ineffectual attempt to kick the bouncing ball. So with a blatant disregard for the rules, he picked up the ball and began to run with it. Some of the other students decided that Webb had stumbled onto a good idea, and that his newfound way of playing should be incorporated into a new version of soccer.

The new version became known as “Rugby’s Game,” and over the years students of Cambridge, Oxford, and many other schools began playing. For nearly fifty years, the game was played under a wide variety of rules. Then, in 1871, the Rugby Football Union was formed in England and established a set of rules to control and codify the sport.

Rugby was first introduced to America in the early 1870s at Harvard University, and the game became increasingly popular in other schools as well. During the 1880s, however, further variations on the rules resulted in three separate games: rugby, American/Canadian football, and soccer. While football tended to be the most popular at American universities, rugby nonetheless became known from coast to coast.

Rugby continued to increase in popularity throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century, and became a part of the 1900 Olympics held in Paris, France. In 1924, the United States captured the gold medal for rugby the second time in a row. At this point, however, Britain decided to withdraw their support from Olympic rugby, claiming that Olympic matches were being scheduled out of season. Without Britain’s support, rugby was dropped from Olympic competition.

For many fans, rugby did not decline in popularity, and the amateur sport continued to be played on a number of continents. In the early 1970s, rugby began to gain a newfound popularity in America, and in 1975 the United States of America Rugby Football Union (USARFU or ARFU) was formed.

Playing PositionsRugby has a universal appeal to sports enthusiasts because the game’s organization provides opportunities for players of all shapes and sizes to contribute. There are fifteen specialist positions on a rugby team, and each one requires a player with a different range of physical attributes, talents, and skills. Unlike many sports, the number assigned to a player in rugby denotes his playing position. A diagram of these players positions and corresponding numbers can be found on page 22, as well as a table giving a name and a basic function to each position.

PLAYERS ARE GROUPED IN TWO CATEGORIES:

FORWARDS: The forwards use their strength, fitness, and skill to secure possession of the ball at lineouts, scrums, rucks, and mauls. They are required to drive their opponents backwards, helping to create space and opportunities for their teammates, or to try to disrupt the opponent’s possession.

BACKS: The backs use their quickness and skills of running, passing, and kicking to create a good attacking position. They must also try to prevent their opponents from scoring.

The positions in rugby have unique names, and the primary activity performed by each player is different. Although different positions require special physical attributes, as a guideline, forward height and weight range from 6’0” to 6’7” and 180 to 250 ponds, whilst the backs range from 5’6” to 6’0” and 140 to 200 pounds.


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Positions on the Field for 7’s Rugby

U-HAUL MOVING & STORAGEOF HARRISBURG

5621 Allentown Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17112

CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE UNITS AVAILABLE


A Toast to Harrisburg RugbyTo us,

The men, and the women,The old, and the young,The living, and the dead,

Old friends, new friends, and absent friendsTo all of us, who are,

Now and forever,Harrisburg Rugby

Good luck Harrisburg, from Jim Dopkin


JEFFREY COOKChairmanTel. [email protected]

SCOTT STRELECMen’s CoachTel. [email protected]

ADI HORRELLWomen’s CoachTel. [email protected]

P.O. Box 161Federal Square StationHarrisburg, PA 17108

www.harrisburgrugby.com

1200 Market Street • Lemoyne, PA 17043 • 717-737-2519Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:00-6:00 • SAT.: 5:30-11:00

HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB’S 31 7’S … · 2017-06-15 · HARRISBURG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB...

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