Win One, Lose Some

UNC Charlotte just returned from a whirlwind trip to College Station, TX for the National 7s Championship.  Being new to 7s, the team was honored to be invited and knew the experience alone was worth the trip.  Texas weather was chillier than we expected but it didn't stop the the team from playing every minute possible.

Charlotte vs. Cal

In an eyeopener of a game, we lost 0-24.  Cal later went on to win the Plate finals, placing them 5th in the tournament.

Charlotte vs. Santa Clara

A little experience goes a long way. Charlote won 22-5, with two tries by Liz Alliss, one each by Meghan Bradsher and Nicole Floersch.  Conversion by Maddy Clark.

Charlotte vs. Texas

Sometimes home state advantage works.  Texas won 10-27.  Charlotte tries were made by Meghan Bradsher and Maddy Clark.  Texas went on to win the bowl.

Charlotte vs. Arizona State

Again Charlotte lost 5-20, with one try by Courtney Jessamy.

We're Leaving... On a Jet Plane

Thursday, December 15, 2011 the UNC Charlotte Women's 7s team is flying to College Station, TX for the  2011 USA Rugby Men's and Women's College Sevens National Championships!

This is an amazing opportunity and honor for our team.  We will be playing in front of national scouts and it will be steamed live for our friends and family to watch.

Raising the funds to go on such short notice was a daunting task, but with help we are all set.

Thank you to our Flight Sponsors: 

Gray's Bookstore 

Formalwear Outlet

Thank you to everyone else that donated, ever dollar made a difference: 

Cynthia Coleman, Susan Sisk, Erin Leonetti, Lou Andre,

and all those who remain anonymous.

Thanks to Tilt on Trade for hosting one of our fundraising events, and everyone who came out and joined the festivities.

Thanks to Charlotte Rugby for letting us borrow the pitch to practice when ours went dark one night.

Thanks to the UNC Charlotte Men's Rugby team for practicing with us in the cold.  Thank you to Dave Rayner for providing your expert 7s advice and coaching.

Thanks to Sydny Small who worked to raise money for her girls, without you, we'd still be walking.

Our Championship Schedule: 

Friday December 16, 2011: 

9:20am (CST) vs. Cal University on Field 2

3:20pm (CST) vs. Santa Clara University on Field 2

Saturday December 17, 2011: 

Games TBD based on Friday's outcomes.  We will play at least two games.

If you want to watch a streaming of the game go to USARugby.org and click on College Sevens or follow this link.  

Scores should also be updated on USARugby.org or you can go to Scrumhalf Connection (theirs may update faster).

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year.  From the National Championships for 15s in April to the National Championships for 7s this December, we appreciate everything you do for us!

USA Sevens Collegiate Championship

Recently USA rugby put together the first ever National Collegiate 7s Championship.  Due to the event being new and unknown in the women's world, USA rugby took applications for the women's sides.  (Men's teams were determined by tournament winners).

UNC-Charlotte women started a 7s team this fall and decided to apply even if it was a long shot.  12 teams from D1 and D2 were chosen.  At first UNC-Charlotte didn't make the cut, but as one team had to back out, Mean Green was next in line to replace them.

On November 30th, USA Rugby called and invited the UNC-Charlotte women to play in the 2011 USA Rugby Men's and Women's College Sevens National Championships.  These championships will be played on December 16 & 17, 2011 in College Station, TX.

The tournament is serving as an opportunity for students to showcase their abilities to National Team selectors.  Selectors have their eyes focused on 7s as it will be played in the 2016 Olympics.

Congratulations Ladies. 

The only downside, the team has to pay to get there.  Plane tickets alone are $300.00 each.  If you can help, please contact Courtney Jessamy.  Multiple sponsorship opportunities are avilable and every dollar counts!

Sponsorship Packages:

One Flight: $300

This donation will cover the cost of one round trip ticket to Texas.  With it you will receive an appreciation letter and signed photograph of the team.

Three Flights: $1200.00

This donation will cover the cost of three round trip tickets to Texas.  With it you will receive an appreciation letter, signed photo, and a thank you from each team member posted on facebook (with a link to your establishment).

Half way There: $2500.00

This donation will allow the team to get half way to Texas.  With it you would receive all the above items, plus your logo and link on our website and your logo on our shirts that we will wear to the tournament and around Charlotte when we return.

Title Trip Sponsor $5000.00

With this elite sponsorship you would cover the cost of the entire trip.  Doing so will earn you all of the above items plus your logo printed on our jerseys

Broken Curse

One would think a team as young as we are wouldn't have curses already, but that is the way Rucktoberfest feels.  Two years ago we went to Rucktoberfest as a rookie team and lost every game, but never expected much.  Last year we attended Rucktoberfest with a little more enthusiasm, but couldn't pull out a win (although later in the season, we came back and beat each team individually).  This year we had high hopes going in, until we saw our competition.

Competition is good for the soul.  Tough competition shows you where your faults are and what you need to work on.  Being the only division 2 team out of eight  in a tourney is a whole different level of competition.

Appalachian State, East Carolina University, James Madison University, NC State, University of South Carolina, and UVA (a & b side) all travelled to Boone NC to play in this year's Women Only Rucktoberfest Tournament.

The brackets were divided and we would be playing ECU, UVA, and NC State on Saturday. 

At 9:30 on Saturday morning we started with a little rain, some sleet, and a lot of snow.  ECU was quick to get on the scoreboard and were up 7-0 within the first 10 minutes.  Winning majority of the scrums, Christina White was able to get the ball to  flyhalf Dominique Williams who was able to then break through and score a try.  7-7.  Pouring snow makes for a lot of dropped balls and knock ons.   Scrumming is something both teams were good at, but hooker Maddy Clark won almost every one for UNCC.  Again off a scrum, an 8 man pick to the weak side by Liz Allis brought us our second try.  Unfortunately it was near touch so a kick in the sideways snow didn't make it.  7-12. In the last scrum of the game, again we

 won it, but the ball slipped right through our scrumhalf's hands providing opportunity for ECU's scrumhalf to pick up the ball.  ECU passed out quickly and was able to score a try and their kick, bring the final score 14-12.  A tough loss.

A two hour break gave us time to attempt to dry off, just so it could rain again.  At 12:30 we went up against UVA A-side.  UVA was ready and waiting to pound away at us.  With more experience in organization and communication, UVA had no problem putting up 5 tries to our none.

With a 10 minute break between the UVA game and NC State, we could not get our team back together.  NC State was able to use our exhaustion and defeat against us to put up 2 tries in the first half.  During the second half we finally started to play our game again, and fullback Nicole Floersch was able to score a try.  At that point it was too late as NC State was still able to put up another one.

Sunday brought clear skies and a new team to play.  The brackets were not just based on winners, but also points.  We started our morning playing USC at 11am.  Both sides were plagued with multiple injuries from the day before, but we were still able to put together a good team.  We decided to startover.  Play our game, knowing if we didn't get frustrated or over run, we could pull off a win.  The ladies just wanted it worse sunday morning.  Liz Alliss scored again from a substitution role at outside center.  Jessica James drove through and scored off a penalty. Meghan Bradsher was able to score from inside center.  The gamecocks were able to score two tries, but it just wasn't enough to take us out.  UNCC walked away with a win, and a chance to play for the third place title against ECU.

ECU- The same team we had lost by a kick to in the snow.  

At 1:30pm we took the field ready to play our hearts out.  We had finally won a game at rucktoberfest, and now we could even go for third!  ECU beat us to the scoreboard, 5-0.  But we quickly came back and drove up the field for a try by rookie Alex Spaugh.  5-7

ECU was not going to go down easy and snuck around the outside for another try.  We decided to mimic their try with one of our own by wing Raelyn Jehlik.  Score 10-12.  In the end ECU was able to put up one last try in the last 3 minutes of the game bringing the final score 15-12.

While we have always lost at rucktoberfest, the competition was fiercer this year than it has ever been.  Thank you to all the teams that went and to AHO for hosting.  We are grateful our curse is broken, and we will be back next year.

Season Ends in Elite 8

It has been a long, hard road this year, but the team ended their season as a part of the Elite 8 in the Nation.

Washington State University forfeited the Sweet 16 game, giving UNCC a leg up.  On Sunday April 17, we played Stonehill University in a battle for the final four.  Stonehill has been to Nationals three times in three years and their experience showed.  The game was much quicker than what we are used to.  While we held Stonehill 10-0 in the first half, their speed of game ran us over in the second half. 

It has been said before, but to reiterate, making it to Nationals in your first matrix season, and only your second year over all is amazing.  To go out and play a team with more depth and experience is hard, and provided a great learning experience.  Every lady played a great game, and came off the field wanting more.  Our goal was to make it to Nationals this year, we succeeded!  Next year our goal is the final four.  

Thank you to all who supported our team this year!

USA Rugby South Women's DII FINALIST

Even in today's society, women still fight to prove equality.  We are looked at differently because of our size, speed, intelligence, and even attitudes.  Women have come a long way, but across the globe, battles are still being fought.

Unlike other sports, women who play rugby are held to the same rules and standards as the men, if not stricter standards.  No modification is made to accomidate the differences.  On the rugby pitch, we are equal.  Women tackle, scrum, and run for the full 80 minutes same as the men.

This past weekend 4 collegiate women's rugby teams converged on Mobile, AL to play for spots in the national sweet sixteen.  Lee University, Elon University, Kennesaw State University and UNC-Charlotte made the trip to ruck for what each thought was rightfully theirs.  Each team had won their own league in the South Conference and both the Champion and Finalist would emerge with seeding spaces.

UNC-Charlotte Women made history in just making the journey. Just two years ago the team was barely emerging into rugby with 6 players.  A year ago a full squad was winning it's first games.  Making it to Nationals, being a part of the sweet sixteen was a pie in the sky goal the team came up with 6 months ago.  It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to bring this team to where it is today.  

Kickoff was 1:30pm on Saturday.  It was hot, humid, and windy.  Lineout's and kicks were tough to control, but UNCC played it's own game.  Within 10 minutes the first try was scored by Christina White.  10 minutes later, Tabitha Shearin scored a try.  Both times Natalie Ricketts made the kicks, and UNCC was up 14-0.  The heat got to the team, and while fighting hard, KSU was able to score two tries leaving it 14-10 with 10 minutes to go.  UNCC got their act together and Meghan Bradsher broke through their backline to score a perfectly placed try.  Again, Natalie made the kick and the final score was 21-10.  UNCC had earned their right to Nationals.

Meanwhile, Lee University blew Elon University out of the water. With a final score of 81-0, Lee left the field to watch the end of the UNCC-KSU game.  

At 9am on Sunday, Lee and UNCC faced off to fight for seeding and the position of Champion verses finalist.  It might not have been as hot, but the ground was still wet and it made for interesting play.  Twice in the first 10 minutes, UNCC almost scored, but Lee wouldn't let it happen.  It was 25 minutes into the game before anyone made it on the scoreboard.  Lee brought it up to 5-0, and then shortly after 10-0.  UNCC was winning the scrums, and many of the rucks, but couldn't get their hands to control the ball.  It was well into the second half before they scored bringing it to 10-7.  Holding their ground, Lee scored again to end the game at 17-7.  The score doesn't come close to showing how good of a game it was.  Both teams played their best game and put their heart and soul into it.  Those who watched knew that in that moment, women were proving themselves to have just as good a game as the men.

Lee University earned the Champion title and #8 seeding in the brackets at Nationals.  They will be heading to San Diego CA for playoffs, and we wish them the best of luck.

UNC-Charlotte earned the Finalist title, #14 seeding and will be playing in Kissimmee FL on April 16th in the National playoffs.

Rucktoberfest

In the mountains of NC, fall is usually marked by the changing of the leaves.  But on the pitch, it is marked by Rucktoberfest. 

On the first weekend in October, you will find the best of the best teams in the southeast, travelling to Boone NC for a tournament that includes both men and women.

We do not consider ourselves the best of the best, but where else can you gain so much knowledge in one weekend.

12 womens teams travelled to Boone this year, and we were one of them. 

Our first game against James Madison, a VA division one school started at 9am.  In 39 degree weather we played our hearts out.  We were able to hold them to two tries and one drop goal, for a final score of 0-17.

At 11:30 we were back at again.  We had learned from our mistakes in the first game and were ready for a fight against USC.  We lost 7-10 in a heartfelt game. 

Finally at 3:30 we were exausted tired, and still ready to take on NC State, ranked #2 in the state.  We fought for all it was worth, but we lost again.

It takes all kinds to play the game of rugby.  We walked off the field knowing a lot more than we did to start with.  It takes experience to learn the game, and experience is what we earned.

After a long day, Sunday met us with 2 sick players, 4 injuries and a short side.  We played our final game against the College of Charleston and lost.