Important Announcements

San Francisco Golden Gate defends its title against 2008 champion New York Athletic Club on their home pitch on Treaure Island.  Aside from the Eagles, this is the highest level of rugby played in the United States, and is sure to provide great ways to learn the game by watching the skill and team work of these two top sides.

See www.usarugby.org and www.americanrugbynews.com for more information.

The Banquet to celebrate PITS 2010 season is tonight, Thursday, May 27th at 7pm.  NEW LOCATION:  Michael and Kevin Garrett’s house, 121 La Salle Avenue.

Come celebrate PITS 2010 campaign with your teammates, coaches and supporters.

Cost of the Banquet will be shared by all attendees.  We’ll determine that cost when provisions are procured.  We will ask that payment be made at the door.

Please e-mail ask@pitsrugby.com or text 415-596-4225 if you have questions.

Also if you could help Cathy and other stalwarts with the banquet preparation.  That will be hugely appreciated!

Thanks and GO PITS!

The Hayward Griffins dominated San Francisco Golden Gate 47-30 last Saturday May 15 on Treasure Island to win the Northern California Rugby Football Union Under-19 Club Championship.  Congratulations to Hayward for winning out in the playoffs, despite being seeded 10th and last in the tournament.

And congratulations PITS for handing that superior Hayward club one of its few losses this year!

Jesuit of Sacramento beat Fallbrook High School of San Diego 21-0 to win Rugby California’s 1st annual State Cup, the Single School High School Rugby Championship of California. 

Given the national respect for the very high level of high school rugby in California, both Jesuit (the No. 1 seed and defending champion) and Fallbrook will fly to USA Rugby’s National High School Championship tournament at Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City this coming weekend, May 21-23.

Great Rugby tomorrow, Saturday May 15 at SFGG’s Rocca Field on Treasure Island.

Noon: 1st Annual State Cup - The California Single School Championship.  NorCal Champion Jesuit of Sac vs. SoCal Champion Fallbrook High School of San Diego.

1:30pm: Northern California Under-19 Championship: Hayward vs. San Francisco Golden Gate.  7th seeded SFGG had to beat two teams to get there.  And 10th (and last) seed Hayward beat Christian Brothers and then Lamo.

Yes, the seeding was wack, with the Bay Conference’s highest seeded team (Lamo) being merely the 4th seed.  And yet all three Bay Conference teams were in the semis, and two are in the championship.

And yes, PITS beat Hayward 29-15.

After these, SFGG’s Super League side begins its defense of its 2009 Super League title, in a first round playoff match against Old Blue New York.  Super League is the highest level of rugby in the US outside of the Eagles*, so it’s great to watch and learn.

* Cal and BYU may dispute this.  As might anyone who witnessed the Collegiate Championship two weeks ago.  Incredible skill and even better team play by those perennial collegiate finalists.

Click Here for 2010 PITS Photos by John and Edna Cooper

USA Rugby is set to host the top men’s and women’s collegiate teams from around the nation at the 2010 Collegiate National Championships at Stanford University on April 30 - May 1.

Featuring non-stop collegiate rugby action from 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, USA Rugby’s Collegiate Championships will again be a highlight of the season.

USA Rugby’s Collegiate Championships will be held on two fields at Stanford University , with half of the matches on the first day being played on Dan Elliot Field and half on the Steuber Rugby Stadium pitch. All of the second day’s events will be held at Steuber Stadium and all of the matches held on this main stadium pitch will be streamed live via U-Stream.

This year, four California teams are battling it out for the top spot in their respective divisions. In Division I, the 2009 Championship runners-up, California , will once again make a run for the title, while on the women’s side Stanford University is a local favorite to make the final. In addition, this year also sees UC-Santa-Cruz join the lineup in the Women’s Division II competition and Claremont Colleges secure a spot in the Men’s Division II Championship bracket.

In Men’s Division I, Cal returns as a perennial favorite. The second-seeded California Golden Bears (24-0), return to this tournament and hope to walk away with their 25^th Division I title. However, the Golden Bears will have their work cut out for them, as they must first overcome a tough Arkansas State University side in the semifinals on Friday at 5 p.m. (PDT), before facing the winner of the No. 1 Brigham Young University and No. 4 Army match-up, which kicks off on Friday at 3 p.m.

Arkansas State upset the Southern California powerhouse, San Diego State University in the quarterfinals last weekend in Santa Barbara to move on to its first-ever Collegiate Championships. Given the daunting task of taking on Cal in the semifinals, Arkansas State coach Matt Huckaby is making his team stay very focused.

“We are putting in double time to make sure we are as prepared as possible for a great rugby program like Cal ,” Huckaby said. “The last thing we want to do is have Cal beat us before we even get on the field.”

The intimidation factor of playing against Cal has definitely been an issue for many teams. In this season alone, the Bears have outscored competitors 1,522-142 in their 24 matches. However, during the Championship season, fans anticipate some upsets. Just last year, BYU upset Cal in the finals to cut the Bears winning streak off at five-consecutive wins.

Head coach Jack Clark, whose Bears’ average victory in 2010 has been by more than 55 points, makes sure his team never takes a competitor lightly.

“We’ve both won and lost in the semifinals as well as the final,” said Clark . “There are no flukes at this stage. Everyone has earned the right to be here.”

In the Women’s Division I competition, Stanford University is no doubt itching to use the home-field advantage to take back their crown. Stanford first takes on Brown University in its semifinal matchup on Friday at 11 a.m., while reigning champs Penn State competes against Army in Friday’s 1 p.m. game.

The Men’s Division II semifinals pit No. 9 Claremont Colleges against No. 4 Miami University in a 3 p.m. match, while third-seeded Temple University plays the Championship’s Cinderella team, the No. 15 seed University of Massachusetts – Amherst, in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Both Men’s DII semifinals will be held on Stanford’s Dan Elliot Field.

In the Women’s Division II bracket, Temple returns to its first Championships since 2005, and faces the No. 13 seed, UC-Santa Cruz, in the first match of the day at 11 a.m. No. 3 Washington State takes on No. 2 Norwich in their semifinal face-off at Stanford’s Dan Elliot Fields at 1 p.m.

Cost for the event is $15 for adults, $5 for students/military/senior citizens over 55 with valid ID and children four and under are free. Tickets are only available at the gate.

For more information on the USA Rugby National Championships, visit www.usarugby.org/goto/championships. Media interested in attending, please contact Sara Wright at swright@usarugby.org or by phone at 719-310-2606.

Fans can also follow the Championships online via Mobilescore, Facebook or Twitter, and download the USA Rugby iPhone App to get all the latest USA Rugby scores, news and media. 

USA Rugby  Collegiate Championships Schedule

Friday, April 30
11:00 am: Women’s DII - Temple University vs. UC – Santa Cruz - Dan Elliot Field

*11:00 am: Women’s DI -  Brown University vs. Stanford - Steuber

1:00 pm: Women’s DII - Washington State University vs. Norwich - Dan Elliot Field

*1:00 pm: Women’s DI - Penn State University vs. Army - Steuber

3:00 pm: Men’s DII - Claremont Colleges vs. Miami University - Dan Elliot Field

*3:00 pm: Men’s DI - BYU vs. Army - Steuber

5:00 pm: Men’s DII - Temple University vs. Univ. MA - Amherst - Dan Elliot Field

*5:00 pm: Men’s DI - Arkansas State University vs. California - Steuber

Saturday, May 1

*1:00 pm: Division II - Women’s Championship - Steuber

*3:00 pm: Division II - Men’s Championship - Steuber

*5:00 pm: Division I - Women’s Championship - Steuber

*7:00 pm: Division I - Men’s Championship - Steuber

* Matches that will be streamed live via www.ustream.tv/usarugby.

Varsity Match only.  All Frosh/Sophs are to attend and support.  Possible 3rd half for Frosh/Sophs after the match.

Carpool immediately after school.

Directions to College of Marin, Kentfield:

·         Take Richmond Bridge

·         Exit at Sir Francis Drake Blvd

·         College of Marin is about 1 mile past Marin Catholic High School on the Left

·         Turn Left on College Avenue into College of Marin

·         Saturday

o    1st Match 9:55am vs. East Palo Alto

o    2nd Match 2:30pm if beat EPA, 1:35pm if don’t

o     2nd match vs. either Silicon Valley or Pleasanton

o    Matches are 45 minutes with 5 minute halftime

·         Sunday

o    Match at 9:30am, 10:50am, 12:10pm or 1:30pm depending on Saturday

o    Championship match is at 1:30pm

o    Full 70 minute match

Varsity Teams and Divisions:

Varsity Gold    

1.       PITS

2.       EPA

3.       San Mateo

4.       Pleasanton Cavaliers

5.       Peninsula Green

6.       Silicon Valley

7.       Rosa

8.       Islanders

Varsity Bronze

1.       Kennedy

2.       Bullard (Sat. only)  

3.       Oakland Warthogs  

4.       Sierra Foothills

5.       Bishop O’Dowd

6.       Live Oak

7.       Bellarmine B

8.       Lamorinda B (Sat. only)

Directions to San Jose State South Campus (near Spartan Stadium)

Take 880 south

Take 101 south to 280

Take 280 to Downtown San Jose,

Exit 11th Street towards 10th Street

Turn left onto S. 10th Street

Proceed 0.7 miles,

Parking will be on your left, across from Spartan Stadium

Cost for parking is $8 per car, $20 per RV, $40 per bus.

PITS vs. San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club

Varsity 6:00pm

Frosh/Soph 7:15pm

Witter Field, Piedmont CA

GO PITS!

PITS vs. Lamorinda Rugby Club

Varsity: Friday, March 26, 5:30pm

Frosh/Soph: Saturday, March 27, 9:00am

Both matches at St. Mary’s College, Moraga

GO PITS!

Congratulations PITS on your hard-fought, intelligently-played victory over your perennial nemesis!

(Photos by John Cooper)

Gary Affonso’s video masterpiece is now available.  To get your copy of this great commemoration of your fabulous 2009 season:

Get a $15 check payable to PITS Rugby to Keith Milne, 225 Hillside Avenue, Piedmont 94611

Pick up your copy at that address

If you cannot pick up your copy:  request that your copy be mailed, in which case make your check out for $20

Congratulations PITS on your two victories over the Berkeley Rhinos, Saturday February 6th!

Varsity: PITS 37, Berkeley 0

Frosh/Soph: PITS 29, Berkeley 5

Click Here to see photos of the match by Berkeley’s photographer.

Here is the referee’s report on the Varsity match from pelicanrefs.com:

PIEDMONT 37 - Berkeley Rhinos 0 Referee: Bryant Byrnes
ARs: Roberto Santiago, Rob Hendrickson
A much improved Berkeley side met a very good Piedmont side. (Writer’s disclosure-my son played with both teams back in the day. He went to London with the PITS and also later captained the Rhinos.)

Last year this would have been 75-0. Berkeley plays with much more skill-it needs a bit more pace. Piedmont’s backline-especially its centers- was excellent and scored most of the tries on long runs. Thanks to my ARs Roberto and Rob.

(But let’s not forget the forwards, who stopped Berkeley cold on their two threats early in each half.  -scrumcap)

Dante’s mom Nance Affonso passed away last week.   Services will be Friday, February 12 at 7pm at the Church of the Assumption in San Leandro. 

The hearts of the entire PITS family go out to Dante, Gary and their family at this very sad time. 

Gary has suggested that it would be appreciated if PITS players who attend wear their jerseys, as PITS was such a part of her life.

If you would like to leave a word of remembrance of this wonderful lady, please click on her name above.

We and so many others will miss you, Nance.