Welcome to the News & Highlight Zone of the NCHSRA!!

News & Updates

GGCC (School in Kenya, Africa) with their donated rugby jerseys and learning the game!! Looks as though they are definitely concentrating on the 7's game!! Who know's .... we may be looking at a potential Kenyan National 7's player/s in these photo's!!!

GETHSEMANE GARDEN CHRISTIAN CENTRE - Rugby Jerseys Donation!!

March 28, 2014

Attention: PJ Anderson

c/o North Carolina High School Rugby Association

P.O. Box 77883

Charlotte, NC  28271

Dear PJ,

My name is Bill Smith, and I lead a non-profit missions ministry in Charlotte, NC called Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre, USA.  GGCC is a boarding school on Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria in western Kenya.  This school was founded in 2003 with 110 students, and today has 625 students in grades K-12.  Over 80% of these students are HIV/AIDS orphans. 

Our ministry in the USA is focused on helping the staff and students of the school in Kenya.  We raise support and resources for the school to operate on a daily basis – from food, clothing, academics, and student life – and we raise awareness of the needs of the ministry – from student sponsorship, capital needs such as water/sewer, building needs, and student academic/athletic needs.  One specific request was made to me recently by the staff at GGCC Kenya and that was for rugby uniforms!

Apparently the popularity of rugby is sweeping Africa and Kenya in particular.  In the past, our school has only fielded athletic teams in soccer and volleyball, but now a rugby team and coaching staff has been put in place!  The founder and administrator of the school has specifically asked me if I might be able to get the word out here in the US for a possible donated set of used uniforms that could be used by the team.

I humbly would like to ask if you would distribute this request to your network of rugby teams, coaches, leagues, tournaments, and associations.  GGCC is an extraordinary organization and is doing great ministry in western Kenya.  The school scores and reputation are very highly regarded, and there is great influence of this school in the academic region of the Kenya’s Department of Education.  As you might imagine, athletics is part of an educational environment that provides hope to students like these at GGCC who have been devastated by the hopelessness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  Thank you for any help your organization might be able to provide.  I am glad to speak with you in person on any aspect of this request, and we are happy to provide pictures, media advertising, etc. to promote this assistance and touch of ministry. 

James 1:27

Sincerely,

Rev. William J. Smith,

Executive Director

Last night (04/07/2014), NCHSRA handed over 21 Hoggs Rugby jerseys, a ball and 3 coaches jackets to Naphtaly Mattah (Executive Director of GGCC). An exited Naphtaly left us with this hearfelt message:

Dear NCHSRA,

Thank you BIG TIME for sharing your uniforms with Gethsemane Garden High School Rugby Team from Mfangano Island in Kenya.

Please accept our invitation to be a sister team in Africa sharing a name with you now that we play in your unifoirms.

Let us continue to talk and work together towards being World Champs!

Yours, Nathaly Mattah.

www. ggcckenya.com

ggcc919@gmail.com

A New App To Help Assess Concussion Launched By IRB!!

A new app to help assess concussion has been launched by the IRB. The app for iPads and iPhones will help you assess whether a player has concussion by helping you conduct a few simple tests by the pitch.

 The resource is designed to provide the Rugby family with an easy-to-follow, stepped process that caters for issues regarding concussion at all levels of the Game.

Click here for the app!

The 2013 NCYRU AGM has been set for Saturday, August 24, 10:00-2:00pm

The AGM will take place at the:
Hampton Inn Greensboro-Airport
7803 National Service Road
Greensboro, NC  27409
(336) 605-5500 tel

Registration for the 2013-14 season will begin August 15, 2013.

Any members who register between now and August 14, 2013, will have an active registration until August 31, 2013.

If you are a member of USA Rugby for the 2012-13 season you will be active until August 31, 2013.

If you are not currently registered with USA Rugby and will be participating in a certification course, tournament or USA Rugby-sanctioned event before August 15, 2013, you will need to register but you will not be active for the 2013-14 season.

All active members of the 2012-13 season will expire August 31, 2013.

Contact Membership Services at 303-539-0300 or membership@usarugby.org if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Lucy Zugschwert
Membership Manager
USA Rugby

NCHSRA 2013 State Championship Game

Check out some of the action photo's taken by the Charlotte Observer of the 2013 NCHSRA State Championship game between Charlotte Catholic and Providence!!

Click here!!

USA Rugby Has Established New Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures for Foul Play. 

• To be used at all USA Rugby, Territorial Union (TU), College Conference (CC), Geographic (GU) and Local Area Union (LAU), and State Based Rugby Organizations (SBRO) events and matches

•  Specific disciplinary situations and sanctions have been outlined, including for repeat offenses of foul play

• In addition, there are specific disciplinary procedures that will be followed to address the issue of yellow cards handed out for repeat offenders and professional fouls

• Click on the following link to view the pdf document:

  • USA Rugby Disciplinary Regulations and Procedures

USA Rugby Announces new Tournament Sanctioning Process

• USA Rugby to enforce new tournament sanctioning process effective immediately
• Sanctioning is free for registered clubs and members
• Non-sanctioned tournaments will not be covered by USA Rugby insurance

BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby is announcing a renewed emphasis on the benefits of sanctioning for teams looking to host a rugby tournament or event outside of regular season competition and practices. 

From recreational tournaments to elite competition, USA Rugby is continually working to improve safety across all levels of participation in order to set a high standard for the sport in America.

The enforcement of the new USA Rugby sanctioning process and policy will ensure the integrity and safety of rugby matches across the country.  Events that are granted sanctioned status will be able to show a commitment to safety and professional standards by their organizers, administrators and participants.

The sanctioning process, which includes the submission of an application and team rosters, should be completed online four weeks prior to the event date.  Unlike many other national governing bodies, USA Rugby will not charge for the certification but will require host teams to verify that all coaches and players are registered and active with USA Rugby, and that field, medical, alcohol and USA Rugby Safety Guidelines are followed.

"We want this sanctioning process to be simple and attainable for all teams hoping to host an event.  If this is a new process for teams, we encourage them to contact us so we can work with them," said Membership Services Manager Lucy Zugschwert.

Teams can access the three step application and find resources on USA Rugby's website, including information on the USA Rugby participant accident policy.

"This sanctioning process will raise the bar for rugby tournaments of all levels and increase player welfare by ensuring all participants benefit from USA Rugby's insurance, certified coaches and safe play standards," said CFO Jen Cope.  

To apply and find resources for the USA Rugby Sanctioning process, please visit www.usarugby.org and click on Sanctioned Events. For more information, please contact the sanctioning officer via email at sanctions@usarugby.org or by phone at (303) 507-0760.

Further Information:

Laura Gill | Communications Manager | USA Rugby | lgill@usarugby.org 

IRB and Unions Sanction Global Law Trials -USA Rugby Newsletter 05/23/2012 

The International Rugby Board and its Member Unions have sanctioned a global trial of five aspects of Law amendments following an extensive process of consultation and evaluation.

The trial, approved by the IRB Council at its Annual Meeting in Dublin on Tuesday, will commence at the start of the next season in each hemisphere (August 2012 in the north and January 2013 in the south) and will be applicable to both international and domestic competition.

The five Law amendments to be trialled globally are:
1. Law 16.7 (Ruck): The ball has to be used within five seconds of it being made available at the back of a ruck following a warning from the referee to “use it”. Sanction – Scrum.

2. 19.2 (b) (Quick Throw-In) For a quick throw in, the player may be anywhere outside the field of play between the line of touch and the player’s goal line.

3. 19.4 (who throws in) When the ball goes into touch from a knock-on, the non-offending team will be offered the choice of a lineout at the point the ball crossed the touch line; or a scrum at the place of the knock-on. The non-offending team may exercise this option by taking a quick throw-in.

4. 21.4 Penalty and free kick options and requirements: Lineout alternative. A team awarded a penalty or a free kick at a lineout may choose a further lineout, they throw in. This is in addition to the scrum option.

5. A conversion kick must be completed within one minute 30 seconds from the time that a try has been awarded.

2012 Rugby South Regional High School Champions - 05/20/2012!!

From left to right: Cody Hamilton; Collin Frazier; Frank McKinney (coach) and Daniel Fink

Congratulations to Myers Park on winning the Single High School division of the USA Rugby South Regionals, in Atlanta, this past weekend. They beat a very good Jesuit high school team (Louisiana's Single High School State Champion), 16-10. Myers Park's flyhalf, Collin Frazier, won the MVP of the entire Tournament (Single High School and Club teams included)!!

Providence High School took 3rd place at the tournament by beating Pope Greyhounds (Georgia's Single High School State Champion), 22-10.

See the article in Rugby Magazine for a write-up about the Myers Park win at regionals: http://www.rugbymag.com/boys/4656-myers-park-charlotte-take-south-titles.html

North Carolina High School Rugby Championships - Saturday, 12th May, 2012 - Update and Results

Charlotte Catholic's, Sam Cowley, hoists the NC High School Div 1 State Rugby Championship Trophy for the 4th Year in a Row!!

A very successful and well supported event. We had over 350 spectators and supporters converge on the Charlotte rugby club to see some exciting high school and U19 club rugby! A sincere thanks to everyone that helped in making this one of the most successful NC High School Championships! Click on the following link to reveiw the Charlotte Observer write-up:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/12/3237084/catholic-wears-down-west-meck.html  

Results:

Single High Schools

Bowl – Concord 48 Northern Guilford 12 (Referee Amro Gouda)

Plate – Providence (by default)

Cup – Charlotte Catholic 49 West Meck 19 (Referee Tom Dulske)

Multi High Schools

Bowl – Chapel Hill 31 Matthews 11 (Referee Ed Worrall)

Plate – Triad 55 union County 12 (Referee Pieter Grobbelaar)

Cup – Charlotte Tigers 15 Raleigh Rattlesnakes 12 (Referee Curtis Etheridge)

2012 USA Rugby South High School Regional Championships - 19th - 20th May, 2012 at Kennesaw Sate University

Congratulations to Myers Park HS (Seed #1) and Providence HS (Seed # 7)

2012  NC All Stars Coaches Selected

Five NCHSRA Coaches nominated to the NC All stars coaching staff for the 2012 season. Congratulations! See news for details.

Nationally Ranked HS Schools visit Charlotte

Gonzaga HS from DC, Jesuit HS from LA and Xavier HS from NY are visiting Charlotte to challenge Local nationally ranked Charlotte Catholic. However, a combined u19 and u17 HS sides will have the opportunty to face these great teams on March 4th. See news for details.

University of Notre Dame vs. Life University - 10th March, 2012

As part of the NCYRU festival held over the weekend of the 10 March, Providence High School hosted one of the largest rugby events of the year.  Over 3000 fans, from all over the east coast converged on Panther Stadium to witness a rugby spectacular of the likes never seen before. Leading up to the main game, we saw junior youth touch rugby organized by CRJA; NCHSRA girls 7's game and a U19 High School game. The powerhouse rugby side of Life University, outplayed rival Notre Dame in a lopsided victory that capped off a very successful "rugby" evening showcase!   

Tournament Images  

Other News