Author: epruadmin

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) hosted their National Championship All-Star tournament the weekend of Jan 21-22, 2023 in Round Rock Texas and the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union successfully defended our National Title to make it two in a row!

The team went 6-0 on the weekend and earned an incredible 189-39 overall scoreline. In pool play the scores were 31-0 against Allegheny, 26-5 against Colonial Coast, and 38-12 against Northern Lighs to win the pool and set up a quarterfinal match against Rugby Northeast which we were able to win 25-0 and move on to the semifinals. The team fired on all cylinders in the semi-finals earning a 47-5 victory over Ohio Valley in an amazing performance.

This resulted in a Championship Game rematch against Colonial Coast who seriously came to play. The match actually went to overtime following a 17-17 draw in regulation. In the extra period we were able to kick the ball from deep in our own zone and find space. Colonial reclaimed the ball but Saira Alexander and Morgan Mattia had a great kick chase and were the next to arrive. Saira was able to steal the ball and get it to Morgan with enough space to race down the sideline and score the National Championship winning try in a 22-17 victory. Given how the first matchup between these sides went you have to give Colonial Coast a huge amount of credit for their performance as well and for a great weekend overall.

Saira Alexander was named Tournament MVP by Rosalind Chou and Irene Gardner from Premier Rugby Sevens and she was joined on the All-Tournament team by Lindsay Foster, Morgan Mattia, and Rosalyn Page.

With a second National Championship for the EPRU in two years the following players are not multiple time National Champs: Ciara Sharkey (Captain both years), Gianna Calciano, Lindsay Foster, Morgan Mattia, Hannah Plotkin, Kina Nichols.

The first time National Champions are: Saira Alexander, Rosalyn Page, Jaiden Bowen, Elena Facey, Sofia Hernandez, and Adriana Cavazos.

The only seniors/grad students on the team are Ciara Sharkey, Gianna Calciano, Hannah Plotkin, and Kina Nichols so there is plenty of opportunity for this team to continue growing and developing together.

This year also marks the second year in a row where an EPRU sophomore was named tournament MVP. Morgan Mattia won the honors last year so she has the distinction of being a two-time National Champion and a two-time All-Tournament team member.

The full roster with schools and class year is:

Ciara Sharkey – Grad Student, Marywood

Gianna Calciano – Senior, Loyola

Lindsay Foster – Sophomore, East Stroudsburg

Morgan Mattia – Junior, East Stroudsburg

Hannah Plotkin – Senior, Shippensburg

Kina Nichols – Senior, Swarthmore

Saira Alexander – Sophomore, York

Rosalyn Page – Sophomore, Marywood

Jaiden Bowen – Junior, York

Elena Facey – Sophomore, Shippensburg

Sofia Hernandez – Freshman, Loyola

Adriana Cavazos – Freshman, Swarthmore

We are very excited to see that six different schools each provided two players. It shows that the talent is spread throughout our Union.

On the coaching/admin side of things our team was supported by Scott Stratton and Chris Ward who also both currently serve on the EPRU Board, as well as Ali Tare and Elise Galinskie who attended the event and Jamie Fortuna who helped assemble and prepare the team in the months leading up to the event.

Special Shout Out to Jenn Stratton because it’s Jennuary so we have to mention her.

Lastly, we would like to send our love and appreciation to everyone who supports this program. That obviously includes the players, coaches, admins etc involved directly but also includes all of the players, coaches, and supporters back home – not to mention the parents! – who help our Union, and the athletes within our Union, develop and grow on a day-to-day basis so that we can even provide opportunities to participate in events like this, let alone play at a high level.

Thank you!

(Keep in mind this event was 8 hours long. I might have gotten some things wrong and these notes may lack the context/nuance you would have gotten from the in-person presentations.)

 

The first presentation was a joint session with Kieran Read and Andy Ellis:

 

(As an aside – I would recommend reading Legacy by James Kerr)

 

The first lesson was to be your authentic self and know your true values. Andy couldn’t start off his career as the scrumhalf who screams at everyone and does the rah rah thing because they wasn’t really who he was. He was imitating other players at first instead of being himself.

 

They told stories about players who actually make it as All Blacks and there’s a theme where the players selected as top high schoolers don’t tend to make the best all blacks because they haven’t faced adversity or has to reassess and take ownership of their development so they fold up a bit at the first obstacle.

 

Kieran played at a high school with only one side (most schools have quite a few) and Andy was on the Auckland B-side growing up.

 

They are mentioning parts of their culture that we may be familiar with and discussed the Haka which connects them to their culture and where they are from. It’s not an intimidation thing and it’s not for the opponent or fans. It’s for them to feel that connection. No matter how they are expressing themselves externally, it is all meant to be connective and creating a focus internally.

 

They’ve put the 2011 final on the screen and are going over leadership questions such as kick,run etc with a scrum 3 minutes to go. Due to a run of injuries they’ve got their overall 4th fly half in the game who was just pulled off a fishing boat two weeks prior, and Richie McCaw just took a minute for injury. Kieran and Andy come together and make a plan and Richie shows leadership by backing them.

 

After 2007 (20 years without a World Cup) they sat down and self evaluated. They looked at the culture to create a deep and caring environment so there was something to fall back on under pressure. It’s easy to say culture, just like its easy to say communication but develop culture how? Identify a clear purpose. Create real vulnerability in the squad, peel back some of the layers of macho culture to create actual relationships to build trust. Environment of belonging – even in the best team ever you want folks to belong.

 

Rituals for belonging – daily handshake/fist bump with eyes up making contact. Food and coffee being ready on arrival to the facility was important for them so the group is chatting instead of going to lockers and phones. Share and hear stories. (They are big on having the smell of coffee specifically creating a welcoming environment when folks walk in.

 

EPRU Clubs might be interested in the way the All Blacks did Club night during match week and whether they can do something similar post-training – On Tuesdays they would socialize wearing jerseys from their club teams and Dan Carter wore a chairman jacket and ran the event. They would do things like raffle, jerk of the day, stories and histories from clubs etc.

 

They also mentioned that it is important to have sound – play music and have the energy positive. (They had singing and they had a GOAT chant they yelled out because goal was to create the greatest team of all time. Chant was about the silver fern and the importance of the jersey).

 

Another of their core principles is to prepare to leave the jersey in a better place. That’s not just leaving it in a better place through your performance but making sure to prepare in advance and help your replacement as much as possible at the end of your career. Andy helped the next scrumhalf. Kieran got to learn from Ruben Thorne and when Kieran earned the starting job Ruben came directly to him and asked how to help him.

 

Question from the Audience – Kristin “K-Train” Aliberto asks whether he thinks the US has the proper mindset for that sort of culture to be installed. Andy says to remember why you play. Also points out that the All Blacks were already high performance/best athletes and needed to connect from there. You don’t do the “social” stuff without having also put in the necessary work. Kieran adds that building the right culture makes people want to perform and succeed and that you can’t just bog down into details, you need to also build relationships (Kieran grew as a player in high school because they trained twice a week but had a coach/teacher that would meet with Kieran 2-3 times per week before school to work with him).

 

A question from the crowd (another New Zealander actually I believe) chimes in and says it’s like a family trying to get 15 kids to do something. American coaches seem overly concerned with complex systems. All Blacks agree that structure is important but you have to have other fundamentals of mindset/relationships before diving right in or else folks won’t truly commit to getting to that point.

 

Kieran Read told a story of how he brought a notebook to his first meeting with a new coach because he thought the plan was to go over all of the details. Instead the meeting was the coach telling him to close the book then telling him he would end up being a 100 cap all black and the coach was there to support him.

 

Some stuff is organic like having music, some things are planned out like club night. Let the players take the concept you’re trying to instill and build it authentically in a way that works in your group. The stuff you implement culturally might be intentional but you also just do it and have it be the culture without always over explaining to the players. For example the ABs always made sure to have the smell of coffee in the team room but they didn’t explain to the players in granular detail how the smell would make them want to be at work, they just did it and made it a more enjoyable place to be so that they naturally wanted to be there and focus on the task at hand.

 

From there we moved into the red brain vs blue brain concept. They had a criminal psych come in daily to work with team on mental skills. Blue is calm and clear and allows decision making. Red is stronger because it is primitive and designed to keep you alive but less conducive to succeeding within a team structure on the rugby field.

 

Techniques for blue brain: mindfulness/breathing allows you to think about something you are doing and focus less on what just happened. Helps to get out of the loop that being in the red creates. Think about breathing in and out. Another technique is to actually talk to your teammates about where they are at and try to recognize when you’re in the red.

 

Andy thinks about eyes up and breathing in. On the exhale he pushes his toes into the ground and thinks about that. Took him 6 months to learn how to flip back to blue.

 

Kieran uses self talk. He says “Kieran next task” and tries to move on. For perspective he would also look to the far reaches of the stadium – way up into the corners – to realize that there is more than just the play that just happened and gain perspective.

 

Every huddle starts with eye contact and a breath. Kieran connected to Sam Whitelock and Ben Smith as his “breath guys”.

 

In order to desensitize you need to actually know and understand why it works and you need to practice. Have a process around it. When someone makes a mistake you connect and focus on what comes next. You have a method to reset, You don’t need to focus on talking about mistakes, you can’t control the past only what comes next. You also don’t need multiple people chiming in on a mistake.

 

They put a graphic on the screen that charted it out a bit:

Growing leaders

Believe in your people

Help them believe in themselves

Give them opportunities to practice leadership

 

Discussion shifted to leadership within All Blacks match week:

Monday and Tuesday are heavy with coach time then they start to fade and by Friday it is players only with the match on Saturday. Before 2011 World Cup they had a coach chat 90 minutes before kickoff but they got rid of that because by that time they already knew their jobs and what needed to be done. It was a decision focused on what’s best for the players, not what might be best for the coach.

 

If the coach has a message they can have it sent in through a player. A couple of players (probably limit to two) can each bring in a focus while the coach just reminds them to have fun.

 

Anthony Chieco asks about how to get people to listen when some are 40 with decades of experience, others have never played etc. Andy says to build a culture where people listen and Kieran points out that you need the individual connection to be built. (This might sound repetitive in these notes but they probably went for a little over two hours and the main theme that they related back to was how many of your problems are solved by building a culture where people want to be productive rugby players and have the tools to do so as a team because you’ve built those connections).

 

Summary of the first Kieran and Andy presentation:

Understand who you are

Build a culture of success

Perform under pressure

Grow leaders

 

 

Next up with Referee Superstar Liz Malazita publicly unveiling her “Back Ten Please” project for the first time with her initial presentation. (You can find the account at @backtenplease on Instagram).

 

Liz isn’t just teaching the rules from a black and white standpoint. She is seeking to create a dialogue and bridge the gap from players/coaches to referees so that we all know specifically what the referees are looking for and why they made certain calls in the context of the game.

 

Liz specifically wants folks to know why things are being called so we can all stay cool, calm, and collected on the field. We don’t want fights, arguments, etc we want good, fun, productive rugby.

 

The Referee sets the standard for the game and as the match goes on teams need to figure out the referees specific nuances and tailor their play accordingly. In match prep folks need to be cognizant of the fact that the referee is a variable and during match play the players should – to the extent that they are able – consider what is important to a given referee.

 

KTrain chimed in and suggested treating the referee like the weather. You don’t yell at the wind and rain, you change what you’re doing to match the variables.

 

Liz mentioned seeing leadership gaps at the local level. She expanded on that and explained that teams have a captain or two that might have some understanding of the rules and working with referees, but that the teams lack depth behind them so if they go off there’s nobody left who knows what’s going on.

One player at a time (the Captain) is interfacing with the ref but others should still understand what is happening. It is understandable that at certain levels they need to teach safety and the basics before getting too deep into the lawbook but you need more than 2 players on the field who have any understanding.

 

Liz is trying to help with that through this project. Back Ten Please allows players to spend their training time focused on what their coach needs to teach them while also having an avenue available for supplementary education. You can’t expect to succeed on the pitch and play good productive rugby if you’re not willing to put some time into learning the rules.

 

Liz goes on from there – a lack of understanding leads to player frustration and down the line issues from there which makes things less enjoyable for everyone.

 

Liz brought the referee tackle sequence to go over. Refs are looking through the following in real time:

1. Tackle – is the tackle safe
2. Tackler and assist – clear and obvious release
3. Tackled player/ball carrier – one movement, not playing on the ground
4. Arriving players – through gate, on their feet, look for potential foul play

Multiple folks in the crowd pointed out that there seems to be differences in how 7s and 15s are officiated. Liz explains that she is looking for clear and obvious when making calls and that there shouldn’t be ambiguity. (In other words, not guessing and hoping to have gotten the call correct). Certain things are much clearer in 7s due to less players on field and around ball. It’s simply easier to see.

 

Final point – Referees are not always correct, but your response as a coach or player has a big impact on the game so disagreement does not give you carte blanche to get into disrespect/abuse.

 

Lunch Break

 

After lunch we had a Richie Walker and Josie Ziluca combined presentation. Richie is the scouting director of Premier Rugby 7s and he has coaches both the USA and Japan women at 7s Olympics among other things including winner an MLR title as Head Coach of the Seawolves. Josie Ziluca currently coaches Princeton and the USA U20 backline. She has also worked as the Women’s and Girl’s Director for the Atlantis Program.

 

The first thing they told us was to do fun stuff at the start of training sessions. You don’t know what someone’s day has been like and we want the best session we can get so we start with fun games to get their mind on rugby.

 

Game 1 Player one holds ball, player two puts hands on top (like prayer hands on the nose of the ball). Player one drops ball and two catches it but they don’t know when it is going to be dropped and they can’t flinch.

 

Game 2 Cone in middle of players, call body parts they need to touch like Simon says, then eventually say go and see who can grab the cone first.

 

Game 3. Pass back and forth from about 1 meter. Coach says go and whoever has the ball turns and runs away, (straight line) other player tries to chase and tag them before they cover a certain distance.

 

Question from Joey Chieco regarding match warmups and how to do it effectively without wearing players out: Josie says warmups for matches or training should feel familiar and comfortable. Richie says 20-25 minute warmup max. Individuals have their own time first that doesn’t count. 5 minutes warmup, 5 minutes skills, 5 backs and forwards, 5 minute team run, 5 minute final with sprints and hit shields. Josie and Richie agree that it’s best to have it in place ahead of time. Game warmup doesn’t change week to week, that’s what training is for.

 

Question about what to do if things don’t look right: Richie says that even if the 5 minute team run is no good you just move on, the culture and mentality should be built so the team knows how to refocus and move forward.  He also mentioned that you frequently have great team runs and bad matches or bad team runs and great matches so you can’t just spend huge amounts of time on the pre-match run.

 

If there’s a 1PM kickoff they suggest starting at 1230 and leaving 5-10 at the end for restrooms, jerseys, captain chat. (Important to remember that you aren’t starting ice cold at 1230. The players do have their own time before then and with only 5 minutes devoted to warmup, stretch etc they should be using some of that time to move a little).

 

Both coaches remind the audience that right before a match isn’t really the time to teach. That’s early in the week. It’s too late in the pre-game.

 

Getting into training discussion: Josie spends 75% of her time on basic skills and even a highly tuned program she wouldn’t go below 50%.

 

Both coaches see plenty of value in stretches and warmups with ball in hand.

 

Kyle Antoian asked what to do with only 3 hours a week and received a suggestion/outline:

First hour begin with basic skills and get clarity of what needs to improve from before.

Second hour you do the same thing but with intensity this time.

Final hour you focus on accurately running your team stuff

 

Clarity

Intensity

Accuracy

(This was referred to as the CIA method)

 

Chris Ward chimed in to discuss starting off with games. He and Josie were in agreement on the concept of doing games and less “rugby” structure but the same skills. It takes pressure off of the players and makes things fun. Richie added that when you are using these opportunities, make sure that every player is given an opportunity to do every skill (for example, lot props practice kicking).

 

Touch games, with consistently changing rules, are great fitness and fun. Require a switch every 3 passes, loops, kick pass, etc. require pops off the ground.

 

In terms of developing the skills Richie suggested having the last 20 minutes be 5 minute blocks where players have been given “work ons” to practice but also having the freedom to choose some of their own. Richie had locks practicing conversions for example.

 

Question about how to let players practice every skill, but then focus properly on match day: Richie lets everyone train their skills but their time is managed appropriately and they don’t always get the match day green light. Richie also mentioned that he wants to engage and connect with the players at the back of the line so when you’re doing drills, skills, etc make sure folks aren’t filtering to the back and disengaging or getting lost.

 

The coaches emphasized that you need to show and build confidence in your players and as a team. Richie uses his water runners for this a lot.

 

Water runners can be used to deliver a positive and uplifting message. Richie has all of his players take a card, write their name, and what makes them happy. He relies on those things as messages to send in. Send in a player’s happy word to uplift them.

 

On the subject of skills Josie reminded everyone that if you don’t make mistakes then you don’t learn. Expand your game and don’t be afraid to make errors, learn from them, and achieve at a higher level.

 

Both of the coaches suggested that the mentality you bring to the table is important and that for example, instead of saying “don’t drop the ball” focus more on what you do want to happen, not what you don’t want to happen. If you say “don’t drop the ball” all they hear about is dropping the ball.

 

Josie is an international touch rugby player as well and is adamant that proper touch rugby needs to be taught to more players at the younger levels all the way up to the highest levels. Using the FIT rules will make players learn how to play into space and manipulate defense. (Note* this is in addition to using touch rugby variations/games to make things fun. You don’t always stay rigid, but teams should have this tool in their toolkit).

 

Josie was asked about contact training and how to build up those skills/keep players healthy and fresh for a full season. Josie has a lot of walk-on players this year and mentions that there are all sorts of wrestling and contact games beyond just going full tackle. One quick example she gave is to create a 5×5 grid and have the players try to push each other out using tackle shields. Basically get more comfortable with physical contact in general.

 

Richie uses CIA for tackling

Clarity on technique and build on that technique. Later in the week it is same concepts but up the intensity. Then at week we break it down and get accurate. Much more about technique than reps.

 

Josie mentioned the importance of tackling under the ball and not at the ball. If you’re at the ball you can slide up and are liable for bad outcomes. Teach the laws of the game to your players and do your tackling within those laws. Richie brings in referees all the time.

 

(If you’ve been paying attention, and admittedly these notes are pretty long, you may have noticed that Josie and Richie concurred with the All Blacks on creating an enjoyable environment and making sure that there’s an element of fun involves as well as keeping players in the correct mentality AND that they agreed with Liz about ensuring your players are training to the laws and working with referees. All of the speakers have emphasized that through proper communication we can build the best culture for a sport and make all elements of it better)

 

Richie mentioned that he doesn’t do one size fits all coaching, he works on their skills with how they are already doing things. So for example, Penn State’s Kate Daley went to the World Cup this fall and Richie was brought in to handle the fall season. He didn’t try to get the players to fit into his system. He took what they were already doing and worked with that.

 

Josie has 1 on 1s with all of her players, and she meets them where they are and acknowledges their potential insecurities/anxieties by allowing them to bring in a buddy for support. If you don’t have time to do 1 on 1s with everyone then consider using google forms to determine self awareness and where players feel they are developing as a shortcut. You’ll be able to quickly see certain areas where folks just need more self-confidence and others where they need a bit more work. Zoom is great too

 

In teams of focuses Josie specifically mentioned catch-pass and track tackle as good developmental focuses and also suggested coaches solicit feedback from players, invite other coaches to observe your sessions, film training sessions etc. Keep getting as much feedback, viewpoint, and data as possible.

 

Let players design training sessions on occasion.

 

If you don’t have a full staff (or really even if you do) give responsibilities to the captain which reinforces that everyone needs to help. Have players set cones and do field set up etc. When Richie went to coach in Auckland he had a Black Fern in the squad and had her be the first person to handle laundry/cleaning duty. He explained to her that if she did it, everyone else would do it. Lead from the top.

 

New players want to know every single step to take. Do the game type stuff so they can get reps in a non stressful environment and gain comfort.

 

Interesting story: Richie mentioned being in Chicago for the USA vs All Blacks match. The ABs cleaned their local room and the Chicago staff was amazed at how clean it was and mentioned they wished that other teams did the same. Steve Hansen pulled the ABs off the bus and had them go clean out the USA locker room.

 

Collaborating with opponents and rivals can be difficult but Josie mentioned that NIRA all has a weekly ref call that includes coaches and they do share film etc. Josie also has 5 mentor coaches that she goes to for advice and teaching. Richie also collaborates with opposition coaches fairly regularly. Josie recommended each coach have their list of 5 coaches that they think are better than them and try to stay in regular contact.

 

A great ending point from Richie – teach your playmakers on offense to look from the outside in when running phases instead of watching the crash/breakdown. The nines can watch and snipe the breakdown while the 10/15 start from the wing and work inwards looking for the space to attack. Wings should be communicating everything in from the sidelines.

 

 

Kieran Read and Andy Ellis back for additional joint session that was set up as a mostly unstructured Q/A:

 

Core values that drove the All Blacks

Kieran looked at who they were and their legacy and helped create them

Being driven to succeed and do your best

Be inspiring both to the fans and also the example for teammates

Be grateful for the opportunity

Be fierce, don’t take a step backward

Be courageous – speak up when it needs to be said

 

Andy says Kieran was first on the field and last to leave. Would do anything for his team and was a fierce competitor.

 

If not rugby then Andy was studying landscape architecture at University. Kieran probably would have been a phys Ed teacher.

 

They both enjoyed getting from super rugby into ABs camp, and never wanted to lose to another NZ club just like your brother. The atmosphere was great in that regard and the players always did well to not bring any outside issues/drama into camp. Leave it on the field.

 

Kieran named Schalk Burger as th hardest opponent to go up against on the field. He also mentioned that he liked when opponents would respond to the Haka.

 

Kieran told a very funny story about the best Haka he was part of. It was vs Wales in Cardiff and part of Maori culture is that after you lay down the challenge you don’t turn away. After most Hakas the other team moves to get into position to start the match and the All Blacks then do the same. This time each team refused to walk/look away so they had a 3-4 minute stare down. Richie eventually made the decision to get on with it.

 

In terms of away games – Andy loved playing in South Africa. At loftus they would inject vodka into oranges, drink/eat them, and then throw the rest at the players. Andy was a great sport about this and seemed to think it was actually pretty funny. Andy also enjoyed playing at the AC Milan stadium vs Italy in front of 80K plus.

 

Kieran’s favorite was Millennium in Cardiff.

 

They have both retired from playing and miss the guys and the camaraderie as well as showing up to training but they really don’t miss the soreness so they’re perfectly content with their decisions.

 

Andy has an awesome gig where he goes to his Japanese club for 3 weeks preseason to make sure all of the culture is put in place and then does the same thing in New York.

 

Andy says DuPont is best 9 in the world. Most memorable he played against was George Gregan who apparently had incredible chatter on the field.

 

Captain chooses which Haka is performed

 

New Zealand has a huge sporting culture where kids grow up playing everything and touch rugby is a huge part of their culture. They play daily at recess.

 

When asked who was better they indicated that Dan Carter had more skills but Richie McCaw was the best worker ever according to Kieran. Andy concurs that Richie didn’t have the world’s best skills but he wanted it far more than anyone else.

 

One thing they mentioned is that they spent extra time in position groups to build cohesion and then the groups would intermingle and work on how to accomplish their goals together. So, for example, the halfbacks would work together a lot and then would intermingle with the backrow to ensure they had an understanding of how they wanted to attack off the base. If certain combos had repeated issues on match day the coaches would discuss with them and see whether they needed to spend more time together.

 

Andy told a great story about his first test. Leon Macdonald had made his debut previously so in Andy’s first match Leon gave his jersey to Andy so Andy could trade Leon’s jersey to his opposite number to get theirs and still keep his own.

 

The subject of next year’s men’s 15s World Cup came up and Andy suggested that it comes from the top. USAR needs clarity on what sort of game they want to play. The identity isn’t clear and we should use our athletes. Fast, explosive, exciting. Top down so coaches at lower levels know how to help train athletes to take those steps if they want to represent at that level.

 

Andy says the landscape is fractured and there needs to be more alignment among various clubs, regions, etc

 

Work on core skills of your position. No magic secret to success, just do the work.

The EPRU highly values the work of all of the referees that handle our matches. In particular we have long running relationships with the East Penn Rugby Referee Society and the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Referees that have been extremely beneficial. In response to recent reports of referee abuse EPRU Vice-President Liz Malazita has issued the statement at the bottom of this post.
EPRU members should be made aware of the fact that we will be taking a zero tolerance policy towards referee abuse and that the sanctions for misconduct can be significant.

Under World Rugby’s Section 17 you can find the punishments for referee abuse under 9.28. The following sanctions are the MINIMUMS for conduct that violates these rules:

A player must not disrespect the authority of a Match Official: 2 matches
A player must not verbally abuse a Match Official: 6 matches
A player must not make physical contact with Match Officials: 6 matches
A player must not use threatening actions or words towards Match Officials: 12 matches
A player must not physically abuse Match Officials: 24 matches

Again, it should be noted that these are the minimum sanctions. The EPRU Disciplinary Chair will NOT hesitate to hand down harsher punishments as needed.

Statement from Liz Malazita:
Dear Members,

It has come to the attention of this board that there have been multiple reports of referee abuse since the start of this fall season. This abuse is across all levels of rugby in the Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware areas of our union. This type of behavior will not be tolerated by EPRU.

Constant challenging of calls by players and coaches (chatter on and off the field or backchat), aggressive actions or running purposely into a referee, cursing, or physical aggression directed toward a referee is categorized as referee abuse.

We would like to remind the players, coaches, staff and members of the EPRU that referees are an integral part of this game and important to the growth of this sport.
Continuation of this abuse will lead to significant club or individual sanctions. Clubs are responsible for fans’ actions toward referees.

“Respect for teammates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the Game is paramount.” – World Rugby

This is an official notice to all members and clubs a part of the EPRU. If you have further questions please reach out to Liz Malazita at vp@epru.org

Sincerely,

Liz Malazita
EPRU, Vice President

Here is the info for the upcoming EPRU AGM. Please note that formatting may be a bit off on the website but all of this information will be emailed to Club Leadership so please consult those documents if any questions arise.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/9695002652
Meeting ID: 969 500 2652

AGM Agenda:
I. Call to order
II. Roll call
III. Referee Report – Len Borcky
IV. Budget – Ray Fritz
V. Board Election – Micalah Morrison
VI. Proposed By-Law Changes – Micalah Morrison
VII. Club Competition Report – Dave Codell
VIII. Player/Club Registration (New Rugby Xplorer System)
IX. Collegiate Competition Report – Scott Stratton
X. Women’s 15s – Kristen Ailberto
XI. Open discussion
XII. Adjournment

Board Election info:
Returning Members:
Dave Codell – Philadelphia Gryphons
Ray Fritz – Philadelphia Gryphons
Liz Malazita – East Penn Rugby Referee Society
Micalah Morrison – Brandywine
Scott Stratton – Harrisburg
Doc Zimmerman – Jersey Shore

2022 Candidates:
Alexander Diegel – Old Gaelic
Artrice Sanders – Philadelphia RFC
Chris Ward – Blackthorn
Daniel Abel – Hibernian RFC
Julian Bellman – Doylestown
Karen Hall – Phoenixville
Kirby Gordon – Reading Valley
Kyle Antoian – Philadelphia Whitemarsh
Lindsay Watson – Brandywine
Lorraine Avery-Easterwood – Wilmington
Morgan Mattia- East Stroudsburg University/Philadelphia RFC
Ryan McHugh – Schuylkill River
Ryan McLean – Philadelphia Whitemarsh
Tom Saunders – Northeast Philadelphia

Candidate Bios:

PLEASE NOTE! The candidate bios will be emailed to Club leadership in a much better format that will include more info. If anything looks a little off in terms of formatting etc that is not the fault of the candidates. Please have your club leadership consult the official document that was emailed out.

Alexander Diegel
Email: diegelam@gmail.com
Member Club: Old Gaelic Men

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

To the voting members of the EPRU Board,
I write to you to express my interest in serving as an EPRU Board Member. My intentions as a member of the Board are to provide a strong and measured voice in regard to the vision and development of our Union. I believe the experiences from my rugby career, particularly on the administrative side, will prove to be of value within the EPRU. The experiences mentioned above stem from being part of Club leadership for the past decade and culminate in my current position as Old Gaelic Rugby Club President. The fact that a team of my peers trusted me to steer the ship is a source of tremendous pride for me, and not a role I take lightly. I truly believe that I am ready to take that responsibility to the next level within our Union.

As much as (of course) I have my own Club’s interests at heart, I trend toward strengthening the EPRU as a whole. That is evident in the formation of the Central Penn 7s Program, an endeavor that was new for our (South Central Pennsylvania) region, and which I was a driving factor in creating. The key ethos behind creation of this program was to raise the level of play, with a goal of sending a second EPRU team to Club 7s Nationals. It’s a lofty mission that we hope to complete in the non-too-distant future.

I do sincerely hope that the voting members of this party see that my loyalty to this Union will make me a great fit for a Board Member position, as we continue to prove that the standard of play here in the EPRU is on par with any across the country.

Yours in Rugby,
Alexander Diegel
Old Gaelic Rugby President
Founder, Central Penn 7s
North American Rugby Journalist
• President, Vice-Captain, Assistant Forwards Coach, Old Gaelic Rugby
• Founder, Central Penn’s Premier 7s Program
• Received 200 Level Coaching certification through USA Rugby (2018)
• Vice President, Captain, Potomac Exiles (2014-17)
• Captain, Capital/Old Glory Selects (2014-17)
• Communications Officer, Maryland Exiles (2012-14)
 

Artrice Sanders
Email: artrice.sanders@gmail.com
Member Club: Philadelphia RFC

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

I would be interested in nominating myself as a member of the EPRU Board of Directors. Although I have not played in many years I would love to step back into the administrative/support realm for future players.

• Drexel University from 1999-2001
• Philadelphia Women’s Rugby Club from 2001 – 2008.
 

Chris Ward
Email: wolfman9472@verizon.net
Member Club: Blackthorn

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

I would like to help the union take care of the game.

• Assistant coach EPRU college Women’s All-Stars
• Head Coach Moravian University
• EPRRS Ref
• Coach youth rugby at blackthorn
• East Stroudsburg University Alumni President
• Player for Blackthorn
• Premiership Scholarship winner
• Played at ESU 

Daniel Abel
Email: Danvschef@yahoo.com
Member Club: Hibernian Rugby Football Club

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

EPRU Nomination ,
My name is Daniel Abel I am the newly appointed president of the Hibernian Rugby Football Club. Formerly the Vice President. I am an active player in the men’s club division. As well as a certified level 200 coach. I have been coaching with Yardley Makefield Rookie Rugby for 5 years. I previously coached the Hibernian U19 Bulls. As a club we are rebuilding our youth clubs to include U15 and U19 Boys and Girls with Yardley Makefield as our feeder program. I am nominating myself for an EPRU Board position. I have a love for the sport and the culture that comes with it. I have 3 kids that are rugby players my eldest son was a PA all state player. Both my youngest daughters currently play for Yardley Makefield. Ellsea 8 has been playing for 5 and Sofiya 13 has played for 6 years. I would love the opportunity to grow the sport of rugby in PA.

Very motivated coach with 1O years’ experience coaching various age groups from men to kindergarten. A mentor to new and old players with a very positive attitude. Worked with various clubs as well as outside organizations to grow the sport.

● Active level 200 coach with current certifications
● President Of Hibernian Rugby Football Club
● Active coach for Hibernian U15 and U19 Clubs (boys and girls)
● Active player
● Active coach for Yardley Makefield Rookie Rugby ages Pre K to U13
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at Danvschef@yahoo.com or (215)913-7895.

Julian Bellman
Email: julbellman@gmail.com
Member Club: Doylestown/Harpooners

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:
If elected, I would love to work on increasing the EPRU brand (this includes figuring out how to get more eyes on all the matches and teams in the league). I would also prefer to work on league wide comradery. Rugby should be a game played by many and inclusive to all. The feel from rugby around here is a little standoffish. It would be nice to get the groups to engage with one another in activities other than just on the field. I know the league spans a great distance, but I would try to see how we could get other activities going to build up the EPRU rugby network and engagement. I know these are both large undertakings and might not be easily handled, but those are where I feel we could use more guidance. However, I am open to suggestions and if the majority want to go a different route, I don’t mind pivoting and helping where I can.

2021-Current – Doylestown Rugby
• 2021-Current Player
• 2022 Junior Boys Assistant Coach
• 2022 Men’s Team VP
2020-Current – Harpooners (Player)
2020 HSBC World Rugby Seven Series (Team Liaison)
2010-2012 – Albright Rugby (Player)
2019-2021 – Providence Rugby (Player)
2018-2019 – Albright Rugby (Head Coach)
2012-2018 – Doylestown Rugby
• 2012-2018 Player
• 2014-2016 Website Person
• Helped create and write the By-Laws to get Doylestown it’s 501c(3) status

Note – outside of being a USA Rugby Level 200 Coach, I’m also a USA Rugby Level 100 Ref and USA Rugby Level 100 S&C Certified. I am also the D2M Coordinator for EPRU.
 

Karen Hall
Email: hall.karen07@gmail.com
Member Club: Phoenixville Women’s

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

I’ve been around the game of rugby for most of my life including high school, college, and beyond and I’ve had the opportunity to play against or alongside players from every Club in our Union. I know the landscape very well and am always on the lookout for ways to stay involved in the rugby community. My experience and perspective would be valuable on the Board for the benefit of our membership regardless of division.

Rugby Resume:
• Started playing rugby for Brandywine women as a high school junior and remained through graduation.
• Played varsity rugby for West Chester University under well-known coach Tony DeRemer.
• Rejoined Brandywine upon college graduation and remained there until 2018.
• Joined Phoenixville women in fall of 2018 and remain an active player for the club.
• In this time, I’ve played on too many social/tournament sides to count and also played for the EPRU Women’s 15s side that earned a win against New York Rugby Club this spring.  

Kirby Gordon
Email: Kirby.gordon93@gmail.com
Member Club: Reading Valley

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

To the EPRU,
This letter serves to demonstrate my intent to run for a Board Member position. I have been a player, referee, and division coordinator within the EPRU and believe that I have much to offer on the Board. It’s important to grow this sport and create an inclusive place for anyone who desires to be part of that growth.

When I began playing in Fall 2018, I was looking to make friends and be more active. Rugby gave me those things and much more. I’ve gained confidence and amazing support systems through this sport and hope to give that experience to others. As D3 Coordinator, I helped to organize the Lentz Cup in Spring 2022, which allowed for some teams to play against some new faces. I’ve also been involved with All-Star programming, which has given players the chance to further develop their skills and play against higher level teams outside of the EPRU.

I also believe it’s worth noting that diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to me personally and as an active player. Rugby is a sport for all, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and any other identifier that people may have a prejudice against. Blackyardigans Rugby Club was started to create a space for Black players to be unapologetically themselves and have a supportive network of players that understand what it’s like to be Black in a predominantly white sport. While teams like the Blackyardigans are important, it is also important that the EPRU ensure that all players feel welcomed onto any of our teams and that no player feels worry or concern that they cannot be their full self around their own team.
It is my hope that I have your vote to become a board member for the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union. I look forward to doing the work to grow this sport and creating a safe space for everyone within the EPRU.

Sincerely,
Kirby Gordon

NON-PLAYER EXPERIENCE
• Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Referees Society – Level 1 Referee
February 2022 – Present
• Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union – Women’s Division III Coordinator
Spring 2022 – Present
• Phoenixville White Horse Women’s Rugby Club-Recruiting Coordinator
Spring 2019 – Summer 2020
PLAYER EXPERIENCE
• Reading Women’s Rugby Club (Reading Valley) (Summer 2021 – Present)
• Blackyardigans Rugby Club (Spring 2022 – Present)
• Phoenixville White Horse Women’s Rugby Club (Fall 2018 – Summer 2020)
AWARDS
• Reading Valley Most Valuable Player, Fall 2021

Kyle Antoian
Email: kyle.antoian@gmail.com
Member Club: Philadelphia Whitemarsh

Professional Resume

Letter of Intent:
I am running for the board after a 2-year hiatus because I am taking some time off from work and would like to spend more time helping build community rugby. Having served in administrative roles on the EPRU, Empire GU, and with clubs like NYRC and PWRFC I feel I am uniquely qualified to continue driving the EPRU”s strategic objectives. Some of my accomplishments during my tenure ad a rugby administrator include:
• Complete rewrite of EPRU by-laws in 2019, including securing a pro-bono legal counsel for the EPRU
• Secured corporate sponsorship in 2019 to fund “EPRU Match Balls” for all EPRU members free of charge
• Created and managed a new competition model in Empire GU (when GUs did not yet exist and were being formed out of LAUs)
• Negotiated new sponsorship and equipment deals at NYRC and PWRFC generating significant revenue for both clubs
Along with my administrative roles noted in my resume, I am also proud to note that I sit on the board of Play Rugby USA, a NY based non-profit focused on bringing rugby to under-served communities in NYC (I have served on this board since 2019 and currently chair their Governance Committee)

Thank you for considering my application and let me know if you have any additional questions.

EPRU
• Board Member: 2018-2019

Philadelphia-Whitemarsh RFC
• Head Coach: 2015-2017
• Attack Coach: 2017 – Present

Empire Geographic Union (GU)
• Men’s Competition Chair: 2012-2013
• VP Rugby Ops: 2013-2014

New York Rugby Club
• Board Member: 2012 – 2015
• U19 Boys Coach: 2011 – 2014
• Asst. Men’s Coach: 2009 – 2015

Duke University RFC
• President: 2003
• Captain: 2005-2006
• Coach: 2004 – 2006
• 4 Year Starter: 2002 -2006

Conestoga High School RFC
Berwyn, PA
• 2 Year Starter | 2000-2002

Lindsay Watson
Email: lindsay.m.watson@gmail.com
Member Club: Brandywine Women’s

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

I wish to be considered for another term on the EPRU Board of Directors. Not only have I been an active member of the EPRU Board of Directors for the last eight years, I’ve also been involved as both a player and administrator at the college and senior club level in the EPRU for more than 20 years (Franklin & Marshall College and Brandywine WRFC). I’ve used my professional experience to serve on both the Budget Allocation and Finance Committees and also served three years as Treasurer. I’ve also worked as a member of the Election Committee to bring on new directors who collectively represent the membership as a whole. If elected to another term, I hope to grow our membership by making rugby culture in our geographic area more inclusive; all participants should feel welcome regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. I’ll advocate for the small college teams, the clubs that are struggling for numbers, the players who want to play at the elite level and those looking for great fun on a Saturday. I’ll continue to show up, listen to the perspectives of others and ask the tough questions, always stressing the importance of data-driven decisions and transparency to our members. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union Board of Directors September 2014 – Present
• Treasurer/Executive Committee – September 2015 – August 2018
• Finance Committee – September 2018 – August 2019
• Election Committee – 2015, 2019, 2021
Brandywine Women’s Rugby Football Club August 2006 – Present
• Active Player/Member for 14 consecutive years, Board member for 13 consecutive years
• Recruiting Chair – 2007
• President – 2008-2010, 2013-2016
• Treasurer – 2017-Present
• Backs Captain – 2007-2008 (2008 MARFU Champions, 4th Place Nationals)
• Forwards Captains – 2011-2012
• Cheesesteak 7s Tournament Co-Director – 2009-Present
USA Rugby Event Staff May 2016 – January 2017
• National Collegiate 7s Championship, Cary NC – May 2016
• National Development Summit, Baltimore MD – January 2017
Franklin & Marshall College Women’s Rugby January 2000 – May 2003
• Treasurer – 2001-2002
• President – 2002-2003
• Co-Captain/Player Coach – 2002-2003
Level 200 Certified Coach
• Indiana University of PA Women’s RFC Assistant Coach – May 2014 (Div II 3rd Place Nationals)
 

Lorraine Avery-Easterwood
Email: lorraine.avery19@gmail.com
Member Club: Wilmington

Dear EPRU Board of Directors & EPRU Community,
It would be an honor to serve on the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union Board for 2022-2024. To collaborate.

My years as a past president and various team administrative support for my home club helped me to prepare for such a position. I have had the opportunity over the last 5 years to experience the rugby culture and community by playing and supporting not only my home club but other teams such as the Olde Girls, and the Wandering Warriors. I continue to seek out these experiences to learn more about the sport and supporting those who want to grow the sport at all levels. This has driven me to obtain certifications in refereeing, rookie rugby, and coaching, attending the Women’s Rugby Coaches & Referees Association conference, becoming an individual of the USWRF Pioneers Club, and donating to causes such as the XV Foundation.

I am grateful of this opportunity to apply for the board position, I would serve proudly and fervently. I would bring all of my experiences from my rugby, professional, and community leadership to strive to make decisions and for our Union. Furthermore, I would continue the commitment and legacy that the previous Boards have provided.

WILMINGTON RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION
May 2018 – Present
• Active Women’s Team Player
• Women’s Team Manager 2019-2020
• President 2020 – 2022
• Rookie Rugby
MISCELLANEOUS RUGBY EXPERIENCE
• WRCRA Conference 2019
• Member USWRF Pioneers Club
• OLDE GIRLS – CAN AMS 2021-2022
• Wandering Warriors – Savannah 2022
• Referee Certification 2019
• Coaching Certification 2021
 

Morgan Mattia
Email: morganmattia14@gmail.com
Member Club: East Stroudsburg University/Philadelphia RFC

Letter of Intent:
Collegiate rugby players are currently the largest membership group of the EPRU. However, these collegiate athletes have the lowest representation on the board that not only oversees their rugby seasons but their rugby opportunities. Collegiate rugby players are an essential part of this union as they are the building blocks of the future. Most rugby players have been introduced to the sport during their college careers. Therefore, their experience in college determines whether or not they continue to play rugby in general but more specifically in the EPRU. As a current player in the EPRU’s collegiate sector, I want to be the representative for all EPRU collegiate athletes.

As a board member, I intend to put my focus on improving the intensity and competitiveness of the women’s collegiate side. I feel as though this part of the EPRU needs more. More games in regular seasons, more select side opportunities, clinics, and all-stars. There is a lot of rising talent that can bring great success to this union, but it needs to be seen. To do so, the EPRU needs to create more opportunities for women to play competitive rugby. The EPRU needs to shift its focus to the younger generation of rugby players and spend more time and effort expanding their rugby opportunities.

Although I want to make the changes stated above, I am very thankful for everything the EPRU has done for me. Becoming a member of the EPRU has given me a rugby family, my best friends, and moments I will never forget. I want to get involved as this organization has taught me so much more than just rugby, and I want others to experience the same.

Rugby Resume

Teams Played for:
• East Stroudsburg University Women’s Rugby Club
• Philadelphia Women’s Rugby Club
• EPRU Collegiate Allstars
• EPRU Women’s 15s Select Side
• U23 Mid-Atlantic USA Young Glory Allstars

Awards/ Accomplishments
• Member of the Small College 7s National Championship team of 2022
• Small College National 7s Championship overall MVP 2022

Leadership Positions
• Vice President of East Stroudsburg University Women’s Rugby Club

Ryan McHugh
Email: rmchugh04@gmail.com
Member Club: Schuylkill River

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:
I have proudly served on this Board for the past two years (one on the Executive Committee as Disciplinary Chair) and have truly enjoyed the experience and would be honored to continue in this role. During these past two years, I have assisted in the creation of the inaugural EPRU 7s Circuit as well as the Lentz Cup. I have also supported the initiative of reimbursing new coaches and referees through the Dana Bateman Memorial Grant Program. I am also a staunch supporter of providing financial assistance to our members for travel come National Playoff time.

I began playing rugby in 1997 while at St. Joseph’s University and can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life. I fell in love with the game immediately, not only because of the athletic demands, but more importantly the real life applications such as teamwork, communication, dedication, and perseverance that it teaches. I owe this game immensely, as a majority of best friends, employment opportunities, and travel have come through rugby. I am a big believer in paying it forward and that is why I want to continue the work the Board does for our fellow ruggers and continue to grow the game, as I know the positive change it can have on one’s life.

I have been playing for 25 years and am still an active player for Schuylkill River Exiles. In this time I have played for St. Joseph’s University, Media Rugby, Caves and Ditches (CanAm), and Schuylkill River and have captained each of these sides to some degree. I currently sit on the Board of Directors as Match Secretary for Schuylkill (I held the same position at Media) and previously was the Treasurer. I also serve on the team’s Advisory Board.

I am a Level 200 Coach and have been the Head Coach of Schuylkill River Exiles 7’s Open Side in the past. I have been an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s Prep, Princeton University Women’s Rugby and Cabrini University Men’s Rugby. Along the way, I have also coached at Temple University(men) and Neumann University(women). In past years, I have helped run rugby clinics at the Boys and Girls Club in Northeast Philadelphia (which I am hoping to bring back) and worked with Narberth Rugby on their flag rugby program . I am also a certified referee.

I am passionate about the game and even more passionate about giving back to it and always growing it. Thank you for your time and consideration.

 
Ryan McLean
Email: Joseph.Ryan.McLean@gmail.com
Member Club: Philadelphia Whitemarsh

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:
I am stating my intent to be a candidate for election to the EPRU Board of Directors. I have been an active member of the EPRU since 2011, holding a number of different operational and administrative roles for clubs in the area.

Currently, I am the President of Philadelphia-Whitemarsh RFC where I oversee club operations. In this position, most recently, I coordinated the Surfside 7s Referee Clinic that was a strong success with 19 participants; many of which ref’d their first matches the next day during the tournament.

I have a strong desire to grow the game of rugby. In addition, I have a good knowledge of the local rugby landscape and wish to provide my help in furthering the society and its members. One goal of mine if elected would be to provide better transparency and communication between the overseeing organizations (USA Rugby, EPRU, MAC, etc.) and the rugby clubs / players.

Playing Career:
• Conestoga High School 2007-09
• Marquette University 2009-10
• Philadelphia-Whitemarsh RFC 2011-Present

Coaching Career:
• Conestoga U13 Head Coach 2014-18
• St. Joe’s Univ. Forwards Coach 2021-Present

Administrative:
• Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC
• Vice President 2018-20
• President 2020-Present

Certifications:
• USA Rugby Referee Level 100
• USA Rugby Coaching Level 200
 

Tom Saunders
Email: tmsaunders925@gmail.com
Member Club: Northeast Philadelphia

Rugby Resume/Letter of Intent:

Having played 11 years of rugby, I feel like there are many ways how I can give back to the rugby community and grow the game especially in my home union. I think I can be an asset to the EPRU in many ways. For the last 2 years I have helped organize the Philadelphia 10s tourney. I was also reached out to by Union President Dave Codell to help organize last year’s EPRU Origin Tourney and have goals to make it even better this year. Having played multiple forms rugby at a high level and having my Level 200 cert in coaching has helped me see the game in a different perspective and believe helped my game grow. In conclusion, I would like to nominate myself for an EPRU board position and be to great representative for all of the EPRU!

I have 11 years of rugby experience…

Teams played for
• Father Judge rugby
• Northeast Philadelphia rugby club
• Philadelphia Fight Rugby league
• Have played select side for Philly United and USARL all stars in rugby league.

Leadership Positions
• Last 2 years have been the Men’s President for Northeast Philadelphia rugby club.

Certifications
• Level 200 coaching

Awards/ Accomplishments
• 2019 EPRU champion and Mac champion

Proposed Bylaw Amendments:

PLEASE NOTE! The Proposed Bylaw Amendments have also been emailed out to Club Leadership in a document with much better formatting. Please have your club leadership consult the official document to ensure they are seeing the changes proposed. Proposed deletions should appear as struck through while proposed additions should appear in bold.

Amendment Proposal Changes Submitted

CHANGE #1
Section 3.03
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
(a) The Union shall hold an “Annual General Meeting” (or “AGM”) each year.

(b) The AGM will be held in the month of September January of each Fiscal Year until or at such other time as the Board may determine from time to time.

(c) The AGM shall be conducted for the purpose of electing Directors to the open Board or Director’s seats under the terms of Section 4.03, creating additional Officer positions and/or removing Officers under the terms of Section 5.01, ,and transacting any other business the Board considers necessary or advisable.

Member: This date is not “in season” and provides a better change for participation. It is also more convenient for our college women’s side because their leadership should be well established, unlike Aug and Sept when they are just getting back to school.

ExCo: January is time of year that we are planning our championship events, playoffs, Lentz Cup, etc. It’s difficult to bring a new Board in at that time. Additionally, if Competition Coordinators were to be elected at the AGM it is asking for the coordinators to be swapped out midway through the competitive cycle. This was previously discussed and Scott Stratton indicated that the teams have leadership in place heading into the fall. If the collegiate coordinator isn’t asking for this, then we should not be concerned. Not in favor at this time. With how much planning was going on last January, wiping the Board clean and starting over is not in the best interest of the EPRU and its members.

BoD: 9/10 opposed (90%)

 
CHANGE #2
Section 4.06 VACANCIES.
Any vacancy in the Board arising at any time and from any cause may be filled by a majority vote of the Board. The Board will draw from a list of qualified candidates from the previous election and confirmation of willingness to serve. Each Director so elected shall hold office until the end of the term of the vacating Director.

Member: Our method of choosing a candidate to fill the position (a voting position) needs to be better defined. We cannot just say…”hey, Jane Doe would be good on the board….” We need to contact more candidates. Actually, we first need to decide if the position should be filled. Are we “required” to fill it immediately??? That needs to be defined as well. I think the fact we have a board position open right now that is not filled is opening us up to some serious criticism. But we can’t just toss any person in there. The recent suggestion to fill the position a random candidate was very inappropriate.

ExCo: This is an attempting to have it both ways. This change seeks to limit replacement candidates but the reasoning says it is because “we need to contact more candidates.” Additionally, the reasoning suggests that we need to decide whether the position should be filled but goes on to say that having an open board position is opening us up to some serious criticism. So again, trying to have it both ways, we need to determine whether the position should be filled but not filling it opens us to criticism. If there is an opening on the board throughout the year we wouldn’t want to limit ourselves to people who were in the previous election. However, the Board could always decide to put out an open call for candidates if contacting more candidates is the concern. Not in favor at this time. There are no benefits of limiting our candidate pool. The suggested changes don’t correlate with an increase of candidates.

BoD: 9/10 opposed (90%)

 
CHANGE #3
ARTICLE VI
COMPETITIVE GROUPS
Section 6.01 RESPONSIBILITIES. Each Competitive Group shall have a Coordinator that shall
(i) coordinate and implement the competition of its assigned Competitive Group with the relevant USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY Competitive Region governing body, and, as necessary, USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY directly.
(ii) (ii) foster the interests of clubs within the Competitive Group to the relevant USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY Competitive Region governing body;
(iii) (iii) represent the Completive Group as a whole on before the relevant USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY Competitive Region governing body;
(iv) (iv) attend the AGM each year and report on the progress of the Competitive Group and any developments with respect to the relevant USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY Competitive Region governing body
(v) (v) fulfill such other obligations as the Board may determine is consistent with then current guidelines of the relevant USA Rugby or NATIONAL COLLEGE RUGBY Competitive Region governing body. The Coordinator(s) of each Competitive Group shall also report to the Executive Committee no later than then 2 months prior to the start of the competitive season date of each AGM in regards to competition structure of its Competitive Group.

Member: NCR needed to be added to this section. It was an oversite when we last did revisions. Section 6.01v as it is writing means competition coordinators need to let the BOD know the schedule by the AUG/SEPT AGM. This is too late. Teams need time to secure pitches and plan. Prior to Covid, the MAC schedule was completed by the end of June, approved by the MAC committee, and sent to the GU’s in July. True, there will be some late issues, and changes can be made, but the plan needs to be in place. To be sure… 6.01 and all its subsections allude to the fact that it is the job of the competition coordinators to set the schedule. Individual schools/clubs can schedule their own “friendlies” but the Divisional Schedule and playoffs are the jobs of coordinators.

ExCo: There are two separate things going on here. The first is adding National Collegiate Rugby (note that the proposal says “College” but it would actually be “Collegiate”) to the competitive groups and the second is the change to Section (v). Adding in NCR makes sense, we clearly want to include our Women’s Collegiate teams in anything we are doing, but input from Scott would confirm to make sure we are not overlooking something. It is unclear what the change in Section (v) is meant to accomplish? The latest schedule to come out this year was D3M which was sent on July 14 and even that was delayed by circumstances outside of the coordinators control such as the lengthy discussion about teams moving up to D2 or down to D4 (and the creation of an EPRU D4). Is the suggestion that this be formalized instead of just being something that happens anyway? In favor of these changes with more clarification and input from Scott, as they are mostly just cleaning up what we already do.

BoD: 3/10 opposed (30%)

CHANGE #4
Section 6.02 ELECTION. At least one Coordinator for each Competitive Group shall be elected by a majority of votes cast by the Officers of the Board of Directors. Each Coordinator shall be elected from a slate of candidates that are Officers, Directors or Participants of Members in good standing. Such candidates shall be selected by the Nominating Committee or in any other manner determined by the Board that is permitted or required by the then current guidelines of the relevant USA Rugby Competitive Region governing body. Coordinators may not be current members of the Board of Directors and therefor have no voting rights on the board.

Member: I believe in the separation of the competition from the business side of the sport. Coordinators need to operator separate from the BOD. Mixing decision making on competition with allocation of funds can, will and has been a conflict of interest. We also need to follow the rules set down by USA Rugby and elect our coordinators by vote, not by appointment. I believe this should also be done by the BOD as a whole and NOT just the exec committee as stated in the current by-laws. We must inform our members of the need for competition coordinators. We have major issues with the one’s we have now. Some of them need to be replaced. (Only one coordinator actually helped with the EPRU Championship). We also need to define who is planning the Lentz Cup and this needs to be part of the coordinators job, not the Board of Directors

ExCo: This change is akin to asking Scott and Ray directly to step down. This would limit our ability to put people in positions they may be suited for. For the conflict-of-interest argument, our coordinators and EPRU board members already come from EPRU Clubs so the potential conflict already exists. There is no proof of additional conflict just because someone serves both roles. Not in favor.

BoD: 9/10 opposed (90%)

 
CHANGE #5
ARTICLE IV BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 4.01 POWERS AND DUTIES. The Board shall have full power and authority to control and manage the affairs and property of the Union in accordance with applicable law and with the purposes and limitations set forth in these By-Laws. Without limiting the generality of the powers and authority set forth in the foregoing sentence, further specific powers and responsibilities of the Board include, without limitation:

(a) Powers:
i. To establish and oversee the activities of the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee, Disciplinary Committee, any other standing and ad hoc committees of the Board, and any advisory groups of the Union;
ii. To have full authority with respect to the distribution and payment of monies received by the Union from time to time;
iii. To obligate or otherwise bind the Union to any legally enforceable contract; iv. To hire and fire employees; and
v. To take any other action which is permitted under applicable laws, including the ability to delegate any of these powers or authorities to the Officers of the Union and/or standing and ad hoc committees of the Board.

(b) Duties:
i. Shall attend the Annual General Meeting
ii. Shall attend majority of Board of Directors meetings
iii. Shall serve on a standing or ad hoc committee
iv. Shall at all times in meetings of the Board of Directors represent the best interests of the EPRU as a whole regardless of Club affiliation
v. Shall disclose to the Board of Directors any rugby related disciplinary, professional, or legal history that could jeopardize the reputation, business, or financial status of the Union
vi. Shall disclose memberships in organization both rugby and non-rugby related which may cause a conflict of interest to the Union
Failure to fulfill the duties could result in “for cause” removal from the Board, as outlined in Section 4.05.
 
Member: My disgust for Section4.01.b.vi was made clear when this was added. I have shown this to lawyers and other officers of unions and every one of them felt the by-law was overreaching and intrusive. It is too broadly defined and could allow board members to dig into personal lives, medical histories, and legal affairs not pertinent to our business. As it is written, I would have to disclose any rugby cards I got, my professional file and every one of my traffic tickets, DUI, and… marital issues that involved legal advice. It is not defined what “jeopardize the reputation, business, or financial status of the Union” as it is written, any member of the board could randomly decide. I added Section 4.01.b.vi because since becoming a member, “conflict of interest” has been one of our biggest problems. It has been painfully evident on numerous occasions that our members do not put the needs of the EPRU first. I personally struggle with this as a member of the EPRRS and take great measures to distance myself from any discussion or vote that involves money. What constitutes a conflict of interest needs to be reviewed by the BOD.

ExCo: Regarding section (v): We held a special interim AGM in February of 2021 and where a quorum was established and that this section passed with 100% approval. Regarding section (vi): Micalah is putting together some sample forms. Not in favor of the two proposed changes juxtaposed together. The conflict-of-interest form being created does not target deeply personal conflicts of interest. Members of the board should disclose other boards/affiliations they are a part of if the affiliation is in direct conflict with EPRU. As for section (v), it protects our members and it protects us as Board members.

BoD: 9/10 opposed (90%)

CHANGE #6
Section 4.03 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS.
(a) Each class of the Board of Directors shall be elected from a slate of candidates presented by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors at the relevant AGM. Each class will be comprised of the positions vacated by those Directors whose terms are expiring (the “Open Board Seats”). Nominees are required to be members of the Union that are in good standing with their Member team, the Union, and USA Rugby or National Collegiate Rugby. Member clubs shall have no more then one member sitting on the Board of Directors at any given time.

Member: [Note: The member who brought forward this prospective change claims that it is Dave Codell’s idea. Dave Codell expressly denies this and is not in favor.] Prior to Covid and during another administration it became evident clubs were attempting to load the board. We could have potentially had 3 members from the same club sitting on the BOD. We have and have had multiple members of the same club sitting on the Executive Board. When you combine multiple club members on the BOD there is imbalance of power.

ExCo: This amendment asks the entire ExCo to resign (club affiliations below). There is an indication that this issue arose in 2019 or earlier, however during the amendment of the bylaws in February of 2021 this was not proposed.
We currently have 11 Board members, and the majority would be impacted by this.
1. Lindsay Watson – Brandywine
2. Micalah Morrison – Brandywine
3. Ryan McHugh – Schuylkill
4. Liz Malazita – Schuylkill/Referee Society
5. Dave Codell – formerly Schuylkill, currently Gryphons
6. Ray Fritz – Gryphons
7. Scott Stratton – Harrisburg
8. Jenn Stratton– Harrisburg
9. Bryan Dewease – formerly Harrisburg , currently Roses
10. Becca Sliver – Philly
11. Doc Zimmerman– Jersey Shore
This is almost everyone. Hence why, prior to the AGM, it is disclosed who is on the Board, so decisions can be made intelligently and transparently. Not in favor.

BoD: 9/10 opposed (90%)

CHANGE #7
Section 5.08 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
d) Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect, account for, budget and administer the funds of the Union. The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the Union, assure their transparency to the membership in a manor fit to the Board of Directors, and give these records to her their successor in good order.

Member: I just changed a little wording, but I believe we need a statement and ACTION to make sure our finances are transparent. All of our members need access to our budget. It should be posted on our website.
ExCo: Now that we have better control over the website (the blog function can be used to pass this kind of information to our members even if the plug-in makes it difficult to attach directly like it was done once previously). There is not an issue with the budget being posted on the site (similarly but not related to this proposed change – meeting notes can be posted like they were for July). The “ACTION” referenced in the reasoning needs more explanation. In favor of this change.

BoD: 2/10 opposed (20%)

Given the reasons above the ExCo is in favor of changes 3 and 7 but opposed to changes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. The Board of Directors as a whole is in concurrence with the Executive Committee.

Here is a quick recap of the recent EPRU Board meeting. Note that some of the items at the time are added/updated after the fact for the benefit of our membership.

 

EPRU AGM is 2-5PM on August 21. Nominations for Board of Directors are open. Those interested should submit rugby resume and letter of intent to elections@epru.org by end of the day on Sunday August 14. More info here (Nominations Are Open For EPRU Board Of Directors! – EPRU)

 

EPRU Contact info spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/196E-CE4ICs14-_AODnXmF69GrnseRgfw-2zn5nWm87Q/edit?usp=sharing) – Recently created spreadsheet that will house contact info for all divisions. Easier to navigate than website and Coordinators will have Editor access so much easier to keep up to date.

 

EPRU Schedule spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pFH98t7S39JMA-KEfY2iemBJphAS5SUy50b08mk7AbA/edit?usp=sharing) – Recently created spreadsheet that will house schedules (and potentially results) for all divisions. Easy navigation and should help everyone maintain an understanding of scheduled events. Hopefully also makes scheduling friendlies easier.

 

Roadmap for 2022-2023 – What does a calendar year generally look like in the EPRU:

Regular Season Play begins Sept 2022 for all divisions

Men’s Playoffs approx. Mar 25 and Apr 1, with Apr 15 EPRU Championship event

Women’s Divisions go directly to Apr 15 event due to smaller divisions and spring matches

(Conversations have started to ensure 3^rd and 5^th place matches take place so that each men’s playoff team gets at least two matches instead of a one and done)

Lentz Cup for non-playoff teams in April

Atlantic Super Region (ASR) April 29 in Richmond VA (Dorrey Park)

May 5 and 12 likely to have Jersey Shore Tournament and other annual events/rivalry matches

Nationals (location TBD) May 19-21

7s to begin on/around June 3 and go into mid-July for most

7s Nationals mid-August

Preseason events in August such as Philly 10s and Atlantic Cup

 

Lentz Info:

Opt-ins will be required by November and a spreadsheet will be kept to track. Plan is to announce a draft format for comment/review by mid-November to give teams plenty of time to plan

Women’s Lentz Cup likely has 8 sides potentially (2 D2 teams that don’t make playoffs and 6 D3 sides that don’t make ASR) so we believe Apr 22 and Apr 29 is enough time for the women’s event and the teams we spoke to were receptive to doing it again like last year where all of the teams played at the same locations each weekend.

Men’s Lentz Cup likely has 10-11 potential sides (3 D2 teams, 4 D3 teams, and 3 D4 teams) so we will structure the competition based on opt-ins. Schuylkill River is participating in a D1B league with their D3 side so unsure if they’ll be available. Probably the weekends of April 15, 22 and 29 because of the extra sides but may also include April 1 depending on number (this will all be communicated by end of November so we will 4 months ahead of last year)

 

 

Women’s World Cup Final:

World Cup championship match is played Nov 12 and the plan is to have an event on that date. There are 11 Women’s Clubs so if each provides 4 players then we can divide East vs West and give each team 22 players (1 club will have players on each side due to odd number) and then find a way to watch the World Cup match together afterwards. The match itself kicks off at 7:30PM New Zealand time and a quick search indicates NZ is 16 hours ahead so that would be 3:30AM our time. We are counting on someone broadcasting the replay or having a streaming option available.

The Men’s Clubs will also be included and with 21 men’s clubs it would probably be 2 players per team.

South Jersey Women have offered to host.

 

Development Day:

We have the Spooky Nook on December 3 with Rugby PA and the MARC. The Dana Bateman Memorial Grant Program will support EPRU members who attend for certification. In speaking with Dylan, we hope to branch out and have Rugby Admin panels in addition to coaching and officiating

 

Budget Review – Financials from 2021-2022 and a draft budget for 2022-2023 were reviewed. Board will finalize and present at AGM.

 

AGM Agenda – AGM draft agenda was discussed. Board will finalize and circulate prior to AGM.

 

Rugby Xplorer – New registration system. Once up and running Board will work quickly to ensure all clubs are entered, each club has a “initial admin” and the training materials continue to be circulated.

 

D2M Coordinator – We’ve got 4 candidates and we solicited opinions from the division. The Board vote should be concluded shortly with announcement imminent.