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2011
5/12011 #17
To All
A fairly brief update this week with no games this weekend however we had four young players turning out for Liberty in a match versus Eastside. From all reports these youngsters played extremely well and contributed greatly to a comprehensive win over their opposition. Reward for all the hardwork these young men put in at our practices. Special mention to Cale for scoring the opening try. Enjoy the lovely looking Sunday weather.
Practice Schedule
This week we are planning the usual two practices on Monday and Wednesday 6pm - 8.30pm and ask that everyone makes a concerted effort to attend both practices this week and the following week. These practices are critical to the outcome of how we will do at the state championships and are the last of the season.
On Wednesday I am looking for anyone who is able to transport a small barbecue grill out to the practice field to let me know. I am hoping the weather will be more favorable (no snow) and would like to end practice with a hot dog feed.
Saturday Game
I am still trying to confirm a match for the younger and less experienced players on Saturday May 7th and will confirm details ASAP.
State Championships Weekend / Camping Option
It appears we may have an opportunity to use some land in Shelton for camping and will be chatting with the owners this week to find out more details and what may be available to those interested in that option.
End of Season Banquet
The end of season awards banquet will be on Wednesday May 25th at the Daffodil Elementary School in Sumner. The meal will be comprised on pot luck contributions. I am looking for suggestions on a meal theme such as Mexican food so that the items that are brought are somewhat compatible.
The awards and player recipients which will be given on the evening are chosen by the players. Ballots to make selections will be distributed to the players next week. For a list of the awards go to our website and look at the gallery tab for the list of 2010 recipients.
District Elementary Track Meet (Volunteers Needed)
I will be looking for volunteers to assist me on Wednesday May 18th at the Sumner School District Elementary Track Meet at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. This is an event we have helped at for several years now and is somewhat of a payback to the school district for the use of their facilities. It is always a fun and rewarding afternoon which allows us great exposure to the local community. We act as Marshall's and assistants for the various field events. It typically starts around 3.30pm and we are done by 5.30pm. This is also a good opportunity to accrue some community service hours for those that need that for school.
Coach Andy
4/24/2011 #16
To All
It gives me great pleasure to congratulate everyone past and present who have contributed in some fashion to earn the club its first league championship in its short existence. The manner in which the title was earned on Saturday was extremely gratifying with a total domination of Tacoma and some marvelous rugby played. If anyone doubted our potential and they saw Saturday's match they should be a believer now. Despite this achievement none of us are and should be satisfied yet with a real opportunity to put down our marker and receive the recognition we deserve for all the hard work put in not only this year but in the past three that the club has been in existence. This will not come easy but judging by last nights practice everyone realizes this and is willing to sacrifice the time, effort and commitment to achieve the goal the team set out at the beggining of the season and that was to win the state championship. I really appreciate all the positive support on the sidelines and look forward to sharing in the excitement yet to come.
Thanks to Kaylee Garrett (Nik's Mom) preparing and providing an excellent post match meal last Saturday and to Lynn Pratt for laundering the team jerseys.
Schedule for this weekend & beyond
We are planning no rugby for the majority of the squad this weekend with the exception of the U14 players who should have the opportunity to play at the jamboree scheduled for Sunday at Magnusson park in Seattle. I will confirm details associated with this event ASAP. Next Saturday May 7th we will have a match primarily intended for our younger and less experienced players to get a decent final run of the season. We will send out details of match location and time in the near future.
Film Night
This Thursday we will resume our film night sessions 6pm at the Windermere Real Estate Office in Bonney Lake. This week we will be watching footage of our game last Saturday. Coach Tyler has promised a special surprise so please plan on attending to participate in this mystery treat.
2011 Loggers
We have been somewhat disappointed in the Loggers Selections (all star state teams) and hope that we can still increase our level of participation due to withdrawal's etc but would like to congratulate Will Meyer, Joey Meyer and Marcus Vassey for receiving the recognition they deserve and being rewarded with places on the expanded squads which still have to be reduced before final selections are made.
Off Season Storage of the Scrum Sled
I am looking for a location (outdoors or indoors) to store our scrum sled at the end of the season where it would remain until January of next year. The sled is about the size of a pickup bed. We can deliver, unload and position it in any location you may to offer. Please let me know if you think you may have a suitable space for this piece of equipment.
End of Season Banquet Date
It was pointed out to me last week that the Friday I selected for the banquet is the Friday of the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. I have revised the banquet date to Wednesday May 25th at the same location Daffodil Elementary school in Sumner.
State Championship Weekend May 5/14 & 5/15
After yesterdays win we will enter the championships as the South League number 1 seed and on Saturday will play the North number 2 seed. On Sunday we will either be playing in a 3rd and 4th consolation game at 1.45pm or the State final at 4pm. Once we have some more time to better plan for this weekend we will probably be looking for help coordinating some snacks, drinks etc at the field that we can share. We may also have an opportunity to provide some camping locations on some property owned by one of of players families. More to come on that once I have an opportunity to chat further with those folks.
Location: Oakland Bay Junior High School - 3301 North Shelton Springs Road, Shelton, WA 98584
Team Dinners
In order to keep the momentum, team spirit and focus in the next few weeks I would like to coordinate a team dinner on Friday May 6th and Friday May 13th. If anyone is interested in hosting one of these evenings please let me know. I am happy to use club funds to cover any food costs.
District Elementary Track Meet (Volunteers Needed)
I will be looking for volunteers to assist me on Wednesday May 18th at the Sumner School District Elementary Track Meet at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. This is an event we have helped at for several years now and is somewhat of a payback to the school district for the use of their facilities. It is always a fun and rewarding afternoon which allows us great exposure to the local community. We act as Marshall's and assistants for the various field events. It typically starts around 3.30pm and we are done by 5.30pm. This is also a good opportunity to accrue some community service hours for those that need that for school.
Welcome Back
It gives us great pleasure to welcome back Ray McNabb to our practices and hopefully games in the near future. Ray incurred a significant shoulder injury early in the season at the Prezfest Tournament and was thought to be out of rugby until 2012. Fortunately he has recovered sufficiently enough to be released by his doctor to rejoin the fray. During Ray's injury period he has remained a very active member of the club and showing his support on the sidelines at many of our matches.
We are also very happy to be able to have Louie Henson available for all future matches now that he has concluded an extremely lengthy and in our opinions unjustified suspension period for a red card he received back in early March. Like Ray Louie has been an ever present at all club practices and events since that time and I commend him for his mature and level headiness during what has been a very frustrating period for all of us that were involved in the post incident inquiries. We are thrilled to have Louie back and have no doubt he can still contribute greatly to the overall success of the team.
Coach Andy
4/19/2011 #15
To All
Once again I am tardy in sending out my update to you but it is for good reason and not lack of will to do so. Typically I don't discuss in these messages detail about the the team performance, league standings etc but I want you all to be aware of the continuing success of the team and the coaches pleasure at the players commitment, determination and teamwork which has got us to this point. As you are probably all to aware we have probably had less than ten practices all season where it hasn't been raining, snowing, hailing or just freezing. This has done little to dampen the enthusiasm and unity to succeed. No matter what happens from here to the end of the season everyone can be proud of the clubs achievements and development on and off the field. I hope to see everyone at the game on Saturday.
Thanks to the Yvette Tinsley and her family for hosting a wonderful team dinner at their lakeside home in Auburn. The attendance was pretty disappointing but those who did make it can attest that a good evening was had by all.
Other thanks goes to Dana McManemy (Alec's mom) for taking care of laundering the jerseys after last Saturday's match.
Saturdays Match
This Saturdays match with Tacoma will kickoff at 1pm at our home field the White River Alternative School in Buckley. This is where we have our practices. All players need to be at the field no later than noon. The majority of our Under 14 players wont have an opportunity to play in this match but have been invited to combine with Liberty as they take on Chuckanut. This match will be played at the Ryan Field in Seatac. Players need to be at that field by noon. At Wednesdays practice the coaches will identify who they feel they would like to stay as a reserve for the home game and who should go to Seatac.
Film Night
Their will be no film night this Thursday as Coach Tyler is out of the office and out of town this week.
Sports Clips Discount Coupons
Thanks to Brian Harvey for winning the monthly team drawing at the Bonney Lake Sport Clips location I have a stack of coupons for anyone who may wish to use them. The coupons are valid until May 28th and offer a free haircut for new customers or $5 off for returning clients. If you want any of these let me know.
End of Season Banquet
Just a reminder to mark your calendars for both parents and players to attend our end of year celebration which will be in the form of a pot luck dinner at the Daffodil Elementary School in Sumner on Friday May 27th. If anyone is interested in taking charge of coordinating what dishes people can and are bringing that would be most appreciated.
We are going to be on TV
Last Saturday footage of our match with Kitsap was shot by cameraman from Kong TV's Varsity news show. This footage will be aired this Saturday at 10am. They have also informed me that they intend coming to our match this Saturday for further footage. During the past month or so they have been filming a lot of matches up in King County but are now venturing out a little further.
Loggers Trials
We had eight players tryout for positions on the All Star state teams last Sunday and at the time of preparing this update I have not been notified if any of these players were selected to the team. Congratulations to all for representing the club at these trials and I am confident we will have at least a few 2011 loggers.
Season 2012 Girls Team
We are seriously considering creating a girls side to compete next spring in the existing girls high school league. Please spread the word in the community and let your sisters, daughters and friends know this is coming.
Player Bios on Website
Each year we update the player bio section of our website and ask the players to go to the our team tab and select roster from the drop down menu and then click on the bios tab on left handside.
Contact me for the access codes.
Team Photo
We do intend taking a team photo but a combination of inclement weather and absences of coaches and players have postponed this for at least another few weeks.
Coach Andy
4/12/2011 #14
To All
An early morning version of the update so no doubt some errors and typos (or at least more than usual). Very hectic work week and family things to attend to so a pretty brief update. For those that were fortunate enough to join us on our trek to Yakima I hope you enjoyed the day as much as i did. The conduct and behavior of the entire group of almost 30 kids was exemplary and you as parents should be commended. My ears are still ringing however from the selection of music which was blasted via the CD player in the van I was driving. Another exciting weekend coming up with a team dinner Friday night and a match on Saturday.
Saturdays Match
This Saturdays match is versus Kitsap at their home field in Silverdale on the Pennisula. The location is Anderson Playing Fields located at 10900 Impasse Place NW. The match will kickoff at Noon so we need all players at this field by 11am. We will have a car pool leaving the Bonney Lake Park and ride at 9.30am.
Next Saturdays Match
Next week we will be hosting Tacoma at the White River Alternative School in Buckley with the actual kickoff time still to be determined. Prior to this match we plan on taking a team photo.
I am still looking for a parent volunteer to take charge of purchasing and preparing the post match meal (all costs reimbursed by the club).
Team Dinner This Friday
Cayman Tinsleys family have kindly offered to host a team dinner for all players and parents who wish to attend. They will provide a main meal but ask that attendees bring a dessert to share. The address and parking instructions are listed below. Please try to arrive between 6.30pm and 7pm.
Our house is down a long private driveway. There will be balloons on the mailbox. Best to park up by the road and walk down, due to limited space.
Sundays U14 Jamboree Canceled
This Sundays jamboree in Lacey has been canceled however they are hoping to reschedule and host one on Saturday April 23rd.
Car Wash Canceled
This Sundays car wash has been canceled due to a scheduling conflict where I can not manage to be available to run this fundraiser.
Loggers
At the conclusion of the season their is an opportunity to participate in one of the two states all star sides known as the Loggers. Their are two sides a U17 and a U19 side. The age qualifications are basic for the U17 you must have been born in 1994 or sooner and for the U19 born in 1992 or 1993. Our club has never had a representative on the Loggers but I have no doubt that we have some excellent candidates this season that deserve to be part of this select group. The trials to be selected for these teams is this Sunday April 17th with a time and location still to be determined.
I intend chatting on Wednesday with the players who our coaching group feel are worthy of being nominated to see if they are interested in this opportunity and will be able to attend Logger practices and games.
New Club T Shirts
The gray t shirts which each player received in the past week or so were a very generous donation by a vendor who conducts business with a local company where one of our parents works. These t shirts should be worn on game days. We are very grateful to Eric Lindstrom of Logos to Go for his generosity and support of our team. Eric's contact information is listed below in case you wish to join me in sending him a thank you note. Their are a few players who have not received a shirt yet and we are ordering a few more smaller sizes for these individuals.
Logos To Go
Eric lindstrom
206-679-4751
11822 NE 8th st.
Bellevue, WA 98005
Logostogo@bigplanet.com
Coach Ramsay.
3/20/2011 #13
To All
There will be a U14 Jamboree at Magnuson Park this Sunday. Time still to be finalized.
You are recieving this weeks update somewhat later than normal but hope we are managing to keep everyone informed and prepared for what is going on with the club.
Saturdays Match
We will be playing in Yakima on Saturday at Franklin Park which is a city park located at 21st Avenue and Tieton Drive (98902). Kickoff is currently scheduled for 2.30pm so all players need to be at this park by 1.30pm. To assist in getting everyone over and back we have rented two 12 passenger vans which will be operated by myself and coach Brian. These vans are expensive so we need to know who is riding seperately as it is easy to cancel one if we know we don't need two. Several people have already notified me of there alternate plans and I really appreciate this. Our return time is slightly unknown as we plan on taking our time and possibly stopping for dinner on way back. We have deleted the Auburn pick up as our players from there are either out of town or driving separately. Below are the times and locations where we will be picking up. This is an important league match so we hope that all our players intend making this trip. We might even see some sun!
Bonney Lake Park and Ride 0945am
Sumner Train Station 10am
Next weeks Match
Next Saturday (4/16) we will travel to Port Orchard to play Kitsap. The kickoff time is Noon. More details in next weeks update.
State All Star Team - Loggers
At the conclusion of the season their is an opportunity to participate in one of the two states all star sides known as the Loggers. Their are two sides a U17 and a U19 side. The age qualifications are basic for the U17 you must have been born in 1994 or sooner and for the U19 born in 1992 or 1993. Our club has never had a representative on the Loggers but I have no doubt that we have some excellent candidates this season that deserve to be part of this select group. I am anticipating more details to be disseminated later this week on the schedule for tryouts, practices and games. Once I receive this information I will be chatting to those who our coaching group feel would be suitable candidates for nomination to tryout. Should you be nominated and selected you need to be willing to be able to honor the expected commitment so careful consideration is required regarding schedules and attendance.
U14 Jamboree Report
I want to make sure that our younger players and parents receive the recognition they deserve for their contributions to the jamboree we hosted last Sunday. We had close to 40 young players from all over the area converge on our home field. The weather finally cooperated and we were able to enjoy a short window of dry and somewhat mild conditions. The four 20 minute periods were played in tremendous spirit with a high quality of play all round. The referee Rhoan Laymon did and outstanding job of keeping the game flowing but more importantly safe and within the laws of the game.
Our players all represented the club extremely well with James Mitales scoring a few tries and young Jacob Nist (12) scoring his first try. Big thanks also to Tina Nist and Christy McCorkle for providing an excellent post match meal. In my opinion this was the most productive and well run jamboree so far this year. The next Jamboree is on Sunday April 17th in Lacey.
Team Dinner / Friday 4/15
On Friday April 15th we will be hosting another team dinner for both players and parents. The hosts the Tinsley's have graciously offered to open their home up to anyone who wishes to attend. Their home is on the lake and has ample room to accommodate many attendees. We will be asking that attendees bring a desert to share but all other menu items will be provided. The message below from the hosts includes the address and some parking instructions. I will confirm the start time next week but should be around 7pm.
Our house is down a long private driveway. There will be balloons on the mailbox. Best to park up by the road and walk down, due to limited space.
Volunteer Club Credit
We had many boys who volunteered to assist at the recent Applebees Breakfast and the Furniture Removal assignment. These players are eligible for $20 in club credit. This money will be deducted from any outstanding dues or if dues have been paid in full credit to purchase spirit-wear. If a player participated in both then they have $40 credit.
Team Photo
On Saturday April 23rd when we host Tacoma at our Buckley Field we will be taking a team photo. Due to budget constraints we typically don't hire a professional for this but if anyone knows of someone with experience or who may be willing to offer a reduced rate to help us with this please let me know.
Hope to see you all in Yakima on Saturday
Coach Andy
3/20/2011 #12
To All
Well no games this weekend but as many of you know the club and its players were far from idle! we conducted two excellent fundraisers on Saturday and with your help and support we completed the first at the Applebees in Bonney Lake. Our combined efforts resulted in us walking away with $1000 and great respect from the Applebees Management who like me thought our volunteer servers did an outstanding job. From that event many of the same volunteers and few others made our way to the offices of Sak Construction in Puallup. Once at this location we assisted with the transfer of their office furnishings and other equipment to their new premises. These efforts were recognized by the company with a very generous donation which will greatly assist with our ongoing expenses. Many of the volunteers worked off any outstanding membership dues payments or earned some credit at the team spirit-wear store.
Next week we will resume practice 6pm on Monday and Wednesday at the White River Alternative School in Buckley. We have a big game on Friday night so despite it being spring break for some of our players we need everyone to come to practice. If you need a ride out to Buckley please let me know and we can assist with this.
Film Night
After a two week enforced hiatus the rugby film viewing night will resume on Thursday when we will watch footage of our next few opponents playing in matches this past weekend. This evening will start at 6pm at the Bonney Lake Windermere Office.
Rainier Hosts U14 Jamboree Next Sunday
Next Sunday we will be hosting players from throughout the Puget Sound at our home ground the White River Alternative School in Buckley. Games will start at 1.30pm and continue until around 4.30pm. Please come show your support for our younger players and also the host of other players who are learning to love the game of rugby. To be eligible to participate in these games you must have still been 14 on August 31st 2010.
Next Weeks Game
On Friday evening we will host Harbour Hurricanes from Gig Harbour in what will be a battle to remain unbeaten for both sides. This should prove to be a a challenge for our players and see if they have can continue to play the excellent rugby we have seen in the past few weeks. Kickoff time is still being finalized but wont be any earlier than 6pm. The match will be played at the White River Alternative School. I am still looking for a volunteer to take charge or organizing the post match meal.
Yakima Game on 4/9
We have rented two (12) passenger vans for this trip to Eastern Washington and will be leaving from Bonney Lake Park and Ride at 9.45. We will then stop at the Sumner Train Station at 10am and finally the MacDonald's on Auburn Way South at 1030am. We wont be able to accommodate the entire group in the vans so please let me know if you intend driving and if so how many extra seats you may have.
I am still looking for a volunteer to launder the team jerseys after this game.
Team Dinner
Cayman's mom Yvette has generously offered to host a Friday night team dinner at their home in Auburn on Friday April 15th. Start times and other details are being worked out but please plan to come hang out with your teammates and have some great food.
End of Season Banquet and Awards Night
We have a ways to go before we close the season out and celebrate our hard work, teamwork and successes on and off the field but I wanted to let everyone know this event will be on Friday May 27th at the Daffodil Elementary School in Sumner. The food will be a potluck affair with drinks and dessert provided by the club.
Have a good week and hope to see everyone at our game on Friday evening.
Coach Andy
3/20/2011 #11
To All
What a weekend no rain, some sun and some excellent efforts and milestones on and off the field! A Friday night team dinner attended by 30 players, half a dozen U14's playing with Liberty and Eastside on Saturday morning, and two full sides playing Shelton on Saturday. Highlights included Steffon being awarded man of match while playing for Eastside and James Mitales getting the same recognition for representing Liberty in the same game. Only negative aspect of this game was young Jared incurring a concussion during this match. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in a few weeks. Some outstanding rugby was played versus Shelton who had no answer for the power, commitment and teamwork demonstrated by all. Despite replacing almost the entire team in the 2nd half to try and keep from running the score up we still added some excellent tries. At least 6 players scored their first try which is due reward for hard work and commitment. It was great to have a large and appreciative crowd on hand to witness this action packed game. Equally pleasing was to have one of our injured players Ray McNabb who was injured at Prezfest in Oregon on the sidelines with us cheering his teammates on. Ray has been dearly missed not only for his on field contributions but his friendly and jovial nature. During the week we were also extremely pleased to have former player Jake Christiansen attend our practices. Jake is home on spring break from West point Military Academy where he is playing for the Army rugby side who are in the top 5 collegiate rugby sides in the country.
Thanks to Becky Brazier for overseeing the sale of spirtwear at Saturday's match, The Smith family for providing an excellent post match meal and to Lynn Pratt for laundering the jerseys
We have no scheduled matches on Saturday so everyone can catch up on chores, homework or just some non rugby stuff! Sunday their is a U14 Jamboree at Magnuson Park in Seattle. More details to follow on this event.
Applebees Flapjack Breakfast
Thanks for the excellent effort by all at selling their tickets and I have no doubt the event on Saturday will be both a financial success but also a lot of fun. Doors open at 8am and service will end at 10am. Tickets will be available at the doors to purchase on Saturday. Volunteers to serve need to be at applebees by 7.15am. I have listed the servers but think i am missing some so please let me know if your volunteered and aren't listed below.
Justin, Nate, Reed, Dru, Josh L, Brian, Tyler and Sochea
Fridays Team Dinner
A huge thanks to Kelli Worthen and her family for opening up their home and providing a great team dinner last week. The attendance far exceeded my expectations which is another indicator we are building a fantastic team spirit and a group of boys who are enjoying each others company.
April Car Wash
We will be hosting a car wash on Sunday 17th 1.30pm to 4.30pm at the Columbia Bank in Buckley. All players are expected to participate and any volunteer parents are also welcome.
Game Day Photos
If you have been taking any game day photos and you are willing to share these please let me know as we haven't been able to add any 2011 game photos to the website yet.
Upcoming Game Schedule
Friday April 1st home game at the White River Alternative School Buckley kickoff 5.30pm
Sunday April 3rd Hosting U14 Jamboree in Buckley
Saturday April 9th away game to Yakima we wont be back from eastern wa until early evening so if you work Saturday night please try to be excused. We have rented two large passenger vans for this trip and will be picking up players in Sumner and Auburn on the way.
Saturday April 16th away game with Kitsap in Silverdale kickoff is noon.
Volunteers Needed for Jersey Laundry & Post Match Food
Jerseys - Yakima Game
Post Match Food - Friday April 1st & Saturday 4/23 Need someone to offer to take charge of purchasing (costs refunded) and organizing the post game meal after these home games.
Have a great week and I look forward to seeing you all at our Applebees Breakfast Saturday morning.
Andy
3/13/2011 #10
To All
There is no U14 Jamboree on Saturday it is scheduled for Sunday March 27th at Magnuson Park
Brief late night update after a hectic and rain swept weekend of rugby and also tonight watching my daughter play soccer! Lots of highlights with a huge win down in Yelm Saturday and then our U14's and a handful of U16 players participating in a jamboree today. Thanks for all the wonderful support in Yelm and to Teri Harvey for washing the jerseys. Notable items to pay particuler attention to are the practice location change and the deadline to sell your applebees breakfast tickets.
Practice Location Change
Commencing tommorow night Monday we will move off the sports turf in Bonney Lake and head a little further east to the White River Alternative School Buckley. There are several reasons associated with the move but the primary one is that high school soccer is starting and it is to hard to work around there schedule. This is the same field we used last spring for home games and practices. It is approximately 20 minutes drive further out from Bonney Lake. We will be setting up a car pool from Bonney Lake meeting in the Albertsons Parking Lot at 6pm. If you need directions go to www.rainierjuniorrugby.com and you will find them in the maps section. We will practice until it gets dark which will be around 7.45 for the next few weeks until we have some more later dusks.
This Week's Games
On Saturday we will host Shelton at the White River Alternative School. Kickoff will be 1pm so all players need to be at the pitch by noon. We will have at least a 3rd half on Saturday. On Sunday their will be a U14 Jamboree hosted by Seattle Vikings at Magnuson Park. I will confirm the start time for this event and make sure you are aware.
Friday Evening Team Dinner
We are hoping to host a pre match team dinner on Friday night at the home of the Worthen's in Bonney lake. This evening would be open to all players and is intended to further the team camadarie and let the players get to know each other a little better. I will be confirming the details of this event on Monday and make sure everyone has the pertinent information at practice.
Applebees Flapjack Breakfast
By now everyone should have received 6 tickets to sell for this event on March 26th. Ticket sales should be concluded by Saturday March 19th. I also need approximately four more player volunteer servers who will receive $20 in club credit which can be used for purchase of spirit-wear or to offset any outstanding dues payments. Please let me know if you are willing to volunteer to help serve
Yakima Game 4/9
One of our longest road trips for an away match this season is likely to be to Yakima on Saturday April 9th. For this reason we have reserved passenger vans which will help to transport the players safely and efficiently but also create a little more fun and sense of being a team. More details on this game and transporation plans will be forthcoming.
Fundraising Car Wash April 17
We will be hosting a car wash Sunday 4/17 at the Columbia Bank in Buckley. The address for the bank is 29290 State Route 410 E Buckley 98321. We need all available players and any parents willing to help to come support this event. This event will start at 1.30pm and be complete by 4pm.
Canada Tour Cancelled
It is with regret that I have to announce the cancellaton of our proposed tour to Kamloops BC. Originally when I enquired about participating I was told we were welcome to attend. Last week I was notified that because the event was being sponsered by the BC Schools no International teams are allowed to particpate. The event we attended last year was sponsered by the Penticton Rugby Club so this rule was not applicable. Aside from the tournament organizors ruling I would have been most likley going to have to cancel as I had less then ten players express an interest in going on tour. I apoligize to those who did commit and hope that we can make up for it in 2012.
Andy
2/27/2011 #9
To All
A big thanks to all those who traveled down to Lacey to cheer on the team in our first league victory of the season. It was far from a polished performance but was a gutsy one which gives us great momentum going into the next few weeks. If you are not already aware we are only permitted to use seven replacements in a league match and this includes injury replacements which limits our flexibility to use all the player we would like too in these games. I was very conscious and encouraged by the very large and enthusiastic group of players we took to Lacey so it was very disheartening that we weren't able to provide our players a decent extra period I had communicated that we would be looking for this but it appears that the home club weren't aware the pitch was needed by the mens club pretty much directly after the first game ended . I apologize for the minimum rugby that many of our players were able to play and am working hard to ensure this doesn't happen again. We are a team and every player on it is as important as anyone else thus we will do everything in our power to make sure playing rugby is a rewarding experience for all. If anyone was taking photos on Saturday and are willing to share these for inclusion on the website please let me know as we have yet to post any from this season. A big thanks to Char Vassey
for taking care of washing the jerseys from last Saturday and Edwin Shaw for recording the game for us.
Practice Schedule
This week we will have our typical practice routine with Monday and Wednesday at Bonney Lake High School 6.30pm - 8.30pm. Commencing 3/14 when daylight savings commences we will move practices out to the White River Alternative School which is located near the White River HIgh School. This venue will reduce our significant expense using the high school field and also get everyone familiar with what is actually our home game field. The days of the week and practice time will remain the same.
This Week's Games
This Saturday we will travel to Yelm for our second league match. We will be kicking off at 1pm . We will need all players at the pitch by noon. We will be meeting at the Bonney Lake Park and Ride at 1030am for those who need a ride or have extra space in their vehicle. We intend taking all players who wish to travel down as Yelm will be able to provide a minimum of a 40 minute game after the league match.
Southworth Elementary School
13849 Yelm Hwy East
Yelm
On Sunday we will be taking our U14, U16 and others who may not get sufficient playing time on Saturday to the Pat Ryan Field in Seatac to participate in a couple of scrimmage games where our U14's will combine with Liberty and our JV squad will be assisted by Liberty players to create a full team to play Seattle. The time of these games have not been finalized but wont be any earlier than 1.30pm. We will set up car pools for this also. Directions to the Pat Ryan Field are located in the Maps Section of our website.
Applebees Flapjack Breakfast
By now everyone should have received 6 tickets to sell for this event on March 26th. Ticket sales should be concluded by Saturday March 19th. I also need approximately six more player volunteer servers who will receive $20 in club credit which can be used for purchase of spirit-wear or to offset any outstanding dues payments. Please let me know if you are willing to volunteer to help serve.
New Spirtwear
Our new 2011 spirit-wear has arrived and is proving popular with our players and families! we have hoodies, t shirts, baseball caps and cold weather beanies for sale. If you would like to see what these items look like go to our website and click on "Our Team" and then scroll to Team Store. Prices for these items are listed below. If you would like to order any of these items please let me know. We will also have these items at our home games.
Hoodies - $22 T Shirts $10 Caps $10 Beanies $10
Have a great week and I look forward to seeing you in Yelm or Setac or perhaps both
Coach Ramsay.
2/27/2011 #8
To All
Hope everyone survived the past week's deep freeze like conditions and didn't have to spend to much time out in it?
Hopefully that is the last occasion we will have that weather in 2011 and we are now moving towards warmer temperatures. The only bright side was it created an opportunity for our players to get healthy and take a break from rugby before the "busy" stage of the season commences. I have enjoyed a non rugby weekend and will be refreshed and ready to go next week. We start our league campaign next week and need to have two solid practices to prepare and be ready to come out strong. Have a great week.
Coach Ramsay.
This Weeks Practice Schedule
Due to high school soccer tryouts we wont be able to get access to the Bonney Lake field until 7pm on Monday and Wednesday. As we have our first league match on Saturday we need to practice for 2 hours so wont be ending until 9pm. The younger players who wont be involved in this match are welcome to leave at 8.30pm.
Next Game
This coming weekend we will play Budd Bay at their home field Rainier Vista Park in Lacey. The kickoff is noon so we need all players at this field by 11am. We will as is customary meet at the Bonney Lake Park and Ride to make sure anyone who needs a ride down has one. If you plan on going directly to Lacey please let me know. Otherwise we will meet at the P&R at 0945am.
It appears Budd Bay may not have sufficient players to provide a second JV match but I am going to check into that on Monday and if needed I will see what other opportunities there are for all our players to get a run next weekend.
I wanted to make sure everyone was aware that Coach Tyler is hosting weekly rugby viewing sessions at his office in Bonney Lake. Attendance at these sessions is encouraged but not mandatory. We hope to be able to view our matches from the previous Saturday but footage may also include professional rugby matches. These meetings are at 6pm - 7.30pm on Thursdays. His office is the Bonney Lake Windermere Real Estate Office located at 18008 SR 410 98391.
Spring Practice Field Location
After daylight savings we will be moving off the sports turf practice field and moving practices to a grass field located at the White River Alternative School in Buckley (directions on our website maps section). This field also serves as our home game field. Although this field is not the most conveniently located it proved to be ideal for our needs last season and is a much more cost effective option than the high school turf fields.
Practice will commence at this field on March 14 and continue on Mondays and Wednesdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm.
Applebees FlapJack Breakfast
We have rescheduled this event for March 26th which although it is close to school spring breaks was the only viable option. The boys will be issued with new tickets to sell (6) this week and any tickets sold for the original date will be honored or refunded. Please give your guests who plan on attending one of the new blue tickets rather than the original green ones. Please let me know if you need money back from me to refund any tickets. The sales deadline is March 19th. Please help out and make your sales as the money raised from this event will supplement our operating budget and also a portion of the Canada Tour. I still need at least 4 more volunteers (players) to help serve the food on the day of the event. This simply includes bringing the food from the kitchen to the guests tables and then cleaning up empty tables.
Volunteer Opportunities
Need someone to offer to launder the team jerseys after the Prairie Game (in Yelm) on March 12th
Need someone to offer to take charge of purchasing (costs refunded) and organizing the post game meal after the Shelton home game on March 19th.
Need someone to help organize a car wash on Sunday March 13th (afternoon)
Canada Tour
Please let me know ASAP if you are interested in participating in our tour to Kamloops Canada during April as I need to establish if we have sufficient players to participate or if I need to either scrap this idea or possibly solicit players from other clubs to join us. We will leave after school on Thursday April 14th and be back in the area by Saturday evening. Transportation will be provided in rental vans and hotel will be used for Thursday and Friday. I need to secure van rentals and hotels which both require a non refundable deposit. So far I have 3 players who have verbally committed to this tour. The cost will be between $220-300 depending on monies raised from upcoming fundraisers.
Club Dues
I am appealing to a number of you to try and make a payment either partial or full towards your club membership! We have many of you who have paid fully but almost and equal number who have not made any payment. I am very willing to work with everyone on this and understand if you cant pay the full dues or at least at one time. We do however have significant expenses to cover and as recently as last week I spent $2000 on player memberships to USA Rugby and field rentals. Many of us worked very hard last fall to create a very successful fund raising auction and dinner which these funds were earmarked as a "nest egg" or for future club development options. I have already tapped into our "nest egg".
New Player - $200
Returning Player not requiring new shorts or socks $175
Checks or cash can be handed off to me or mailed to my home. Checks should be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby.
New Spirtwear
Our new 2011 spirit-wear has arrived and is proving popular with our players and families! we have hoodies, t shirts, baseball caps and cold weather beanies for sale. If you would like to see what these items look like go to our website and click on "Our Team" and then scroll to Team Store. Prices for these items are listed below. If you would like to order any of these items please let me know. We will also have these items at our home games.
Hoodies - $22 T Shirts $10 Caps $10 Beanies $10
Game Photos or Videos
If you have taken any photos or videos of our matches and you are willing to share these with our club please let me know as we are always looking for copies we can post on our website.
Club T Shirt Sponsorship
In order to create a unified and somewhat more professional appearance I am looking for any potential sponsor who may be able to donate $350 to offset the cost of providing each team member with a t shirt. Any donation of this kind is tax deductible as our club is recognized as non profit organization. Please let me know if you have any potential sponsor's and i will be happy to communicate directly with this individual or work with you to complete any kind of sponsorship transaction.
Club Face-book Page
If you are active on Face-book please join the clubs page for all the most current and updated information. RainierRFC (no space)
Andy
2/20/2011 #7
To All
Hope everyone is getting an opportunity to enjoy the sunny dry weather and will find some time to relax and have fun! the past few weeks have been very hectic for our rugby club with a couple of important milestones being reached. The trip to Prezfest proved to be a huge success albeit a serious injury to one of our players. The team performed admirably on the pitch and conducted themselves equally well off of it. We were treated to wonderful hosting by Beaverton and came home with the club's first ever silverware in the form of a tournament winners plaque. We also have our team name inscribed in a ongoing Tournament Trophy with will be on display each year. A huge thanks to the parents who helped to drive other players their and also for all their sideline assistance with injured players, gear pick up etc. Winning all five games was an amazing feat considering we picked up a few injuries early in the event and also were missing several key players who were unavailable to make the trip. This past week saw a chilly Friday evening game with the Valley Joeys which proved to be another successful evening with another victory. We still have plenty to work on and this game identified several aspects which we will concentrate on at coming practices. One exciting milestone for the club was the ability to take a enthusiastic group of players in the U16 and U14 age group to the Kent Jamboree on Saturday. We didn't have a full side in either of these age groups but despite that fact we were able to get some loan players in the U16 category and played versus Seattle. Despite being up against a more experienced team used to playing together this group performed admirably and scored a couple of tries. If we can recruit 5-6 more players in this age group we could regularly field a U16 team. The U14 players linked up with Liberty and won both of their matches. It is critical for the long term success of the club that we develop these age groups and allow them to play versus boys of their own stature and experience level.
A big thanks to the Sterling's for providing the post match meal on Friday and the McCorkles for washing the team jerseys.
PLEASE NOTE THE PARENTS MEETING ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY 23RD HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO MY UNAVAILIBILITY ON THIS EVENING
Practice Schedule
This weeks practices will be Tuesday and Thursday 6.30pm at Sunset Stadium. Next week we will resume Monday and Wednesday practices at Bonney Lake however due to High School soccer tryouts we will be starting later at 7pm and running till 9pm. This schedule is only for one week.
On Wednesday we will be hosting a rugby viewing night which will feature footage shot by Brian Harvey at last Fridays match. We encourage all players to attend these sessions which are held at the Bonney Lake Windermere Real Estate Office 6pm-7.30pm.
Upcoming Games
Next weekend we have chosen to provide a weekend off for the older players before the league schedule commences in March. This is a great opportunity to catch up on school responsibilities, work schedules or other commitment's. We have however scheduled a U14 / U16 match with Liberty at the Pat Ryan Memorial Field in SeaTac. Kickoff time will be anounced early next week.
The League match with Budd Bay on Saturday March 5th will be played in Lacey kickoff at Noon.
Fundraising Car Wash Next Sunday
We will be hosting a car wash next Sunday at the Columbia Bank in Buckley. The address for the bank is 29290 State Route 410 E Buckley 98321. We need all available players and any parents willing to help to come support this event. This money raised at this event will be used to offset Canada Tour Transportation Costs. This event will start at 1.30pm and be complete by 4pm.
Prezfest Tournament Shirts
The organizers of the tournament have made me aware that they still have t shirts available in most sizes for $10. If anyone would like to purchase one please let me know and I will provide instructions on how to get one.
New Spirtwear
Our new 2011 spirit-wear has arrived and is proving popular with our players and families! we have hoodies, t shirts, baseball caps and cold weather beanies for sale. If you would like to see what these items look like go to our website and click on "Our Team" and then scroll to Team Store. Prices for these items are listed below. If you would like to order any of these items please let me know. We will also have these items at our home games.
Hoodies - $22 T Shirts $10 Caps $10 Beanies $10
Game Photos or Videos
If you have taken any photos or videos of our matches and you are willing to share these with our club please let me know as we are always looking for copies we can post on our website.
Club T Shirt Sponsorship
In order to create a unified and somewhat more professional appearance I am looking for any potential sponsor who may be able to donate $350 to offset the cost of providing each team member with a t shirt. Any donation of this kind is tax deductible as our club is recognized as non profit organization. Please let me know if you have any potential sponsor's and i will be happy to communicate directly with this individual or work with you to complete any kind of sponsorship transaction.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment ASAP. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address
Canada Tour
I have gone ahead and committed an entry fee to the Kamloops Rugby Fest and presuming this is accepted we will be taking a team to this event in mid April. As this is an event for U16 and up players we will not be able to take any boys younger than 15 with us. It is most likley we will leave on Thursday April 14th after school and return on Saturday 16th in the late evening. We will travel via 12 passenger vans and stay in a local hotel on Thursday and Friday evening. The cost of this trip is currently $300 but dependng on the success of both an upcoming car wash and the applebees breakfast we hope to reduce this cost by at least $75. Please let me know ASAP who is interested in being part of this tour so I can evalute if we have sufficent interest to make this happen. No payment is required at this time with a payment plan to be established once we know if we have sufficient interest.
Applebees Flapjack Breakfast
As previously announced we have cancelled this event for next Saturday and are planning on rescheduling for a weekend in March. I intend discussing this with the Manager on Monday and should have more details regarding a new date and how we handle tickets which were sold for the original date. We also intend providing some of our newer players tickets to sell. Once again I apoligize for any inconvienenace created by this cancellation.
Have a great week
Coach Ramsay
2/11/2011 #6
To All
You are receiving my update early this week as I am confident I will be somewhat worn out by the end of the Oregon tour weekend and have little energy to create anything. I am very excited at the hard work, commitment and passion being shown by the players and coaches during the past few weeks and the tremendous development of our entire squad. We have been bolstered by the addition of both several experienced players but also some excellent rookies. These updates are primarily intended for informational purposes rather than actual on field rugby reports but I will do my best to ensure you are kept informed of how the team is doing and also when improvements are needed. This weekend bodes well for another positive step in our development with the largest squad we have ever taken to Oregon the event where it all started in 2008! Two players from that day Calum and Casey will be returning for the fourth time to where they and 10 other took the field to represent Rainier Rugby for the first time in the club's short history.
Practice Schedule
For the next two weeks we will be practicing on Tuesday and Thursday at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. These days were selected to provide a recovery day after Orgeon/ Valentines day and next Mondays Presidents Day holiday. Practice time remains at 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Next Weeks Games
On Friday night we will host the Valley Joeys from the Kent area for a scrimmage match at Bonney Lake High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm so we need our players at the field by 6pm. Please note and plan accordingly their is a big basketball tournament at the high school that night so parking will be limited. Most likely area to park will be on the opposite side of the school and walk back down to football field. We will primarily be playing our older players in this game and unless told by the coaches U16 and U14 players wont be required to dress for this game.
I am looking for a volunteer to launder the jerseys after the game and someone to take charge of the post match meal. We have added instructions on what you need to purchase and equipment required to provide a meal to our website. Go to Admin and select Volunteer Post Game Food and look in left hand column and you will find this info here. All money spent will be reimbursed on match day. Please let me know if you are willing to volunteer for these tasks.
On Saturday we will be taking all our U16 and U14 players to the Kent Crusaders Pre Season Jamboree in Kent. This is an event open to numerous clubs with girls, U14, U16 and U19 rugby featured. We have one match scheduled for the U16 boys with Seattle which we will borrow players to help us create a full team. The younger less experienced U14 players will play in a combined side versus other U14 players. I will have more details on this early next week but anticipate the report time being 9am and completion by lunchtime.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
I am hoping that our players are making an effort to sell the tickets which they were provided as I have only received payment for 10 tickets so far!
If you are a new player and didn't receive any tickets to sell please let me know if you can at least come as a family to this event. I also need four more player volunteers to help serve. The details pertaining to this event are listed below. This may be the only Spring fundraiser so lets all make an effort and make it both worthwhile but also a financial success.
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. Most of the players are now in possession of 6 tickets which they are expected to sell and return the funds no later than 2/19. An instructional letter pertaining to this event and how the ticket sales are intended to function accompanied the tickets the boys received. Any unsold tickets need to be returned otherwise the club will have to pay Applebees for these unaccounted tickets. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby.
Canada Tour
As I eluded to in last weeks update I am looking for an alternate plan for our tour to Canada. The event which we attended last year has been canceled. I am still waiting confirmation if we can participate in the RugbyFest held in Kamloops British Columbia. This is a BC schools event much like the one we attended in Penticton. If we decide to go to this we would leave via vans either on Thursday April 14 after school or Friday morning and then be home on Saturday evening. The cost of this trip should remain around the $300 but could possibly be less. I have e mails and phone messages into the organizers so hope to solidify this in the next few days.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment ASAP. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address:
New Spiritwear is Here!
Our newly designed spirit-wear is now on hand and ready for purchase. Photos will be available to of these items on the website in the next day or so and I will have merchandise them at Fridays match. Prices have been kept affordable,
Ball Caps - 10 Hoodies - 22 Nylon Warm up Jacket - $25
Beanies 10 T Shirts - 10 Nylon Warm up Pants - $20
Saturday 2/26/11
After attending the Applebees Breakfast the older boys will be given the day off and somewhat of a break before league play commences in March. The U14 and U16 boys will be playing a Liberty side. The location and time of this game is still being worked out.
Have a Great Weekend
Coach Andy Ramsay.
2/6/2011 #5
To All
I hope you all enjoyed another very credible performance by our up and coming team on Saturday who despite missing several key starting players displayed a very impressive attitude, commitment and passion. Equally pleasing was seeing several more players make their rugby debut and a couple score their first tries and goal kicks. Continued hard work at practice is necessary but we are exactly at the desired development at this early stage of the season. The coaches and I are very pleased with this group of athletes who have already displayed wonderful heart, teamwork and team spirit that can only be infectious.
A big thanks to LeEtte and Derek Sterling for not only preparing a wonderful post match meal but also for washing the team jerseys.
PREZFEST TOURNAMENT (Beaverton OR)
Location: PCC Rock Creek
17705 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 97229
This coming weekend we will travel to Oregon for the Prezfest Tournament Depending on the start time of our first match on Saturday we should be leaving around 8am on Saturday 2/12 and travel down to Beaverton. Parent volunteers to drive players to this event are needed. We will play two games on Saturday and then the players will be dispersed to Beaverton families to remain overnight. Parent and coaches typically stay at a local hotel. Players will return on Sunday morning to play two more matches before we head back home late afternoon. Please let me know via e mail if you are a player planning on going and or a parent that wants to go and can help to transport a few others.
Tournament Saturday Evening Social Event:
After the Saturday matches, there will be a social event where all competing players and coaches are encouraged to attend. The event will begin at 6 PM where dinner will be provided, awards will be given, and entertainment will be enjoyed by all (either a band or DJ is being planned).
The social event is at Leedy Grange Hall located at
835 NW Saltzman Rd, Portland Oregon 97229.
Players should bring a sleeping bag with them.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. Most of the players are now in possession of 6 tickets which they are expected to sell and return the funds no later than 2/19. An instructional letter pertaining to this event and how the ticket sales are intended to function accompanied the tickets the boys received. Any unsold tickets need to be returned otherwise the club will have to pay Applebees for these unaccounted tickets. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment ASAP. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address.
Replacement Socks and Shorts
If you need replacement socks or shorts or just want extra these can be purchased for $15 shorts and $5 for socks. New players receive these uniform pieces as part of their membership dues. Let me know what you need and I can bring to a practice.
Mandatory Paperwork Return
Many of you have done and excellent job of returning both the medical and concussion awareness paperwork but I still need this paperwork from some players. This includes returning players who are required to sign the concussion awareness forms. Please make sure you make an effort to get these to me ASAP. If you need copies of this form please let me know.
Returners: Dru, Jacob, Casey, Alec, Aaron and Cale.
Upcoming Games
We are scheduled to play the Valley Joeys on Saturday 2/19 at Sunset Stadium however their is a possibility that this match may be moved to Friday evening. I am looking for volunteers to assist with both post match meal preparation and laundry of the team jerseys. Please let me know if you can handle any of these tasks.
On the morning of Saturday 2/19 we will be taking our U14 & U16 players to the Kent Crusaders Jamboree to play at least one match versus a team of the same age. More details on match time etc to come.
Spiritwear
I am happy to announce our newly designed Highlander spirit-wear options should be arriving this week with options including hoodies, beanies, caps, T Shirts and nylon warmup jacket and pants. I think the new design and merchandise will be very popular.
Canada Trip
Earlier this week I was notified by the Pa Kit Tournament organizers that the event is being cancelled due to the Penticton Men's Rugby Club being out of town during the event week. There was poor coordination between the mens team and other organizers which meant the mens team were going to be on tour in Ottawa. As these players are the primary manpower resources to run the event they had no choice but to cancel for 2011.
On hearing this news I immediately canvassed my Canadian rugby "connections" to try and ascertain if their were any other suitable options for a trip over the border. A possible option has emerged in Kamloops BC. They hold an event called RugbyFest on April 15th and 16th. There event sounds very simler to the one we attended in Penticton and is held on a Friday and Saturday only. I have an e mail into the event director with some general questions but pending his reply I am proposing this as a very credible option. Hopefully by my next update I will be able to confirm this and provide further details.
Have a good week and I hope to see many of you with us on our trip to Oregon.
Coach Ramsay.
1/30/2011 #4
Greetings to All
Late night edition of the update! attended the Rugby WA pre season coaches meeting today and i am happy to report that the governing body have some very exciting developments they are working on and the future growth, structure and strength is looking really positive. I hope you all enjoyed Friday nights scrimmage game with our friends Beaverton from OR as much as the coaches and myself did! The team played extremely well and we were particularly happy with the many players who took to the field for the first time. I think we had two guys Tayler and Joey even score a try in their debut game. Winning the game was a bonus and not really an expectation. I am much indebted to my good friend and supporter of our club Ric Zippy Hall for his help with match announcing and commentary and explanation of the rules. Hopefully it assisted many of our new parents and fans to understand what was going on out on the pitch. We also had a guest coach appearance by Jeff Hunter a local resident and friend of our club. Jeff's passion and enthusiasm was outstanding to see and he hopes to be able to contribute further as his schedule permits.
Beaverton Hosting
A huge thanks to all those who hosted players from Beaverton and in hosting an excellent breakfast on Saturday morning. It gave me great pleasure as it did for the Beaverton coaches to see the tables at the breakfast mixed with players from both sides rather than separate. This was an expression of the spirit and individuality of the rugby community from other sports and why we host and take teams on the road. For the record Beaverton won their match on Saturday and enjoyed the remainder of their stay in Seattle. I have no doubt we will receive equally warm hospitality in a few weeks when we head to Beaverton and the homes of the players you just spent time with.
Practices
We are back to our normal routine for a bit with practices at Bonney Lake High School on Mondays and Wednesdays 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Please make sure that you bring your mouth-guards to all practices as they are essential protection when we are conducting contact drills etc.
Upcoming Match
Next Saturday we will be hosting the Prairie Mustangs from Yelm at White River High School Football Field (directions under maps section of our website). Due to State Cup soccer matches tying most of the local fields up we will be kicking off earlier than usual. Kickoff will be 11am so all players should be at the field by 10am. The scrimmage will be ended no later than 1pm. We plan on providing all qualified players an opportunity to take the pitch. Qualified means you have attended adequate practices and completed the basic skills to safely participate in a live contest.
A big thanks to Le Ette Sterling (Kenny's Mom) for signing up to launder the jerseys and also be in charge of purchasing and coordinating the post match meal! For smiler opportunities throughout the season please go to our site and click on the ADMIN tab and you will see in the drop down menu options to volunteer to launder jerseys and be on the post match meal crew. We prefer that this volunteer opportunity is spread among the parent group as much as possible. All food purchased by parents is fully refunded on the day of the match. Le Ette will require help this Saturday setting up and serving the meal so please let me know if you can lend a hand. These meals are much appreciated by both our players and the opposition as they head off after a game. We have earned a great reputation for providing excellent meals and i have no doubt this tradition will continue. I hope to find time to add to the website some instructions on what and how much of product we typically buy but can always guide you through that should you wish to volunteer.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. Most of the players are now in possession of 6 tickets which they are expected to sell and return the funds no later than 2/19. An instructional letter pertaining to this event and how the ticket sales are intended to function accompanied the tickets the boys received. Any unsold tickets need to be returned otherwise the club will have to pay Applebees for these unaccounted tickets. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment ASAP. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address:
Replacement Socks and Shorts
If you need replacement socks or shorts or just want extra these can be purchased for $15 shorts and $5 for socks. New players receive these uniform pieces as part of their membership dues. Let me know what you need and I can bring to a practice.
Mandatory Paperwork Return
Many of you have done and excellent job of returning both the medical and concussion awareness paperwork but I still need this paperwork from some players. This includes returning players who are required to sign the concussion awareness forms. Please make sure you make an effort to get these to me ASAP.
Rugby on TV
For those of you who have BBC America on your cable network (comcast Channel 162) you will be able to enjoy live rugby coverage of Europe's annual premier International competition the "six nations" most games will be on between 7am and 10am. Check out the BBC America website for schedule info. First match is next Saturday at 8.30am.
PREZFEST TOURNAMENT (Beaverton OR)
We intend returning to Oregon for the Prezfest Tournament which this year is actually not during the Presidents Day weekend but the weekend earlier. This tourney is usually one of the highlights of the season and often the first opportunity for many of our players to actually play their first game of rugby and also experience home hosting or billeting.by an opposition family. We will leave around 8am on Saturday 2/12 and travel down to Beaverton. Parent volunteers to drive players to this event are always needed. We will play two games on Saturday and then the players will be dispersed to Beaverton families to remain overnight. Parent and coaches typically stay at a local hotel. Players will return on Sunday morning to play two more matches before we head back home late afternoon. I will get some hotel referrals from Beaverton this week and pass those on to you. We will be checking with players this week on their availability and interest on completing this trip. Please let me know via e mail if you are a player planning on going and or a parent that wants to go and can help to transport a few others.
Rainier U16 Team
I am pleased to report that a large influx of younger players may allow us to field at least occasionally a U16 side which supported by a few of our U14 players will provide an opportunity for these players to compete with players of their own stature and age. Around 4 other clubs in the are have a stand alone U16 side. Our immediate goal is to take a side up-to Magnusson Park in Seattle on 2/19 to play in a jamboree type event against a few other clubs. This event will be from 10-1pm. I ask that our younger players continue to recruit hard so that we can take the next step in the development of our young club and lay the foundation for the future of rugby on the plateau. To qualify to play U16 you must be 15 or younger on Sept 31 2010.
Andy
1/23/2011 #3
To All
Running late with this week's update but now that my daughters soccer matches have switched to a Sunday and the locations are usually far and wide around the state Sundays are no longer a day to take care of administration items and or "honey dos". This week should prove to be both very hectic, exciting and fulfilling as we host our friends from Oregon the Beaverton Barbarians. As you will read below I need some help in a few ways to make sure we provide as a rewarding experience for these guys as they have done for us during the past three years we have gone to Beaverton.
Practices
This weeks practices have an extended end time to 9pm in an effort to prepare our players for the scrimmage match on Friday evening. We do have an extra practice scheduled on Thursday but my hope is we can avoid holding this practice. I know that 9pm is late on a school night and am confident that we will make every effort avoid this end time in the future.
Scrimmage Match Friday
Beaverton Barbarians from Oregon will be arriving on Friday evening around 6.30pm at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. I have a locker room arranged for them to change and prepare for the match. Our players need to be at the stadium by 6pm. As many of our new players wont have received their game shorts and socks as part of paying their membership dues we will have these items on sale for $15 shorts and $5 for socks. Please come prepared with mouth-guards, cleats and some warm clothes for time spent on the sidelines. This evening is intended as a controlled scrimmage so we can safely introduce the many new players to the game and make sure they have a rewarding first match experience. We are going to work very hard this week to prepare as many boys we can to take part in this event. We already know however it would not be safe to include some of the players who have only attended 2-3 practices. In an effort to include them in some capacity we will hold a period of touch rugby with some Barbarian players as opposition.
I am still in need of a parent volunteer to take the jerseys home and launder them after the game and also some hosts to billet Beaverton players on Friday night. Basically that means you are responsible to take a player or players home after the game provide some dinner and a bed and then bring them to the team breakfast on Saturday morning. We will be heading to Beaverton on 2/12 and enjoying their home hospitality so lets make sure we honor this commitment and take care of these boys on Friday evening. Please let me know if you are willing to take the jerseys and if you haven't already communicated with me can host some players.
Beaverton & Rainier Team Breakfast/ Saturday 1/29
Typically a post match meal between opponent would be held immediately after the game however as the end time of Fridays game will be pretty late we have opted to reconvene on Saturday morning to socialize and share some time with Beaverton. This gathering is open to all players and their families to attend with a continental or baked goods type breakfast being served. At the conclusion of the breakfast the Beaverton team will depart our area and head to Seattle for a second match. This event will be hosted at the Sumner High School Commons area which is located in the middle of the school and is accessed from the paved court yard which leads to the Performing Arts Center Building. The start time of this event is still being finalised with Beaverton and will be announced in the next day or so.
Andy
1/16/2011 #2
Good Evening to All
Its been a very busy few weeks for the coaches, players and I as we have completed our first few practices which despite the awful conditions have gone extremely well. We are very excited at the influx of new players and how quickly they are coming to terms with their new sport. Always room for more players so keep getting the word out and bringing those new players out. The next few weeks is going to be hectic to say the least so I ask that you pay careful attention to the information below and try to assist, particpate or comply with any action items which may pertain to you. Remember you can always check our website wwwrainierjuniorrugby.com facebook page RainierRFC or call me with any questions. I hope to see many of you at Wednesdays Parents meeting.
Coach Ramsay
253 330-6816 (Cell)
January Parents Meeting 1/19 (this Wednesday)
Please plan on attending our meeting on Wednesday night 7pm at the Windermere Real Estate Office in Bonney Lake which is located at the top of the Eli Hill above the ARCO gas station (18008 State Route 410 East 98391). This meeting is intended to provide parents an overview of the upcoming seasons activities, how our club operates, meet the coaches and provide an opportunity to answer your questions.
Beaverton Barbarians (Oregon) Coming on Tour
In an effort to return the hospitality which has been extended to us over the past three years when we have traveled down to Oregon for the Prez Fest Tournament I have invited the Beaverton Barbarians to come spend a little time with us. They will be traveling north on Friday January 28th and playing our side at Sunset Stadium that evening. Due to the late end time of the match we will disperse the visitors to host families. We can reconvene on Saturday morning for a group breakfast at one of the schools before sending them off for a day activity and then a game with Liberty. They will remain in Seattle and return to OR on Sunday morning.
Please let me know if you are willing and able to host some of the Beaverton players overnight on Friday and how many you can cope with.
PREZFEST TOURNAMENT (Beaverton OR)
We intend returning to Oregon for the Prezfest Tournament which this year is actually not during the Presidents Day weekend but the weekend earlier. The organizers did not highlight that fact and I only caught this last week. This tourney is usually one of the highlights of the season and often the first opportunity for many of our players to actually play their first game of rugby and also experience home hosting or billeting.by an opposition family. We will leave around 8am on Saturday 2/12 and travel down to Beaverton. Parent volunteers to drive players to this event are always needed. We will play two games on Saturday and then the players will be dispersed to Beaverton families to remain overnight. Parent and coaches typically stay at a local hotel. Players will return on Sunday morning to play two more matches before we head back home late afternoon.
Canada Tour 2011
I am hoping that we can return to Penticton BC for the PA Kit Tournament during Easter weekend and allow those who were unable to join us during last season an opportunity to enjoy what proved to be a wonderful experience for all. I am currently checking 2011 hotel and transportation costs so I can develop a budget and ultimately individual costs. Hopefully we can keep it affordable and have enough interest to repeat this tour. Please note Easter is quite a bit later in 2011 than it was this year. We would depart on Wednesday April 20 and return late Saturday April 23rd. The final tour cost is still being finalized but should be around $300 and with no payments required until March.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. More details and tickets will be handed out at this weeks parents meeting.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment by our original deadline of 1/24. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder the final dues payment deadline is 2/4 dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address:
12612 203rd Ave East Bonney Lake 98391
Sponsorships
In order to maintain the high level of integrity and pride which we have come to adopt at the club we rely heavily on donations or sponsorships. If you are associated or know of a business that may consider helping us out please let me know or go to the website and review the information included in the Admin tab. We have opportunities to get involved at all different financial commitment levels.
Concussion Awareness & Documentation
All returning players and one parent will need to review the Rugby WA Parents Concussion Resources Fact Sheet and sign and return to acknowledge your understanding and intent to comply with the rules and guidelines should a player be diagnosed as having a concussion. I will have these forms for returning players at the parents meeting and also be handed out to players at practice. New players will find copies of this document in the blue folder given to all new players.
Courier Herald Newspaper Article
If you receive the weekly newspaper or you can log onto www.blscourierherald.com to read an excellent article in the sports section which features Calum Ramsay and Casey Smith giving their thoughts and insights into being the last of our two original players in our 2011 squad. A fine testament to these two young men who have contributed so much to where the club is four years on from the inception of the club.
Andy
2010
12/28/10
To All
I hope you had a great holiday weekend and were able to spend some quality time with friends and family!
Things are heating up as it pertains to the rugby club with the next few weeks shaping up to be extremely busy both on the practice field and in general club organization. Although during December we have only essentially been running very basic developmental practices I am very excited about what I am seeing and the level of commitment, focus and enthusiasm being demonstrated by the new and returning players. As a group of coaches we have conducted a series of off season meetings with dialog regarding taking the team to the next level and some of the adjustments that will be required to make this happen.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to some of our new parents and hope that they are be able to quickly figure out what their son has "got into" and beginning to understand the way our club operates. I look forward to meeting you in the near future and thank you for supporting your son in his first few weeks of practice and blending into our team.
Outdoor Practice Schedule
Our regular season outdoor practices will commence on Wednesday January 5th at the Bonney Lake High School Football field. This is a sports turf field which will be our typical practice venue. For the majority of January and February we will use Bonney Lake on Mondays and Wednesdays 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Their are a few weeks where practice has been adjusted for public holidays etc and we will be practicing Tuesday and Thursdays at Sunset Stadium in Sumner. Our full schedule is posted on the website in the schedule tab. During periods of inclement weather please keep and eye on the website for cancellations as the school will deny us access occasionally to their facilities.
Player Recruitment
We have been conducting a very aggressive recruiting campaign during the past few months and these efforts are continuing over the next month or so but we also need all players to actively be encouraging their buddies to come give rugby a try. As I constantly preach coming out to a practice or two doesn't commit anyone to having to join our club or feel like they need to commit to playing. Some kids find its not for them but the overwhelming majority find they are hooked pretty quickly. Sometimes challenging financial backgrounds is an issue and completely understandable in this economy. Please encourage these kids to come out too as we have methods of assisting them to be able to participate too.
Shorts & Socks
I have received a large shipment of uniform shorts and socks intended primarily for new players but also available for purchase as replacements for existing players who may have a need for new uniform pieces. New players will receive these items as part of their season membership payment. Please let me know if you may need either shorts or socks and I will sit them aside for you.
Beaverton Barbarians (Oregon) Coming on Tour
In an effort to return the hospitality which has been extended to us over the past three years when we have traveled down to Oregon for the Prez Fest Tournament I have invited the Beaverton Barbarians to come spend a little time with us. They will be traveling north on Friday January 28th and playing our side at Sunset Stadium that evening. Due to the late end time of the match we will disperse the visitors to host families. We can reconvene on Saturday morning for a group breakfast at one of the high schools before sending them off for a day activity and then a game with Liberty. They may return to our area for a second night of hosting on Saturday or may just head south that evening. More details will be made available closer to this weekend but wanted to make everyone aware of this exciting early season incoming tour. Please let me know if you are willing and able to host some of the Beaverton players and how many you can cope with.
PREZFEST TOURNAMENT (Beaverton OR)
We intend returning to Oregon for the Prezfest Tournament during the Presidents Day weekend. This tourney is usually one of the highlights of the season and often the first opportunity for many of our players to actually play their first game of rugby and also experience home hosting or billeting.by an opposition family. We will leave around 8am on Saturday 2/19 and travel down to Beaverton. Parent volunteers to drive players to this event are always needed. We will play two games on Saturday and then the players will be dispersed to Beaverton families to remain overnight. Parent and coaches typically stay at a local hotel. Players will return on Sunday morning to play two more matches before we head back home late afternoon. Monday is Presidents Day so the players have a recovery day as there is no school and no practice.
Canada Tour 2011
I am hoping that we can return to Penticton BC for the PA Kit Tournament during Easter weekend and allow those who were unable to join us during last season an opportunity to enjoy what proved to be a wonderful experience for all. I am currently checking 2011 hotel and transportation costs so I can develop a budget and ultimately individual costs. Hopefully we can keep it affordable and have enough interest to repeat this tour. Please note Easter is quite a bit later in 2011 than it was this year. We would depart on Wednesday April 20 and return late Saturday April 23rd. The final tour cost is still being finalised but should be affordable and with no payments required until late February.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. More details later but another date to mark on the spring calendar.
Membership Dues
I am very conscious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make an payment or partial payment by our original deadline of 1/24. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder the final dues payment deadline is 2/4 dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. Checks or cash can be handed off to me or can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and mailed to my home address.
Mt Peak Climb
On Monday January 17th (Martin Luther King Day) we will assemble in the early afternoon at the base of the Mt Peak trail for a ascent of this local Enumclaw landmark. Sounds impressive and possibly intimidating not really unless you are old and broken down from 25 years of rugby like me! Coach Brian will be coordinating this event but I have no doubt we will need to go for pizza or something after to replace all the energy lost on this arduous trek. Parents will be welcomed I am sure but that's not only the pizza part you need to walk too!
January Parents Meeting
We will be hosting an informational meeting on Wednesday January 19th (time and location to be confirmed) which will provide an opportunity for many of you to meet the coaching group and vice versa us to meet you. It is also a valuable opportunity to gain an insight into club operations, goals and ambitions for the season and beyond. We encourage all parents and players (optional) to attend this meeting and come with your questions and ideas.
Sponsorships
In order to maintain the high level of integrity and pride which we have come to adopt at the club we rely heavily on donations or sponsorships. If you are associated or know of a business that may consider helping us out please let me know or go to the website and review the information included in the Admin tab. We have opportunities to get involved at all different financial commitment levels.
Regards
Coach Andy
11/15/10 - Update #1 for the 2011 Season
To All
We are still at least a month or so off from any actual rugby commencing but I want to have you start thinking of the upcoming season and getting excited about what is in store! Much work behind the scenes has continued during the summer to build and enhance on the huge strides we made last season. I am currently focused on trying to secure a gym for 3-4 indoor sessions in December but due to cost saving evening school gym closures to private clubs its is becoming a challenging task. I am working on a few other options and should know more by the end of this week.Below are some items of current and later season interest which you should review and prepare for. We are all working hard as a coaching group to prepare for the season but first and foremost need your help with the first item below RECRUITING!
Recruiting
We are entering the critical recruiting period for the 2011 season and need everyone to make and effort to get the "word" out that we are eagerly looking for players for our upcoming season. I am always available via phone or e mail to answer any prospective players or their parents questions. I will be venturing out to the schools at lunchtimes in the next few weeks and also posting roadside promotional signage. Our club informational brochures are available in the school offices of Bonney Lake (CIC), White River ( Mr Fagan), Enumclaw (Activities Office), Auburn ( Mr Jones Athletic Office) and Orting HS. We are currently working on Auburn Riverside and Auburn Mountain View for the same opportunity. If anyone has other suggestions on possible recruiting ideas please feel free to let me know. The coaches and I met last week and are starting to outline our early season plans.
Post Dinner & Auction Follow Up
It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that through the combined hard work of many organizers, ticket sellers, people and businesses that donated or otherwise supported our event we were able to raise $4697!
With less attendees at this years event it was commendable the generosity of all these people who wanted to help us out in our quest for a successful event. We were extremely fortunate to have an excellent volunteer auctioneer Jim Williams who excelled at this skill and helped us greatly to reach this outstanding total. The ladies below require special recognition for their commitment and dedication towards organizing and hosting this event. Thanks also to all those who assisted on the evening of the event.
Kelli Worthen, Lynn Pratt, Robin Norman, Dana McMenemy and Le Ette Sterling
Recruiting Poster Day
In the next few weeks we would like to assemble as many players as possible to assist with getting our recruiting posters out into the community. Our goal is to select one weekend day afternoon and have at least 3-4 coaches present that can accompany 2-3 players to each of the neighboring towns where we will try and disperse as many recruiting posters as possible to local businesses. We will bring a set of jerseys so that the players can wear one and look more part of team than just in their civilian clothes. Parents are very welcome to assist in this effort too. Also if you frequent a local business's, gym or other location where we may be able to add a poster please let me know.
Beaverton Barbarians (Oregon) Coming on Tour
In an effort to return the hospitality which has been extended to us over the past three years when we have traveled down to Oregon for the Prez Fest Tournament I have invited the Beaverton Barbarians to come spend a little time with us. They will be traveling north on Friday January 28th and playing our side at Sunset Stadium that evening. Due to the late end time of the match we will disperse the visitors to host families. We can reconvene on Saturday morning for a group breakfast at one of the high schools before sending them off for a day activity and then an evening rendezvous with Liberty who will host them overnight and play them Sunday. More details will be made available closer to this weekend but wanted to make everyone aware of this exciting early season incoming tour.
Canada Tour 2011
I am hoping that we can return to Penticton BC for the PA Kit Tournament during Easter weekend and allow those who were unable to join us during last season an opportunity to enjoy what proved to be a wonderful experience for all. I am currently checking 2011 hotel and transportation costs so I can develop a budget and ultimately individual costs. Hopefully we can keep it affordable and have enough interest to repeat this tour. Please note Easter is quite a bit later in 2011 than it was this year. We would depart on Wednesday April 20 and return late Saturday April 23rd.
Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast Fundraiser - February 26 2011
We will be hosting our 2nd Bonney Lake Applebees Flap Jack Breakfast on Saturday 2/26 and hope it will be as successful as our first. This event is extremely simple we sell entry tickets for a hearty breakfast and keep 50% of the ticket price. We provide servers and the Applebees staff do the rest. More details later but another date to mark on the spring calendar.
Regards to all and remember if you are active on Facebook please join our club page at RainierRFC.
Coach Andy
5/1/10
To All
Its been a couple of weeks since I last provided you a general update on club activities and the plans for the latter stages of the season. I apologize for that but I have been battling some medical issues which have slowed me down somewhat. Thanks very much for the continued sideline support at each of our recent matches. You are very loyal fans and supporters of your sons in what have been pretty atrocious conditions. The wins haven't been going our way for a few weeks as we encounter some tougher opposition and some attrition through injury and unavailability. All these games have been close and played with great commitment and heart. We will continue to work hard at practice and try to get the team back on track and winning. There is still plenty to play for with a place in the State Championship second tier final on May 22nd. To earn that spot we need to win our next two matches.
Next Saturday we will host Budd Bay at our field in Buckley and also host a U16 match between Seattle and Budd Bay. Seattle have indicated they will need some help filling out their team so we will be able to get some much needed game time for our younger players who have been extremely loyal and dedicated over the past few weeks when we have struggled to get them any game time.
I will be finalising the kickoff times of these matches early next week. The following week we will play the Valley Joeys at the Pat Ryan Field in Seatac. I will attempt ASAP to determine if this will be a Friday evening or Saturday match.
Restaurant.com Cards
Each player received two gift cards to try and sell on behalf of WA Youth Rugby. I need the sales money no later than Wednesday and or any unsold cards returned. These cards have a value and if I dont return them our club will be charged for missing cards.
Thanks for your efforts in selling these cards
End of Season Banquet & Awards Presentation
This years event will be held at the Glacier Middle School in Buckley on June 4th. Doors will open at 6.30pm with dining planned for 7pm. I will be sending a more detailed summary of the nights festivities in the coming weeks but please mark your calanders and make plans to attend.
Photo Discs
Commemorative photo discs which will include a montage photos from this years matches as well as a special edition for seniors which will have the past two seasons photos will be available for sale at the banquet.
Summer 7's
WA Youth Rugby have created a summer sevens league and championship specifically for the high school group. In the past they have had to enter men's tournaments and play against men. Coach Brian will be polling our players to see if their is sufficient interest and commitment to enter a side. 7's is a very fast action packed version of the traditional game which is a great activity to keep busy and fit in the summer.
Junior / Senior Project Opportunity
If you need to come up with a project idea and are at loss for ideas I may have an opportunity for you. USA Rugby and WA Youth Rugby have a non contact program called "Rookie Rugby" aimed at children in elementary and middle school. In an effort to grow our sport locally I am looking for players who may be interested in helping me try and get Rookie Rugby introduced in the local area. This may be with the Parks and Recreation departments or schools. If you think you may be interested in finding out more about this initiative let me know.
Hope everyone has a good weekend and I hope to see you all at our match next weekend.
Coach Andy
4/9/10
To All
Thanks to all for the huge support last week in less than favorable conditions and an unfortunate conclusion to the game. In my many years of playing rugby I have never seen a 0-0 tie and this was close but as you all know I will have to wait longer to see that. Despite the loss we were still proud of the team effort and given a dry day I am confident we can overcome Yakima. We already had a good practice on Monday with the type of attitudes to ensure we can rebound from the disapointment of last week to defeat Tacoma on Friday evening. A big thanks to Robin Norman (Josh's mom) for providing the sub sandwiches and to the Cerne family for laundering the team jerseys.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday - Team Practice (same as above)
Friday - League Match Versus Tacoma 5.30 Chamber Creek in University Place Tacoma
Saturday- Proposed JV squad friendly with Liberty JV @ Ryan Field in SeaTac
Sunday - Fundraising Car wash 1pm in Buckley
Match with Tacoma
This game will be played at the
Chambers Creek Properties in University Place Tacoma. The kickoff is 5.30pm so we need players at this field by 4.30pm. We will meet at the Bonney Lake Park and Ride to pick up players needing a ride at 3.30pm. Below are driving directions from Bonney Lake.
Tacoma have already informed me that they will only have sufficent players for one match on Friday so we have arranged a match on Saturday for any players who dont feature in Fridays match. We will be talking to the players this week and see if we have sufficient interest and availability in playing this match. We will also be encouraging all players to come on Friday and be ready to play and or cheer on their teammates.
Saturday Match
I have scheduled a friendly match with Liberty (Renton based club) on Saturday so we can ensure all our players get to play some rugby. Liberty's Primary players will be on Tour however they have sufficient players to field a JV team. We may ask the Valley Joeys to come supplement our squad should we not have enough players of our own. This match will be played at the Pat Ryan Field in SeaTac kickoff time of 1130am. We will setup a car pool from Bonney Lake later in the week once we establish who needs a ride
Car Wash
We will be conducting a car wash on Sunday 4/25 at the Columbia Bank in Buckley starting at 1pm and ending around 4pm. This effort will help to ensure we have sufficient funds to round out the season and pay the bills still to come in. Please let me know if you can assist with this event.
End of Season Banquet
Please mark your calendars for our end of season banquet. This event will be Friday 6/4 at the Glacier Middle School in Buckley. More details soon on this event.
Community Service Event
As a token of our appreciation to the Sumner School District we will be once again volunteering to assist at their district elementary ttrack meet at Sunset Stadium. This event will be held on 5/25 usually around 4pm for a couple of hours. Its always a fun time and a good opportunity to get service hours if you need them.
Loggers
I have been asked to send in nominations to attend a tryout for the state all star teams. They have a U16 and U19 side which will attend a tournament in Montana on June 17 - 20th. Cost for each player is estimated at $200. Please let me know if you are interested in attending the trials which will be at 1pm - 4pm on May 2nd. If selected for the team you will be required to attend practices on the dates listed below:
Team Practices on - May 16, 30 June 6 & 13
Andy
4/9/10
To All
I cannot start to share with you my pleasure at the success of of our trip to Penticton! I can only hope the particpants had an equally rewarding time as I did. On field performances were solid despite the fact we were missing a number of key players and off the field they all represented the club and their families in a commendable fashion. As a result of this we have been invited back to next years event which is actually scheduled later in April thus it may not be so cold! A big thanks to Doug Pearson who not only drove the second van but also helped out considerably with other aspects of the tour. Additional thanks to Dana McManemy who also provided sideline support.
Car Wash
We will be conducting a car wash on Sunday 4/25 at the Columbia Bank in Buckley starting at 1pm and ending around 4pm. This effort will help to ensure we have sufficient funds to round out the season and pay the bills still to come in.
Food Service for Yakima Game 4/17
If anyone is willing to purchase (refundable) and prepare food for next Saturdays match please let me know.
Club Sideline Jackets
You may have seen some of the boys who went to Canada wearing new nylon sideline jackets which look very sharp. I have some extras which I would like to sell ASAP so let me know what size you are looking for and I will make arrangements to get you one. These jackets are $25.
End of Season Banquet
Please mark your calendars for our end of season banquet. This event will be Friday 6/4 most likley at the Grange Hall in Buckley. More details to come on that event.
Community Service Event
As a token of our appreciation to the Sumner School District we will be once again volunteering to assist at their district elementary ttrack meet at Sunset Stadium. This event will be held on 5/25 usually around 4pm for a couple of hours. Its always a fun time and a good opportunity to get service hours if you need them.
Extra Practice
In order to be fully prepared for our crunch match with Yakima next weekend we are adding a practice on Thursday 15th at our usual spot in Buckley. 6.30pm - 8pm.
Loggers
I am still compiling details but we have been asked to send in nominations to attend a tryout for the state all star teams. They have a U16 and U19 side which will attend a tournament in Montana on June 18 and 19th. Cost for each player is estimated at $200. Please let me know if you are interested in attending the trials.
Hope to see you all on Saturday when our younger and less expierienced players take on new club Walla Walla at our field in Buckley. Kickoff is 2pm.
Coach Andy
3/23/10
To All
My summary will be brief this week as I have been a bit under the weather and am trying to catch up with both work and rugby related matters. Another excellent win on Saturday with great sideline support and player particpation. I would like to thank the O'Connors for their provision of the post match meal. This Saturday see's us take on Shelton a side that we narrowly lost to last season. We will be missing a few starting players due to school track commitments so we are looking forward to seeing some of our other players step up and continue to winning ways. I encourage you all to check out the new Rugby Washington Website www.rugbywa.org. Have a good week and hope to see you all in Shelton.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 3/24 - Team Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 7.30-9pm
Saturday 3/27 League Match Away with Shelton Kickoff @ Noon
Sunday 3/28 U14 Jamboree Magnusson Park Seattle 11am-1pm
Monday 3/29 Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 6.30pm -8
Wednesday 3/31-4/3 Club Tour to Canada
Saturdays Match
This Saturdays match will be played at the Oakland Bay Junior High in Shelton (address below). The kickoff will be at noon with the expectation that all players are at the pitch by 11am. We will meet at the Bonney Lake Park and Ride (behind Wendys on 410) at 0915 to pick up anyone who needs a ride to Shelton. Once again it appears that the opposition wont have any younger smaller players so it is up-to parents of our U14 players to decide if they want to go to Shelton or prefer to dedicate their time to Sundays jamboree. Shelton however have committed to at least a 3rd half of rugby so we will be able to get all our older squad members some playing time.
North 3301 Shelton Springs Road Shelton 98584
U14 Jamborees
I am very pleased to report that our club was represented in fine form by five of our young players at last Sundays jamboree in Lacey. Highlights were Alec scoring two tries and Cale winning the passing competition. Prospects are looking good for the club with this level of young talent and enthusiasm. We will be hosting one of these jamborees on Sunday April 11th so I hope you will take the time to come and cheer these young players on.
April Practices
With daylight saving upon us and no longer being dependent on field lighting for practice we will be moving our practices to the White River Alternative School in Buckley. This rental option is far cheaper than the sports turf and will allow us to have a full field with no need to share with soccer teams. Practice time will remain at 6.30-8.
Match Schedule Change
Tacoma have asked to reschedule our league match which was scheduled for 4/9. This may be in our favor as that is spring break for many of our players. The match will know be played on 4/23 or 24. Please let me know ASAP if this revised schedule will restrict your player from participating. I have not committed to this change yet but will need to fairly soon.
Canada Tour
Our departure date for the tour is fast approaching but with most of the details in hand we can look forward to a fun filled and exciting visit to Penticton. We still have a couple of open seats in the vans in case anyone wants to come. Total cost is $220 which includes everything except a few lunches. I will be sending out a separate information sheet to the tour participants later in the week. While we are in Canada their will be no regular practice on 3/31 or any games on 4/3. The other coaches are considering organizing an evening event which may involve a certain local mountain peak and a pizza restaurant!
Club Sideline Jackets
You may notice players wearing new navy and white sideline jackets with the club logo. These were issued to the players going on tour but are available for purchase by any player, parent or fan. The cost for these jackets is $25. We havent the financial resources to purchase matching pants so if anyone knows a potential sponser for pants we could probably incorporate a company logo onto these garments.
Andy
3/16/10
To All
I hope you are all enjoying the extra evening daylight and getting caught up on yard-work (me not so much)?
Last Saturday proved to be another milestone day with a first victory ever over the Harbor Hurricanes which despite the challenging conditions our team was able to chalk up another credible victory. The extra period after allowed several new players to get their feet wet (no pun intended) in their new found sport.
Man of the match for the first team was Casey Smith our club captain who can be very proud of both his leadership skills on the day but also his own personal contributions. Casey will receive a $10 subway gift card as will our past 2010 recipients of the man of the match award. A big thanks to the supporters who braved the elements to cheer on the team and a special mention to Doug Pearson who had the unenviable task of washing the mud soaked uniforms. Hope to see you all on Saturday in what promises to be a bigger challenge for the team as we play perennial powerhouse Budd Bay from Olympia.
Coach Ramsay.
Upcoming Events
Saturday Home Match @ White River Alternative School in Buckley (old WR Middle School) Kickoff 1pm players report at noon.
Sunday - U14 Jamboree @ Rainier Vista Park in Lacey
Monday - Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 6.30pm -8
Wednesday- Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 7.30pm -9pm
Saturday - Away Game in Shelton Kickoff 1pm players report noon
Club tour to Canada 3/31-4/23 (still room for 4 more players)
Last Sundays Car Wash
Thanks to the combined efforts of our players and parents we were able to raise $580 which is a tremendous boost to our club balance sheet. Special thanks to Coach George and Jeff for spearheading this event.
Team Photo
On Saturday prior to the match we are going to take a team photo taking advantage of the fore-casted good weather and the spectacular Mt Rainier background. If you want to get a photo with your own camera come prepared.
Upcoming Games
April 2nd - No Match
April 9th - Friday game in Tacoma area with a kickoff of 5pm or so
April 17th - Home Game with Yakima 1pm kickoff
April 24th - No Game
The regular scheduled league finishes on 4/17 and then round robin games will continue May 1, 8 & 15 culminating in the state finals on 5/22. At the end of the regular season depending on our record we will be placed in one of three brackets with cup being highest cup second and bowl third.
End of Season Banquet
I have pencilled in Friday 6/5 for our annual end of season banquet and awards night. Please let me know if their are any significant area or school events going on that night that may jeopardize attendance.
Team Garage Sale
I am contemplating organizing a garage sale on 4/24 but need some feedback on possible locations, equipment and resources needed and do you have items to donate. I have in the past avoided any involvement in garage sales at the Ramsay household so will need some help with this potential fundraiser.
Spiritwear
I still have a plentiful stock of hoodies, performance shirts, caps, beanies and some T Shirts and will have them at the game on Saturday for purchase.
Coach Andy
3/10/10
To All
I haven't been able to create a very comprehensive the rugby update this week due to a heavy workload but below are some key things you should be aware of. Thanks for all the great sideline support last weekend and hope to see you all this weekend. Thanks very much to Jodi (Andrue's mom) for preparing and coordinating the service of the post match meal. Laundry of the jerseys was completed by the Sterling family. There is match photos (courtesy of Nick Terrana) and some game video on the Rainier RFC facebook page. We will when time permits get the photos up on the website.
Upcoming Events
Saturday 3/13
League Match versus Gig Harbor @ Portland Avenue Playing Fields Tacoma
3513 Portland Ave Tacoma 98404. Kickoff Noon players need to report by 11am
Sunday 3/14
Fundraising car wash at the Jetstream Car wash on 410 in Bonney lake 9.30-3pm
Saturday 3/20
League Match with Budd Bay @ White River Alternative School in Buckley. Kickoff Noon players report by 11am
Saturday 3/27
League Match with Shelton @ Oakland Bay Junior High in Shelton Kickoff 1pm car pooling from Bonney Lake will be arranged.
Canada Tour
The tour is on with a modification to the duration. We have decided for economic reasons to make our return trip on Saturday 4/3 rather than stay overnight on Saturday in Canada like originally planned. This revised plan will also allow the players to be home on Easter Sunday. I am finalising the revised cost at the moment and will have a detailed hand out on Saturday. We still have room for two more players to join us if anyone would like to jump on board. For more details on the tour please go to the website and click on the tour tab.
Have a great week
Coach Andy
3/1/10
To All
This past weekend was extremely successful for the rugby club with several milestones and achievements met. The Applebees flap jack breakfast was a huge success thanks to all of you and in particular the volunteers who did a marvelous job of taking care of our attendees. The final profit from this event was a respectable $675. The manager was very impressed with our clubs professionalism, etiquette and general appreciation for being afforded the opportunity to use their facilities. They said we are welcome back anytime. The home game not only recorded a first ever victory over the Valley Joeys but also saw us manage to get every player who wanted to play onto the pitch. This included four U14 players. Another few notable was the presence of local EMT's on standby in case of any serious injuries. Thanks to coach Tyler this excellent resource promise to be present at all our home games. We were also treated to a wonderful post match meal which was appreciated by all.
Upcoming Events
Monday Team Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 6.30-8
Wednesday - Practice at Sunset Stadium 7.00-9pm
Saturday : Home League game with Prairie @ White River Alternative School Buckley
Sunday: U14 Get together @ Pat Ryan Field in SeaTac 1pm - 3pm
Next Game
This Saturday will commence our league schedule with a home game with new team Prairie from the Lacey area. We will be using the football field at the White River Alternative School (formerly White River Middle School). We plan on having two matches so plenty of rugby for all. All players should report at 11am with kickoff scheduled at Noon.
Driving Directions to White River Alternative Programs
PO Box 2180 - 27515-120th Street East- Buckley - WA - 98321
Phone: 360.829.1182 - FAX: 360.829.3353
From Seattle: Take Interstate 5 South to Highway 405 (Renton), then to Highway 167 towards Auburn. From Highway 167, take the Highway 410 exit for Mount Rainier/Yakima and continue approximately 12 miles up the hill.
From Tacoma: Take Interstate 5 South to Highway 512 (Puyallup/Mount Rainier) and then to Highway 167 (Mount Rainier/Yakima). Follow Highway 167 to Highway 410 exit for Mount Rainier/Yakima, approximately 12 miles up the hill.
From Highway 410:
Take Highway 410 East toward the City of Buckley; turn right on Mundy Loss Road. Turn right on 120th Street. White River Alternative Programs campus is on the right hand side of the road.
Uniform Jersey Laundry
We would be very grateful for any volunteers who will take the uniform jerseys at the conclusion of a match and take them home and launder them. If you feel you can help out in this manner please go to our website click on the Admin tab and then the icon listed as volunteer laundry jerseys. You can then select which game you would like to be assigned this duty. Thanks to Sheli O'Connor for taking care of this weeks jerseys.
Post Match Food
Your assistance purchasing (reimbursable) and preparing the post match food for our home games is also another volunteer opportunity. Last week Jodi Hart prepared delicious meatball in marinara sauce sub sandwiches. We are open to suggestions on the menu providing its budget concious and easy to prepare.
Go to the Admin page and click on post match food to volunteer. We also need 2-3 people for each home game to sign up to assist in serviving the meal.
March Practice Schedule
The March practice schedule is now posted on the website under calendar. There are a few days wth no designation which will be finalised in due course. High school boys soccer is going on during March so finding a field is a little tricky. The biggest change in the practices is the shift to Bonney Lake HS on Monday nights and no more practices at White River HS. All practices will remain at 6.30pm - 8.
Sponsorship
The club is very interested in obtaining a sponsor or sponsors that would be interested in supporting our club and helping to offset our operating costs. In return for this gesture we can incorporate company names and or logos into team wear and the website. If anyone thinks they may be able to encourage a company to get involved I can provide you with solicitation materials and would be happy to come chat with a company representative.
Car Wash
Our next fund-raising car wash will be on Sunday March 14th from 10am to 3pm. The location is the Jetstream car wash in Bonney Lake. This is located in the Walmart area just off hwy 410. The owners allow youth organisations to have the self service drive in bays to operate and get donations from patrons. We need plenty of manpower for this event and also adult help as only adults are permitted to operate the automated jet hose. This is a great opportunity to raise a lot of money and attempt to beat our 2009 total of $680.
Membership Dues
With a lot of upcoming bills that need to be paid I am hoping many of you can complete or add to the amount you have already provided. I am aware of many of the challenging situations you find yourselves in and am sympathetic to this matter. I am happy to accept small amounts towards your final total.
Player Bios
I encourage all the players to go to the website and create or update their player bio. You simply click on the Our Team tab and then roster. Then click on edit bio and use login and password I supplied earlier to get to the electronic form you will complete.
Canada Tour
I am pleased to announce our spring break tour to Canada is going ahead with more details coming in a seperate e mail later in the week.
Coach Andy
2/15/10
To All
A huge congratulations to all our players, supporters and coaches that traveled down to the Prez Fest Tournament in Oregon this past weekend. Not only did the team perform above expectations and record a four wins and no loss record the behavior and conduct on and off the field was impeccable. This weekend was a big turning point for the team and created some real momentum, team bonding and spirit among the squad. This combined with the continued recruitment of players in all age categories and excellent effort at practices bodes well for the coming months.
A big thanks to the parents who helped to transport our players to Oregon and lent a hand on the sidelines as well as providing great vocal support.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday 2/16 Team Practice @ Sunset Stadium 6.30pm
Thursday 2/18 Team Practice @ Sunset Stadium 6.30pm
Saturday 2/20 Jamboree Games for U14 Players
Sunday 2/21 Fund-raising Car Wash @ Columbia Bank Buckley 1pm - 4pm
Car - Wash @ 29290 SR 410 Buckley 98010
We will be performing a fund raising car wash in the parking lot of the Columbia Bank Parking lot in Buckley next Sunday from 1pm-4pm. The expectation is that all players participate in this event and also publicize it to friends and families who may be able to bring a vehicle to be washed. We also need participants to bring buckets, sponges, long handled brushes and small step stools to wash taller vehicles. I will be bringing wash soap and wheel cleaning products. If anyone has a decent length of hose please let me know as we could use some extra hose.
Club Scrummage Sled
I would like to extend a huge thanks to John O'Connor (Blake's Dad) for fabricating a wonderful new piece of practice equipment in the form of a scrum sled. John spend many hours planning, gathering materials and putting together this sled. A comparable sled of this quality would cost at least $2000. John was able to put our one together for a fraction of the price. The sled is stored down at Sunset Stadium and will in the coming weeks be essential to the teams development of their scrummage sled.
Spiritwear
I still have a good stock of hooded sweatshirts, caps and beanies for sale and will shortly have some long sleeved performance type shirts for purchase. Please go to the website and click on Our Team and the spirit wear to see photos and prices of all these items.
Applebees Flapjack Fundraiser 2/27@ Bonney Lake Applebees
This week is the final week to sell the ticket allocation players were provided several weeks ago. I would like to collect all sales money and unsold tickets at Thursdays practice. If that is not possible I can accept these up to Saturday. I do have extra tickets if anyone thinks they can sell more. If you need more details on this fundraiser go to the website home page. We have the potential to raise a significant amount of money for very little effort so please find those tickets and start selling. We also need a few more players to volunteer to assist during this event. In return for their services they will receive $25 in club credit that can be used towards the Canada Tour, club dues or perhaps purchase of spirit wear. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and be able to work from 7am to 1030am. The players who have volunteered are listed below:
Dru, Blake, Jake, David, Seth, Tyler, Josh and Eddie
Scrimmage Game on 2/27
We will be hosting the Valley Joeys on Saturday 2/27 at the Bonney Lake High School Football Field. Due to no school district grass fields being open yet and the amount of soccer being played we wont be able to start this game until 4pm. We will play multiple periods up to around 6pm.
I am in need to volunteers to coordinate the purchase of the post match food (refunded by club) and cook and serve this meal on the 27th. Additionally if someone would like to take responsibility for washing the uniform jerseys that would be much appreciated. (little tip if you are going to volunteer to wash jerseys this is sports turf and not muddy grass!)
If you think you can fulfill these duties for this game or any other game please go to our website and click on Admin where you will find an area to sign up to volunteer for food service or laundry.
www.rainierjuniorrugby.com
Under 14 Players
We are starting to add a number of highly talented and enthusiastic young players who will have many opportunities to play among their own age group in the coming months. The first of these will be at Wilson Playing Fields in Kent next Saturday. I look forward to accompanying them to this jamboree and see them participate in their first game. If you would like to come and cheer these guys on games start at noon.
Canada Tour
At this time it is critical we know if your son would like to be part of our spring tour to Canada. Without added interest we will have to cancel this trip. If you would like to find out more about the tour go the website and check under the tour tab or call me with questions. Below is a list of the players that have expressed and interest in participating in the tour. Unfortunately their is no U14 rugby available so we can only take players 15 and older.
Blake
Calum
Kenny
Jed
Josh
Casey
Alex
Ray
Colin
Seth
Tyler
Eric
Coach Andy
1/29/10
To All
I would like to invite everyone to come out to Sunset Stadium on Sunday and enjoy watching the first live rugby of the season and for many players and parents their first live rugby ever. It will be most likely far from polished rugby and mistakes are expected but considering how much hard work the squad have contributed everyone deserves a chance to try out what they have learned so far. We will have a contingent of players from Kent Crusaders as opposition with the scrimmage being contested in a controlled environment with an emphasis on safety, fun and getting everyone involved.
Returning players should wear their navy shorts and socks and new players their navy socks if you have been given a pair. I will have some loaner shorts and more socks with me on Sunday. The new players navy shorts have not arrived from the vendor yet but should be in next week. Most importantly bring and wear your mouth guard.
The players that were unable to attend practice this week primarily due to school finals are welcome to come get a run. We will play multiple periods of 15-20 minutes so should be plenty of rugby for everyone.
We will have our spirit wear on sale so please bring cash or check to purchase some of our hoodies, hats and beanies.
Players should be at Sunset by 2pm however actual play wont start until 2.30pm at the earliest. Also if you have a Rainer T Shirt please wear that on Sunday. New players recieve a t shirt as they pay their membership dues.
Hope to see you all on Sunday
Coach Andy
1/24/10
To All
I hope you had a great weekend and stayed out of todays rain! this weeks update is a lengthy one with many important dates and information which should be useful to you. This week is extremely busy and an important one in terms of development of skills culminating in some form of live action on Sunday afternoon. We are still deciding what form of scrimmage and the level of competition we will employ on Sunday but it may be less than a full scrimmage. Our main concern as coaches is always safety and as of today their are many players not adequetely prepared to particpate in a full blown game or scrimmage.
Monday - Practice @ White River HS 6.30pm - 8
Wednesday Practice @ Sunset Stadium 6.30pm - 8
Thursday Practice @ Bonney Lake HS 7.45-9.15 (no school Friday)
Sunday Practice/ Scrimage @ Sunset Stadium 2-4.30pm
Canada Tour
I hope by now you have all recieved a copy of our tour information handout. Included with this handout was a "cheatsheet" for obtaining or renewing a passport or passport card. It is essential that this matter is attended to ASAP. Fortunately with this tour we dont require a substancial amount of advance payments so an initial deposit of $50 is all we are asking for to secure your place on this tour. After reviewing the tour handout please let me know ASAP if you would like your son to be included on this tour. I highly encourage all to particpate in what will undoutably be a memorable and potential rugby career highlight. I will expect payment of the deposit to be completed by January 30th. Further payment milestones and minimum amounts are identified in the handout.Please keep in mind we hope to have at least two fundraisers which will assist to reduce the overall tour cost.We will also welcome any sponsership support which may help to cover costs associated with tour spirtwear etc.
Applebee's Flapjack Breakfast Fundraiser 2/27
During the course of this week at practice all players will be recieving six tickets and sales instructions for our upcoming fundraiser. Attached to this message is a full overview of this event and how you can assist in making it a success. Please make sure you review the information and also encourage your son to make a concerted effort to sell a minimum of 6 tickets.
Membership Dues
Thanks very much to those that have made an initial or full payment of membership dues. I am very concious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make a payment by our original deadline of 1/15. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder the dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. For the players who have just joined us in the past few weeks I am prepared to wait and till the end of the month to make sure your son is fully committed to this new sport. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and brought to practice or mailed to my home address:
12612 203rd Ave East Bonney Lake 98391
Ram Fundraising Cards
Some attendees at the parent meeting a few weeks ago recieved some fundraising cards for the Ram Restuarant. Please turn in any sales money to me by January 29. All sales will earn the player credit towards his tour cost.
Prez Fest Tournament:
This will be rainier's third trip to this tourney which has proved to be a memorable and extremely enjoyable weekend for all. We will leave Saturday morning and be back around dinner time on Sunday. Cost to the individual player is minimal as we are anticpating as in past years the players will be hosted in Oregon Rugby Team familes homes on Saturday night. Parents and coaches will be in local hotels. New players can ask the veterans and their parents about this trip and I am confident they will all say its a must go trip! we have started to canvass players regarding their availability but if you can reply via e mail please let me know. Thanks to Doug Pearson for reseaching some hotel options for those that may need accomodation.
Courtyard - Portland Hillsboro
3050 NW Stucki Place, Hillsboro, OR 503-690-1800 503-690-1800
$89.00 99.00. $99 includes breakfast, lower rates need to purchase breakfast - good selection. $8-10/person
3 miles away from Rock Creek Campus
SpringHill Suites
7351 NE Bulter Rd, Hillsboro, OR 503-547-0202 503-547-0202
$89, some much higher. Complimentry breakfast
4 miles away
Econolodge
622 SE 10th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123 503-640-4791
$50-65, Continential breakfast
10 miles away
Holiday Inn Express
5900 NE Ray Circle, Hillsboro, OR 97124 503-844-9696
$79-99 includes breakfast
5miles away
4th ANNUAL PREZ FEST TOURNAMENT
Saturday and Sunday February 13th and 14th at Portland Community College – Rock Creek Campus located at 17705 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 97229
GUARANTEED 2 GAMES SAT. and 2 GAMES SUN.
“prez fest poster
DATE: Feb 13th and 14th 2010
TIME: 8am until games are done (or 5pm) – Round Robin Style – 1 hour lunch no-host
SOCIAL: 5pm Saturday 2-13-09 Hosted by the Barbarians (please feel free to bring a beverage or snack of choice to share with other teams at the social)
LOCATION: PCC-Rock Creek - 17705 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 97229
GAMES: 20 minute halves – IRB rules - 2 games Saturday and 2 Sunday
Spiritwear
I now have a full stock of hoodies, ball caps, beanies and club t shirts available for sale. Go to our website to check out the design and prices. Go to the "our team" tab and look under team store.Let me know what you would like to purchase and I will make arangements for delivery.
Website
Many of the planned updates have been made to our website www.rainierjuniorrugby.com so I encourage you to take a look. One addition is the match uniform laundry sign up which we invite you to log on and sign up to take the match jerseys after a game to wash. You can find this feature under the Admin tab and click on Volunteer.
February practice schedule has also been added to the calendar.
Parent & Player Meeting 2/9
Our February Player and parent meeting will be held on Tuesday 2/9 commencing at 7pm at the Windermere Real Estate Office in Bonney Lake. We invite you to come and meet our coaches, players and parents and here what we are up to and what we have planned for the next few months. We will provide a comprehensive overview of the Canada Tour and other highlights of the season.
Player Bios on Website
Its time for our returning players to update their bio's on the website. These are under the tab our team and then players. Contact me for the login info. We will be adding our new players to this page in the very near future.
Uniforms
If any returning players need new socks or shorts they need to let me know ASAP. The cost for new shorts is $15 and $8 for socks.
Have a great week and hope to see everyone at Sunset Stadium on Sunday to witness and celebrate the hardwork, enthusism and progress made by the 2010 Highlander squad.
Regards
Coach Andy
1/20/10
To All
I hope you had a great weekend and for those of us fortunate to have Monday off we had the added bonus of a gorgeous sunny day! What better way to enjoy this than "conquering" the vast MT Peak over in Enumclaw. This trek was a huge success with around 15 of us making the descent (no supplemental oxygen used either!). Some ran some jogged and some just were happy to make it! Great effort by all and as well as a good workout it was a great team bonding opportunity. If you live in Enumclaw and you like pizza you might want to avoid the Pizza Hut for a day or two as I think we probably ate their inventory intended for a couple of days!
Canada Tour
I hope by now you have all recieved a copy of our tour information handout. Included with this handout was a "cheatsheet" for obtaining or renewing a passport or passport card. It is essential that this matter is attended to ASAP. Fortunately with this tour we dont require a substancial amount of advance payments so an initial deposit of $50 is all we are asking for to secure your place on this tour. After reviewing the tour handout please let me know ASAP if you would like your son to be included on this tour. I highly encourage all to particpate in what will undoutably be a memorable and potential rugby career highlight. I will expect payment of the deposit to be completed by January 30th. Further payment milestones and minimum amounts are identified in the handout.Please keep in mind we hope to have at least two fundraisers which will assist to reduce the overall tour cost.We will also welcome any sponsership support which may help to cover costs associated with tour spirtwear etc.
Fundraising Opportunity
One of our coaches Tyler Freed who is a local Real Estate Broker with Windermere in Bonney lake has graciously offered to donate $1000 towards the tour should a member of the Higlander family refer a home which he is able to close on prior to the tour. If you have any potential clients for Tyler please contact him at 253 963-0424
We have another couple of exciting fundraising opportunities which are in the finalisation process and should be announced later this week.
Membership Dues
Thanks very much to those that have made an initial or full payment of membership dues. I am very concious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make a payment by our original deadline of 1/15. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder the dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. For the players who have just joined us in the past few weeks I am prepared to wait and till the end of the month to make sure your son is fully committed to this new sport. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and brought to practice or mailed to my home address:
12612 203rd Ave East Bonney Lake 98391
Ram Fundraising Cards
Some attendees at the parent meeting a few weeks ago recieved some fundraising cards for the Ram Restuarant. Please turn in any sales money to me by January 29. All sales will earn the player credit towards his tour cost.
Prez Fest Tournament
This will be rainier's third trip to this tourney which has proved to be a memorable and extremely enjoyable weekend for all. We will leave Saturday morning and be back around dinner time on Sunday. Cost to the individual player is minimal as we are anticpating as in past years the players will be hosted in Oregon Rugby Team familes homes on Saturday night. Parents and coaches will be in local hotels. New players can ask the veterans and their parents about this trip and I am confident they will all say its a must go trip! we have started to canvass players regarding their availability but if you can reply via e mail please let me know.
PLEASE JOIN US for the 4th ANNUAL PREZ FEST TOURNAMENT
Saturday and Sunday February 13th and 14th at Portland Community College – Rock Creek Campus located at 17705 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 97229
GUARANTEED 2 GAMES SAT. and 2 GAMES SUN.
“a fun-filled weekend of rugby for all”
prez fest poster
DATE: Feb 13th and 14th 2010
TIME: 8am until games are done (or 5pm) – Round Robin Style – 1 hour lunch no-host
SOCIAL: 5pm Saturday 2-13-09 Hosted by the Barbarians (please feel free to bring a beverage or snack of choice to share with other teams at the social)
LOCATION: PCC-Rock Creek - 17705 NW Springville Rd. Portland, OR 97229
GAMES: 20 minute halves – IRB rules - 2 games Saturday and 2 Sunday
MUST: HAVE FUN AND have all players CIPP’ed (insurance) and show proof that day when checking in – no exceptions! Remind players and parents of the code of conduct – thank you
Spiritwear
I now have a full stock of hoodies, ball caps, beanies and club t shirts available for sale. Go to our website to check out the design and prices. Go to the "our team" tab and look under team store.Let me know what you would like to purchase and I will make arangements for delivery.
Website
In the next week or so you should see an updated website so make sure you check out the changes.
Player Bios on Website
Its time for our returning players to update their bio's on the website. These are under the tab our team and then players. Contact me for the login and password. We will be adding our new players to this page in the very near future.
Uniforms
At Wednesdays practice we will be sizing all new players for uniform shorts and issuing socks to those players that have paid a minimum of $50 towards their membership fees. The shorts will be ordered and will be available by our first scrimmage game. If any returning players need new socks or shorts they need to let me know ASAP. The cost for new shorts is $15 and $8 for socks. Team jerseys are issued at each game and retained by coach Ramsay during the season.
Have a great week and hope to see everyone at Sunset Stadium on Wednesday 6.30pm.
Regards
Coach Andy
1/15/2010
To All
Attached to this message is a copy of what many of the players received in a plain white envelope on Wednesday evening but considering it was pouring rain it may have been unreadable by the time you received it . Below my comments are additional comments from the Tournament organizer. His comments should hopefully inspire you to have your son participate in this tour. Please note that the total expense can be made in relatively small increments. During our scrimmage afternoon on 1/31 we will host a tour overview but I encourage you to act immediately as it pertains to obtaining the necessary documentation to get into Canada and to forward your initial $50 deposit by 1/29. You will in the near future be receiving news regarding a tour fundraiser on February 27th which has the potential to earn the club some substantial amount of money and reduce the overall cost to the individual player.
Pa'kit draws teams from all over the province of BC. Interior schools like Williams Lake, Quesnel, Kamloops and Kelowna as well as Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island schools such as Britannia, Mulgrave, Fleetwood Park, South Delta and Port Alberni have been coming for years.
In addition, we usually have at least one overseas touring side from Australia, New Zealand or the UK. This year we will have a Junior Boys team from Oundle in England.
On Friday afternoon, every team plays a match between noon and 5 pm. About 6 pm, all the teams, juniors and seniors, boys and girls, gather at the senior boys venue for the social. They are fed a light meal/snack (it as been lasagne and garlic bread the last few years) and after everyone eats, we play some Boy Scout jamboree style relay games like spin on the baseball bat etc. We are usually done in about 90 minutes. The primary purpose is to give the players something to plan their early evening around, give them a chance to meet and socialize with other teams and burn off energy. We are told that the social is the part of the tournament that most players enjoy the most.
Given that Pa'kit 2010 occurs in very early April, it will be cold and possibly wet and windy. Have lots of warm clothes for before and after your matches. On the other hand, it could almost as easily be as hot as 33 degrees. Hard to say.
We are bound by the IRB regulations governing the amount of time U18 players can play in a day (70 minutes). Thursday afternoon games are 50 minutes long, Friday matches are 34 minutes long and Saturday morning matches are 50 minutes. Tied matches are congratulated.
Coach Andy
11/29/09
To All
I hope everyone had a very happy, fun filled Thanksgiving break with lots of great food and even better company?
Just a reminder that this Thursday will be our first opportunity to conduct an indoor practice and hopefully get many new players involved. These sessions have been created to produce a non intimidating environment for potential players to come along and get an introduction to the game. Veteran players will work alongside new players but will also split off to work on technical skills. You now have three days to work on your buddies and convince them to come out and check out rugby. As you are all aware we wont pressure anyone to join or make a committment to play until that individual is convinced this is a game for him.
Several of us have been working hard making school recruiting trips etc but our effectivness isnt nearly as potent as our players "selling" the game to buddies. Lets all work together and fill up that gym for the next month or so. We have some tremendous new coaches who are eager to help take our club to the next level and teach the game they love to as many kids as possible.
See you all at the Bonney Lake High School Gym on Thursday 6.30pm.
Coach Ramsay
1/10/2010
To All
I hope you had a great weekend and were able to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather?
Things are heating up as it pertains to the rugby club with the next few weeks shaping up to be extremely busy both on the practice field and in general club organisation. Although we are only a couple of practices into the season I am very excited about what I am seeing and the level of committment, focus and enthusism being demonstrated by the players and coaches. We have started some dialog regarding taking the team to the next level and some of the adjustments that will be required to make this happen. Fortunately everyone has responsed favorably to this more disiplined and professional approach to the functioning of the team. We will however never loss sight that the intent is to have fun and not get as serious as some mainstream sports which swing to far in the other direction!
I would like to extend a warm welcome to some of our new parents and hope that they are be able to figure out what their son has "got into" and beggining to understand the way our club operates. I look forward to meeting you in the near future and thank you for supporting your son in his first few weeks of practice and blending into our team.
Canada Tour
I hope to be able to handout and e mail out updated information regarding our tour at Wednesdays practice. Information will include the final cost per player. Included with this handout will be a "cheatsheet" for obtaining or renewing a passport or passport card. It is essential that this matter is attended to ASAP. Fortunately with this tour we dont require a substancial amount of advance payments so an initial deposit of $50 is all we are asking for to secure your place on this tour. After reviewing the tour handout please let me know ASAP if you would like your son to be included on this tour. I highly encourage all to particpate in what will undoutably be a memorable and potential rugby career highlight. I will expect payment of the deposit to be completed by January 30th. Further payment milestones and minimum amounts will be identified in the next week or so.
Please keep in mind we hope to have at least two fundraisers which will assist to reduce the overall tour cost.
We will also welcome any sponsership support which may help to cover costs associated with tour spirtwear etc.
Membership Dues
Thanks very much to those that have made an initial or full payment of membership dues. I am very concious of this challenging time of year to find extra cash to squeeze out of the budget but need to encourage everyone to try and make a payment by our original deadline of 1/15. I will gladly work with everyone on this I just need to know what you can and cant manage. As a reminder the dues are $200 for a new player and $175 for returning players. For the players who have just joined us in the past few weeks I am prepared to wait and till the end of the month to make sure your son is fully committed to this new sport. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and brought to practice or mailed to my home address:
12612 203rd Ave East Bonney Lake 98391
Ram Fundraising Cards
Some attendees at the parent meeting a few weeks ago recieved some fundraising cards for the Ram Restuarant. Please turn in any sales money to me by January 29. All sales will earn the player credit towards his tour cost.
Spiritwear
I now have a full stock of hoodies, ball caps, beanies and club t shirts available for sale. Go to our website to check out the design and prices. Go to the "our team" tab and look under team store.Let me know what you would like to purchase and I will make arangements for delivery.
Mt Peak Climb
On Monday January 18th (Martin Luther King Day) we will assemble in the afternoon at the base of the Mt Peak trail for a ascent of this local Enumclaw landmark. Sounds impressive and possibly intimidating not really unless you are old and broken down from 25 years of rugby like me! Coach Brian will be coordinating this event but I have no doubt we will need to go for pizza or something after to replace all the energy lost on this arduous trek. Parents will be welcomed I am sure but that's not only the pizza part you need to walk too!
Parents Committee Meeting
This Thursday 1/14 we will be holding a monthly parents committee meeting at Applebees Restaurant in Bonney Lake. The meeting will commence at 6.45pm. We invite anyone who may have an interest in assisting in the operations of the club to come along and see what this entails. Primary focus of the group at the moment is planning fundraisers and the club tour.
Website
In the next week or so you should see an updated website so make sure you check out the changes.
Have a good week and please make sure you review our Canadian Tour Information and respond if interested. We have worked hard to find this option and I am excited at how much fun the players can have as well as playing rugby in a foreign country. May not be New Zealand or Europe but its affordable and still a great opportunity.
Regards
Coach Ramsay
2009
11/22/09
To All
Momentum and excitement is building towards our third season of Highlander rugby which I believe is going to see the culmination of several of years hardwork pay off in success on and off the field.
Dinner & Auction
Our first dinner and auction staged a few weeks ago resulted in a very successful fund raising and social event which was enjoyed by both our members and their guests. Thanks once again to all those that contributed to the success of this event. Its a very favorable feeling to enter the new season having a substantial amount of money in our club checking account.
Indoor Practice
We will commence the season with a series of indoor gym sessions which will provide a great opportunity for new and or interested boys to come along and see if this is a sport they would like to pursue. I encourage each of you to bring a buddy along and get them involved in our club. We will introduce the basics of rugby to all rookie players while the veteran players start to work on honing their skills in various aspects of the game. When practical we will combine the entire squad to work on team skills and tactics. Please plan on attending as many of these sessions as you can so that you are fully aware and involved in our goals and aspirations for 2010. Wear rugby or normal PE clothes and bring some water. In case of inclement weather always check the club website as the school district may close the facilities and therefore practice is cancelled.
December 3rd 6.30pm - 8pm @ Bonney Lake HS Gym B
December 10th 7pm-8.30pm @ Bonney Lake HS Gym B
December 14th 7pm-8.30pm @ Lakeridge Middle School Gym (Bonney Lake)
December 17th 7pm- 8.30pm @ Bonney Lake HS Gym B
Other December Activities
We are planning a couple of team activities which are intended to create team bonding and friendship opportunities as well as having fun. Sunday December 20th we will take all interested parties up to the Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Center to their Tubing Center for a few hours of mayhem! more to come on this.
We are also trying to schedule a evening at the movies to take in the new Clint Eastwood directed movie Invictus which portrays the influence that the 1995 Rugby World Cup Victory by host nation South Africa had on galvanising the white and black population as Nelson Mandela came to power. The winning captain is played by Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman plays Mandela. Critics are very positive about the quality of this movie and the rugby community are equally pleased at the re creation of the rugby games. Once I have figured out a good evening or afternoon to go see this movie I will let you know. Movie opens 12/11.
We are also interested in scheduling a outing to Mt Peak a famous landmark in Enumclaw (which I am told you can see Casey's house from the top). Legend has it locals have walked, jogged, crawled and generally cursed their way to the top! If you are man enough we will let you know when this will be. Casey is there snow on the top yet?
New Coaches
I am very excited to announce that we have been fortunate enough to add three new coaches for next season. These young men will add tremendous resources, knowledge and enthusiasm to our exsisting coaching staff.
Tyler Freed played high school rugby at Kentwood during their extremely successful era which included several trips to the National Championships. Tyler also played rugby while attending Washington State University. Tyler is a real estate broker in Bonney Lake.
Jeff Sprouse is a Buckley native who attended White River High School before joining the rugby team at Washington State University where he played with Tyler. Jeff's teammates described Jeff as the ultimate team player and a "as hard as nails" flanker.
Dakota Blankenship is one of our original players who is currently attending Pierce Community College and is eager to give back to our program and in particular to work with our younger players. Dakota was the ultimate team player who could be relied on to remain positive and to motivate his team mates. I have no doubt he will be able to pass on these admirable traits and bring on the next generation of Highlanders.
These additions will help to fill the void left by the departure of Sean Kerrigan who is relocating to Washington DC for a new job opportunity. Sean likes to down play his contributions to the club but he can leave knowing that he was and always will be a valued member of the Rainier Rugby Club. Good luck to Sean and his young family and I have no doubt as his twin sons get older a rugby ball will be passed between them.
Parent / Player Meeting
We will be hosting a parent and player meeting intended to highlight the features of the 2010 season and introduce our new parents to the club, coaches and what to expect from being part of the Highlander family.
During that meeting we will present an overview of our Spring Break tour, upcoming fundraising inititives and also answer any questions you may have. We will also be collecting the first installment of membership dues and mandatory medical paperwork. This meeting will be on December 29 at 6.30pm at the Windermere Real Estate Office in Bonney Lake. Directions and further details pertaining to this meeting will be posted on the website.
Membership Dues
This years dues structure will remain the same as 2009 with a total fee of $200 for new players and $175 for returning players. These dues can be paid in full or divided into two payments. Payment plans can however be worked out so that all players can be eligible to particpate. You are welcome to pay your dues immediately or within the dates listed below. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby Club and mailed to Andy, contact him at a.s.ramsay@comcast.net for the address.
New Player $100 by December 30th & $100 by January 15th
Returning player $87 on same dates
Player Recruitment
We have some very exciting potential new players that have either been out to touch rugby or have contacted me but I must encourage each of you to seek new players and dont rely on others to bring players. We are making a concerted effort to create a seperate U19 and a U16 team which will require approximately 45 players. I am making school recruiting trips but ultimately it comes down to you guys looking around and playing "rugby salesmen" to find the resources we need. Start now as the upcoming indoor sessions are an ideal chance to bring buddies along.
Spring Practice and Game Schedule
I am working hard on the completion of both our outdoor practice schedule and our game schedule and hope to provide you both by early December.
Please keep an eye on the website in the next few weeks as we will be providing updates on many of the items we have shared in this message. I hope you and your familes have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and I look forward to seeing all of you on December 3rd.
Regards
Coach Ramsay.
10/22/09
To All
This is a friendly and encouraging reminder that Sunday is the final day to sell and turn in your dinner and auction admission tickets. From the replies I have received sales are going pretty well but I am concerned that some players may not be putting as much effort into this requirement as others. Please remember that each player will receive a deposit into their tour account based on how many tickets they sold.
To make a maximum success of this fund-raising event it will require everyone to contribute and work towards selling a minimum of 6 tickets, donate a silent auction item and if possible a dessert for our dessert dash feature. If you have any questions regarding these expectations or about the dinner and auction event don't hesitate to call or e mail me.
I will be at touch rugby in Sumner from 2-2.30 and then at the Bonney Lake HS Football Field Parking Lot on Sunday 3-5 to collect sales monies and auction items. If you are unable to come to either of these locations please let me know and we can setup alternate arangements.
Thanks for your continued dedication and assistance in making this event a huge success.
Coach Ramsay
9/22/09
To All
We will be holding four Sunday afternoon touch rugby sessions which are intended to be a casual fun opportunity and for many a chance to get reacquainted with the rugby ball as well as getting some physical exercise. These sessions would also be an ideal opportunity to bring along any buddies that may be considering playing next spring to introduce them to the basics of the game. If you are involved in a fall school sport these sessions shouldnt be very demanding and or detremental to those committments.
WHERE:
Daffodil Valley Sport Complex in Sumner (5604 Graham Ave Sumner 98390)
TIME: 2pm - 3.30pm
WHEN: Sunday 9/20, 27, 10/4 & 10/11
This location is the baseball complex just north of the Sumner High School adjacent to the gym we used for indoor training last season.
Hope to see you all out for a run.
Coach Andy
5/19/09
To All
Well we finally cracked it a win to end the regular season on a high! it wasn't the prettiest game to watch but the old cliche of a win is a win certainly applied. A just reward for every-ones hard work, commitment and sacrifice.
Thanks very much for all the support, assistance and patience during the year which has produced significant improvement both on the field and in our parental support and interest in the club. Although the games are done we still have a very busy few weeks coming up.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday May 27: District Elementary School Track Meet @ Sunset Stadium in Sumner
Friday May 29: End of Season Banquet @ Grange Hall on Old Sumner Buckley Hwy
Saturday June 6th Cascade Classic Tournament @ CWU Campus in Elensburg
Saturday June 13th Pouch Bowl Event @ Pat Ryan Field in SeaTac
District Elementary Track Meet
I am still looking for volunteers to assist at this Sumner School District event which we will act as Marshall's and help coordinate the events. We had a great time last year and gained valuable PR and respect for our program.
The commitment is low show up at 3.30pm and we will be done by 5.30pm. Please wear your club t shirt or hoodie. Please let me know if you can assist with this event.
Banquet
Preparations are well under way for our second banquet which will be held on Friday May 29th at the Grange Hall. Festivities will commence at 7.30pm and will include a full dinner. In order to ensure we purchase the correct quantities of food I need RSVP's from the players families listed below. Players immediate family, grandparents and girlfriends are welcome. We will charge $5 per family at the door. We have a lot planned for this evening and I highly encourage you to attend. I do have some volunteers to assist me but I could use some more help on the hall setup on Thursday evening and then with the food preparation and service on Friday.
Thursday setup 7pm - 8.30pm
Friday - 5.30pm
RSVP's Needed
Tony W
Casey S
Dylan W
Dakota B
Eli M
Eric G
Jake B
David C
Brindon H
End of season player awards / votes needed
Many of our players still need to send me their votes for our end of season awards. They can e mail or text me their votes. To find out the award categories go to our website and click on our team and select awards. One additional award not featured there is Most Improved Player.
Cascade Classic
We will not be entering a Rainier side in this tournament as we have to many known absences however we will take all interested players to this event on Saturday June 6th. The tournament actually runs thru Sunday but we found one day was plenty last year. We will be able to either combine all our players with one side or loan them out to "needy" teams. We got plenty of rugby for the players that went over in 2008. There will be teams from our local area, eastern Washington and Montana in attendance. This will be a full day event with a return to Bonney Lake around 8pm.
Pouch Bowl
The first annual pouch bowl is an event being staged as part of the Valley Rugby Clubs end of season celebration day. Valley is the mens club that coach George and I are affiliated with. The pouch bowl will be open to players from Rainier, Liberty, Valley Joeys and Tacoma. The concept is that who ever wants to play will complete a name tag which will be added with all others. From these entries names will be randomly drawn to form teams.
This event will be played at the Pat Ryan Memorial Field in Seatac. Festivities Will commence at 10am. This should be a fun day with a chance to play with many of the players you tackled and ran against this season. Nearer this event we will finalize details and create a car pool meeting place and time.
Summer 7's
Coach Brian is hoping to be able to conduct some form of sevens rugby during the summer which may involve playing in a few local tournaments. Brian and I are still working out some details and should have some further information at the banquet.
Andy
5/3/09
To All
A brief message this week as I have worked in the yard till dark and am rushing to get this to you before I run out of energy and time!
Monday Practice: 6pm at Bonney Lake HS
Wednesday Match:
6pm Kickoff at Bonney Lake HS versus Liberty. Players need to be at the field by 5.15.
We need a few volunteers to help serve the postmatch food please let me know if you can assist with this.
Saturday Match: 1pm kickoff at Polo Grounds in Ferndale versus Chuckanut. We will carpool from the Bonney Lake Park and Ride meet at 9am.
End of Season Banquet & Awards Ceremony
We will be hosting our end of season dinner and awards presentation on Friday May 29th 7.30pm at the Grange Hall on the Sumner/Buckley Hwy. This event is open to all grandparents, family & siblings. To help off set the cost of the food we will charge a entry fee of $5 per family (includes player, parents and siblings). Dinner will include salad, main course and desert. Entry fees will be collected at the door. Last years event was a great night and a fitting way to recognize the hard work, commitment and sacrifices of the players, coaches and volunteers.
It would be extremely helpful if you could RSVP if you plan to attend and the number of attendees in your party.
I am also looking for volunteers to assist in one of the duties listed below. Please let me know if you are willing to help out and in what capacity would you prefer.
Hall Setup: Thursday May 28 @ 7pm
Preparation and Service of Meal: Friday May 29th @ 5.30pm
Hall Cleanup: Friday May 29th
Hope to see you all on Wednesday.
Andy
4/26/09
To All
A very busy weekend of rugby which was both uplifting and encouraging. Friday night we were hosted by the Worthens for a great team meal of spaghetti and desert. This was the first time we have held a team dinner and judging by the turnout and fun that was had it will be something we will build into our program. While most of us were out at White River on Saturday three of our younger players David, Tyler and Ayden were part of the inaugural rugby match played on a new custom made rugby pitch at Magnason Park in North Seattle. These young players are making considerable progress playing with U14 boys from several clubs. Remember these names as hopefully they will be our primary players in 2-3 years! Not content with one game David and Tyler headed south on Sunday for a runout with the Budd Bay U14's. Saturday was a case of two halves with Shelton coming back late in the game to squezze out a win. Despite the loss the performance was a considerable improvement and will have provided the players a huge confidence boost and some much needed reward for concerted efforts at practice. Thanks very much for the sideline support and enocuragement of the team.
Special thanks to Dru Miller for providing the barbeque and the cooks Alicia Garvin, Sheli O'Connor and Roanne Bailiff. Also thanks to the Terranas for washing the team uniforms.
Upcoming Events
Monday Practice: BLHS 6pm - 7.30 (8pm if no other users come in behind us)
Wednesday Practice: BLHS same as above
Thursday 2010 New Zealand Tour Informational meeting 6.30 @ Bonney Lake Public Library
Friday: Game versus Budd Bay @ Rainer Vista Park Lacey Kickoff 5.30pm
Friday's Game
This weeks game is versus Budd Bay and will be played in Lacey(directions below). The game is scheduled to kickoff at 5.30pm however with Friday night traffic it will be challenging. For those who need a ride or can help to transport players we will meet at the Bonney Lake Park and Ride at 3.45pm. Please let me know if you are able to take any extra players in your vehicle.
86th Avenue East & 144th street East
Take I5 south to Exit 109 (College St/ Martin Way)
At the ramp lights take a right onto Martin Way
At the 1st set of lights take a left onto College St
Follow College for about 2 miles.
At the roundabout take a left onto 45th Ave SE
The field is about 1/4 mile on your righthandside.
Remainder of League Match Schedule
May 6th @ 6pm Bonney Lake High School
May 9th @ 1pm Polo Grounds in Ferndale
May 15th @ 5.30pm Sunset Stadium Sumner
New Zealand Tour Informational Meeting
Please make an effort to attend this initial meeting which will provide an overview of our proposed tour to New Zealand in June 2010. The meeting will be held at the Bonney Lake Public Libary starting at 6.30pm. This meeting is intended for both players and parents to attend.
Community Service Event
In an effort to show our thanks to the Sumner School District for allowing us access to their facilities we will for the second year be offering our services at the local Elementary School combined track meet on May 27th (Wed).
We had good fun helping at this event and also got good exposure to the local community. Volunteers will need to be at Sunset Stadium by 3.30 on the day of the event.
Player Bios on Website
Many of you still need to either update or complete a player bio on the website. Go to the "our team" tab and then roster. Click on edit bios and enter login & password.
Have a great week and hope to see you all at practice, tour meeting and game on Friday.
Coach Andy.
4/6/09
To All
Hope everyone has enjoyed the glorious weekend weather and been able like me to catch up on all the outdoor chores? Spring Break comes to an end for most of our players except our Auburn fellows who are just getting started. Hope everyone enjoyed the Paintball afternoon last week and judging by the enthusism and fun being had an event that will no doubt be repeated. Maybe the reining Civil War Champion Tyler will meet his match during a return event!
Upcoming events
Monday 4/6 Practice at Mountain View Middle School 6pm -8
Wednesday 4/8 Practice at Bonney Lake HS 6pm -7.30pm
Thursday 4/9 Monthly Parent / Player Meeting at Buckley Public Libary 6.30pm
Friday 4/10 Match versus Kent Crusaders @ Bonney Lake HS Kickoff 5.45pm
Outstanding Dues
Please make arangements with me to pay off the balance of your membership fees or the total amount that was agreed on between myself and you. We have many costs to cover in the next month or so and your contributions are neccesary to ensure we remain in the black.
Spiritwear
I currently have Highlander T shirts, hoodies, ball caps and beanies in most sizes so if you would like any of these items please let me know and I will bring your requested items to Fridays game
Fridays Game
Fridays game has the potential to be a great occasion with the opposition Kent Crusaders an excellent club and one of the founders of youth rugby in Washington. It will be nice to be able to host in our home area and on an excellent facility like Panther Field. We will be providing a barbeque meal for both team after. I have approximately a dozen VIP's that I will be inviting to attend this game and see what we are all about!
These guests are school administrators, football coaches, teachers, and local buissness men who expressed and interest in what we are doing with our rugby program.
PLAYERS NEED TO REPORT TO PANTHER FIELD BY 5PM ON FRIDAY. MAKE SURE YOU NAVY SHORTS, SOCKS, CLEATS AND MOUTHGUARDS.
Kickoff at 5.45pm
Hope to see you all on Friday.
Andy
3/28/09
To All
As I look out the window behind me at the snow I am not to disapointed our match was Friday!
Although outgunned in the end the coaching staff were pleased with some of the individual and overall team improvements in some of the areas we have identified as opportunities for improvement. Seeing these improvements provides enthusism and optimism that this young team have the potential to bond into a dynamic and powerful side. The added bonus of scoring a couple of tries also doesent hurt. Our try scorers were Captain coragoues Casey Smith and another to prolific scorer Eric Garvin. Equally pleasing was that we were able to get all reserves inserted into the game. We had a couple of key players absent on Friday so with their return and continued hard work at practice will carry us into our next game with high expectations.
Upcoming Events
Wednesday 4/1 Paintball Afternoon at KC Crusaders in South Prairie
Saturday 4/4 Optional Practice Session 11am - 1.30pm @ Mountain View Middle School
Monday 4/6 Practice Resumes @ Mountain View Middle School
Thursday 4/9 Monthly Parent / Player Meeting Buckley Public Libary
Paintball 4/1
The HIghlanders will be invading South Prairie on Wednesday afternoon for an afternoon of Paint Ball at KC Crusaders. We have booked a three hour private session which will cost $30 per particpant. This fee includes all equipment and 500 paint balls each. If you plan on joining us for this event please make sure you go to the KC Crusaders Website and print off the hold harmless agreement which will need to be signed by parent or guardian. Bring this with you on Wednesday. We will meet in the Bonney Lake Park and Ride at 1pm to pick up anyone who needs a ride. If you cannot get a ride to the park and ride please let me know and we will make arrangements to pick you up at your home. If you plan on meeting us at KC Crusaders please be there by 1.30pm.
There is a possibility that we will be providing a spagetti feed after the paintball. There will be no cost for this meal. I am in the process of securing a location in Buckley and would appreciate any help in cooking and serving this meal. We should be eating around 5.30pm. Once I have the venue confirmed and identify what help we may need I will send a seperate e mail.
www.KC-Crusaders.com
Practice Schedule
There will be no practices Monday or Wednesday of this week in observance of Spring Break. Saturday we will host an optional practice which will include some skill training and also some scrimmage type rugby.
Website
Updates are currently being made to the website including a calander update, match photos loaded and also player biography updates.
Player Biography
We encourage each player to go to the Our Team tab of the website and then to Roster. Here you can complete a player biography. Contact me for the password and login. Our webmaster will then review your submission and load it onto this page.
Team Vice Captain
I am pleased to announce that the players choice for team Vice Captain is Jake Christiansen. Jake is a first year player that has demonstrated all the characteristics for this position and will support our Captain Casey Smith and his friend and fellow EHS student in leading the side.
New Coach
I am excited to announce that we have a new coach who has joined our ranks and made an immediate contribution to the program. Brian Belisle is a former Kent high school player who is now living with his wife in the Bonney Lake area. Brian's knowledge, enthusism and passion for the game will greatly benifit our program and allow us to break our training sessions into more managable ratio of players to coach.
Match Schedule
Our next game will be a home game on 4/10. Our opposition will be Kent Crusaders who we will host at Bonney Lake High School. Kickoff will be at 5.30pm. As we are the home team we will be providing food for Kent and our own players. We will need four volunteers to help cook (barbeque) and serve this meal. Please let me know if you are willing to assist in this duty.
Please note also the home match with Shelton match will be played on Saturday 4/25. The schedule was showing Friday but due to challenges finding a venue and also the significant distance for Shelton to travel we have scheduled this match on Saturday. Currently I have Bonney Lake HS scheduled for a 3.30pm kickoff. This was the only time and venue available at this time. I will attempt to find an alternative venue where we can commence earlier but the game will remain on Saturday 4/25.
New Zealand Tour 2010
I have been making some significant progress in compiling a solid itinerary and New Zealand clubs who are willing to host and play us. I also have some credible cost estimates on most aspects of the tour. As exciting as this is we need to ensure that we have sufficient interest in participating in this tour and gaining at least some verbal commitments. The tour is currently scheduled for June 18 - July 4th 2010. To provide an opportunity to share the details, structure ,cost and general overview of the tour I have scheduled a meeting for Tuesday April 28th. I am well aware of the current dire economic woes but am confident we will be able to raise enough money through fund-raising to make this trip affordable for all.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and spring break for the players.
Yours in rugby
Andy Ramsay
3/15/09
To All
Like many people I succumbed to the flu/ upper chest infection bug so you are recieving the customary update somewhat later than usual. Nevertheless we have many things worthy of your attention and particpation. The past two weekends have not provided favorable weather or playing conditions but despite the Marymoor and Shelton mudbaths our players have been enthusastic, upbeat and having a lot of fun. Yesterday a group of 10 headed out to Shelton to combine with some Shelton lads to play a Budd Bay (Olympia) side. For several of these players it was there first game and despite the conditions they performed well and had a great time! this included Jed scoring his first try. Thanks to Nick Terrana (Alex's dad) for his transportation help and general support on a wet and muddy day.
Early season is going well with several new faces this past week including three students from Auburn High School where Doug Pearson (Colin's dad) and I recentely conducted a informational / recruiting session. We also have a few students from the Colin's School in Buckley so its great to see our influence stretching further into the community. Despite these developments please continue to recruit your friends, relatives and neighbours as we need to continue to grow our team. Have a great week and I hope to see you all at Next Saturdays match.
Practice Schedule
Due to the high school soccer schedule and practices we are not so lucky to maintain our reguler time slot at Bonney Lake. We also have a few practices on grass which will be at Mountain View Middle School in Bonney Lake. This school is near the high school with directions at the Sumner School District Website. Monday we will be at Bonney Lake as Normal and then Wednesday at Mt View. The schedule varies somewhat week to week so please keep a close eye on the calendar page of the website. Some of the practices at the football field are only scheduled for an hour (other uses after us) so we will most likley start at the high school and then jog over to the middle school to finish off. With so few facilities in the area this is the best options available to us.
Saturday 3/21 Game
Next Saturdays match with Tacoma will be played at the Pat Ryan Field in Seatac. Directions to this field can be found on our website under "maps" and wont be found on mapqwest. This field is a custom made rugby field belonging to the mens club that George and I are involved with. Game time hasnt been finalised yet but it will be in the 1100-2.00pm range.
I am in need of some volunteers to assist in cooking the post match food.. The field has a fixed bbq grill so it will require grilling of hot dogs burgers etc. Ideally it would be fantastic if someone is willing to take my shopping list buy the food, bring it on Saturday and be reimbursed. Please let me know if you think you can lend a hand.
Player Bios
Our website has been updated to include a bio for many of our new players. Go to our team tab and roster and you will find your name. Take a minute to share with us your bio as its usually a lot of fun reading these.
Contact me for the login info
Also 2008 players can update there bio too.
Spiritwear
We currently have a good stock of all products for purchase. I just recieved new ball caps and beanies which look really good and are not very expensive. Let me know if you would like to buy and of the items listed below:
Hoodies - $20
T Shirts - $12
Beanies - $10
Ball Caps $12
New Zealand Tour
I want to make sure that all our new players and parents are aware that the club are planning a rugby tour to New Zealand in June of 2010. NZ is the rugby mecca and a country I was fortunate enough to live and play rugby in. This trip is going to be a once in a lifetime for the players and parents who choose to come along. I am working with a extremely well qualified individual inside NZ and a local travel agent to get the initial planning completed but will be involving our parent group to high degree in making this tour a reality. Currently we are planning on leaving directly after school gets out for summer and remaining overseas until early July. Parent chaperone and siblings are welcome. The costs for the tour are still being determind with the goal of making this trip affordable to all who wish to go. Offsetting these costs by conducting fundraising is our primary goal at the moment and I am still in need of 2-3 parents to particpate in a specific committee to coodinate these activities. The folks who have already volunteered have some very good ideas and just need some help in executing these plans..
I also need your feedback on whether you feel your player is interested or able to particpate in this tour. I know this is challenging not knowing exact costs etc but providing they participate in fund raisers etc we feel the cost will be below $2500 and possibly lower. With the challenging economic times that seems a lot but keep in mind we have over a year to help you raise that money and payments will be in installments rather than a lump sum. Its unlikley many of the players will have another chance to expierience playing rugby overseas and in particuler NZ so I highly encourage everyone to consider joining us.
Coach Sean
Sean and his wife Rachel should be back in the area this week after an extended stay in Ethiopia where they have adopted two infant boys Caleb and Eli. Their stay was much longer than originally anticipated but judging by the photos on their blog a few extra weeks waiting for these gorgeous boys was well worth it. Hopefully once Sean has some time to catch up and get his family settled he will find some time to share with us. If you are interested in seeing some photos of the new family check out their blog at the address listed below.
http://www.kerriganadoptionstory.blogspot.com
Under 14 Jamboree
Three of our younger players Ayden Walker, David Connolly and Tyler Worthen participated in a historic rugby event last Sunday when they played in the first ever area under 14 rugby jamboree. As a coaches group we have been trying to attract players to the game at a younger age and last Sundays event was a culmination of these efforts. With over 35 young players attending it was a huge success. All three of our players represented Rainier in fine fashion including a first try for Ayden. Great reward to all of these boys who have worked extremely hard at practice and have not shyed away from having to compete with the "bigger" boys. We have three more of these jamborees planned however looking out my window at the moment and seeing snow falling probably cuts this back to two!
Coach Andy
3/3/09
Some how my rugby club distrubution deleted many of the contacts so I am resending a couple of messages.
I apologize if some of you recieve muiltiple copies.
To All
This Saturdays match will be played on Field # 5 at Marymoor Park Redmond. This field is on the lefthandside of the road approximately 1/4 mile closer to the park entrance than where we were last week. Kickoff time will be 1pm. All players need to be at the field no later than noon. Please wear your Rainier Club T Shirt and hoodie on match days along with navy club shorts and socks.
It is imperative that we try and have as many players available to play as we already have a couple of enforced abscences. If you know you will need a ride to Marymoor please let me know and we can arrange that in advance. Unless you have a prior committment please plan on sticking around for 30-40 minutes after the game for post match food and exchange of captains and coaches speeches and award of man of the match gifts. This is a worldwide tradition in rugby which we need to learn to embrace and encourage.
Look forward to seeing you all on Saturday. Dont hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have questions.
Regards
Coach Andy
253 330-6816
2/22/09
To All
I hope you are enjoying a good weekend?
Upcoming Events
Thursday 2/26 Parents Oversight Committee meeting 6.3pm @ 410 Starbucks opposite McDonalds
Saturday 2/28 Preseason Jamboree @ Marymoor Park in Redmond time to be confirmed but likley 11-3
Sunday 3/1 Fundraising Car Wash @ Jetstream Car Wash Bonney Lake 1000-3pm
Tuesday 3/3 Monthly Parent /Player Meeting @ Buckley Public Libary 6/30pm
Fundraising Car Wash
I need to start collecting interest to assist at this event so I can assure we have sufficient manpower to run this event. We will need at least three adults per shift as the owners only permit adults to operate the automated spray guns. Please let me know what you can commit too during the 10am to 3pm time period of this event.
Also most of the players were issued with 5 presale car wash tickets to sell please make sure we encourage everyone to make an effort to sell these. Monies collected can be brought to the event on 3/1.
Pre Season Jamboree
Next Saturdays jamboree will be hosted by the Eastside Lions (new club for 2009 season). The matches will be shorter than normal and be intended to introduce the game to many new players. The other clubs attending are Kentwood, Harbor and the Valley Joeys. The actual start time for this event has not been announced as the organizers are still working with the parks dept on this.
Prezfest
A huge thanks to all who made this trip both players and families. Despite the fact we didn't get to play on Sunday it was still a very successful weekend. The Sunday cancellation was decided without our input but considering we had a number of banged up players it may have been for the best. We were commended for the teams conduct on and off the field and will be welcome at the 2010 event. It was great to see such strong sideline support and also to see many of the players experiencing their first or second rugby match.
Regards
Coach Ramsay
1/31/09
To All
This weeks events
Monday 2/2 Practice @ Bonney Lake 6.30 - 8.30 (extra 30 mins this week only)
Tuesday 2/3 Parents meeting @ Bonney Lake Public Libary 6.30pm
Wednesday 2/4 Practice BLHS 6.30-8.30
Saturday 2/7 Scrimmage game with Liberty (Renton) @ BLHS 5pm-7
Car Washes
2/8 Auburn Sams Club Supermall
We have an excellent opportunity to raise significant funds at this location and require everyone to step up and volunteer to assist. We will be setting up around 9am with a expectation to start washing cars at 10. We will continue until 2pm. Please e mail me with your committment and what materials and resources listed below you can bring.
Small step stool
hose
scrub brushes
sponges
wheel scrub brushes
spray wheel cleaner
Hose spray gun attachment
Car wash soap
3/1 Jet Stream Car Wash 410 Bonney Lake (between Bank of America & Jiffylube)
This location is generous enough to offer one youth group a month the opportunity to take over the drive up bays where you normally would feed the meter and use the automated wash gun. They override the equipment and let us wash any cars that come to use the facility. In addition to the drive up customers we will be asking the players to sell presale tickets to family and friends. This event will be 10-3pm. I helped at the Bonney Lake HS football team event at this location and we raised a very large amount of money.
2/7 Scrimmage Evening
I hope everyone will make an effort to come to Bonney Lake HS and cheer on the team in their first official competitive action of 2009. This will be the first time many of the boys actually play rugby and usually this coincides with them realising that this is an awesome game! We will be hosting an understrength Liberty side as there senior side will be in CA competing in a tournament. Nevertheless it should be a fun afternoon. At the conclusion of the evening we want to provide hot dogs and a pop for all the players so anyone who would like to volunteer to help cook please let me know.
Membership Dues
It is extremely important that we continue to recieve the outstanding membership dues so we can be in a strong position to pay our operating costs and also get some money into savings. Rookie Dues are $200 and Returning Players $175. If you are currently unable to afford to pay your debt please let me know and we can establish a payment plan which will work for your budget. Players will only recieve club shorts and socks once they have paid a minimum of $90.
Jersey Laundry Sign Up
Thanks for the great response to volunteering to launder the team jerseys. There are still several openings if you would like to help out You can find the electronic sign up at the website.
Coach Sean
One of our coaches Sean Kerrigan and his wife are currently in Ethiopia preparing to adopt two twin infant boys. The formal proceedings have held up tehir departure from the country a few weeks but despite this they have the boys with them 24 hours a day. It appears that these twins prefer to do everything at seperate times including sleeping! we look forward to meeting the twins and having Sean back on the sidelines.
Prezfest
We are strarting to plan our trip to Beaverton OR for the Prezfest Tournament on 2/14 & 15. We highly encourage all players and parents to attend this event. The game schedule will require us to leave Bonney Lake at around 7.00 so we are on location in time for our first match at 11:30.
We will play two matches both shortened to 22 minutes. At the conclusion of activities on Saturday our players will be dispersed to local familes for an overnight stay at their homes. This is known as billetting which is a worldwide tradition in rugby and nothing to be apprehensive about.
The boys that went last year had a blast at their hosts homes. The hosts will bring the players back to the tournament site for our final game at 11:45. Once this game is completed we will return home.
If your player needs transportation please let me know and we will make sure we find a ride.
If you need hotel information let me know as we have been able to find a close by Comfort Inn with rates for $78.
Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and I hope to see you all at one of the many activities coming up this week.
Coach Ramsay
1/27/09
To All
I would like to remind you that we will be hosting our monthly Parents meeting on Tuesday February 3rd 6.30pm at the Bonney Lake Public Libary. We would be very grateful if you can attend this meeting which provides the coaches an opportunity to outline current and upcoming events and equally important answer any questions you may have. The next month or so is probably the most critical for establishing parental support and getting the interest, understanding and excitement generated for what your son's are involved with. We are extremely excited about our current squad who are working extemely hard in less than favorable conditions to learn the complexities of a brand new or fairly new sport. With a good solid parent support group who can share the thrill of a new pastime we are assured of a fun and successful season. Players are encouraged to accompany their parents but are not required to attend. I look forward to seeing many of our returning players parents but equally would like to see some "new" faces who are entering their first season as a rugby parent.
Below is the agenda for this meeting.
Fundraising Car Washes - 2/8 and 3/1
2/7 Scrimmage at Bonney Lake
Prezfest Tournament 2/14 & 15
Season schedule overview
Membership Dues
Sponsorship Opportunities
Rugby for Dummies Video Presentation
Parent Oversight Committee Review
Team Uniforms and Spiritwear
Question and Answer Session
Coach Ramsay
1/21/09
To Highlander Players & Parents.
Thanks to all for the tremendous effort and committment shown during the past few practices. Conditions have been less than favorable but this has done little to dampen your enthusism or wilingness to put in the effort to learn or develop new skills. Lets keep this up and we will be well prepared for our first scrimmage on 2/7.
Upcoming Events
1/22 - Organizational meeting for the formation of a parent oversight committee. Please attend if you think you would like to lend a hand. 7pm at the new Bonney Lake Starbucks (opposite McDonalds)
1/24 - Guest Coach Riaan Van Zyl a native of South Africa and former national team player for both S. Africa & the USA will be running a coaching session for us on Saturday. We will be at Bonney Lake HS from 9am until noon. Please make every effort to attend as Riaan is traveling a significant distance to help us and can be relied on to conduct an excellent session.
1/26 - Monday practices commence @ 6.30-8 at BL High School
1/28 Wednesday practices continue
Membership Dues
All annual membership dues need to be paid ASAP. A number of players have already paid in full, some partial payments and some yet to make a payment. If you have a genuine challenge completing payments or making initial contribution please let me know ASAP so we can make the suitable arangements.
Returning Player - $175 Rookie Player $200
Checks should be made payable to RPJR and can be mailed to 12612 203rd ave east Bonney Lake 98391
Web-site
Our illustrious web-master has been busy updating and adding features to the site. The latest updates include:
Opportunity to sign up to take match jerseys after a match to launder and return next week. (home page left hand side)
Player Biography - Returning players can update and new player can create by going to "our team" tab and enter the user-name rainier and password spring2009
Practice Attire
Please make every effort to attend practice properly attired. This includes shorts, warm ups, MOUTHGUARD, warm shirt or sweatshirt and a weather proof jacket. If you don't already own cleats please look at options to purchase a pair. Sports Authority is a good option.
Mandatory Paperwork
I need ASAP completed Medical history and emergency contact forms, code of conduct forms returned to me. These documents are essential to have in the event of an unforeseen medical incident when parents aren't around. If you have misplaced these forms go the web-site and search under forms for a copy.
Fund-raising Car Washes
We have currently have two car washes scheduled which will be instrumental in ensuring we have sufficient funds to operate the club during the 2009 season. It is critical we receive both player and parent support in participating in these events. We are still finislizing the details for the February 8th event but it is most likley to be held at the SAMs Club at the Auburn Supermall. This corporation will match the totall amount we raise during our car wash.
The second car wash will be on March 1st at the Jet Stream Car wash in Bonney Lake. Jetstream is located on the eastside of 410 opposite WalMart.
This opportunity is HUGE as the owners permit one youth organisation a month to take custody of the three drive in bays and operate the automated power washers. I did this with the BL Football team and its the easiest car wash I have ever particpated in. More information to come on this but providing we have the appropriate manpower resources we will make a "killing".
PREZFEST Rugby Tournament 2/14 & 15
Please start making plans to attend this event in Beaverton OR which is an event where the club played in 08 (and won) their first ever competitive match. We need a full squad and parent chaperones to assist with transporation to depart around 8am on Saturday and return Sunday early evening.
The players will be hosted on Saturday night at the homes of players from one of the local teams. Yes that sounds different but not in the rugby world
where its traditional and expected when travelling. Below are some details on the PREZFEST including hotel options for parents. There is no cost other than personel expenses to particpate in this tournament. Check out the photos on the website from last years trip!
If you know you plan on attending either as a player or parent chaperone please let me know.
BEAVERTON, OREGON
The Barbarians, a U-19 rugby team with players from Beaverton, Southridge and Aloha high schools, will once again host the PrezFest Rugby Tournament on Presidents' Day Weekend, February 14 & 15, 2009. PrezFest will be held at the Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District's (THPRD) fields at PCC's Rock Creek Campus located in Beaverton, Oregon. PrezFest is sponsored the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union (PNRFU), THPRD and International Athletics from Ferndale, Washington.
Clubs presently scheduled to play at PrezFest include Chuckanut from Bellingham, Washington. Chuckanut is the 2008 Washington State Champions, 2008 PNRFU Champions and the 2008 Pacific Coast Invitational Tournament (PCIT) Champion. Other PNRFU clubs joining Chuckanut will be Liberty from Sea-Tac, Washington which challenged Chuckanut for the Washington state championship last season and which went undefeated at the 2008 PCIT, as well, as Rainer Plateau an up and coming program from Washington. From the Portland metropolitan area, the Vancouver Sharks, the 2008 Oregon Division 2 State Champions; McMinnville the 2008 South League Champions and Oregon Division 1 third-place finisher; traditionally strong Linn-Benton as well as the Barbarians who were the 2008 Mid-South League Champions and Oregon Division 1 finalists are slated to attend.
Below is a link to PrezFest affiliated hotel with the group code pre populated. They are offering PrezFest teams a discounted rate of $89 per night. Please follow-up directly with them an let Tabitha know if you have any questions.
Courtyard Portland Hillsboro
Tabitha Christensen
Group Sales Manager
Residence Inn by Marriott
Courtyard by Marriott
TownePlace Suites by Marriott
Office: 3050 NW Stucki Pl
Hillsboro, Oregon 97124
Direct: (503) 268-4413
Fax: (503) 690-0236
Email: tchristensen@innventures.com
------
Andy
1/13/09
To All
As 2009 commences we are starting to increase our tempo as it pertains to pre season preparations both on and off the field. We are making considerable progress in getting the players familer with rugby. Off the field procurement of equipment, supplies and schedules is also coming along nicely. Below are some specific matters you should be familier with.
Website www.rainierjuniorrugby.com
We are in the process of updating the web-site and adding a few new features which will only enhance the value of this tool to all of us. This system is intended to be the primary communication for coaches, players and parents for the duration of the season. I highly reccomend you familiarize yourself with the content and features. Having kids involved in other sports I am very familier with the frustrations of poor communication or information being provided by the organizers.
RECENT UPDATES (not all features may be available yet)
- The calendar page now includes our practice, game,fund-raising and parent meeting information included with the exception of two games which are still being finalized. These are the weekend of 3/21 and 4/24. We are trying to determine if these will be a Friday pm or Saturday game.
- Scrolling message along top of home page which provides information on upcoming events and if there has been a change in status due to weather etc.
- Copies of these e mails are also included so if you need to look back at past ones they are available.
- Under the Our Team tab we have players biographs which the boys create themselves. These are now available for update or creation for new players.
- Opportunity for parents to sign up to wash the team jerseys (22) after a game. We did this last year and it was a huge help to have the jerseys picked up at the end of a game and returned at practice the following week.
- The most significant addition is a page we will call the Commitment page. On this page we will list all fund-raisers and games so that you can go in and notate if a specific player is going to be absent for this event and a brief explanation. This will allow the coaches to plan for that abscence.
Practice Schedule
Wednesdays 6.30-8 at Bonney Lake High School
Sunday 1/18 will be our last Sunday practice. Due to a conflict with gym use we will practice outdoors on the grass area adjacent to the gym. To compensate for lack of light
we will practice 3pm - 5pm.
I have added a Saturday practice on 1/24 as we have the opportunity to be coached by former South African and USA national player Riaan Van Zyl.
Riaan and I played together some years ago and since retiring from rugby he has gained a very good reputation as a coach. This practice will be at Bonney Lake HS 9am-Noon. Please make every effort to attend as I want to make it worthwhile to Riaan who is traveling a considerable distance to help us out.
Parent Meetings
Thanks very much to the attendees at our recent parent meeting and for your enthusiastic support of our program. To continue that cooperative relationship and to ensure you are kept informed and involved we have scheduled meetings for February and March.
February 3rd 6.30-8pm at the Bonney Lake Public Library & March 3rd 6.30-8 at the Buckley Public Library.
Uniform Update
I will be receiving sample jerseys and shorts today which will be sized at practice on Wednesday and will make up our order for one of the sets of jerseys the club will own. As some of you know we were fortunate to receive sponsorship of one set of uniforms via a program jointly managed by USA Rugby and the National Guard. These uniforms will eventually be our primary navy blue color and used on most occasions. Unfortunately they wont be delivered until mid season so I am ordering a second set red in color as a stop gap and also as an alternate jersey choice. My goal is to have these jerseys available prior to our Oregon trip in February. The shorts and socks will be delivered within a few weeks.
Membership Dues
A big thank you to those who have either made a partial or full payment of dues. We are in pretty good shape right now and with the addition of a couple of fund-raisers it will be even better. If you haven't paid your initial payment please let me know what your plans are to rectify that ASAP. The second payment will be due by 1/13. Checks can be made out to RPJR and mailed to my home address 12612 203rd ave east Bonney Lake 98391.
Spirit-wear
I have a pretty good stock of club T Shirts and Hoodies should you wish to purchase one. I am in the process of working with our vendor to create a beanie which can be purchased also. Examples of these garments will also be featured on the web-site under team-wear.
T Shirts $12 and Hoodies $20.
Mediazone (Rugby on the Internet)
I highly encourage both players and parents to take a opportunity to log onto www.mediazone.com and go to rugbyzone. Once on the home page click on International. On this page you will see an option videos on demand. Here their is a great assortment of games that can be viewed for free. Normally this is a subscription site but for a limited time its open to all for free.
Player Recruitment
we are extremely pleased with the new players that we have attracted to the club but see plenty of opportunities to add to the present squad. To be successful throughout the season we need considerable depth of players to ensure we have sufficient personel for each match. Please make every effort to try and recruit friends,neighborss or aquaintences to come give rugby a try. I will be out at Enumclaw HS today doing a lunchtime presentation so hopefully that will generate some more players from that school.
Parent Oversight Committee
I am very please to report that we have significant interest in assisting in the creation and operations of a parent committee which will enhance the operations of the club and provide some assitance to the coaches as needed. We will be scheduling an initial meeting of this group in the next few weeks.
We are entering an extremely exciting period as we prepare for many of the players and parents first season of rugby and the second for many of our players that have returned from 2008. We have a lot of work to do in the next month but I am confident that this group with the hopeful addition of many more will be ready for their first scrimmage on 2/7.
Yours in rugby
Andy Ramsay
2008
12/31/08
To All
I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year Celebrations and would like to remind you we will be holding a Parent/Player Informational Meeting this Sunday 1/4/09.
This meeting is an ideal opportunity for both parents and players to be enlightened on the operations of our club and the upcoming 2009 season. We will also be prepared to invite parents to get involved in our inaguaral oversight committee which will help to strengthen and grow our club. An added bonus will be some rugby footage which we will breakdown for those in the "dark" regarding the game of rugby. We would really like to encourage parents and guardians to attend this meeting which will start at 2pm and be held at the Robert Miller Gymnasium in Sumner. This is the same gym where we have been hosting indoor practices. If you need directions go to our web-site and the maps section. If you cannot attend but would like to offer your assistance in a administrative capacity on our new committee please let me know. If you have already given me a heads up of your interest to help no need to reply.
Membership Dues
Thanks to the few folks who have been able to pay their first installment of their yearly dues. This payment is due by the end of the year so I am requesting that you make an effort to get a minimum of $90 to me ASAP. Checks can be made payable to RPJR and hand delivered or mailed to my home address listed below. If you are currently only able to pay a portion of this please contact me and we will work something out. I want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to play but need to be made aware of financial challenges which may prevent full payment. I am still short of the amount I need to place a uniform order so its essential we receive sufficient payments to allow me to place this order.
12612 203rd Ave East
Bonney Lake
WA 98391
Practice Schedule
We will resume indoor practice at the Robert Miller Gym this Sunday 1/4 at 4pm or immediately after the conclusion of the meeting. Practice will end no later than 6pm. These practices will continue each Sunday thru January.
Commencing Wednesday 1/7 we will commence our outdoor practices. These practices will be held at Bonney Lake HS on the football field. Starting at 6.30 and ending at 8pm. We will maintain this schedule until Monday 1/26 when we add a Monday practice at the same location and time.
It is essential that players come suitably dressed for weather and physical activity. This means cleats, shorts, warmup pants a warm top and sweatshirt or waterproof jacket. Its also vital that you bring a mouth-guard as these practices will involve significant contact drills. I will issue each player a mouth-guard and after that I will charge $1 for replacements. Thats a lot cheaper than dental work or tooth replacement!
NO Tennis Shoes
NO Jeans or other type of dress pants
NO Jewelery
Adhering to this dress code will minimize personal injury or injury to others.
Game Schedule
I just recieved our match schedule from the WA Youth Rugby Association and once I have time it will be dessiminated via e mail, website and hard copies.
Christmas Tree Lot
A very sincere thanks to all those who either assisted at the lot or purchased a tree. It was an extremely gallant effort by many to get the lot setup and maintain it during some challenging conditions. Although we werent able to meet our profit expectations we were still able to earn some valuable money which will help in 2009. Equally we have several "lessons learned" which will ensure we are better prepared to maximise this fund raising opportunity in the future.
I will let you know shortly how much each of the players that particpated will earn towards their personal Rainier account which can be used to purchase spirit gear or tour to New Zealand costs.
Thanks and hope to see you all on Sunday.
Andy
12/24/08
To All
Looks like we finally have some respite from the inclement weather and challenging driving conditions. The airport where I work in airfield operations is getting back to some sort of normalcy after a week of extreme challenges. Not least of all is where can we dump all the snow we have removed from aircraft movement surfaces. We have a couple of mini Mt Rainier's which may eventually melt away!
Weather permitting I look forward to seeing all players at the Bonney Lake High School Football Field (sports turf surface) on Sunday 12/28 and Monday 12/29 for two outdoor practices. We will commence at 3pm and run until 6pm. The flood-lights will be activated after dusk. Please dress appropriately for outdoor practice and wear cleats if you have them. We intend running various drills and this will include contact. If you have buddies interested in playing please bring them along as their is still plenty of time and opportunities to get involved. If the weather should deteriorate please check our website for any cancellation information prior to departing for practice.
Thanks to the few families that have already paid the first installment of their players membership dues. I know the timing isnt good however we waited too long last season to collect sufficent funds to purchase uniforms. This resulted in the team having to wear borrowed jerseys for approximately one month. Please make an effort to bring a check or cash to practice.
Meanwhile I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Coach Ramsay
12/19/08
To All
Hopefully everyone is coping just fine with the weather and lovely driving conditions not to mention all those missed days of school!
We are planning on holding our next practice on Sunday 12/21 at the Robert Miller Gym in Sumner 4-6. The current weather forecast suggests that we shouldnt get anymore significant inclement weather until early next week so if you are in any doubt if practice is on or not please check our website Sunday morning and we will if neccesary post cancellation information.
Also a reminder that on Sunday 12/28 and Monday 12/29 we will be practicing outdoors at the Bonney Lake HS football field. Both of these sessions will be 3-6. We will have the full field so please plan on attending both sessions so we can take advantage of these great facilities.
One final reminder the first installment of membership dues are due no later than 12/30. You are welcome to pay the entire membership or break it into two payments. The second payment will be due by January 13th. We accept checks or cash. Checks can be made payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby Club or RPJRC. It is vital we have these payments in the bank otherwise I am unable to order the uniform pieces which we will require in early February.
Rookie Player - Yearly Dues $200 - Minimum 1st payment $90
Veteran Player - Yearly Dues $175 (if planning to use last years shorts and socks) $200 if not using gear.
Mail checks to my attention
12612 203rd ave east
Bonney Lake
98391
SPRING 2008 Archives......
6/18/08
To All
We have decided to take a break from rugby practices for the next few weeks and will depending on interest resume July 9th. Their isn't currently sufficient interest or availability to make it viable to continue scheduling practice. This isn't a problem or a concern to me as I was never originally considering continuing any rugby activity during the summer or fall.
Their is a Tacoma 7's tourny in July which perhaps we can enter a side but again their is no real pressure to do so.
If anyone is intersted in having a weekly run and some sevens George will be travelling up to the Ryan field most Thursday evenings where a combination of Liberty, Joeys and Valley Men play sevens.
If you are interested in going George can usually provide a ride. We will update the website with information about this and how to contact George.
Enjoy your summer break but dont forget to continue to recruit players for the start of our new season. It seems a long way off but now is the time to start "planting the seed". Currently our first planned activity is in mid November when we will start a weekly indoor session.
Be safe and have fun.
Andy
6/7/08
To All Parents and Players
Hope everyone is coping with this unseasonably cool weather and that it is all gone before many of the boys don the graduation gown and cap!
Summer Sevens
I was not originally planning to participate in the summer sevens season but seeing the opportunity to introduce the boys to another aspect of rugby combined with the possibility to recruit some new players George and I are committed for the foreseable future.
This will include weekly practices at 6.30 on Wednesday's at our usual practice area. We had hoped to get some combined practices with Tacoma and Gig Harbor but at the moment I dont have a committment from those clubs. Providing we see sufficient interest in these practices and to particpate in the tournaments we will continue through to the end of July. The three tournaments which are planning to have a U19 bracket are listed below.
We highly encourage everyone to consider playing sevens as a way to enhance ball handling, tackling, evasion and fitness. We are fully aware of the many other committments during the summer and simply ask that you let us know what your level of committment will be.
June 14th Evergreen State College Lacey
July 13th Can Am Sevens Ferndale
July 26 Tacoma Rugby Club 7's
Please note this week's practice will be switched to Tuesday 6/10 to avoid Wednesday graduation committments
Outstanding Dues
I am trying to close out our season's financial committments and badly need any remaining membership fees to assist in fulfiling these payments. We still have approximately ten players with outstanding balances. Please do the right thing and settle that balance. If you are unsure if you are in compliance please let me know and I will let you know.
2008 Loggers
Congratulations to Colin Pearson for his selection to the U17 Loggers squad. Dylan Waltman missed out narrowly on making the squad and along with Colin admirably represented the club at last week's tryouts. Colin will be training with the loggers during June in preparation for games in July versus Oregon and possibly Northern California in Oregon.
Congratulations to all our graduating seniors and we hope you all enjoy the ceremonies, parties and gifts being bestowed upon you.
Andy
5/12/08
To All Parents and Players
I hope everyone enjoyed a little break from rugby this past weekend and was able to enjoy the decent weather we had. I was able to spend some much needed time in the garden but admit I missed the company of the team and was able to reflect on how much these players have come to mean to me. Anyway we will be back together this week for practice and then on Saturday.
This coming Saturday will be the last opportunity for our team to play as a group for 2008 so I am hoping everyone will make every effort to go to the end of season Wildcat Classic Tournament being hosted by CWU rugby club. It appears they have put a lot of work into this two day event which will have all the WA teams except Seattle the OR champions Eastside and two all star teams from Montana present.
I committed to playing two games on Saturday and none on Sunday. I havent been able to fully ascertain who is going to travel over but will travel with who ever is interested and we can pick up players to fill out our team or loan out Rainier players to other teams. We will be returning Saturday evening.
The two matches are both against teams that we deserve a second crack at Liberty 2nds and Harbor 2nds. The first game isn't until 1pm and the second at 3pm. We are seeking volunteers to drive so we can minimize the number of vehicles and keep the gas costs to a minimum. If you are willing to drive please let me know how many seats you can offer. We will meet in a designated place and car pool over.
I need to figure out how long this trip will take as I havent driven to Ellensburg in some time. Suggestions on the likely journey time welcome.
My goal would be to arrive no later than 11:45.
An added incentive for players interested in the Logger program to attend is that the selectors are seeking nominations prior to Friday of interested players so they can take a look at any players present this weekend. Not attending does not eliminate you from selection later in the month.
I will be finalizing on Wednesday who is and who isnt going but as I said earlier this will be a very good event well worth attending and we will travel with who ever is interested and let them play some final 15's for a while.
If you are recieving this and havent already made me aware of your availability please reply and let me know.
Thanks
Andy
5/5/08
To All
Thanks very much for all the sideline support and player commitment on Saturday. The result wasn't what we were hoping for but against the odds the team battled back in the second half and earned the respect they deserve. I will repeat here what I told the players at the conclusion of the match that no matter what the outcome was on Saturday the fact that we are all their together as a team competing for a state final is reason to celebrate and create momentum for even greater things going forward. We have a very strong core of players that will be returning next season and with their help we will recruit to attract suitable replacements for the players moving on.
The season is not over yet with training continuing once a week Wednesdays 6.30-8 at our usual area at the HS. We have a couple more opportunities for team play and then the WA Rep side try outs at the end of the month. Going forward into the summer we hope to introduce many of the boys to seven a side rugby which is much more flowing game with fewer tight exchanges and set pieces to contend with. This is also a great opportunity to bring new players out and introduce them to a less complicated version of rugby. Our recruiting wont ever stop so please keep spreading the word and bringing new faces out to practice.
Below are details pertaining to several upcoming events which I need to know player availability. These events titles are highligted in red. Please reply indicating if you are or are not available for these events.
Scrimmage Game with Tacoma
During the regular season were unable to play our match with Tacoma (weather cancellation) and to provide an opportunity for Tacoma to squeeze one more game we are considering a match during the week of May 12th. This will likely be an evening game in the Bonney Lake area. If we dont have sufficient players available we can borrow some Tacoma players to fill in.
Ellensburg Tourny May 17th
During the weekend of May 17 & 18 their is a fairly large end of season tournament featuring teams from Montana, OR and WA. We were not originally eligible to attend but due to cancellations we should be able to compete. I have only committed to playing one day Saturday. If we cant raise enough interest I am planning on taking the players who do wish to go and finding places on other teams for them to play on. This event will be held at the CWU campus and appears to be an extremely well organized event.
Loggers Program
Full details pertaining to the Loggers program is available at our web-site however a brief summary is that the loggers are the WA state rep teams. Their is a U17 and 19 squad which is selected after try-out sessions on May 31st. The loggers is a tremendous experience for any young player and is the first step towards being recognized by the USA National Selectors. These selectors will be present at the July matches in OR. Out of last seasons Loggers squad 6 players were selected for the USA U17 and U19 teams. I will be assisting with the try-out day and would be very disappointed if many of our players dont give this a go.
End of Year Banquet & Awards Ceremony (Buckley Hall 7pm)
Please plan on attending our special event on May 30th. This event is open to all family, friends and supporters of the club.
We will be hosting a full dinner and among other things will be presenting player jerseys and recognition awards. Please keep and eye on the web-site for further volunteer opportunities to assist with the coordination and organization of this event.
Track Meet Volunteers Needed
In order to express our thanks to the support received from the Sumner School District Athletic Department I offered to assist them in any way we could. The request is that they need assistance with a large Elementary school athletic jamboree being held at Sunset Stadium. The jamboree is at 4pm on Wednesday May 28th. I am looking for both player and parent volunteers to step up to help at this event. This is a great opportunity to further our relationship with the school district.
Yours in rugby
Andy Ramsay
3/30/08
To All
It was disappointing that we were unable to play our match on Friday but considering the awful weather conditions it was probably a favorable situation.
We will make every attempt to reschedule this match and will most likely try to make this a midweek fixture sometime in April. This week reflects a break from the normal practice routine. Their is no outdoor practice on Monday and an indoor rugby viewing session at the Bonney Lake Public Libary 6.30-8pm.
I highly encourage all players and any interested parents to attend as you will find you learn a lot about the game watching high level rugby such as the DVD's I intend showing. We also hope to show some footage from some of our games.
Saturday 4/5
I was contacted by Seattle Rugby Club U19's coaches trying to recruit some U17 players to help complete a roster for a game they have on Saturday versus a English School team that is on tour. They have been slow to respond with their needs but I am hopeful that they we request at least one or two of our younger players to participate. Should that happen I would be very grateful if as many players not involved in the game and parents make an effort to go cheer on the locals. The game will be played at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila at 2.30pm.
Saturday 4/12
Although our schedule reflects a home game for 4/12 its very likely we will end up playing at the Ryan Field in SeaTac. We are scheduled to play Bellevue who are like us a first year team.They have not been so successful in recruiting players and may struggle to field a full side. To ensure we can get a decent game I have a contingency to play Liberty JV or a combination of Bellevue and Liberty. The other attraction to go to this venue on 4/12 is that Liberty will be hosting and playing a touring side from New Zealand. No doubt this would be a very entertaining match to watch and our boys can support Liberty in this International Match. I will keep you all posted on developments and a possible switch to playing away from home.
End Of Season Tour
Although we still have a lot of rugby to play its never to early to plan ahead and I am in the process of making contacts in Oregon that may be opponents and hosts. I am also gathering information on players availability so we can select the weekend when the majority are available.
Membership Dues
As announced earlier we will need to request a further payment from each player in order to fulfill our financial obligations which are going to arise during the season. In earlier correspondance I failed to recognize that we had earlier said that if a player was involved in a car wash effort he wouldnt have to pay the full membership costs. For this reason I will be asking for an additional payment of $50 from car wash participants and $80 from those that choose not to particpate. Checks can be made out to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby and if desired mailed to me. Asking for more money is not something which I want to do but considering the costs of particpating in other sports a fee of less than $200 is still a pretty good deal.
WEBSITE
Recent updates include photos from the Budd Bay games and information regarding the methods of purchasing sideline team gear.
Coach Sean
Sean's work committments including a second trip to India have restricted his availability to be more heavily involved but he is keeping a close eye on our progress and looks forward to returning in mid April to help out.
Have a great week and I hope to see many of you on Wednesday evening.
Andy
3/22/08
To All
First and foremost I want to thank our players and parents for their enthusiasm and support during last Friday's victory over Budd Bay. The game was a real test of character for the team succumbing to early injures and a strong onslaught from the Barbarians in the second half. Unfortunately we have picked up one season ending injury. My son Calum took a nasty blow to the mouth during a tackle attempt which resulted in two of his teeth being displaced. Fortunately the dentist was able to remove his metal brace reposition the teeth and apply a new brace wire. Had be not been wearing his mouth guard and had the brace he would probably have lost those teeth. Due to the fragile nature of these teeth he has been told to avoid contact to the face for two months. He is dispointed but knows he will have several more years of high school rugby and at least can don the football helmet and pads later in the year.Calum will continue to be involv ed and participate in practices where possible. I can attest that during all my years of playing rugby I have seen very few dental injuries so parents shouldn't neccesarily panic however ANY OF THE PLAYERS READING THIS THATS WHY YOU NEED TO WEAR YOUR MOUTHGUARD DURING PRACTICE & GAMES!
Other injuries to Blake (shoulder) and Jordan (hamstring) are still under assessment and hopefully will be less serious. The game itself provided opportunities to see if the hard work earlier in the week paid off or not. Improved tackling, communication and on field discipline and teamwork were much improved. Like any coach its never enough to be satisfied with a win and several opportunities for improvement have been noted. Nevertheless it was a fine performance particularly in the first half before injuries disrupted the continuity we had established.
Special thanks to the Pearson's who helped coordinate the wonderful post match food and Coach George for his field clean up effort. We will be educating the players on the neccesity to participate in this post match duty.
Next Fridays match will be in Tacoma versus the Tacoma U19's 2nd side. The Valley Joeys will be playing Tacoma 1st side prior to our match. I will be finalizing the kickoff time early next week so keep and eye on the web-site for details. Hope you can all make it to this match.
SCHEDULE
The web-site calander has been updated to the best of my ability. We still have a few ? marks over times and locations. Their is no game on April 5th but our club is one of three that has been invited to provide players to play in a U17 match. This match is being coordinated by Seattle Vikings RFC will be hosting the touring Kings Grammar School from Lincolnshire (England) during the weekend of April 5-6th, and will play their U-17 side at Starfire on Saturday April 5th at 2:30pm.
http://www.kings.lincs.sch.uk/
Seattle will be fielding all their U17 players but need some players from other clubs to fill out their roster. I have forwarded the coach a list of all U17 players and their respective positions. They will get back to me on who they may be interested in selecting. Despite the fact whether you are playing our not I will be trying to take as many of our players as possible to watch and cheer on the local team. Hopefully within those ranks will be some Rainier Players.
I am currently trying to establish if we have sufficient interest and player availability in an end of season tour sometime in May. If you know of any specific weekend in May (Friday PM, Saturday & Sunday) that you have other commitments please let me know.
Unless a better location becomes available we will continue to practice at Sumner High School grass field for the forseable future.
VOLUNTEERS
A huge thanks for the willingness of the parent group to get involved and support the team in any way they can. Simple gestures such as filling water bottles picking up gear and helping to breakdown the game field do not go unnoticed. I apologize if I overlook acknowledging these efforts but they are appreciated.
Also that laundering of the jerseys has been a huge success with all opportunities already signed up for. One upcoming opportunity is likely to be providing food at our April home games. Typically burgers and hot dogs are the traditional fare but I am open to suggestions. We will have a set budget for these events but am welcome to suggestions and volunteers to coordinate and actually provide on-site assistance. Once we establish a point person for these efforts perhaps we will create a sign up location for on-site assistants on the web-site.
CLUB ANNUAL DUES
I need to inform everyone that despite my best efforts to keep our expenditures to a minimum and keep membership dues to a minimum it is apparent that if we are going to be able to pay all our costs for the season that I need to request a further $70 from each player. Despite my best efforts to forecast costs we have and will continue to incur some higher expenses than I had anticipated. As the program grows we will have a great product to market for sponsorship helping to reduce individual membership costs but that looks like it may be more likely next year. If you do know of any business that may be a potential sponsor please let me know as I already have a sponsorship packet available for an owner or manager review.
I request that all players fulfill this financial responsibility and contribute any balance they may have to reach the yearly memebership fee's of $180 ASAP with checks payable to Rainier Plateau Junior Rugby.
WEBSITE
We have a huge collection of spectaculer photos in our gallery. In years to come the players will enjoy looking back at these. Just look on my book shelfs and you will find albums from around the world of my earlier playing days!
Other scapbook opportunities to look for are an article about the team's win over Liberty in last Tuesdays Courier Herald newspaper which many of you probably recieve and in this weeks Sumner Reporter. We will try and get copies of these articles onto the site.
Players please take a minute to complete your BIO's and join your teamates on the "honor roll"
TEAM NAME
If you hadnt already figured out we have adopted the name " The Highlanders" as our team name. This name was selected primaily due to the fact their was an abscence of other suitable or practical suggestions but I believe it will be become well known in the local rugby and general community.
TEAM SPIRIT WEAR
Their has been considerable interest in obtaining team sideline gear. We have established with "Sports Connection" in Bonney Lake products which we would like to make available. These purchases can be made directly with Sports Connection. Vicky and I will be working this week to get photos of these products and pricing information on the website. In the meantime the items which are available are listed below.
I also have navy beanies and some hooded sweatshirts (only upto large) available for purchase.
Available from Andy
Navy Beanie with Logo = $10
Navy Hooded Sweatshirts with screen print logo = $15 (only in sizes sml, medium & large)
Sports Connection
9925 214th Ave East
Bonney lake (next to Les Schab) 253 891-1677
sportsconnection@aol.com
Navy & white Hooded sweatshirt (all sizes including larger sizes) with screen print logo = $24
Navy & White Polo shirts with embroidered club logo = $29.50
Navy & White zip fleece with embrodered club logo = $31
Ball Cap with Rainer Rugby = $9.50
Hooded Nylon Warmup Jacket with embrodered club logo = $37.00
Nylon matching pants = $25.50
Garments larger than XL will incur an additional fee of 2XL= $2 3XL = $4 and 4XL = $6
All prices include tax and players names and numbers can be added for an additional fee
Think I covered everything but any questions I am always available via phone or e mail. Hope to see you all in the coming week.
Andy
3-16-08
To All
Just a reminder that commencing Monday our practice location will switch to the grass area just north of Sunset Stadium in Sumner. This field is adjacent to the stadium parallel with the road between Fred Myers and the school. I am presume parking is on the road on the north side of this field but am going to drive down today to take a look. I am told by the athletic director this field is equipped with lights but until I am sure we will commence at 6pm. If we can get lights we will push the starting time to 6.30pm.
Practice fields are a hot commodity and securing a decent regular location has been tough. I apologize for all the bouncing around but hopefully we can remain at this location for the remainder of the season.
The game on Saturday was challenging with a very expierienced opponent that exploited our inexpierience level. Despite the lopsided score their were many positives we saw particualrly in the set piece play. This week we will work on the weakness's we recognized and get ready for our game this Friday.
I have spoken with Spencer who was the player that got injured late in the game yesterday and other than a few bruises he appears to have fully recovered.
See you all Monday.
Andy
3/9/08
To All
Wonderful day yesterday both on and off the pitch. I was thrilled for the boys achieving not only the win but for playing so well and sticking together as a team. I will be completing a more detailed game summary which will be posted on the website in the next day or so.
This weeks practices will be at Lakeridge Middle School in Bonney Lake. We will start at 6pm ending at 7.30. If their is sufficient day light to go to 8pm we may change future practices to start at 6.30.
Next Saturday's match will be at the same location as yesterday with a later kickoff of around 2.30. I will confirm the actual kickoff time in the next day or so.
Thanks to all the parents who made the trip to enjoy this historic win. Hopefully you were not to confused by this new game your son is playing. At our next Parent/Player meeting on March 18th we will run through some of the basics for the parents.
Enjoy your weekend
Andy
3/4/08
This coming weekend cant come soon enough as far as I am concerned. We have come a long way in a short time and it will be very exciting and rewarding for all involved to see our team compete in its first official match. Barring any unforeseenn circumstances we should have our new team jerseys in time.
Raising the money to pay for these was lengthy so we are down to the wire on this. I hope you can all come out on Saturday to be part of this historic event.
Kickoff time is 1230 at the Pat Ryan Field in SeaTac( wont find this on Map qwest) go to ourweb sitee for
directions. PLAYERS NEED TO REPORT BY 1130.
Jersey Laundry
Please go to our web site and sign up to launder the team jerseys after one of our matches. Thanks to Josh Atencio's mon Jeanne for being first to volunteer.
Go to Our Team tab and select Volunteer and you can select which weekend you would like to be on laundry duty.
Player Bio's
Players are encouraged to go to the web site and complete their own personal bio.
Our team tab-Players and then the edit bios tab. These bios are not only fun but a good recruiting and marketing tool. Let me know if you need the login/password
Carwash
Last Sundays car wash at the Mt Rainier Bank in Buckley was a great success. Through the efforts of the players we raised $300. Special thanks to Shelie O'Conner for the use of the facility and Doug Pearsonforr his assistance during the car wash. If you look at my car you may wonder what the heck I know about washing cars.Thanks Doug
Coaching
One of our coaches Sean will be out of the country on businesss for about three weeks so a friend of mine George will be helping me out during practice and when his schedule permits at our games. We wish Sean a safe and rewarding trip to India
Game Schedule
Please review the schedule posted on the web site as their has been a couple of changes since the original version posted a couple of weeks ago.
Practice Schedule
As daylight savings approaches we will have some more flexibility with scheduling or practices and not be so reliant on using the lighted fields. I am communicating with the school district to secure a suitable practice field and should have that confirmed by the weekend. My goal is to continue practicing Mondays and Wednesdays 6.30-8.00 but I will be polling the players to ensure we maximize the best opportunities for full attendance.
Mouth Guards
All players need to bring a mouth-guard at practice and all matches. Owning and wearing one of these is a lot cheaper than a visit to the dentist or worse orthodontist!
Sponsership
A huge thanks to Blake Valske's family ownedbusinesss Auburn Mechanical for their very generous donation which will help purchase much needed field equipment. If you think you may know some potentialsponsorss we have a very comprehensivesponsorshipp package which can bedown-loaded from the web site. Any donation would be very much appreciated as start up costs have been fairly extensive.
Have a great week and look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.
Andy
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