MetroSports Magazine
December 2016
High School High School Premier Mens Collegiate Womens Collegiate Mens Club Mens Social Mens Premier Womens Club Womens Social Womens Premier
2016 NY Rugby Sevens
Randall’s Island Park New York City
Contents
p. 10
December 2016
4 Welcome from NYC’s Mayor Greetings NY7s from Bill deBlasio 5 Tournament Hosts The New York Rugby Club 6 The NY Rugby 7s Tournament A 58 year tradition 7 Randall’s Island NYC A rich history of sports 8 Participating Teams 2016 NY7s participants 10 The Longest Road Traveled Britian’s Royal Air Force Rugby 14 Women’s Divisions Social, Club, Premier 18 Men’s Divisions Social, Club, Premier 22 High School Teams From the U.S. and Canada 26 College Teams
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Train Like a Champion. Train with a Champion. MetroSports Magazine’s former Athlete of the Month and cover of our May-June 2015 issue, Keisher “Fire” McLeod, a former NY Golden Gloves Champion, current NYS Flyweight Champion and current WIBA World Flyweight Champion can now be your personal boxing trainer at the world famous Gleason’s Gym.
www.everyday-lifters.com 2 | December 2016
MetroSports Magazine (MSM) is published six times a year by the New York Sports Photo Group. MSM is available online and can be downloaded in electronic format for viewing on tablet and hand-held devices, laptop and desktop computers and purchased as full-color glossy print editions. Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Art Director: Warren Rosenberg Publisher: New York Sports Photo Group: nyspg.com Features Editor: Warren Rosenberg Director of Photography: Clark Thompson Social Media: Clark Thompson Photo Contributors: Clark Thompson, Warren Rosenberg, Viviana Podhaiski Proofreader: Melissa Tougas Contributors: Justin Blake, Noun Project. Airplane Image p. 10
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New York Rugby Club
The New York Rugby Club (NYRC), hosts of the NY7s Tournament, was founded in 1929 as the New York Nomads the NYRC is the oldest rugby club in America, becaming the NYRC in 1957. The NYRC currently fields both men’s and women’s 7s and 15s teams at the high school, adult, and alumni levels.
http://www.newyorkrugby.nyc
2016 New York Rugby 7s Tournament On November 26th, New York City’s Randall’s Island came alive with over 2,000 athletes, representing 140 teams from across the United States and abroad, competing in the 58th Annual New York Rugby 7s (NY7s) Tournament. Hosted by NYC’s own New York Rugby Club, the NY7s is the nation’s oldest and largest single-day Rugby 7s tournament getting its start in 1958. The history of the sport of Rugby Football dates back to the early 1800s when the codes of Rugby Union were first developed in England. Some sources trace the origin of the sport back to a 16 year old named William Webb Ellis who, in 1823 as a student at the Rugby School, ignored the rules of the soccer-like game of football at the time, and ran with the ball rather than advancing it with a kick. The Rugby School, founded in 1567, is still in operation today in the market town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.
Rugby 7s, a variant of the original game of Rugby Union, dates back to 1883 in Melrose, Scotland and has grown in popularity becoming one of the most recent additions to the Olympic sports, first introduced at the 2016 Rio Games. As opposed to Rugby Union which is played with 15 on-field participants on each team, Rugby 7s is played with only seven on on-field participants per team. It is also a much faster game, typically played in two seven-minute halves, rather than the 40 minute halves of the Rugby Union style of the game.
Above: Men’s Hong Kong Premier Division Tournament Champions, Northeast Academy 1 and Runner-ups, Samurai International RFC.
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Randall’s Island, NYC
Home of the New York Rugby 7s Tournament
N
ew York City’s Randall’s Island is not only the site for the New York Sevens Rugby Tournament, but it is also a well-known NY Metro area mecca for sports of all types. Randall’s Island has served as the home for New York’s first professional soccer team, the NY Cosmos on which international soccer star, Pele, played. In 1936 in front of an audience that included President Franklin Roosevelt, Jesse Owens qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team with a victory in the 100 meter dash at the Randall’s Island Olympic Trials and went on to win 4 Olympic Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin games. Jesse’s victory was reenacted in 2004 by U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Justin Gatlin to celebrate the opening of the island’s Icahn Stadium and recapture a bit of Randall’s Island history. On May 31, 2008, six time Olympic Gold Medalist, Usain Bolt, set a new world record for the 100 meter dash, also in Icahn Stadium. The history of Randall’s Island in NYC dates back to 1637 when Dutch Governor Wouter van Twillin purchased it from the Lenni Lenape tribe of Native Americans. Since that time, the island has been used for a number of purposes including a Civil War veteran’s rest home, burial ground, a juvenile delinquent detention center and various medi-
cal facilities. In 1933, by act of the New York State legislature, Randall’s Island was designated a recreational facility. New York City Parks Commissioner and builder Robert Moses oversaw the construction of playground, ball fields, and a sports stadium, originally known as Triborough Stadium and then as Downing Stadium and which was replaced in 2002 with the modern Icahn Stadium. The lights used at Icahn Stadium to light the field were taken from the old Ebbets Field, the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers prior to their move to L.A. Back in the days when baseball was a segregated sport and before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, the Black Yankees of base-
ball’s old Negro League played their 1938 season in Triborough Stadium on Randall’s Island although most of their home games were played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Also calling Triborough Stadium their home field were one of New York’s earliest professional football teams, the New York Yankees of the old AFL. Triborough Stadium was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 and, in 2002, was torn down to be replaced by Icahn Stadium in 2004 and which is still in use on Randall’s Island today. Although the NY7s moved to Randall’s Island in 1967 the NY Rugby Football Club has been using the Island since the 1930s.
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2016 NY7s Participating Teams High School Boys Academie de Rugby Legion, Levis, QC EORU 1, Ontario CA Greenwich 7s, Greenwich CT Mississauga Blues RFC, Mississauga ON Northeast Academy Boston, Boston MA NYRC HS Boys, NY NY Play Rugby USA Academy, NY NY Section XI Rugby Warriors, Shoreham NY St Francis Prep, NY NY Tantallon RFC, Tantallon NS Toronto Nomads, Toronto ON U18 Mens Nova Scotia Keltics, NS U18 Mens Nova Scotia Keltics 2, NS High School Girls Mississauga Blues RFC, Mississauga ON Rugby PA, PA Atlantis U18 Girls 2, Lafayette Hill PA EORU 1, Ontario CA Northeast Academy Boston, Boston MA NRY Thunder, NY NYRC High School Girls, NY NY Phenix, QC PRUSA Academy Girls, NY NY Southwest U18, Vlinton ON U18 Women’s NS Keltics 2, NY NY U18 Women’s NS Keltics 3, NY NY High School Boys Premier CODP Boys, NY NY Eagle Impact Rugby Academy NYC, Pelham NY EORU, Ontario CA Equipe Quebec, QC NRU Thunder Green, Niagara Falls ON Rugby PA, PA Toronto Rugby Reds, Toronto ON Upright Rugby Rogues, Oakville ON High School Girls Premier Equipe Quebec, QC Toronto Rugby Reds, Toronto ON Upright Rugby Rogues, Oakville ON Atlantis Girls U18 1, Lafayette Hill, PA Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) Girls, NY NY EORU, Ontario CA NRU Thunder Elite, NY U18 Women’s NS Keltics 1, NS
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Men’s Club Equipe Quebec, QC BRFC, Beaconsfield, QC Coco Biscuit, NY NY LGBTQ, Sherbrooke, OC Lions NYC, NY NY NYRC Men, NY NY Ottawa Irish Rugby Club A, Ottawa ON Ottawa Irish Rugby Club B, Ottawa ON Pacific Island Warriors, NY Philadelphia Panthers, Philadelphia PA Philadelphia Panthers II, Philadelphia PA Vikings Mens, Oshawa ON Women’s Club BRFC, Beaconsfield QC Eh!, Toronto ON Les Belles de Belles, Montreal QC Marist Motley, NY Ottawa Irish Rugby Club, Ottawa ON RMC Women’s Rugby, Kingston ON Village Lions Women, NY NY Women Vikings, Oshawa, ON Men’s Collegiate Atlantis, Greenwich CT Kings College Rugby Club, Wilkes-Barre PA Mitchell College, NY NY McGill University Rugby Football club, Montreal CA New Blue, Hamden CT Stony Brook Men’s Rugby I, Stony Brook NY Stony Brook Men’s Rugby II, Stony Brook NY UCONN, Mansfield CT Women’s Collegiate Godzilla, QC Hofstra Women’s Rugby, Hempstead NY Ithaca College Renegades, Ithaca NY Nation Sports Academy, Sherbrooke QC Seneca College Women’s Rugby, Toronto ON Stony Brook Women’s Rugby, Stony Brook NY
Men’s Premier Equipe Quebec, OC Bulldog Rugby, CT Northeast Academy I Northeast Academy II Northeast Academy III Rocky Gorge Rugby Club, Columbia Samurai International RFC, Midland TX Schuylkill River RFC, Philadelphia PA Women’s Premier Equipe Quebec, OC Northeast Academy I Northeast Academy II Northeast Academy III Northeast Academy IV New York Rugby Club Women, NY NY Scion Rugby Academy, Washington DC W1823, Columbus OH Men’s Social Ashbury Alumni, Ottawa ON Bay Ridge Rugby Club, NY NY Central Old Boys, New Britain CT Channel 4 Booze Team, NY Evan’s 7s, Binghamton NY FDNY Rugby, NY NY Good LSNK, Fort-de France Bay
The Godsquad, Durham NY TPS Blues, Toronto ON WANDS, Montreal, QC Warriors, Northport AL Woodlawn Warriors, Woodlawn MD Women’s Social Try Hards, Spring Creek MO #YOLOvers, Sherbrooke QC Barracudas, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC Bone Crushing Ballerinas, Thetford Mines, QC Brampton Beavers, Brampton ON Braves, Trois-Rivieres QC Excalibur’s, Peterborough Les Felins, Sherbrooke QC Molloy Alumni, Rockville Centre NY Morris WRFC, Morristown NJ Mother Ruckers, MA New Haven Women, New Haven CT NYRC Olde Love, NY NY Rugby Club Montreal F, Montreal QC Waterloo Nuggets, Breslau ON TPS Blues, Toronto ON
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The Longest Road Traveled
Royal Air Force Police - Flying Pigs he RAF Police Flying Pigs Rugby Football Club, representing the original home country of Rugby Football, included a stop at the NY7s as part of their whirlwind NYC tour. Following their appearance at the 2016 NY 7s Tournament on November 26th, the RAF Flying Pigs went head-to-head against the NYPD Rugby Football Club defeating them 94-0 and then took on the FDNY Rugby team back at Randall’s Island on December 3rd. Billed as their New York City tour, the RAF Flying Pigs visited the colonies not only to take on New York’s Finest and Bravest, but also to help raise funds for a important charities back home.
Above Left: RAF Police Rugby Flying Pigs Logo. Center: NYC Syline on Uniform Front. Right: NYPD Patch on Left Arm.
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While on their NYC tour, the Flying Pigs visited the Intrepid Sea/Air/ Space Museum, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and paid their respects at the World Trade Center. They also found the time to stop in and support the Play Rugby USA program at NYC’s public school 79. “What a great time for Flying Pigs Rugby with Play Rugby USA. Met some amazing kids and amazing people spreading the rugby gospel.” You can see more images of the RAF Flying Pig’s NYC Trip at: http://instidy.com/flyingpigsrugby
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Women’s Divisions Club, Social, Premier NY7s Tournament host, The New York Rugby Club, kept the Women’s Premier Division Bowl Championship trophy right here in NYC by capturing the Bowl Division Championship as did the NYRC’s Olde Love team in winning the Women’s Social Division Cup Championship. The Equipe Quebec women prevailed over Scion Rugby Academy and won the Women’s Premier Cup Division Championship with the Northeast Academy 4 Women taking home the Premier Division Plate Championship. NYC’s own Village Lions Women were crowned the NY7s Club Division Bowl Champions and were the only U.S. championship team in the Women’s Club Division. Bringing Championship trophies back up across the northern border were Canada’s Ottawa Irish Rugby Club (Plate Champions) and Eh! Of Rugby Ontario (Cup Champions) who defeated the Cup Championship runner up Les Belles de Belles. The Excalibur’s captured the Women’s Social Division Plate Championship while the #YOLOvers claimed the Bowl Division Championship.
More Tournament Photos Available at http://wr-photo.com/f330431318
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Men’s Divisions Club, Social, Premier Joining their Women’s Premier Division Cup Champion counterparts, the Equipe Quebec Men’s team won the Men’s Premier Division Bowl Championship and took the runner-up crown in the Men’s Club Cup Championship. The Northeast Academy men were crowned overall Tournament Cup Champions defeating the Samurai International Rugby Football Club in the finals of the Men’s Premier Cup Championship. Bulldog Rugby took the Men’s Premier Plate Championship while the BRFC won the Men’s Club Plate Championship. Winning the Men’s Club Cup Championship was the Lions NYC Rugby Football Club. Maryland’s Rocky Gorge Harambes were the Men’s Social Division Plate Championship winners with the WANDS capturing the Men’s Social Bowl Championship and the New Haven Old Black Rugby team taking home first place honors as the Men’s Social Division Cup Champions.
More Tournament Photos Available at http://wr-photo.com/f330431318
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High School Teams Our Canadian neighbors from the north showed great strength in the High School brackets where the women of the Eastern Ontario Rugby Union (EORU) captured the Cup Championships in both the Girls High School and Girls High School Premier brackets, prevailing over fellow Canadians and cup runner-ups in both brackets from the Niagara Rugby Union (NRU) Thunder and NRU Thunder Elite squads. The Boys EORU teams also scored tournament victories in the finals of the Bowl Division’s Boys High School and High School Premier brackets. Teams 2 and 3 of the U18 Women’s Nova Scotia Keltics took home the Girls High School Division Bowl and Plate Championships, respectively.
Also proving themselves to be a tournament powerhouse, Ontario’s Upright Rugby Rogues took home the Boy’s High School Premier Cup Championship and the Girls High School Premier Plate Championship. Rounding out the High School Division winners, the Northeast Academy Boston team prevailed as Boys High School Cup Champions, Nova Scotia’s Tantallon Rugby Football Club captured the Boys High School Plate Championship, Equipe Quebec won the Boys High School Premier Plate Championship, and the Toronto Rugby Reds took home the Girls High School Premier Bowl Championship.
More Tournament Photos Available at http://wr-photo.com/f330431318
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The 2016 New York Rugby Seven’s Tournament received sponsor support from: -The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office which proudly sponsored the Premier Division Teams -Samurai Sportswear, www.samurai-sports.com -Rugby Imports, www.rugbyimports.com -McGettigan’s Sports Bar, 70 West 36th Street, www.mcgettigans.com -Munk Pack, www.munkpack.com -The Liberty NYC, 29 West 35th Street, www.thelibertynyc.com -The Australian Bar-Restaurant-Lounge, 20 West 38th Street, www.theaustraliannyc.com -MyProtein, www.myprotein.com -Professional Physical Therapy, www.professionalpt.com -Backline, www.backline.com -NYC Trees, www.nyctrees.com -Rugby Wrap Up, www.rugbywrapup.com
College Teams Capturing the NY7s Tournament Cup Championship in the Men’s Collegiate bracket was the Atlantis Collegiate team defeating the team from Stony Brook in the Cup Finals. Other Men’s bracket champions included the New Blue team of Quinnipiac University as Plate Champions and the University of Connecticut team as Bowl Champions. The Women’s bracket Champions included Canada’s Nation Sports Academy as Cup Champion, Seneca College as Plate Champion and Stony Brook as Bowl Champion. While many of the teams competing in the collegiate bracket hailed from individual institutions such as the University of Connecticut and S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook teams on the men’s side and the Ithaca College, Seneca College, Stony Brook and Hofstra University teams on the women’s side, the Atlantis teams Unlike other Collegiate bracket teams hailing from individual colleges. The Atlantis Men’s Collegiate team included players from Penn State, Navy, Maryland, Dartmouth, Iona, Providence, NY College of Technology and Ohio State among others.
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More Tournament Photos Available at http://wr-photo.com/f330431318