Wisconsin Opens Season by Smashing Sirens, 90-7

The Wisconsin Women kicked off their first Division II Midwest season by defeating the Chicago Sirens, 90-7, at Chicago.

Backs Captain Jackie Limberg lead her Wisconsin teammates in scoring with six tries for 30 points, while Forwards Captain Katie "Ber" Rouse nailed 10 conversions for 20 points.

Normally a forward, Rachael "Rack" Weiker ran in three more tries from her new position on the wing and wowed her teammates with her speed and tenacity. Rachael earned Wisconsin's Player of the Game honors for her hard work Saturday on the wing and also jumping in the lineouts for the first 50 minutes.

Rookies Katie Williams (Flanker) and Mary Hanks (No. 8) joined veterans Jen "Petey" Peterson (Flyhalf) and Perla Cassetta (Wing) in rounding out the try scoring.

The only try given up was a penalty try due to a high tackle coming off a Siren weakside overload and the ensuing conversion kick.

Credit to the Sirens, a young team with a new crop of players, for their hard hits and scrappy play. They disrupted several Wisconsin rucks early on as Wisconsin shook off the summer rust and remembered how to play.

Wisconsin was forced to readjust its strategy after the new five-meter rule was not enforced off scrums, but the women from Madison pulled their game together and began to dominate play.

Following the match, the Sirens coach congratulated the Wisconsin Women on their "great technical play" and Chicago named Strongside Flanker Katie Williams as its chosen visiting Player of the Game for "being everywhere and tackling everyone".

Wisconsin's veterans also applauded the play of the team's new players starting in their first 15s game in the red and white - Williams, Hanks (a UW-Madison graduate), Jenn Johnson (UW Grad) and Megan Bondehagen.

Wisconsin Roster (City, Previous Team):
1. Katie "Ber" Rouse (Milwaukee, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
2. Meg Dickoff (Madison, WI - Amherst College)
3. Lena Arvola (Mt. Horeb, WI)
4. Bev Briggs (Dubuque, IA)
5. Aletha Petersen (Stevens Point, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
6. Nadia Riese (Madison, WI)
7. Katie Williams (Madison, WI)
8. Mary Hanks (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
9. Jenn Johnson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
10. Jen "Petey" Peterson (Madison, WI - Univ. of Minnesota)
11. Perla Cassetta (Fond du Lac, WI)
12. Melodie French (Madison, WI - Oberlin College)
13. Jackie Limberg (Madison, WI - Marquette Univ., Chicago NS)
14. Rachael "Rack" Weiker (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison)
15. Jessica Burda (Madison, WI - Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

Substitutions:
16. Megan Bondehagen (Madison, WI) in for No. 5 Aletha Peterson, at Prop.
Katie Rouse to Flyhalf (10), Jen Peterson to Fullback (15), Jessica Burda to Lock (5) and jumper, Nadia Riese to Lock (4), Mary Hanks to Flank (6), Bev Briggs to No. 8.

Next Up:
Midwest league game vs. Minneapolis Menagerie, Saturday, Sept. 13 at Columbia Park, Minneapolis. Kickoff - 11:30 a.m.

Photo: Rachael Weiker, flanking vs. Milwaukee Scylla, May 2008

Free Rugby 101 Clinic and Social

The Wisconsin Women's Rugby team welcomes all interested new players to attend our free Rugby 101 Clinic and Social on Sunday, August 31.

The clinic will start at 1 p.m. at Olbrich Park (3154 Atwood Ave., directions link below).

We'll wrap the clinic with a social at our team sponsor, Wilson's Bar & Grill, just a few blocks west of Olbrich Park.

Our clinic is a perfect way to check out the fun of rugby and learn the basics of a new sport. There is absolutely no experience necessary to attend this clinic.

For any former club or collegiate players, this is a also a great chance to meet some of our team members and pick up a ball again.

For more information, please call our team recruiter, Jen, at 612-327-7345.

Hope to see you there!

DIRECTIONS via GOOGLE (all one link)

Memorial Tournament Provides Day of Fun for Wisconsin Women

The Wisconsin Women's Rugby team split into two teams to play each other in 7s at the Wisconsin Rugby Club's (our men's team) annual Stuart Daily Memorial Tournament on Saturday, August 9.

Our two teams - Team Awesome and Team Stupendous - battled physically in the match to the delight of the crowd and gave us all a chance to shake off our summer rugby rust. In the end, Team Stupendous claimed the win scoring six tries to Team Awesome's lone try.

The day of tournament fun was also capped by a major flip cup victory by the women over the visiting Texas Mercenaries men's team. We nearly swiped all of their cowboys hats too.

2008 Spring & Summer Team Results

April 5 - Wisconsin defeats Chicago (B-Side), 7-0

April 12 - Wisconsin ties Ann Arbor, 0-0; Detroit defeats Wisconsin, 17-0 (Ann Arbor, MI)

April 26 - Blue Team wins first annual Luck of the Draw Tournament! 75 senior and collegiate players from across Wisconsin make the LOTD a great tournament. Senior MVP - Meg Dickoff (WWRFC) and Collegiate MVP - (UW-Stevens Point).

May 3 - Wisconsin defeats Milwaukee Scylla, 7-0; Wisconsin defeats Will Cty. Morrigans, 14-0

May 10 - Wisconsin defeats Minneapolis Menagerie, 39-10

June 28 - Tied for 1st Place, Lakefront 7s Tournament (Finals cancelled due to thunderstorm)

Referee Training Workshop - Nov. 10

Via Kate Hancock-Cooke of the Wisconsin Rugby Referee Society ...

Referee Training Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 10
Fees are $45 including lunch.
Location is Herzig College in Madison, to be confirmed.
Time 9 am to 5 pm with a Happy Hour to follow.
All referees are invited to the Happy Hour for a lively discussion. say 5:30 onward, the location also to be confirmed.

E-mail Kate at rugbykate@new.rr.com to sign-up.

Madison to Host Midwest U-19 Women's Camp

Midwest U-19 Women's Thunderbirds Selection Camp

- All players welcome, this is an open camp. Please come ready to work and learn.
Players who make the team will be expected to travel to Nashville, TN on November 17 & 18 for the National All Star Tournament

Who: Female athletes age 14-19. Must be 19 through December 31, 2007. Age appropriate College players welcome.

What: Selection camp for the Midwest Under 19 Select Side

When: October 21st, 2007. From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where: Madison, WI. Crossroads Rugby Field. Directions at http://www.wwrfc.com/directions.htm. Crossroads Rugby Field is located on Madison's east side just one mile east of Interstate 90 on Hwy. 12/18 EAST. Follow Hwy. 12/18 one mile east from I-90, turn left on Hwy Cty. AB. The field is down a gravel road behind the Crossroads Inn & Tavern. The camp is hosted by the UW-Madison Women's RFC and Wisconsin Women's RFC.

Cost: $25.

Questions and RSVPs to Head Coach Kurt Weaver at jkurtweaver@gmail.com or 614-507-0222. www.selectsiderugby.com

Scores & Upcoming Games

Recent scores from around Wisconsin ...

October 13th/14th
Minneapolis Menagerie def. Milwaukee Scylla, 48-14
Iowa State def. Marquette University, 20-3
UW-Milwaukee def. Northern Michigan Univ., 82-7
UW-Stevens Point def. UW-Oshkosh, 43-0
UW-Madison "B" def. UW-Platteville, 26-7
Vernon def. Northshore, 15-0
Catholic Memorial def. Brookfield, 27-10
DSHA def. Kettle Moraine, 64-0
Muskego def. Oak Creek, 20-0

For Wisconsin's updated collegiate standings, see WRFU Collegiate Women.

For Midwest's updated standings, see Midwest Sr. Women D-II. The Wisconsin Women (D-1) have completed their season.

Upcoming Games
Milwaukee Scylla advance to Midwest D-II Wildcard Tournament, Oct. 20-21.

UW-Milwaukee, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Madison advance to Collegiate D-II playoffs, Oct. 2.

UW-Milwaukee will host D-II Playoffs at Milwaukee County Sports Complex, Oct. 27 & 28.

HS State Semi-Finals
Vernon will play Catholic Memorial, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. at Vernon (Vernon Park)
DSHA will play Muskego, Oct. 22 at 4:30 p.m. at DSHA (Dretzka Park)

HS State Championships will be Sunday, Oct. 28 at Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield, Wisconsin.