From the Editor’s Desk: LA 7s Invitational, Koroibete Tackle, NZ Woes, Vancouver Rogues
LA 7s Invitational
The LA 7s invitational wrapped up last weekend and some kudos to Canadian youth teams who stood out. The Celtic Barbarians won the Girls U18 division, MacDowell Rugby won the Boys U16 division and came 3rd in the Boys U18 and Thunder Indigenous Rugby won the Plate in the Boys U18 division.
NZ Woes
NZ have fallen to 5th in the world and for the first time in 119 years have lost 3 home games in a row. What’s happening to the rugby world? One of the interesting points in the article (linked below) is how the U20 performance of NZ was almost a precursor. NZ dominated the U20 JWC (Junior World Championship) in its first four years, 2008 to 2011, winning handily. They won again in 2015 and 2017 but have had recent dry spells when they didn’t even finish top four in 2016 and 2019 (the most recent), and they were 3rd in 2018. Lesson to learn, put money and resources into the U20 program, an FYI Rugby Canada.
Koroibete Tackle
The GIF below says it all, if you didn’t watch the match, the Australian winger tracked all the way from the opposite wing to make a try saving tackle, and what a tackle it was. Defence is where it’s at, winning starts there.
Bingham Cup
The Bingham Cup is the biennial world championships of gay and inclusive rugby. The tournament was held in Ottawa this August and the Vancouver Rogues finished as the top Canadian men’s side playing for the Bingham Cup, finishing in 8th place. There were 50 men’s teams competing for the Bingham Cup, Hoagland Cup and Challenger Cup and 4 women’s teams competing for the Amanda Cup. The Rogues play in the BC 3rd division, kudos to them.