Are You Ready for Some...Rugby?

[kevin_standlee]

The Barclay's Churchill Cup international rugby competition starts in Santa Clara on Saturday, as the Bay Area plays host to one of the two pools of this international rugby tournament. The Churchill Cup is an international rugby tournament jointly organized by the USA, Canada, and England. (Note that I do mean "England," not "Great Britain" or some other combination. England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland -- the last being a unified team, north and south -- field separate national rugby squads.) They have invited three other countries to this year's tournament, and split the six teams into two pools. The "San Francisco" pool, which will be played at Buck Shaw Stadium at Santa Clara University, consists of the USA, Ireland A, and the New Zealand Maori. The other pool is (Canada, England 'Saxons', and Scotland) playing in Ottawa and Toronto. The results of pool play will seed the six teams for the final round in Edmonton.

I hope to attend all three matches being played here, because it's rare to get a chance to see world-class rugby around here. Even though the non-North American unions are more or less bringing along their secondary or developmental sides, it still should be a good series of matches.

Saturday, June 3rd - 2:00PM
United States vs. Ireland A

Wednesday, June 7th - 7:30 PM
United States vs. New Zealand Maori

Saturday, June 10th - 2:00 PM
New Zealand Maori vs. Ireland A

Afterthought, 10:20 AM: This presumably means that before the matches including Ireland A they will play Ireland's Call, which is a wonderful anthem. And the matches with New Zealand Maori will mean we get to see the Haka. Yay!

Comments

[thirdworld.livejournal.com]

I'd enjoy that. It's likely a sad fact that one of those second-string teams will still win that tournament. Still, it would be great fun, without a South African team to root for I could be simply a fan of the game.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I'm expecting the USA team to get stomped -- in the final round in Edmonton, I figure the first consolation match (5th vs 6th) will be USA vs. Canada -- but the games should be relatively decent. And the Ireland-New Zealand match on the 10th will be really worth watching. As I mentioned in the afterthough to my post added after you replied, not only will we see two good teams play, but we'll also get two of the best pre-games, in the Irish anthem Ireland's Call and the traditional NZ Haka.

As you know, cherylmorgan had to go back to the UK this week. She's sorry she won't be here, but would be even more sorry if either Wales or England were playing here (and thus she would miss the games) -- the former so she can cheer for them, and the latter so she can cheer for whoever they're playing.

[thirdworld.livejournal.com]

Yes, one day I want to be inside Murrayfield as the Scots filling the stadium sing their lovely anthem. Wales too. And NZ are great fun with their Haka.

[cherylmorgan.livejournal.com]

Sky are showing the USA-Ireland and Maori-Ireland matches, but sadly not any other USA games (no home interest). I'd love to watch the Maori play live, but I'm also thinking ahead to June 11 and 17 when the Wallabies get a chance to grind England into the dirt.

[(Anonymous)]

hehe sorry cheryl, but the wallabies are in no shape at the moment to do that!!! will be another uk victory! good luck to england saxons out there. particularly dave walder, cheer him on. newcastle just dropped in because old golden boots is back in shape (that jonny wilkinson to the yanks that dont know) he needs a team on his return!

[cherylmorgan.livejournal.com]

Still confident? Dick Best and Dewi Morris didn't seem at all happy.