THE OFFICIAL SITE OF CENTRAL RUGBY

Central is looking forward to the kick off their 2nd match of the year as the BYU Cougars come to the Northwest this Thursday. The Wildcats last match vs Oregon State University was canceled due to severe weather throughout the Northwest. This weeks Thursday afternoon match is scheduled to kick off at 1pm at Magnuson Park in Seattle, WA and may need a little help from mother nature.  Fans should keep their fingers crossed that the weather man is correct as it appears the worst of the Winter Storm has passed and if the roads hold up the game should go off without a hitch. Although inclement  weather has made life difficult for the Wildcats the team is still training hard as they look to improve on their performance less than 2 weeks ago against the Thunderbirds.

According to Coach Anthony Pacheco, this week is about taking the next step. “Several guys had a chance to cut their teeth last week against UBC and now it will be important for them to show their ability improve on their last performance.” Central knows this weeks match is important and although they would have enjoyed having 80 additional minutes under their belt before facing the #1 team in the nation now it is about rising to the occasion.

CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS: Current winter weather has caused this weekends match vs Oregon State to be canceled. The match was scheduled to kick off at Noon on January 21st in Corvallis Oregon at Peavy Field located on the corner of 30th & Jefferson.

Directions to Peavy Field From I-5: Take the OR-34 exit (exit #228) into Corvallis.  Stay on OR-34 coming over the bridge into town. Turn left on 4th St proceeding through downtown.  Turn right on Western (noticing Reser Stadium on 26th).  Turn right on 30th bringing you into campus. You will see the rugby field on your left.

Central vs UBC 2012 by Maddie Bolduc

Central lost their opening match of the 2012 rugby season 36-0 saturday against the University of British Columbia at Magnuson Park in Seattle. The Wildcats squandered 2 penalty opportunities and failed to execute on 3 additional occasions inside the Thundersbirds 22 meter line in the 1st half. Meanwhile UBC used the slick conditions to their advantage coming away with a first half lead 12-0. The first score of the game came off a UBC scrum after the CWU Fullback was held up two meters in front of the Wildcat goal line, and the second score came off a broken play chip and run which saw the ball bounce through two sets of Wildcat defenders before UBC dotted down for the try.

The second half proved challenging for the Wildcats as the replacement of tight head prop Sam Smith put the Central scrum under pressure and reduced the quality of attacking ball. In the loose Central was able to string together multiple phases of attack but at times looked to be to entrepreneurial in their own half and the mistakes cost them. UBC capitalized on the Wildcat mistakes and was able to score 24 unanswered points in the last 30 minutes of match play.

“The upside to playing a quality opponent your first run out is that you have the opportunity to really measure your self and identify your weaknesses” according to CWU Coach Anthony Pacheco. Central was able to try out 5 new players in the forward pack as well as a new half back and a new 10/12 combination. Central will get their next test vs Oregon State University next Saturday at Noon in Corvallis Oregon followed by a mid-week test vs BYU who finished 2nd in the nation last year on January 27th in Seattle at 1:00pm.

The Wildcats 1st XV will kick off against the University of British Columbia at 1:00 pm on Saturday January 14, 2012 at the Magnuson Rugby Field in Seattle, WA. Central and UBC will play two matches with the 2nd XV kicking off immediately after the conclusion of the 1st match. This will be the first run out for the Wildcats 1st XV of the 2011-12 rugby season. Central used the fall season to focus on their Sevens development that took them to the National Championship in College Station on December 17th where they took home a silver medal finishing runners-up to Life College. The Wildcats will now look to capitalize on their fitness and skill development as they turn their focus to 15s with a stiff competition right out of the gate. UBC will bring their full stable of players this weekend that have been playing top rugby in British Columbia throughout the fall. Central will need to assert themselves early and take great care of possession in order to control tempo and put themselves in position for success. You can follow the Wildcats on Facebook throughout the match by clicking here.

Members of Central Washington University (CWU) rugby team are mourning the death of teammate Craig Stafford, who died suddenly on December 31, 2011 at his home in Longview, WA.

According to CWU coach Bob Ford, “Craig was selfless and tremendously hard-working on and off the field. He was a phenomenal young person, everything you would want a young man to be. Craig had a kind heart and cared deeply for his friends and teammates.”  

Team members along with the Central coaching staff will travel Friday, January 6th to attend the funeral service in support of Stafford’s family and friends.

Stafford, a 2007 graduate of Mark Morris High School, recently returned from a three-month study abroad trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for intensive Spanish language study.  Craig was a senior, Law and Justice Major and four-year member of the CWU men’s rugby team.

The Funeral mass and Celebration of Life for Stafford will take place Friday, January 6, at St. Rose Church in Longview, WA at 11am.  Stafford is survived by his parents, Douglas and Kathryn (Burrus) Stafford, a sister and brother-in-law; his paternal and maternal grandparents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Staffords name be made to St. Vincent DePaul, P.O. Box 2975, Longview, WA 98632, CURE Epilepsy, 223 W. Erie Street, Suite 2 SW, Chicago, IL 60654 or online at www.cureepilepsy.org or  Click Here to support the Central Washington Unviersity – Craig Stafford tribute fund.

On December 14th the Wildcats will board a plane and head to Texas A&M for the 1st ever Collegiate 7s National Championships in College Station. Central will have an opportunity for a team run on Thursday the 15th prior to kicking off the competition on Friday the 16th.  Central will compete in Pool A along with Air Force, Arkansas State, and Arkansas. Pool B will include: Life College, Wisconsin, Cal Poly, & Texas. Pool C will include: St. Mary’s, N.C. State, Western Washington, & Wis. – Milwaukee. Pool D will include: Tennessee, San Diego St., Stony Brook, & Oklahoma. Pool E will include: Kutztown, Florida, UC Davis, & Florida State. Pool F will include: Miami (ohio), Colorado, Texas A&M, & Virginia.

Click here to learn how to watch the Wildcats Live 

Friday Schedule: Central will kick off their 1st match vs. Arkansas at 9:40 am (*Webcast / Central Time), followed by Air Force at 12:40 p.m. (Not Available Via Webcast / Central Time), and Arkansas State at 3:40 p.m (*Webcast / Central Time).  To view the full schedule including knock out rounds please Click Here .

According to Central Coach Anthony Pacheco “This is a great opportunity for our program, the boys have trained hard and are very fit. This competition will certainly test us early and we have to start fast and stay focused on our goals. Sevens is a minute by minute second by second competition and the team is ready.

CWU rugby dispatched both the University of Washington (45-10)  and Washington State University (22-0) in pool play, followed by Eastern Washington University (45-5) in the semi final to see them through to the final of the Northwest Collegiate 7′s National Qualifier. The Wildcats defeated Western Washington in the championship match 29-7 to secure 1 of 24 spots in the USA Rugby 7′s National Championship in December.

The Wildcats had outstanding performances from several players including Tim Stanfill (Senior & Captain), Tanner Barnes (Freshman), Josh Bowers (Sophomore), Patrick Blair (Sophomore), Paul Smith (Junior) and Alex Reher (Sophomore). The Wildcats played a high tempo, high energy brand of rugby showing athleticism and fitness throughout the tournament. CWU Coach Tony Pacheco said “I am proud of the way we played today. We have put in a lot of hard work and it is encouraging to see our athletes respond well, but we are only a few weeks into this season and now the hard work starts.” Central will turn their focus to increasing their level of fitness and will count on the support of strength coach Shane Wittkopp to raise the bar once again prior to the national tournament in December.

October 13, 2011

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Central Washington University and Gametapes LLC, a Seattle-based sports television production company, are partnering to bring the college version of America’s fastest-growing team sport, rugby, to television stations across Washington.

On Monday, October 24, the first airing is planned of a one-hour highlights broadcast of the Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference (NCRC) Sevens tournament, which takes place at Seattle’s Memorial Stadium on Sunday, October 16.

As it is a qualifying tournament for the USA Rugby College Sevens Championship, which will be held in mid-December, the “NCRC Sevens” event will feature all of the Pacific Northwest’s top collegiate rugby teams, including the Wildcats, University of Washington, Washington State University, Oregon, Oregon State, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, University of Idaho, and University of Puget Sound.

(Click Here to Purchase Tickets Now)

Gametapes LLC will have four cameras at the event, capturing highlights of all of the games. In addition, a “Sevens 101” feature during the telecast will explain the game to viewers new to the sport, which is the seven-player version of the normally 15-a-side sport. It’s played on a full-sized rugby field, with each game consisting of two seven minute halves.

Producer Tim Exton said, “I think viewers are going to love Sevens Rugby. If you like the speed and hard knocks of football then this is a sport for you. Gametapes is just excited to be part of this event.”

The highlight special will be shown just one day after the Rugby World Cup final that will be seen live on television in the United States for the first time ever.

The NCRC’s Matt Hudson added that the televising of their tournament is an important step in the growth of rugby, “To get local college rugby on television immediately after the coverage of the Rugby World Cup shows that the sport is starting to make its mark and can only move forward from here.”

After finishing fourth in the nation during the 2011 USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship last June, Central is the favorite in the event. However, Wildcats coach Bob Ford is taking nothing for granted.

“There are some very strong rugby programs in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ford, “and we’re going to have to be at the top of our game if we’re going to win.”

The NCRC Sevens program will be broadcast in Central Washington and Spokane on SWX on October 24 and 25, at 8 p.m., and on NBC Universal Sports, in the Seattle-Tacoma area, October 24, at 8 p.m., and October 25, at 5 a.m. Additional broadcasts will be added.

If you are interested in commercial or sponsorship opportunities please email: robert.ford@cwu.edu

If you would like to donate to CWU Rugby please click here

Show your support for your Wildcats and root them on as they compete for a national bid to the USA Rugby 7s National Championship. Kick off is at 10am on Sunday October 16th at Memorial Stadium in Seattle. You won’t want to miss this full day of fast paced high scoring 7s action.

Click here to get your tickets now and do not forget to note that your purchase is going to support the Wildcats!

If you would like to donate to CWU Rugby please click here

For immediate release:

With the 2010-11 season officially in the books the CWU Rugby Team is already hard at work on the upcoming season. The Wildcats closed out their 2011 season participating the Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s tournament hosted by USA Sevens LLC where Central qualified to compete in the Bronze medal match vs. the University of Utah, coming up a conversion away from sending the match into overtime after scoring a try in the final minute of regulation. Although the Wildcats did not walk away with a medal they certainly turned many heads in the competition. In pool play they defeated North Carolina and Navy, after losing a nail bitter to Army. Central’s performance on day one was good enough to push them through to the semi-final round against Arizona who had defeated their opponents on day one with an 85-0 points total. Central defeated Arizona on day two and looked poised to continue their winning ways but a well coached Dartmouth program proved they were not be taken lightly and dispatched the Wildcats with impressive play and control in the tackle contest. Dartmouth would go onto face Army in the final and eventually clinched the Championship.

Looking ahead Central will find they are in familiar territory starting the fall campaign much the way they ended last year with 7s still at the forefront of their competition. This time around the Wildcats won’t be taking anyone lightly as they prepare for a national 7s qualifier hosted by the Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference (NCRC) on October 16^th at Memorial Stadium in Seattle, WA. The NCRC tournament has been named a qualifier by USA Rugby who is hosting their first National Championship for Collegiate Sevens, December 16^th – 18^th. The Champion of the NCRC will qualify directly to the USA Rugby National Championship tournament and will join 23 other teams that have qualified their way into the tournament either by winning a qualifier or by receiving an at large bid from the USA Rugby competitions committee.

With fall just around the corner the Wildcats plan to cast a wide net in an effort to attract the best of the best. September 19^th-22^nd Central Coaches will host a series of Informal Training and Fitness Sessions from 4-6pm on campus at the CWU Rugby Pitch located adjacent to Tomlinson Stadium in an effort to provide returning athletes and those new to the sport a chance to put their hand up while working on skill development. On Thursday September 22^nd at 7pm Central will host their annual kickoff meeting that is required for any athletes wanting to participate. The meeting will be held on campus in Black Hall 151. During this meeting athletes will meet with Club officers and Coaches to complete all required paper work and the team will begin the goal setting process. Athletes will also receive the training schedule for the weeks ahead. Friday September 23^rd at 4pm will mark the official start of the season and with it will come increased pressure to perform, as all athletes will undergo fitness testing before having a chance to get a ball in their hand on Saturday September 24^th at 10am. With more than 20 new recruits and over 35 returning players Coaches will have their work cut out for them and athletes will need to hit the ground running if they want to standout.

“ALWAYS COMPETE” - Following morning training sessions at the Serevi Rugby Academy, 3 current players, 3 2011-12 recruits and 1 CWU Alumni along with Coach Tony Pacheco were invited to attend a full team practice at the Seahawks training facility in preperation for the Seahawks August 20th match up against the Minnesota Vikings. Central team members along with the remaining Serevi Rugby Academy participants were hosted by head coach Pete Carroll. The visitors were provided with facility tours and met with Coach Carroll following training for a engaged Q&A session. Coach Carroll was very informal and candid with players and staff demonstrating his warmth and hospitality. The opportunity proved inspirational for players who saw first hand what a fully proffesional environment looked like. Players were impressed by the precision and business like approach with which NFL athletes go about their pre-game development. According to CWU Sophmore Josh Bower, “it was truly amazing the level of focus and attention these elite athletes apply to their craft, they are always competing with each other and themselves.”

Friday morning Central team members will meet with Gordon Tietjens the Legendary All Blacks Coach with a focus on defense. For more on the Serevi Rugby Academy check out: www.serevirugby.com/rugby-camps