20 Guys & Three Months

I'm pretty sure that got your attention....

The Sevens season for the Santa Monica Dolphins ended this weekend with our epic adventure at the USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.   Tales of our exploits will surely become legends over the coming months.  Before I dig in and give my full attention to the RWC, I have to reflect on what happened to me when I got home from the trip yesterday.

After our overnight drive from Des Moines to KC and our 6AM flight home to LA, I was to say the least extremely tired.  So I'm not going to discount the lack of sleep on my condition and what happened once I hit my front door.

What I can't describe is the smell of bananas and sweat.

Upon entering my apartment, my eyes were shocked at the scene.  SOS packets, broken hangers, and trail mix still sat on my coffee table, remnants of the hectic packing that had occurred three days prior.  It was a prelude to what I saw in the back room.  It was as if a rugby club house had exploded. Extra jerseys, a stack of thank you cards, signed jerseys, excess camera gear, a giant jar half full of peanut butter, extra med kit supplies, duplicate set of paperwork, pinnies, training balls, and a couple of cones all where I'd left them after the packing in the wee small hours of Thursday morning.   But I couldn't stop to contemplate it.  I had to get to work, our flight had been delayed and I was already late.

I rushed through changing clothes and quickly downing some coffee.  Then I quickly and haphazardly dumped my backpack in the middle of the floor to grab the necessities for work--wallet, phone, notebook.  As I grabbed these things and shoved them in my purse I barely noticed the receipts, the passport, the sharpies, the electrical tape and the million other little things that had been shoved in the pack over the course of 72 hours.  But I did see an empty SOS packet and immediately burst into tears.  

SOS is the drink mix our team uses to stay hydrated.  Nothing extraordinary really.  Except it was the basis of our "Magic" water bottle.  I'd spent so much time keeping track of one water bottle we'd used at half time that we mixed up 4-5 packets of hydration drink into.  A little boost to stave off dehydration.  Again nothing extraordinary, just seeing it cause enough of a pause in my mind to think about all the memories I have from Nationals.  I remember moments from every game & every practice of the last three months, but these were the ones that stick in my mind-the things I find myself missing.

A team that works together.

Charlie with the towel on his head
Mitch laughing - seriously the most infectious whole body laugh you've ever seen.
Stu looking over his glasses - clearly wise beyond his years
Cody getting passing and tackling lessons from Charlie
Martial & that insane moment of relief/joy when we officially cleared him as Eagles Eligible
Harry's side step
Adrian saying "fuck" every five minutes
Mathieu laying on the ground drinking water straight from the cooler
Yelling Pypes name across the field for coin toss
Izzy snoring in the car on the drive to KC
James running around doing absolutely as much as he could off the pitch
Tyler hydrating everyone with the magic bottle at the team meeting
Danny with the ball up to his face calling a play
Bonte in beast mode during a tackle, looking completely like another person
Seve turning up to tourneys-broken leg and all
Seb's yellow card
Phil, Pat, Zac and other Dolphins rolling up to practice even though they weren't going to Iowa
The Nick Cages in their pink kit cheering in the rain
Stabs unconditional support as we went after this season on our own

I let the tears roll for a few minutes. I'm just so goddamn proud of them!!  Yes we were disappointed when we lost the Bowl final, but #10 in the country is nothing to sneeze at.  I know we will pick up next season and we'll be back at Nationals again next year.  

I picked up that empty SOS packet and stuck it up on the cork board.  I'm looking at it now while I type.  There's so much about this SMRC Sevens team than what I've listed above.  They are rugby players and some of the best men I've ever met.

I can't introduce you all to the individually.  The best I can do is share this video.  Get to know them a little bit the way I do.

And to my team...NEXT SEASON BEGINS NOW!!!  #PHINS UP!!!

Don't Call It A Comeback....

Did you miss me?

So let's get this out of the way....  Breaks happen and often times they occur for normal reasons....the season ends, the seasons starts, a window opens and blows the door shut, it gets stuck and you can't get it open for awhile.

We were gone for a minute and now as Rhodey said in Iron Man 2 -  "It's me. I'm here. Just get over it."

I would have used a dragon, but that would be overkill.

Behind the Ruck is picking up where we left off--bringing you coverage of rugby around the world from a decidedly American female perspective.   If that leads you to expect a regular evaluation of kit colors, hairstyles and how hot Mike Phillips is, you would be wrong.

I'm the manager of the #10 Seven's team in the country, work behind the scenes for one of the top D1 teams in Southern California, traveling manager for a PRP team and also have coaching certification.   So while I may occasionally point out a man bun, I'm much more likely to analyze, comment and editorialize on what's happening on the pitch and those who make that magic happen.

To be fair, I will just leave this right here...I'm not dead after all.

My main purpose was, is and always will be to present rugby in a way that hopefully elevates the game and the people involved with it.  Expansion of the game in the United States is imminent.  That growth requires not only talented and passionate players, but also coaches, trainers, managers, supporters, photographers, media specialists, reporters and bloggers.  

I promise the following.

I am not unbiased nor am I a reporter--I'm a blogger.  I expose to you my bias for Wales, the Eagles and Santa Monica's Dolphins.  But that also doesn't mean I'll choose "ignorance is bliss".   You will find I'm also one of the harshest critics of the teams I love.  While I will stick to factual information, again, I will not claim to be a reporter.

To the players I work with daily, I vow that I will not become an expose, TMZ-esque, click bait psycho.  I'll leave that to other sites.  You know who you are.   There are some things I've never commented on and I never will.   That's out of respect for the players and the teams I work with.  Those jobs require trust and that is something I will never jeopardize.  Besides I'm never there for the really good stuff anyway!

So if you are reading this looking for who's dating who, who's got the best "Phin" or where the Welsh hang out....best stop now and find another blog.

On the other hand, if you are ready for some highlights, low lights, photographs, interviews and behind the scenes looks at what goes into rugby from a small club level all the way through the final at RWC, then you've found the place.  Sit back and enjoy...I'm back baby!

These guys seem pretty happy about it.