Land Park flyhalf Leireena Anjoklok – leading candidate for Saturday’s MVP. /// View more photos •
Rugby NorCal got its first look at this season’s contenders, as the Girls’ Kickoff Tournament drew the region’s top high school and middle school teams to the pre-season event. Many teams will return to Cordova High School this weekend for the 32nd annual Sacramento Kickoff Tournament, which includes the boys.
Pre-season tournaments aren’t reliable in terms of league predictions, as victories aren’t necessarily the top priority on the day. But Saturday was valuable in terms of general insights. The SacPD PAL Amazons went undefeated on the day, and featured their All-Americans (No. 8 Eti Haungatau, scrumhalf Maryjane Pasioles and fullback Lote Tausinga) alongside a rising class of stars. The reigning national club champion will miss the influence of graduates like Mele Tausinga, Ana Polalau and Jaida Kafoavalu, among others, and it’s a situation with which Danville will also cope this spring. The Lady Oaks saw mainstays Mata Hingano and Daisy Manoa age out, and made their biggest statements Saturday through hard-chargers like Miyako Manoa and Mele Nisa in the pack, and fullback Lydia Laisenia.
Pleasanton doesn’t have size, but the Cavaliers played fast and disciplined Saturday. Sabrina Kim, Skyler Lewis and Grace Martin – among others – pushed the Amazons in a 12-6 loss. Of all the previously categorized Premier teams (there is no Premier and Division I this year; just one league separated into regions), Pleasanton looked the best prepared.
The past few years, it’s been the Amazons, Danville and Pleasanton dominating the headlines and representing NorCal at nationals, but Land Park’s going to mix it up this spring. After winning NorCal’s Division I and then wasting no time at testing club nationals, the Harlequins showed up Saturday like a team ready to compete. The team has superb leadership in sophomore flyhalf Leireena Anjoklok, the back line conductor, and freshman No. 8 Destiny Nash, the forward captain.
But the whole team looked better in terms of tackle completion, especially against larger opposition – a lesson learned during an eventful 2016. Combined with good fitness and buoyed by confidence, the Quins beat Danville three tries to one.
Only Danville and Pleasanton will see each other during the regular season, but the aforementioned are co-hosting a league-wide tournament on March 11-12 that will serve as a mid-season check-in. Playoff crossovers occur April 22 during the NorCal quarterfinals.
It’s important to note that while the “premier” teams drew the biggest crowds, there was a lot of talent on display. Every team was scout-worthy, and Brown University head coach Kathy Flores was on site. Rugby NorCal has 19 high school teams on the schedule, and many of those league days will be doubleheaders now that the middle school division has ballooned from four to 10 teams in a year. Middle school teams will accompany their high school counterparts on game day.
For more information, visit www.RugbyNorCal.org. For more photos from Saturday’s tournament, click here.