NorCal varsity forward captain Ana Polaulu /// Photo courtesy Rugby Oregon (see more) •
Northern California’s varsity and JV all-star teams won their respective divisions at the Great Northwest Challenge, capping a very successful spring for the region. The Regional Cup Tournament (RCT), held on Oregon State’s campus, drew 11 girls’ teams, making it the largest of the summer 15s showcases.
Organized by NorCal Girls Commissioner Karen Chance, the region held two tryouts before selections and then two official practices in advance of the trip to Corvallis, Ore.
“The program is still growing, but there is strong interest,” NorCal varsity head coach Steve Lopez said. “Several years ago, it would have been tough to field two teams, but it was easy this year.
“Teams from all over NorCal contributed, but the team was predominantly Amazons and Cavaliers,” the coach said of the club national champion and fourth-place finisher, respectively. “The Great Northwest Challenge is a very competitive tournament and we wanted to show well, but we also wanted other players from other programs to have the opportunity to be recognized.”
All told, Sacramento and Pleasanton accounted for 17 of 25 varsity players, and seven of 20 JV players. Eleven teams from across NorCal were represented on the RCT championship squads. (See the full squad here)
“When you have the type of talent that shows at NorCal all-star tryouts, coming from the caliber of teams from the league, it’s easy to coach,” Lopez spoke to unifying the select side. “We develop a game plan that fits their style but also the philosophies of myself, David Tausinga, Paul Bretz, Rod Chance, and you take it from there. You try to emphasize the talents of the players you have: We have dominant runners and incredible speed outside.”
The JV squad practiced alongside the varsity team and was guided by Ben DeBruyn and Phil Haungatau. Both teams embraced similar game plans.
The varsity squad followed Sacramento senior Ana Polaulu’s lead in the forwards. She was named The Breakdown’s Forward of the Year and the No. 8 was a mark of the dominant runners that Lopez referenced. Pleasanton’s Loren Roundtree captained the backs, and the versatile player also banked time at flanker.
“We came out with our NorCal style of rugby,” Tausinga reflected on the varsity side’s 4-0 performance. “Couple of crashes with our forwards, drawing players in as much as they can, and then finding the open areas – whether it was a grubber behind the centers or deep kick behind the fullback and the wing, or just letting the back line create something.”
The varsity team defeated a physical, disciplined Washington 37-14 in game one, and then followed with a 29-21 victory over Oregon.
“Oregon was very good,” Lopez praised. “They had some great runners and came back on us. Their number 12 [Sui A’au] – she’s something special.”
Tausinga reiterated Lopez’s praise for the Central Washington-bound center, as well as the Red Hawks’ balance of strength. NorCal then blanked Montana 58-0 in Sunday’s semifinal, and won the rivalry match against SoCal 27-19 in the final.
The JV team topped SoCal 32-10 to start the tournament and then eked out a 12-10 victory over Montana, which was actually a combination squad of underclassmen from Montana and Rhinos Academy. The duo didn’t have enough players to field separate varsity and JV teams and combined forces in both divisions. On Sunday, NorCal JV blanked Oregon 37-0 and defeated Washington for the perfect 4-0 record and title.
“Like always, the teams that showed up were incredibly talented. There were so many special athletes,” Lopez said. “Our teams absolutely met expectations. We talked to them about representing their home teams, their region of the state and the state as a whole. They had fun – the most important thing – but took it seriously and listened. They performed spectacularly.”
A handful of players stepped out at all-stars, which is always a highlight for coaches, and USA Rugby was on hand to view it all.
“USA Rugby’s presence adds to the tournament, and it gets the players excited,” Lopez said. “When you have people there wearing USA Rugby gear, watching the girls for whatever teams, talking to me, that’s something special that not all athletes get to experience. Playing in front of national team selectors, that adds a lot.”
Selectors for the Girls High School All Americans (GHSAAs), as well as collegiate scouts, circulated the grounds, and the GHSAAs will be sending out invites to early August’s west camp, which culminates in games against British Columbia.
To view more photos from the Great Northwest Challenge, visit Rugby Oregon’s Facebook page.