Upholding a long team tradition, several members of the Wisconsin Women’s Rugby Club traveled south of the border to play in Rockford’s annual W-fest Rugby Tournament, Saturday, June 18.

A “luck of the draw” tournament, each player is assigned a random shirt color and then grouped with two other women and seven men to form a co-ed full-contact rugby team. The tournament is double-elimination. The state of Wisconsin was well represented by more than 25 women and men’s players overall which provided a large cheering squad throughout the day.

The day’s final match saw current Wisconsin Women’s captain Mary Hanks’ Red Team playing former Wisconsin captain Kelly Clerkin’s Salmon Team. Salmon took the tournament, but Hanks was named the Tournament’s Most Valuable  for all women’s players.

Wisconsin Women’s players who participated in the tournament were Mary Hanks, Nadia Riese, Laura Hanks, Caitlin Keating-Bitonti, Michelle “Mike” Blaser, Jessica Burda, Jenny Pederson, Kelly Mullen, and Kelly Clerkin. They were joined by friends Greta Slack from UW-Madison, Xane, Bambi from UW-Stout, Ali from the Amazons, and Amy Cullen from Chicago.

Rugby Magazine highlighted the start of the Division I Women’s League season this week, in addition to start of season rankings for all Division I Women’s teams.

Women’s D1 Club Update & Rankings

Chi Town grudge match highlight’s this weekend’s DI matches.

By Jackie Finlan

By weekend’s close, all women’s division one teams will have a league match under their boots, and the club landscape will begin to take shape. Game of the weekend pits city rivals Chicago and Chicago North Shore in CR2. Read more …

Wisconsin is included mid-article:

Also looking for its first win the CR2’s Midwest region will be Wisconsin and Detroit, who face off in Madison, WI. Wisconsin prefaced its league season with two big wins against DII clubs Scylla (47-5) and the Menagerie (47-0), while Detroit warmed up against Pittsburgh and the Valkyries.

The complete ranking list is below. Look for Wisconsin to move up it as the season progresses.

Rankings
The following is based off of last year’s National DI Championship finish, but there are already a handful of early-season upsets, so expect some shuffling in the upcoming weeks.

(fall league record, record including friendlies & tournaments)

1. San Diego (1-0)
Beat Tempe 38-10

2. NOVA (1-0)
Beat DC Furies 20-19

3. Atlanta (1-0)
Beat Orlando 46-0

4. Seattle

5. Austin Valkyries (2-0)
Beat Houston 43-7, Texas A&M 51-0

6. Glendale (1-1)
Beat Boulder 29-15, lost to Black Ice 24-12

7. Belmont (1-0)
Beat Mudhens 27-0

8. Nor Cal Triple Threat (1-0)
Beat San Fran Fog 24-15

9. Boston (0-1)
Lost to Village Lions 7-5

10. Chicago North Shore

11. Detroit

12. Chicago

13. Village Lions (2-0)
Beat Philly 14-17, Boston 7-5

14. Providence (1-0)
Beat Philly 21-0

15. Black Ice (1-0)
Beat Glendale 24-12

16. Philadelphia (0-2)
Lost to Village Lions 24-17, Providence 21-0

17. Wisconsin (2-0)
Defeated Scylla 47-5, Minneapolis Menagerie 47-0

18. Tempe (0-1)
Lost to San Diego 37-10

19. San Francisco Fog (0-1)
Lost to Nor Cal 24-15

20. St Louis Sabres

21. Mudhens (0-1)
Lost to Belmont 27-0

22. Orlando (0-1)
Lost to Atlanta 46-0

The Wisconsin Women earned three decisive victories at the Sixth Annual Stuart Daily Memorial Tournament to claim the women’s trophy for the home team again in 2010.

The annual tournament organized by the Wisconsin Rugby Club (Madison’s D-2 men’s team) was held at the brand new WRC Sports Complex Fields in Cottage Grove, Wis.

The Wisconsin Women defeated the Chicago Sirens 41-5, the Chicago Women 43-0 and the college side “EauStoutison” (Eau Claire – Stout – Madison) 24-10.

This marked the team’s first victories at the new fields, home of the future Madison rugby clubhouse, and provided a successful annual jello shot fundraiser as well.

2010 photos to be posted shortly.