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The Dog River Howlers Rugby Club are organizing a fundraiser on Thursday July 18 at Beer Brothers Gastrpub and Eatery (1861 Scarth Street, Regina) in support of Geoff Mc Loed and his family. It will start at 8:30 pm with beer and food compliments of Beer Brothers, whose owners played rugby with and against Geoff. 


Geoff who has a wife and 2 young children has been diagnosed with brain cancer Gliobastoma stage 4.  As a result his wife has taken work leave  take care of Geoff adding extra financial strain on the family.

 A devoted servant of the game  Geoff has been involved with Rugby for 24 years from the age of 17 years old until last year where he was the President of the North Saskatchewan Rugby Union. Along the way played rugby for the Regina Condors, Regina Rogues, Saskatoon Gophers, Vancouver Meralomas, Saskatchewan provincial team and the Prairie Fire. 

To get the ball rolling the  Howlers are donating $500 towards this fundraiser along with a limited edition "We Stand On Guard For Thee " print  signed by every former Canadian Rugby World Cup captain (see attached). We will also be asking for donations with all amounts of $100 or over receiving a tax receipt. If you are not able to attend this event please in turn send a cheque made payable to Rugby Canada( tax receipt purposes) to Howlers treasurer Leo Lane at #301 - 2700 Montague, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada  S4S-0J9.

 Dog River Howlers Rugby Club where "IT'S MORE THAN A GAME , IT'S A WAY OF LIFE". www.dogriverhowlers.com   and Facebook  - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dog-River-Howlers-Rugby-Club/171358302913109  -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq2CLUdzri8

Attached picture is of Shane (right) and 2 of Canada's all time great 15's players - Mark Wyatt (centre) and Winston Stanley (left) at the Alba Games in Jiguana Cuba (2009)

Shane coached (also played in) the first ever Dog River Howlers 7's side in which they played in and won the "Alba Games" in May of 2009 in Jiguana, Cuba- http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.78395496253.90701.514726253&l=138348a195.. Since then he has coached the team in various tournaments including most recently the Howlers U-16 side at the Heidelberg (Germany) International Youth Sevens.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - Submitted by Shailene Parsons - RC Communications
Rugby Canada is proud to announce the appointment of Shane Thompson and Morgan Williams as joint coaches of the Maple Leafs Sevens program. Thompson and Williams are both major contributors to Canadian Rugby and the Sevens program, Thompson having received the IRB Contribution Award during the 2009 season.

The Maple Leafs are intended to develop the future Sevens players of the National program and will be used as development and selection tool for the National Side that plays on the IRB World Sevens Series. The team will be managed by Todd Silverthorn out of the Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence in Langford, British Columbia.

Selection for the Maple Leafs Team will be conducted by Head Coach of the National Senior Men’s Sevens Program, Geraint John, with input from Senior Men’s Head Coach Kieran Crowley, as well as Thompson and Williams.

“The point of the program is to continue to produce quality players to represent Canada on the international Sevens stage and the Maple Leafs are a selection pathway for the National Team. We aim to give more players more experience of travelling and game time,” John said from Vancouver, where Canada’s Men’s Sevens squad prepared for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, Russia.

The Maple Leafs will enter into four tournaments in the next year: Cali, Colombia from July 25th – August 4th for the World Games, Victoria, British Columbia for the Victoria Sevens September 4th – 8th and will round out 2013 with a trip to the Cayman Islands for the NACRA Sevens November 3rd – 11th. The Leafs will then open 2014 in Las Vegas for the Sevens tournament being held January 19th – 27th.

Both Thompson and Williams will attend the teams’ first stop as co-coaches in Colombia and will then take turns coaching the side in the following three events.

THE DOG RIVER HOWLERS RUGBY CLUB ( www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?ref=ts&fref=ts) SALUTE WHAT MANY CONSIDER THE GREATEST MAN OF THE 20TH CENTURY - NELSON MANDELA WHO IS CURRENTLY FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE . OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH HIM. READ BELOW HOW HE CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY WITH THE HELP OF RUGBY - picture is of Nelson Mandela awarding Springbok captain Francois Pienaar the 1995 Rugby World Cup Trophy
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MANDELA UNITES A NATION by Karen Bond

South Africa had been a divided nation for decades under the apartheid regime, but thanks to the determination of one hugely popular man the whole country came together to unite behind the Springboks on their Rugby World Cup debut on home soil in 1995.

The first tournament to be staged in one country came alive as the whole of South Africa was swept along in rugby fever, buying into the ‘one team, one nation’ slogan as the Springboks opened with a 27-18 victory over holders Australia in Cape Town.

Francois Pienaar, captain of that Springbok side, certainly has never forgotten being swept along by the public excitement that had gripped the Rainbow Nations after the dream World Cup debut for the host nation.
“I was going to meet my fiancée and sister in law in the waterfront for a quiet meal, but in South Africa we don’t do things quietly if we have just beaten the favourites to win the Rugby World Cup!” recalled Pienaar.

“So as I approached the waterfront, some people spotted me and there was a crowd that gathered round and I got carried on their shoulders to where my now wife was sitting waiting for me! It was embarrassing actually.”

Uniting a nation

However if Pienaar was surprised by the outpouring of emotion among the public, the flanker should not have been, given they had been inspired by one man who had suffered in the apartheid regime, but now lead the new South Africa.

That man was, of course, President Nelson Mandela, someone that Pienaar and his fellow Springboks were to meet on more than one occasion during Rugby World Cup 1995, each visit by the frail 76-year-old leaving the team inspired by his mere presence.

“Before the opening match he came to our training sessions at Silvermines in Cape Town to say hi, flew in by helicopter and greeted everyone,” Pienaar told Total Rugby. “We call it Madiba Magic, he has got magic, he’s got such an aura. I was so blown away by his humility.”

Pienaar wasn’t the only one to feel the Madiba Magic on the eve of the World Cup final with New Zealand in Johannesburg, scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen has certainly never forgotten the special visitor to their changing room that day.

“There was a lot of stress in the changing room, a lot of emotions … it was dead quiet and suddenly the door opened and there was Nelson Mandela walking in,” remembered van der Westhuizen. “I think the best thing was to see him a Springbok jersey, that was the best thing for us – it was a total surprise.

“Then we realised that the whole country is behind us, and for this man to wear a Springbok jersey was a sign, not just for us, but for the whole of South Africa, that we have to unite, and we have to unite today.”

Pienaar's number is up

Mandela, though, wasn’t simply wearing a Springbok jersey, as Pienaar was to discover when he introduced the South African team to their President on the pitch as tens of thousands of fans chanted his name.

“I never knew he was going to be there, and I never ever thought in my life that he would wear a Springbok jumper. And he just stood there, and he had this aura. He just said good luck, that’s all he said.

“Then he turned around and there was this number six on his back and that was me! I was just so emotional, I couldn’t sing the anthem, I was just too emotional and too proud.”

However it wasn’t only the Springboks that were affected by Mandela wearing a jersey that had for so long been a symbol of what was perceived as a white man’s sport in South Africa, the same could be true for the All Blacks that famous day at Ellis Park.

“To see him walking into the stadium with Francois’ jersey on, and to hear 72,000 people start chanting Mandela, Mandela … then there’s 15 of us there looking, thinking ‘God, how are we ever going to beat these buggers!” admitted captain Sean Fitzpatrick.

Anything is possible

Even Jonah Lomu, the Player of the Tournament who had single-handedly destroyed England in the semi final, was beginning to have his doubts that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t going to be New Zealand’s day.

“Firstly you get intimidated shaking Nelson Mandela’s hand and he’s wearing a Springbok jersey, it felt like the pressure was all on us because they had Nelson Mandela on their side, they had their country finally united after years of fighting … that one day they all came together.”

For the record the two sides gave everything they could out on the pitch and were locked together after normal time with fly halves Joel Stransky and Andrew Mehrtens kicking the points for the Springboks and All Blacks respectively.

Something special would be needed to break the deadlock before the watching Mandela, which duly came from Joel Stransky’s drop goal seven minutes from time, a kick which was the catalyst for the outpouring of joy and relief across South Africa.

The sight of Mandela handing over the trophy to Pienaar became one of the defining images of the 20th Century, the culmination of a dream tournament for South Africa and one none of the players involved will ever forget.

“Seeing Nelson Mandela, when Francois lifted the trophy and think about what that guy did for this country, and now suddenly we did something for this country. It’s quite a lesson for everybody, that we can do things together,” revealed van der Westhuizen..

HOWLERS SUPPORT UP AND COMING FIRST NATIONS PLAYER 
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Devyn Skinner is a 18 year old 6 foot, 300 pound prop who plays for the Calgary Hornets (also played for Calgary's elite team Mavericks U-18 ) that Canada U-20 coach Graeme Brown describes as an explosive and powerful player who has tremendous potentiel. Devin was part of the Hornet's Elite Academy for which the Howlers underwrote him for $650. We look forward to Devyn someday wearing the Canadian colours which in turn we hope will inspire other first nations youngsters to try our game.

Six Capped Howlers ( Justin Edralin , Marcus Hall, Patrick Young, Payton Hall, Nishant Jaine, Peni Lutudromu) Are Part Of The 4th Anual Rugby 7's Game At Half Time Of Saskatchewan Roughriders game vs Calgary on June 20, 2013 at Mosaic Stadium sponsored by the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club (www.facebook.com/dogriverhowlers?fref=ts) - -  http://www.dogriverhowlers.com/
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Picture is of 16 year old Howler Payton Hall( Regina Condors) playing with the Prairie Fire as he is being being pursued by would be U of R Cougars tacklers. See more pics on below attached web page:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151440886206254.1073741840.514726253&&l=25d98cee5e

University Of Regina Cougars defeated Praire Fire RFC 10-5 at Regina's Mosaic Stadium in front of some 25,000 fans that really enjoyed the very exciting game.

U Of R Cougars Line Up 
1. Zane Brucks 
2. Justin Edralin (Howler)
3. Christian Futschik *
4. Marcus Hall (Howler)
5. Jon King 
6. Issac Mayes 
7. Thomas Ogilvie 
8. Qasm Mahmood 
9. Nathan Sgrazzutti 
10. Taylor Baker 
11. Patrick Young (Howler)
Coach - Peni Lutudromu (Howler)

Prairie Fire Line Up ---
1. Joel Brier (Regina Rogues) 
2. Bryden Carr (Regina Rogues) 
3. Mark Discombe (Regina Rogues RFC) 
4. Riles Fahlman (Campion Grads RFC) 
5. Payton Hall ( Regina Condors RFC) (Howler)
6. Dave Hartington ( Regina Highlanders RFC) 
7. Nishant Jaine (Regian Condors RFC) ( Howler) 
8. Frank Jones (Regina Rogues RFC) 
9. Harris King ( Regina Condors RFC) 
10. Linden Lugner (Campion Grads RFC) 
Coach - Casey Leonard

Dog River Howlers RFC Sponsor 7's Rugby Game At Half Time Of Saskatchewan Roughriders vs Calgary Stampeders CFL Game In Regina
20,2013.
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The University of University Of Regina Cougars RFC defeated the Praire Fire RFC 10-5 at the 4th anual 7's rugby halftime game played in at Regina's Mosaic Stadium on the evening of June 20th in front of some 25,000 fans that really enjoyed the very exciting game.

The first 7's half time game at Mosaic Stadium was played on June 13,2010 - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.401933441253.184058.514726253&&l=8eb2246029

All game pictures to be posted ion Howlers facebook page in due course after they are edited.

U Of R Cougars Line Up:
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1. Zane Brucks
2. Justin Edralin
3. Christian Futschik
4. Marcus Hall
5. Jon King
6. Issac Mayes
7. Thomas Ogilvie
8. Qasm Mahmood
9. Nathan Sgrazzutti
10. Taylor Baker
11. Patrick Young

Prairie Fire Line Up:
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Joel Brier (Regina Rogues)
Bryden Carr (Regina Rogues)
Mark Discombe (Regina Rogues RFC)
Riles Fahlman (Campion Grads RFC)
Payton Hall ( Regina Condors RFC)
Dave Hartington ( Regina Highlanders RFC)
Nishant Jaine (Regian Condors RFC)
Frank Jones (Regina Rogues RFC)
Harris King ( Regina Condors RFC)
Linden Lugner (Campion Grads RFC)

Picture is of Lucas Hammond receiving his Howlers cap from Serevi and Howlers U-18 coaches Nayak Dala and Robin Mac Dowell at Las Vegas in 2011.

Congratulations and all the best to them and the entire squad.


Canada’s Roster for Moscow - (Club, CRC Team) Hometown

H - Nanyak Dala - (Castaway Wanderers RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
Thyssen De Goede - (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
Justin Douglas - (Abbotsford RFC/BC Bears) Abbotsford, BC
Sean Duke - (UVic Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
H - Mike Fuailefau - (Castaway Wanderers RFC/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
H - Lucas Hammond - (Toronto Nomads/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
Ciaran Hearn - (Castaway Wanders RFC/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL
Nathan Hirayama - (UVic Vikes/BC Bears) Richmond, BC
Harry Jones - (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) West Vancouver, BC
Phil Mack - (Uvic Vikes/ BC Bears) Victoria, BC
John Moonlight - (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
Taylor Paris - (SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne) Barrie, ON

Head Coach: Geraint John
Assistant Coach: Kieran Crowley
Manager: Brian Hunter
Therapist: Isabel Grondin
Strength & Conditioning/Analyst: Lorna Barry

Pictures From Saskatchewan Ultra 7's Games- Regina Saskatchewan, June 15, 2013 - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151433660011254.1073741839.514726253&&l=b1a00d8a06
askatchewan Ultra 7's Results
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Julie Foster Cup (women's game)
Prairie Fire 88 -Wolverines 32
Jaques/Ulmer Game MVP - Mia Huysmans from the Praire Fire

Shane Thompson Cup (men's game)
Praire Fire 66 - Wolverines 40
Lane/Matthews Game MVP - Robin Mac Dowell

facebook ( www.facebook.com/Ultra7sRugby?fref=ts) page and web page ( http://www.ultrasevensrugby.com/)

5 Howlers ( Hubert Buydens, Nanyak Dala, Nick Blevins,Mike Fuailefau, Pat Parfrey)selected to Canadian squad to play Japan on Wednesday June 19. All the best to you and the entire team - Oh Canada and Howuuuuuuuuuuuu !!
Attached picture is of Fuailefau and Serevi playing with the Howlers
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Canada’s Roster for Japan Match - (Club, CRC Team) Hometown
H - #1 - Hubert Buydens, (Saskatoon Wild Oats/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
#2 - Ryan Hamilton, (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
#3 - Jason Marshall, (Atlantique Stade Rochelais/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
#4 - Jon Phelan, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC
#5 - Brett Beukeboom, (Plymouth Albion) Lindsay, ON
#6 - Tyler Ardron, (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Lakefield, ON
H - #7 - Nanyak Dala, (Castaway Wanderers RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
#8 - Aaron Carpenter, Captain, (Cornish Pirates) Brantford, ON
#9 - Sean White, (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
#10 - Liam Underwood, (Queens University/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON
#11 - Taylor Paris, (SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne) Barrie, ON
H - #12 - Nick Blevins, (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
#13 - Ciaran Hearn, (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL
#14 - Connor Braid, (Doncaster Knights RFC/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
#15 - James Pritchard, (Bedford Blues) Parkes, Australia, NSW
#16 - Ray Barkwill, (Niagara Wasps RFC/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
#17 - Tom Dolezel, (London St. George’s/Ontario Blues) London, ON
#18 - Andrew Tiedemann, (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
#19 - Cam Pierce, (Kelowna Crows RFC) Coldstream, BC
#20 - Aaron Flagg, (Abbotsford RFC/BC Bears) Abbotsford, BC
#21 - Eric Wilson, (Meralomas RFC) Vancouver, BC
H - #22 - Mike Fuailefau, (Castaway Wanderers/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
H - #23 - Pat Parfrey, (Swilers RFC/Atlantic Rock) St. John’s, NL

14 June 2013 LeaderPost DOYLE FOX FOR THE LEADER-POS
http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Rugby+event+promises+highlights/8525226/story.html

RUGBY EVENT PROMISES HIGHLIGHTS
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“... (15-MAN) RUGBY IS MUCH MORE CHALLENGING TO SELL TO THE PUBLIC THAT HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO RUGBY BECAUSE IT’S A VERY COMPLICATED GAME ... (15-MAN RUGBY) IS ALMOST LIKE CHESS ... AND SEVENS IS A LITTLE MORE LIKE CHECKERS OR TIDDLYWINKS — A LOT OF ATHLETICISM AND A LOT OF RUNS.”
KARL FIX

SASKATOON — Some of the best male and female Ultra Sevens rugby players in Saskatchewan will be putting their skills on displaySaturday in a series of games that Ultra Sevens lead coordinator Karl Fix promises to be “an ongoing highlight reel.”

The Prairie Fire men’s and women’s teams will be taking on the North Saskatchewan Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. at the Regina Rugby Union grounds.

The men will be competing for the Shane Thompson Cup — named after the former Prairie Fire player and coach. The women are squaring off for the Julie Foster Cup. Foster, from Regina, has a long list of national and international playing experience and is coaching the Prairie Fire Ultra Sevens women’s team.

Ultra Sevens rugby is a relatively new concept that was spearheaded by Fix. The men’s Prairie Fire prevailed over the Wolverines 110-49 in front of 1,000 fans in the inaugural game last year and the game lived up to the ‘highlight reel’ label that has been placed upon it.

“(Spectators) sat there for an hour and a half — they enjoyed the game because there was a lot of exciting runs and there was a lot of exciting scoring,” Fix said.

Peni Lutudromu, a sevenman rugby player his whole life, played Ultra Sevens with the Prairie Fire for the first time last year and enjoyed the new game.
“I was surprised myself that I liked this game,” said Lutudromu, the current coach of the Prairie Fire Ultra Sevens.

According to Fix, one of the main factors that makes the game so enjoyable for the players and fans is the simplicity of it. Blended in with the simplicity of Ultra Sevens are several aspects that come from more familiar sports like hockey, basketball and football.

“One of the things that I’ve found is that (15-man) rugby is much more challenging to sell to the public that has not been exposed to rugby because it’s a very complicated game,” he said. “I always say (15-man rugby) is almost like chess — very complicated — and sevens is a little more like checkers or tiddlywinks — a lot of athleticism and a lot of runs.”
“
I think people in Canada will like this style of rugby because it’s similar to what they watch in football — I think that’s why Karl brought the Ultra Sevens to people in Canada,” added Lutudromu.

In 15-man rugby, the game is made up of two 40-minute halves whereas Ultra Sevens games have four 15-minute quarters, similar to football.

In Ultra Sevens, coaches are allowed to make strategic substitutes at any time, like in hockey, instead of during a dead ball. As shown in last year’s match, points are scored quickly and in waves, not unlike a basketball game.

The popularity of Ultra Sevens is certainly not only found in Saskatchewan. The Calgary Mavericks are to meet the Edmonton Gold in the inaugural Battle of Alberta on July 4 in Calgary. With Ultra Sevens teams sprouting within relatively close proximity, Fix is eyeing up the possibility of creating a league.

Lutudromu, a native of Koro Island, Fiji, took the Ultra Sevens game back to his home country in January in an effort to grow the sport on a global scale. Sevenman rugby is immensely popular in Koro Island, but according to Lutudromu, the fans and players alike thoroughly enjoyed the new format.

Not lost in the campaign to raise awareness for the sport is Lutudromu’s focus on preparing his players for their game Saturday.

“I’ve been telling them to go out there and have fun: ‘Just worry about yourself, do what you do best when you get in there,’ ” Lutudromu said. “‘Go out there and have fun, you will win the game.’ "

http://youtu.be/3NAJvYkanE8

http://www.ultrasevensrugby.com/

www.facebook.com/Ultra7sRugby?fref=ts