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 Berkeley All Blues Rugby Club
- Featuring Sue Landsittel
About Women's Rugby in the USA / Women's Rugby News (With an Emphasis on the All Blues) - click here.
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 Sports Business Simulations is proud to host this area designed for the Berkeley All Blues, and SBS Personality Sue Landsittel. The Berkeley All Blues are
very simply one of the most successful rugby organizations in the world. They're eight-time National Champions (1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004), and have been annually picked as the best women's rugby
club in America, if not the world. 
SBS Personality Sue Landsittel is your host and guide into the world of the Berkeley All Blues. Her column "Sue's Place" is both a diary, chronicle, an
expository thinkpeace about the All Blues, Women's Rugby and society, and whatever else Sue's got on her mind. You can add your comments, too.
Read Sue's column by clicking here: go to "Sue's Place"
Click here to drop Sue an e-mail!
Donate To The Berkeley All Blues
The Berkley All Blues is a nonprofit organization that can't exist without the monetary and in-kind contributions and sponsorships of organizations like SBS and you.
Please contribute to the cause of maintaining America's best women's rugby club as it takes on international competition. To ask about donating, just click
here: Inquire about DONATING TO THE ALL BLUES.
Visit the Berkeley All Blues Website
Women's Rugby in the USA - From Scrum.com
The USA has a large women's rugby community with a strong tradition of success. Winners of the first World Cup in 1991 and runners-up in 1994 and 1998, they have always been one of the big players at the elite level.
Domestically, the sport suffers somewhat from the distances which separate clubs from one another. There are some cities with several teams rather than just one, but even in these areas the teams need more competition and often have to travel hours for a match. That said, the USA has managed to overcome the challenge and have developed an effective club and representative structure.
The country is divided into eight regions, each which administer the regional club competitions. At the end of the season, the top two teams from the region are sent forward to compete in the 'Sweet 16s' Club Championships. This system is shared by both men and women's rugby and is administered by USARugby, the national governing body. The winners of this tournament are crowned National Champions. A collegiate 'Sweet 16s' operates alongside the senior competition, where the top 16 college teams compete for the title.
In addition to the Club structure, USARugby also run a representative structure based around territorial competitions. Players trial and are selected to represent their region against rival regions, with Eagles selectors in attendance to talent spot. Promising players are invited to the Eagles training camps and are considered for national selection. The Eagles also run a highly sucessful Under-23s program, again echoing the selection process of the senior level.
History
Womenıs rugby has always been strong in the United States. The American Eagles were the first Womenıs World Champions in 1991 and reached the finals in 1994 and 1998. Womenıs rugby in America began in 1972 with teams formed at the University of Colorado, Colorado State, the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri. The sport enjoyed immediate growth and by 1976 further teams had been formed in Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas State, Hartford and Chicago, among others.
The first official club championship was held in 1980 and was won by Florida State University. As the game became more competitive, the need to establish higher level competition emerged. The Presidentıs XV (predecessor of todayıs Eagles) Team was established and competed successfully in a series of test matches against Canada beginning in 1987. In 1990 the Americans adopted the official name of the Eaglesı and competed under this title for the first time during the historic 1990 Womenıs World Rugby Festival in New Zealand.
USA Rugby is the governing body for both the menıs and womenıs sport in the USA. They administer the international and other representative teams and the national Club competition. Clubs compete in regional leagues, with the top three teams from each region playing each other in a knock out National Championships competition.
USA Rugby is also proud of their new and successful U23 programme, funded by a grant from the US Olympic Committee. In 1998 the Eagles U23 side toured England and swept all before them, including a victory over Emerging England.
Women's Rugby News
USA Rugby Champions News Summary - Featuring The All Blues 2004 Victory - June 6, 2004
Berkeley All Blues and USA National Coach Kathy Flores Honored - Click Here
Women's National Sevens Team Selected for Hong Kong Sevens - March 16, 2004 - Click Here
An interview with Lois Bukowski - Lois Bukowski spent 15 happy years playing rugby at No 8 for the Berkeley All Blues, UCLA, Coast and the
University of Pennsylvania. Her playing career included winning the National Championships six times in a row with the
All Blues and playing for the United States Eagles. Lois is married to her partner Katie and works as a life coach in California.
She is also the ONLY female referee for the Bingham Cup - Click Here.
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