The Bucks County Sharks have sprung the first big upset of the new American National Rugby League season with a 22-20 come from behind win against the Aston DSC Bulls in a Thursday night contest in New Jersey.

The Sharks scored a converted try on the last play of the game to snatch a hard earned victory.

Trailing 20-16 as time had all but expired, John Vella finished off a strong movement by the Sharks to touch down in the in-goal area to square things at 20-20. Steve Thompson kicked the extra points to send his team home with the W.

The game was played over four 20-minute quarters and the Sharks led 8-6 at the half. Bucks County scored five tries on the night to collect a bonus point.

“It’s a big win for us,” Sharks' player/manager Phil Shipos told ARN. “It’s a good way to start the season and we hope we can rediscover our 2007 form.”

The Bulls didn’t go away empty handed though as they picked up a couple of bonus points for scoring four tries and for keeping the final margin to within six points.

“It was a pretty tough game. It was a bit wet, but it was tough,” added Aston coach Marcus Vassilakopoulos.

“We got beat on the last play of the game when they scored a try and then got the conversion, but I’m just happy that we played a lot of American guys and that there are more Americans learning the game.”

Matt Stauffer led the way for the Bulls with a pair of tries, while veterans Greg Stelluti and John Grace each got singles. Grace also booted two conversions.

It was a major turnaround for the Sharks, who lost by 46 points in last year’s corresponding game against the Bulls.

Bucks County's Zach Padgett was named Man of the Match.
AMNRL Clubs Continue to Develop Youth Rugby League

The reigning American National Rugby League champions are broadening their horizons by starting up a youth development program. The New Haven Warriors are partnering with the National Youth Sports Program at Yale University. The Warriors launched the first New Haven County youth development rugby program in January, and to date have expanded to three high schools: New Horizons, Branford and Madison high schools.

Yale Athletics Thomas W Ford '42 Community Outreach Program Mission is:

• To bring Yale athletics and Yale student-athletes in to the community
• To provide Yale student-athletes the opportunity to become involved in community programs
• To provide opportunities for community groups and organizations
• To continue to develop new creative programs that benefit the community

Source: http://www.yalebulldogs.com/community/mission.html

NYSP at Yale University is a summer program that runs for four weeks, and rugby will be integrated as one of the outdoors sports stations on July 17, 24 and 31st.

Other stations include football, soccer, softball, volleyball, crew, dance and basketball. For more information go to http://www.yalebulldogs.com/community/nysp.html

Warriors youth development coaching staff includes Siose Muliumu (2008 AMNRL MVP), Ewan Robinson (2008 Best forward award), Jonathan Paredes (2008 Rookie of the year award), Ihaka Waerea (Super 14s Wellington Hurricanes colts) and Roy Leoni.

The Warriors will soon announce plans to complete their spring youth development program with a Rugby League 7's tournament the weekend prior to the AMNRL season kickoff.

The New Haven Warriors youth development program is proudly sponsored by Citizens Bank.

The PBR Philadelphia Fight has taken up residence at the A. A. Garthwaite Stadium in Conshohocken for the 2009 season. Along with a new venue come new sponsors, players and a return to the familiar Fight colors of Scarlet red & Kelly green with black. Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer is our Title Sponsor this year along with Platinum Sponsors Stifel Nicolaus and Conshohocken Health & Fitness Club. Gold Sponsors Kildare’s Irish Pub and Fiore & Barber LLC Attorneys at Law, and Silver Sponsors 4x3.net Web Development, Herr’s Snack foods and Pepsi.

The Fight has been in pre-season training since May 4 with an encouraging number of players attending fitness & skills sessions. The playing roster has grown to 34 players including 11 new faces, 4 of which are Australians.

Joel Beasley is a USA resident with experience playing Rugby League in Queensland, Australia. Ryan Douglas, Mitch Huemiller & Michael Kauffman also have experience playing Rugby League in Queensland, NSW & the UK.

Joel, 25, half-back or full-back, relocated to the USA to marry his fiancé whom he met while playing in Townsville, Queensland. He has played for Philly Whitemarsh Rugby Union prior to joining the Fight.

Ryan, 23, is a hooker, lock or five-eighth. As Player of the Year playing for the Emerald Tigers in Queensland, Australia, he represented Central Queensland at U19’s & was named in the National Conference League Dream Team while playing with Rochdale Mayfield, Manchester, UK in 2007/08.

Mitch Huemiller, 23, 2nd Row, also played with the Emerald Tigers, represented Queensland’s Central Highland’s U19’s & was named Best Forward for the Tigers A-Grade in 2007. He also played with Rochdale Mayfield in the UK.

Michael Kaufman, 21, centre or full-back, was a member of the NSW Country Rugby League Academy & a Northern Rivers representative who won the NSW U18 Country Championships. In his second year of grade at the Cudgen Hornets, Queensland, he was voted Best & Fairest, and in 2008 was voted Players Player at Rochdale Mayfield in the UK.

There has also been a strong local interest from players to join the Fight for the first time this year. Those players shaping up well are Matt Worthington, Patrick Quirk, Kyle Westerman, Quinn Connaboy, Scott Cramer, Alex Mazza, and Rich Henson.

The Fight also boasts highly rated entertainment & support from the Philadelphia Fight Vixens Dance Team. Headed up by Emily Czerniakowski & Cassie Russo, the 12 member Vixens promise to draw big crowds & provide a great experience at each home match & at post match functions.

The ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia will again benefit from proceeds raised by the Philadelphia Fight during the 2009 season.

Check our website www.fightrugby.com for information on upcoming matches, venues, functions, entertainment & general information.

Members of the Jacksonville Axemen will coach TEAM UP students during Communities In Schools of Jacksonville TEAM UP summer camp.
Jacksonville, Fla. (May 17, 2009)—Members of the Jacksonville Axemen Rugby League team will partner with Communities In Schools of Jacksonville this summer to coach flag Rugby League teams at two of Communities In Schools TEAM UP After School summer camps. Five representatives from the Jacksonville Axemen will be involved in coaching flag Rugby League at the TEAM UP summer camps at J.E.B. Stuart and Highlands Middle Schools this summer. New Axemen coach, Sean Rutgerson from Australia, will lead the coaching team along with two other Australian players and his wife, Karen Meier. Axemen founder Daryl Spinner Howland commented, "In addition to expanding the sport of Rugby League through this initiative we also hope that there is a cultural exchange as the Australian coaching staff interacts with the group."

The Axemen, Jacksonville’s first Rugby League team, started in 2006. Through this partnership the Rugby League team hopes to provide a unique athletic opportunity to the youth of Jacksonville while raising public awareness for the game and providing positive cross-cultural experiences for their players and Communities In Schools of Jacksonville’s students.

Our students will benefit greatly from the partnership with the Axemen. It’s always great to have male role models come into our schools, and Rugby League is a sport that many of these kids have never played. This is such a unique opportunity,” said Eric Daniel Johnson, Director of Communities In Schools After School Division.

About Communities In Schools of Jacksonville:

Communities In Schools is the city’s largest provider of in-school dropout prevention services. The organization provides case management, after school, literacy, and mentoring services to 6,600 local youth. All of Communities In Schools’ programs take place in schools, allowing CIS to keep operating costs low. The local organization is part of the national Communities In Schools network, which has been recognized by Worth magazine as one of the top 100 organizations “most likely to save the world.” For more information visit www.cisjax.org or contact Caitlin Nations at 904-354-5918 or cnations@cisjax.org

more information is available at the Jacksonville Axemen website www.jaxaxe.com

We want to present a great professional rugby league, and what better way to develop the NRL USA then by getting feedback from our most important supporter - you, the fan!

Here is how you can make an impact immediately:

• Let us know what cities you would like to see host professional teams in 2010 by simply voting on our city poll


• Join the Fan Forum and discuss the latest NRL 2010 news and developments, share your opinions with all our old, new, and growing fan base

We want to hear from you, so vote and voice your point of view now at Offical Site of the NRL US (www.nrlus.com).

The 2009 AMNRL season will kickoff on Saturday, May 30 and feature nine rounds of regular season play, two rounds of playoffs, and a National Championship Final on Saturday, August 29. In an exciting development, the Boston 13s RLFC will join the eleven team competition that will see every club have one bye. The 2009 season will mark the twelfth year of domestic rugby league in America.

War at the Shore XII will feature five games on Saturday, August 15 at Deely Field in Sea Isle City, NJ. The 2009 National Championship Final venue will be announced soon.

Match kickoff times will be announced. Keep up with all local team news at each club website.

The Boston 13s R.L.F.C., Inc. enter the AMNRL

Summer 2009 will see the launch of The Boston 13s R.L.F.C. as it competes in AMNRL Season XII. Drawing on the natural athletic talent of the Greater Boston Area, The 13s seek to demonstrate, in their inaugural year, the strength of Boston’s rich sporting heritage.

The management team behind the business is Mikhael N. Shammas, Noel Christopher, Mehran Khaghani, and Jonathan Gay. Mik, as Mr. Shammas is known on the field, comes with highly cultivated rugby acumen, having played a decade in England, and another decade in Lebanon. In 2006, he was capped on the domestic national team of Lebanon and in 2007 was honored with the appointment of Tour Manager to The Cedars, Lebanon’s National Team during the Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers. Shammas is concurrently obtaining two masters degrees at Harvard and Northeastern Universities, although his true passion is solidly grounded in the sport of Rugby League Football.

I really look forward to embarking on this new opportunity to root this sport in Boston, not only to aid the development of the sport domestically in America but internationally as well. Rugby League has a fantastic product and I know that, once exposed to all the excitement and intensity of the sport, America will love it.”

The Boston 13s R.L.F.C. takes its name from the 13 original colonies that founded America, and also from the number of players who take the field in a rugby league match. Furthermore, it will actually be the 13th club in the history of American Rugby League, although there are only 11 active in season XII.

All interested athletes should contact info@boston13s.com, as pre-season training will begin during May. Details about pre-season training, competition schedule, team kits, and team website (www.boston13s.com) will all be forthcoming soon.

The Rugby League International Federation today released the game's official World Rankings following a highly successful 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The rankings are based on a two year cycle of results and take into consideration a number of factors including regular competition within international tournaments. Australia maintains its top spot courtesy of having defeated recently-crowned World Champions New Zealand three times in their past four encounters. The USA Tomahawks who just failed to qualify for the 2000 and 2008 Rugby League World Cup are currently ranked fifteenth in the world rankings.

See the full story at The World of Rugby League

The Jacksonville Axemen and a number of local sponsors have teamed up to promote the Axemen and partner brands in a series of advertisements. With the AMNRL season due to launch in May, sponsors and supporters of Rugby League in America will have plenty to cheer about in 2009.

To watch the first commercial, click in the link below.

1. You can watch it in the main frame in normal youtube quality
OR
2. You can click on the video on the "VIDEO BOX" below the main player and then click "HQ" on the lower right of the player that then pops up.


You can also click the "full screen" button beside the HQ button to see larger.

Jacksonville Axemen on YouTube

It has been a long held belief of rugby league players, administrators, and fans that watching a game of rugby league in person or on television is an exciting and entertaining experience. As the profile of rugby league continues to develop in America, it seems that this viewpoint is the object of discussion in many areas of the rugby community. Whilst opinion may vary about which code of rugby is better to play, watch or understand, it certainly makes for interesting competition between the two codes in presenting the American sports fan with the better television content option. Check out what Brian Lowe has to say at American Rugby News this week.

Read the fully story here: Picking the Best Product

The American National Rugby League is getting ready to kickoff it’s twelfth season. In what shapes as being the most exciting and significant year in the development of the sport of Rugby League in the USA, a number of major announcements are to be released.

The news of a developing professional tier of rugby league that will be managed in support of, and in conjunction with the AMNRL has the rugby community in America and abroad buzzing in anticipation. Detailed information of the NRL America’s plans to present a national professional television league is to be released shortly, and fans throughout the world of rugby league look forward to developing news.

Associated to the progress being made with presenting professional rugby league, the AMNRL Club competition will welcome the addition of the Boston 13s RLFC to the domestic competition. The Boston club will be making an official announcement, along with an unveiling of the team uniform and club website in the coming weeks. The expansion of rugby league into the New England region is further proof of the growing footprint of rugby league development in America.

The USA Tomahawks will be preparing for a number of 2009 internationals, with plans developing to play home and away internationals against Jamaica along with interest from a number of Pacific Island nations to tour the USA also.

The AMNRL will announce the 2009 Schedule in early April.

Key Dates:

• AMNRL Season XII Kickoff June 6
• War at the Shore XII – Saturday, August 1; Sea Isle City, NJ
• AMNRL Cup Final XII – August 22 Venue TBA