Rugby Pickem

Founded in 2022, Ronan Neurofeedback and Counseling was formed primarily to help athletes struggling with mental health issues, concussion symptoms, and injury recovery on and off the field. Ronan Neurofeedback and Counseling also works with non-athletes seeking an alternative to medication who want to improve their health, brain functioning, and overall mental well-being. Reed & I sat down for an insightful chat about how athletes can do more than simply train their bodies ... they can train their brains & minds as well. Enjoy. PICKEM!

Premier Rugby 7's had their first event in the fall of 2021 in Memphis Tennessee. Since then, it has grown steadily and expanded to 5 total events for the summer of 2023. With new butt kickin' franchise names (look no further than the Pittsburgh Steeltoes) and an infusion of talent, the new league has delivered a fun product without the morning to nightfall commitment that usually comes with a traditional 7's tournament. A competitive format that plunges straight into the semifinals makes for a "win or go home" environment where every pass, tackle, and breath count. John Fitzpatrick of the Rugby Morning dives into the PR 7's competition, in addition to RAN 7's, the men's Eagles August lineup. Enjoy PICKEM!

Mike Matarazzo isn't just a big body ... he's a student of the game and one of the young dynamic players in the MLR. Clocking in at 6'5", 250lbs, he's a tower in the lineout and has the hands to move the ball under pressure. We caught up with Mike back in fall of 2021 when he attending the U-23 Eagle Pathway Camp. At the time, Mike had just signed with Dallas and was selected to travel down to Uruguay with the Falcons. Since then, he's played a ton of MLR minutes, and was most recently selected for Team of the Week as he continues to get selected for the Chicago Hounds (both in the 2nd row and the loose). Mike has a huge rugby future ahead of him! Top 3 (Players Mike has shared the jersey with) - Evan Slattery - Flanker, Ginger, Super Fiery Rugby Player. Always made the big tackle. Pat McMahon - "Hell of a guy to play with" - M.M. Johan Momsen - Professor of lineouts, ATL leader. Special Thanks to Mike for rolling with the punches (waiting ~2 years since the recording!) Enjoy!

Los Dogos XV Name / Brand: The Dogo Argentina breed was bred by the 1920s Antonio Nores Martinez, a young student of Córdoba in central Argentina. The logo is fierce... just like this type of dog. They are big game hunting dogs, but also are trained for search and rescue, police assistance, service dogs, and guidance for the blind. Stadium: Tala Rugby Club - This 6k capacity stadium will likely be wall to wall with home town supporters from the rugby rich region. Tala has won 23 titles in the Cordoba club comp and will likely have fans who will be barking like the Baja Boys. Bold Prediction: Los Dogos represent Cordoba and win the league. They go toe to toe with their Buenos Aires based rivals Las Pampas throughout the season. They'll find a way to gut it out and win playoff games when it counts to become Super Rugby Americas Champions. Sometimes bad hombres just got that Dogo in 'em. Las Pampas XV Name / Brand: "Las Pampas" refer to the great southern plains of Argentina, Uruguay and a small section of

Striking Gold King Creole is ready for that postseason smoke NOLA Gold have been a founding member and have always been on the cusp of the playoffs. They have talent in the back row, and have signed some key collegiate players to bolster the squad. King Creole and his marching band have high expectations for a team that has been oh so close for o so long. Bold Prediction: NOLA Gold finish top 2 in the East. They will host a playoff game at the Gold Mine in late June or early July (hot, swampy and stanky hot conditions). Devin Short breaks through the national team and gets his first Eagle cap. New Brand, Not Brand New Which one of these brands strikes fear in an opponent? The Rugby ATL front office caught some serious flack for the rebrand ... but on the pitch, they walk the walk. Steve Brett has his systems in place to put up points and play fast. The turf at Silverback Park favors speed and quick ball, not to mention the fact that a swampy hot conditions toward the end of the season will be a shock fo

Western Expansion The Hounds have been released, but how will they fare in 2023? The 2022 expansion team went 0-16 but seems to be building a strong fanbase. The 2021 expansion team smashed the league, nabbed the shield, but now are a relic of the past. Given the fact that Chicago inherited two top sides in the west via the "Expansion Draft", they'll be expected to compete for a playoff spot. Bold Prediction: Chicago wins the west in their first year. No one will be hungrier to win now than the players and coaches that got dumped in the GillyGate decision last year. The Hounds are a barkin' and dem dogs is hungry. Argies Do Dallas There's new Argentinian brass in the Jackals front office, and the only thing they give a shit about is winning games in 2023. Just like the (kiwi owned) Rugby (United) New York imported in kiwis late last year for a playoff run, Dallas will likely absorb some Argentinian test players throughout the season. It's a World Cup year, and every player who has RWC dreams is chomping

We hope you've been enjoying the recent episodes with Uncle Johnny, Tommy NoPiks and HARPO in person, live & in the flesh. 2022 has proven to be a crazy rugby year, but we simply wanted to thank all the fans that continue to listen to Rugby PickEm and occasionally go and click around the website (www.rugbypickem.com). It's been a long strange journey since April 2018, but it's been 5 years of good fun and banter. We cap the 2022 year with a thanks to the fans, and an experimental segment aptly named "Tommy's Philosophies".... More RP on the way in 2023 including coverage of the Men's and Women's Eagles (XVs & 7s), MLR, SLAR, Summer 7's and RWC 2023 in France! PICKEM!

It was June in 1983, and the soon to be burgeoning game of rugby 7's was waiting for it's inevitable explosion. Luckily for the soon to be 7's sensations, he arrived in the form of Dr. Don HARPO and the Attitude Adjusters Association. Back when Life U was just a small chiropractic college (and not the deeply talented rugby program they are in 2023) HARPO recruited a team to compete in local 7's tournaments. "We played for the love of the game" ... was a line he continued to repeat as we talked about everything that goes into 7's organizing. The w-w-w-work, is omnipresent, and rarely smooth and painless ... but when done right, it can produce memories that lasts beyond any mortal man. Below, are pictures, memories and some score lines from the Attitude Adjusters Association's 18th tour to Fort Walton Beach Florida on June 6th 1987. When the microphones turned off, HARPO was quick to deflect praise for his growth of the game. He continually shines praise on legends like Emil Signes and Alex Goff who have bot

The Women's 2021 RWC (held in 2022) was an unforgettable kiwi experience. Not only is New Zealand a beautiful country (flora, fauna & great people), but rugby runs through their veins. The hosts were spectacular, and the Black Ferns put on a show throughout. They defeated a great French side in an exciting semi final, followed by a world class performance against England in the final. The Women's Eagles left it all on the pitch, but it wasn't enough to beat a stout Canadian side. Led by Canadian rugby royalty Sophie de Goede, the team played big against the USA, defeating them twice in 8 days. Both of the de Goede parents were captains for their perspective Canadian sides and they're also great fans of the game travelling the North Island throughout the tournament and livin' the van life. USA won the tourney in 1991, and are only one of three teams to lift the cup (New Zealand has won 6, and England 1). Can the Women's Eagles win it back down unda in 2027 or on home soil in 2031? Allianz Premier 15s Shrink

Have we ever seen a bigger lighting rod of a character in the USA Rugby landscape than Adam Gilchrist? Love him or hate him ... there's no denying that he shook up the league (to put it lightly) in the two years of his rise and fall. We recapped the last year of the two Gil franchises, and discussed what Gilly's legacy will be years from now. From entering the league with a huge bang in 2020 (launching not one but TWO teams and rebranding them in his vanity), to breaching the salary cap and being voted out by his fellow MLR partners.... The past two years have certainly shown the US Rugby fanbase that crazy shit can happen in quick time! We're not sad it's over ... we're just happy that it happened. Gilly Gilly! Also on the podcast: Uncle Johnny previews the newest team in the MLR the Chicago Wolfhounds. HARPO demands that all the old curmudgeons drinking pints in the back room retire. Tommy No Piks laughs incessantly (but in an adorable way). PICKEM!

The full compliment of RP personalities were back in studio for a heated discussion that somehow remained cautiously optimistic! Although the men's Eagles did not qualify for France 2023, we are reminded that not all is lost, and sometimes it truly is darkest before the dawn (scientifically accurate). The questions that were tossed around (Tommy's arm is still sore) were ... How can the the men's Eagles find their own identity in the 5 years leading up to Australia in 2027? Who would be the best fit to lead them? Can the days of NAFTA be restored through Rugby Mexico and the Serpientes? How do Rugby Canada and USA Rugby bounce back from their RWC absence? What type of cash injection is needed in the run up to the 2031 RWC? Will rugby ever be more than a niche sport in the states ... ? ... HARPO doesn't seem to think so

On Saturday, 4/23/22, the Denver Barbarians will play against the American Raptors. The teams have played on and off since 2007, and each time they square up against each other, the rugby fans of Denver Colorado benefit. Since 2007, the competitions have morphed and shaped year to year (see below). The product always seemed to be elite level clubs on the cusp of professionalism. With the PRO Rugby formation (and quick disintegration) in 2016, everything changed. The two teams have not played consistently since 2016 and Saturday's game looks to change that. Super League Elite Cup (2012) Pacific Rugby Premiership PRO Rugby MLR Professionals vs. Amateur Club What dynamics go into each differing set up? Advantages/disadvantages of being professional? Advantages/disadvantages of being amateur club? Importance of playing local Darbies Building the level of competitive rugby in Denver Growing the Denver rugby fan base. Iron Sharpens Iron Players to Watch: American Raptors: Max Dacey Seimou Smith Line Latu Kal

Over the past 6 weeks, we've been watching the games and keeping a temperature on the early part of the 2021 MLR season. On Saturday night, Bt and Tommy NoPiks sat down to take in 3 games at once (4 games if you count the 2nd half of the Cali Cup). Much to the chagrin of our dear friend (the 2020 "Blogger of the Year" RPA winner) and seasoned rugby reporter Bryan Ray, the MLR decided to load up Saturday night's slate of games. While Bryan prefers the game schedule to be laid out over the course of an entire weekend, we strongly disagree... What could be better than 3 games on, all at once?! We saw a great opportunity to binge some games and thanks to a generous TV donation by The Rugby Network, we built a triple screen masterpiece. Final Scores and thoughts from a great Saturday night MLR binge (winners in bold): LA Giltinis - 26 SD Legion - 13 Commentary Booth: Gareth Rees (play by play) Mike Tolkin (color) A poorly timed yellow card in the 60th minute killed San Diego's chances to level the score. T

MLR 2022 - Year of the Player (ft. Colton Strickler DNVR Rugby) 4 Themes and 'Motifs' for the upcoming season ... 1. Shift in Player Power - Monetizing Individual Brands It's no secret that MLR Salary caps are low relative to its European counterparts. This will push players to try and maximize their potential income, on and off the pitch. We've already seen star caliber players bring their talents stateside to help build their brand. In 2022, expect just about every type of player (from aging star to young bucks taking the leap from college) to monetize their name image and likeness off the pitch. And why shouldn't they? Players make the ultimate sacrifice for everyone else to enjoy rugby ... their body. The truly successful MLR franchises will be the ones whose front office seeks to help their players grow off the pitch financially. If you can't pay the players much now in 2022, help set them up for financial success in the years to come. In summary, expect to see: Personal Brand Deals, NFT Offerings,

What if I told you the future of Rugby ATL was a lacrosse convert, who's ripped up & shredded (like cheese), loves a good bump off, ... oh yeah and he's not just a great dude, but also perhaps a fashion and trend setting icon ..... ? It's Jalen Tatum and he's heading towards a try zone near you! Don't you DARE Run it Straight at this Man. Jalen and I linked up this past fall in the U-23 pathways camp. From the moment he showed up to the camp, I had a feeling there was something special to this absolute unit of a player. A lacrosse convert, Jalen dropped this stick and opted for the more physical game of rugby, cutting his teeth at Kennesaw State University. He learned quick and has blossomed into a backs coach's wet dream: A winger who can run around you or through you. After spending an entire year with Rugby ATL and going uncapped, Jalen looks to cement himself into the week to week lineup in the 2022 campaign were the franchise hopes to retain their claim atop the Eastern conference. The road to succes

A touch late on the "end of year" publication, but ... oh well. The deliberations were fiery, no stone was left unturned, and the final pieces to this year's awards have come into place. What a year 2021 was .., and where to begin? In the face of a pandemic, the MLR went 99-0 (Commish's favorite stat), Gilly hoisted some hardware, the Pioneers got to compete in Tokyo after a year delay, PR 7's was launched, & the college game returned (even though the political infighting continues) ... How does one cap a big year? The 2nd annual RPA's. No serious analysis involved, just some lighthearted shout outs to the general rugby community. Sit back, enjoy, and dive into the utter absurdity of handing out awards to the Rugby Media Industrial Complex (TM). The Categories and nominees are... Step of the Year: Tadhg Furlong Nate Augsperger Stuart Hogg MLR Mascot of the Year: Woodgy - New England Jacksquatch Koa the Warrior Panther - Utah Warriors Rucky - Seattle Seawolves Scratch - Houston SaberCats MLR Fan of the

As professional rugby intersects with the information age, statistical trends and historical data are crucial to the success or failure of a professional team. At the test level, coaches and selectors are handed a treasure trove of information about their player pool. All of this comes to life on the back of a talented rugby analyst. Matt Johnston (Aussie by birth, but currently morphed into a global ambassador for footy) is one of the most knowledgeable rugby analysts I had ever met to date. Better yet, he was patient and kind enough to walk me through some of the areas about rugby video analysis where I was completely clueless. In a couple weeks time, he instilled the confidence in me to start flying the drone myself and biting off an additional role in the U-23s fall camp. To top it all off, he's a class bloke and one of the more easy going human beings I've met. Here's a snap shot of what we covered in the conversation. How does World Rugby design a player pathway? It's not just getting into the righ

When you start something (without the full plan of what it's going to look like), you get results that are often unquantifiable. After all, you didn't establish the ground work. You don't know what a "success or failure" looks like. You haven't done the hard work that goes into laying out a coherent, justified, deliberate end goal. Begin with the end in mind. And it's not just the long term vision ... good execution comes down to the little details. Long before we launched the Rugby Rent Scholarships website in July of 2021, Isaiah Ashley had already been in touch about playing rugby out west. Pat Kane (North Carolina based rugby coach) connected us, and Isaiah got on his horse ... he showed up before the house had even begun it's full renovation. It would prove to be a summer of changes. Isaiah first gravitated to rugby in order to get out of football spring conditioning (smart AND honorable). Grimsley HS was one of 3 teams that offered in the Greensboro, NC area, and he immediately took to the game.

As is Rugby PickEm tradition, we give our listeners (and readers?) an end of year blizzard of content before the year ends. The following is an recap/update on the 2021 fall season. Over the next few days, we'll keep the feed fresh with some old interviews we did throughout the year. What a year it was. Rugby PickEm stayed busy in the fall of 2021, but here are some behind the scenes stuff that has grabbed most of our time and attention. 1) Coaching Grassroots Rugby We've always been a grassroots first podcast. In the rugby world, one reaps what one sews. Spending time at the high school and collegiate level developing the game is essential. Over the past 5 years, we've been coaching the same group of kids since middle school. It has been a long and crazy journey, but all the hard work from the players resulted in a start-up high school team hoisting their first hardware! 2) Rugby Rent Scholarships This newly launched initiative had a wild first fall season. There were some massive successes, and also s

The Autumn Nations Series is well under way. There have been some blow outs, mixed with some exciting score lines as well. The series is broadcasted and sold via streaming services differently in each country. Amazon Prime has it's hand in the live rights pot, and is taking on more and more rugby. Here in the US, the streaming service that seems to have all the rugby rights wrapped into their current contracts is FloRugby. While the average American rugger doesn't like hitting a paywall (FloRugby charges monthly, but also offers $55 for an annual subscription), it's not that hard to borrow a login / password and select which International Test suits you the best (surely everyone shares their streaming passwords right?). Regardless of your Login / Password acquisition prowess ..., most games are quickly uploaded to Youtube and highlights are immediately released. Too much test footy not to carve aside some time over the next two days and feast (on food, and on watching rugby). Here's a quick wrap up of la