News & Press

Champagne Classic Draws Canadian Internationals
RugbyMag.com article from March 8, 2010

San Diego Tops DI
RugbyMag.com article from November 8, 2009

Surfers into DI Final
RugbyMag.com article from November 6, 2009

Surfers defeat NOVA to win National Championship!
November 2009

(photo courtesy of Dobson Images)

If you have been neglecting your Facebook News Feed lately, you may have witnessed the members of the San Diego Surfers engaging in some activities over the last few days that seemed very strange to you indeed. Why, you may have asked yourself, is that Surfer double parking in a loading zone? The audacity of that wing, you probably fumed, to cut in front of me at Starbucks and then saunter out without paying for her coffee. Since when does an unemployed rugby player with credit card debt travel to and from her gigs as a paid medical study subject via Hummer Limousine? How rude of that prop to mow me down on the sidewalk whilst running from what appeared to be a screaming mob of fans and various members of the paparazzi.

Since you clearly missed the celebratory parade down University Avenue that the city of San Diego held for the Surfers earlier this week during rush hour (drawing crowds comparable in size to those of the pride parade that follows the same route, though the attendees were arguably the same), I am delighted to inform you that this weekend, for the first time in their club’s history, the San Diego Surfers became USA RUGBY DIVISION I NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

A quick recap of the events that turned these seemingly ordinary ruggers into Cristal guzzling national celebrities:

San Diego started the weekend with a rainy semi-final match on Friday against the Atlanta Harlequins.  Not well known for their stellar performances in inclement weather, the Surfers struggled early in the game to field their lineout throws and the abundance of high, deep kicks delivered by Atlanta’s flyhalf.   Down 10 – 7 at the half, the Surfers were reminded by Coach Richie Walker to stop trying to make offensive miracles occur on Atlanta’s side of the field.  (Walker could have saved a lot of breath this season if he had recorded himself saying, “settle down and stick to the f-ing game plan” and just rolled the tape at halftime, but that’s neither here nor there).  The Surfers focused on executing the basics the rest of the game, kicking for real estate and tightening up their defense to grind out a 21 – 10 victory over Atlanta.  Shout-out to 8-Man Alyssa Barker who, hair down, beating her chest, shouting “crack strength” and generally behaving like the kind of crazy homeless person you would cross the street to avoid, provided the enthusiasm and breakaway try needed to seal the Surfer win.   

The Surfers took the field against Northern Virginia on Sunday for the championship match in front of a roaring crowd, many of whom were unfortunately armed with cow bells.  The Surfers lost the ball to NOVA in the first ruck of the game following the kick-off, but Casey Fields immediately picked off a pass meant for her opposing wing and sprinted the length of the pitch for a try.  San Diego spent the next 79 minutes and 30 seconds fending off a NOVA attack in a match that felt like the longest defensive drill ever.  The Surfers played much of the game with their heels against their goal line, at one point down a player when their Flanker was Sin Binned, but they continued to apply tough defensive pressure and kept NOVA out of the try zone.  In the second half, San Diego’s forwards forced a turnover and the backs spun it wide to fullback Mandy Wilson who touched the ball down in the corner for her ten billionth try of the year.  Daralisa Cheung made both conversions to put the icing on a perfect kicking weekend and the Surfers finished an exhausting championship match with a 14 – 0 shutout.  More cowbell!       

And the rest, as they say, is history.  Champagne flowed, cameras flashed, endorsement offers and Oprah guest appearance invitations poured in, custom Surfers jerseys were purchased and worn by admiring youth across America until they became tattered rags, index fingers froze indefinitely in a raised position.   

You have roughly 362 days left of your closest Surfer friends referring to every morning meal they consume as a “Breakfast of Champions” and reminding you at every opportunity that they are, in case you had forgotten, Number 1.  Thank you for all your support throughout the season; we absolutely couldn’t have done this without you.  And we won’t forget the little people, even from within the VIP booths. 

San Diego beats Austin to advance to National Championship semifinals vs. Atlanta on Friday, November 6th
October 28, 2009

A few weeks ago, several members of the San Diego Surfers watched with dread as the New England Patriots trounced the Tennessee Titans at home on a field dusted with what appeared to these California residents to be very cold dandruff or perhaps powdered sugar. A New England victory, they thought with trepidation, is hard enough to stomach without the knowledge that we too could soon be rolling around in this disagreeable looking substance, but with a lot less padding and without the benefit of those cute quarterback hand warmers that strongly resemble the muffs of elite Victorian females.

Last weekend, the Surfers swallowed their fears, dug deep into their closets for their close-toed shoes and traveled to Acton, Massachusetts to play the winner of an Austin Valkyries v. Belmont Shore Landsharks duel in the USA Rugby Division I National Playoffs. With some better planning, these West Coast powers could have duked it out in a location with a more familiar climate, such as Mexico, but they made the best of their misfortune and sloshed about the swampy fields in an unpleasant weather situation that is apparently referred to by the locals as “Fall”.

Austin edged out Belmont 5 – 7 in a close match on Saturday while San Diego enjoyed a bye as the top seed from their region. On Sunday, the Surfers exploded on to the pitch for their game against the Valkyries with an energy, intensity and team cohesion unparalleled by that of their regular season matches. Prop Liz “Tiny” Henry set the tone early in the game with an annihilating hit that made this chronicler wish Henry’s nickname was printed on her jersey so onlookers could better appreciate the magnitude of its irony. San Diego’s pack mirrored Henry’s aggression, blowing over the rucks and producing ball for their backs that, despite its frequent position mid-mud puddle, was impeccably clean. The backs rewarded their efforts, turning these opportunities into penetrating runs through Austin’s defensive line and stampeding pursuits of center Kirstin Hartos’s deep corner kicks. As a unit, the Surfers dove on loose balls, applied smothering defensive pressure and played with an immense amount of heart, shutting out the Valkyries 39 – 0 in an all-around feel good game.

San Diego wasn’t entirely perfect of course – if 8-Man Alyssa Barker’s pre-game question “Would you rather not have sex for the next two years or knock the ball on four times today?” turns out to be prophetic in addition to thought provoking, flyhalf Marea Blue should be very successful with the ladies well into 2011 – but their overall play was so outstanding that we’re just going blame these few mistakes on the weather.

The Surfers travel next to San Francisco to face the Atlanta Harlequins in the semi-final match of USA Rugby National Championships. A victory will earn them the opportunity to take on either NOVA or Seattle in the finals for the distinction of Division I National Champions.

Devoted fans can watch the Surfers continue their roll on Friday, November 6 and Sunday, November 8 on Treasure Island. Fans can also show their love by helping the Surfers alleviate their rugby-related credit card debt and making a small donation to the team at http://www.active.com/donate/sdsurfersrugby2009. Thank you all for your continued support – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Bye Teams Dominate in Women Club Playoffs
RugbyMag article from October 25, 2009

Surfers secure 1st place seed for Region 1 heading into Nationals
October 14, 2009

It was hard to tell which group of spectators was happiest about the San Diego Surfers’ victory over the Emerald City Mudhens in their final home game this Saturday. The devoted fans who use Surfer games as an excuse to get sauced before noon? The NFL Flag Footballers who can no longer whine about their high intensity sport being restricted to the perimeter of the pitch like it’s rugby’s little sister? The entire society of gophers trembling beneath Robb Field in constant fear of the Surfers’ pre-game tunnel patching? Let’s just say there was a lot of rugby-related joy in Ocean Beach this weekend as San Diego finished out the season with an exciting 58 – 0 win.

Emerald City was a formidable opponent with runners that were difficult to take down – the Surfers actually opted to cuddle them to ground – but San Diego – led by the fierce crashes and smothering tackling of man-of-the-match Daralisa Cheung – managed to keep them scoreless and rack up enough tries to earn a bonus point in their league’s scoring system.

Winger and freight train Casey Fields also brought a much needed boost of intensity to the game when she was subbed in at the half. Fields, who is a bit like one of those bottles in a crooked carnival game that can’t actually be knocked over, plowed through several defenders to score a hat trick and was named man-of-the-match by the Mudhens.

In defeating the Mudhens with a bonus point, San Diego clinched first place in the…take a deep breath…USA Rugby Division 1 Competitive Region #1 (Pacific and Southern California)... exhale...and is the top seed from their region going into the National Playoffs in Acton, MA on October 24 – 25.

Finally, if I remember correctly (and I assure you I do not), the Surfers also hosted a very successful twenty-two team flip cup tournament at The Local downtown on Saturday evening. Shout out to tournament winners Breakfast of Champions for their exemplary display of one flip wonder skills in their pursuit of greatness and the low budget trophy. Thanks to The Local for helping us put on an awesome event!

Seattle, San Diego Enjoy Life at the Top
RugbyMag article from October 13, 2009

Surfers tied for 1st with one game to go; Flip Cup Fundraiser on Saturday
October 7, 2009

The San Diego Surfers shut out the San Francisco Fog 74 - 0 on Saturday, bringing home their sixth regular season victory and taking one step closer to the USA Rugby National Play-offs in Massachusetts. The Surfers had their most consistent match of the year against the Fog, playing a full eighty minutes of clean, aggressive rugby highlighted by well supported breakaway tries from the backline and scrum domination by the forward pack. The Surfers also committed far fewer than their usual four hundred penalties and generated less than one page of halftime notes from coach Richie Walker, making the win sweeter by reducing their chances of having to run until hurling at practice on Monday.

And now, a quick note about your plans for Saturday, October 10 in case you haven’t already been informed:

First, you will be attending the Surfers’ final home game against the Emerald City Mudhens at 11:00 at Robb Field in Ocean Beach, cheering for them until your voice resembles that of a chain-smoking lounge singer, and possibly getting so caught up in the excitement that you do something mildly embarrassing such as the wave.

Second, you and your five flip cup teammates will be heading downtown to The Local at 5:30 PM to check in for the flip cup tournament the Surfers are hosting there on Saturday night as a fundraiser. You may be thinking, This flip cup tournament sounds like the most fun I may ever have! It’s also going to raise gobs of money so the Surfers can travel to Nationals in Boston and bring honor to our city! Too bad I forgot to enter a team! Worry not! You can still enter a team for just $15 per person by emailing krorugger@gmail.com. Click here for more information and enter your team today!

Seattle, San Diego Lead Among West-Coast Women
RugbyMag article from October 5, 2009

Surfers Go 1 and 1 over the weekend
September 30, 2009

Have you ever had one of those shame spiral weekends that you really wish twelve of your closest friends hadn’t meticulously documented in their Facebook albums?  The San Diego Surfers traveled to Washington last weekend for games against the Seattle Breakers and the Budd Bay Bandits, and while none of them – at least to this chronicler’s knowledge – had the pleasure of meeting a Seattle bail bondsman or stumbling sheepishly back to the hotel through the drizzle at 6 AM carrying their heels, let’s just say that they are happy to deny that the trip ever happened and to destroy any evidence to the contrary.  But since the match reports have already been turned in, a recap:

The Surfers were handed their first loss of the season on Saturday by the Seattle Breakers, a hard-hitting team with a dominant forward pack whose quick and relentless punches began immediately following kickoff and kept San Diego back peddling the entire first half.  The Surfers had some noteworthy goal line stands, but neither kicking or offensive plays could get them out of their own half the first forty minutes of the match.  The Surfers showed some improvement in the latter part of the game, getting the ball wide to winger Casey Fields for a try on the outside, but the Breakers simply outplayed and outhustled them.  The game ended with the Surfers behind 19 – 5, a loss they won’t soon forget, especially considering that many of the tiny cubes of rubber from Seattle’s turf pitch managed to make the trip back to San Diego.

San Diego traveled to Olympia on Sunday, hoping to redeem themselves for their Saturday choke with a strong showing against the Budd Bay Bandits.  While the Surfers didn’t deliver the A+ performance they were hoping for, they soundly defeated Budd Bay 50 – 12 in a physical match highlighted by a diving score from prop/aspiring center Kate Rohr, near flawless kicking for points by center Daralisa Cheung, and five breakaway tries by wing Monique Measures.  Mo has recently resumed her career after the first of what will likely be several rugby retirements, and her triumphant return has been greeted with the same warmth as Brett Favre’s first “pscyh!”  You have three more false alarms before you alienate your fans and destroy your legacy, Mo.  Use them wisely.

The Surfers go north again on Saturday to take on the San Francisco Fog at 1:00 on Treasure Island.  Bay Area dwelling Surfer fans, you are expected to come out in full force and cheer San Diego to a victory.  Help us pretend that last weekend never happened.

Surfers Surge to 1st Place in West Region
September 21, 2009

The San Diego Surfers opened their highly anticipated match against league rivals the Belmont Shore Landsharks with an aggressive attack that resulted in two quick tries from their outside backs and one – regrettably, the only of the day – successful conversion by hopeless substitute kicker Marea Blue. Not wanting to bore the hordes of screaming fans who flock to Robb Field for Surfer home games by too decisively blowing out the competition, the Surfers let their early intensity wane and increased their number of frantic decisions and silly errors, letting Belmont back into the game with two tries through San Diego’s defensive line before the end of the first half.

Keeping with the theme of the season, the Surfers decided to get their lives together after a chat with their coaches at halftime and came into the second half fired up. They presented Belmont with a more united defensive attack, holding them scoreless for the remainder of the game, and followed the lead of “man-of-the-match” prop Liz “Tiny” Henry in a more controlled offensive effort that opened up space for moneymaker wings Edith “Shmee” Moreno and Casey Fields, who finished with two tries apiece, and fullback Mandy Wilson who had her usual hat trick. Final score: 37 – 14.

San Diego went on to win a hard fought survivor flip cup game at the social courtesy of sponsor Karl Strauss. Shout out to Belmont “survivor” Fuj for hanging in there until the bitter end and nearly pulling out the W . The Surfers’ road to nationals next stops in Washington for a doubleheader weekend against Budd Bay and the Seattle Women’s Rugby Club.

The Surfers play their final home game on October 10 against the Emerald City Mudhens, so mark your calendars and start the countdown! Everyone who’s anyone will be there.

Surfers Gain Momentum Over Weekend Doubleheader
September 14, 2009

The San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Club hosted their first home matches of the season this weekend in Ocean Beach.  Despite playing on a pitch with terrain so rough, varied and littered with gopher holes that USA Rugby voted it the best location to train should one be preparing for a match in a minefield, the Surfers came away with two wins and zero ankle injuries. 

The Surfers started their doubleheader with a 69 – 0 shutout of the Sacramento Amazons on Saturday.  Per their usual, San Diego was vastly undersized compared to the competition, which may or may not have been a team composed entirely of professional softball pitchers; however, the Surfers played to their strengths, utilizing strategic kicking and quick passing to the outside in a backs-dominated game highlighted by fullback Mandy Wilson’s zig-zag breakaways, a trademarked move that leaves everyone besides the wings at mid-field panting, “I hope to Christ she scores right now.”   

The Nor-Cal Triple Threat proved to be a tough competitor for the Surfers on Sunday, but San Diego managed to outdo them and be even tougher on themselves, committing so many penalties, knock-ons and misaimed passes that if they had been assigning Zulus for avoidable mental blunders, the post-game social would have been a party-naked affair.  Fortunately the Surfers countered these errors with a consistent forward attack led by “Man-of-the-Match” flanker Crystal “Tie Dye” Sain.  Sain’s hard punches and defensive poaching helped make space for some pretty backline plays that got the ball to speedy wings Liz Strohecker and Casey Fields, who scored one and two tries respectively.  Nor-Cal’s pack muscled the ball into the try zone at the end of the first half after an admirable goal line defensive effort by the Surfers, but San Diego kept them scoreless in the second half and took home a 17 – 5 victory, to the delight of their scores of cheering fans. 

The Surfers take on their league rivals the Belmont Landsharks in a home match next Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Robb Field in Ocean Beach.  Come out and support San Diego in one of their biggest games of the season! 

Surfers Victorious in Season Opener vs. Tempe
September 5, 2009

Finding the temperate San Diego climate a touch too chilly for their taste, the San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Club traveled east on Saturday to play the Tempe Women’s Rugby Club in Arizona heat that managed to be oppressive and unpleasant even in the midst of a hurricane.

The Surfers struggled in the first half against an aggressive Tempe side whose large forward pack had a significant advantage on a smaller than regulation field that was more suited for say, lawn bowling than a rugby match.

After a stern, yet gentle chat with coaches Richie Walker and Tim O’Hara at the half, San Diego recommitted to their game plan, setting faster, cleaner rucks and increasing their kicking game to gain field position and get the ball moving forward.  Rookie hooker Becca Williams picked up the ball from the back of a ruck and dove it into the try zone to score the first points of the match early in the second half.  A score by 8-man Alyssa Barker following a breakaway by Kate “Too Much Equipment” Henne and a successful two-point conversion kick by Kirstin Hartos sealed the 12 – 0 Surfer victory.

The Surfers’ second side went on to win the B-side match and San Diego’s solid boat race team soundly defeated the Tempe men’s squad at the social, making San Diego 3 for 3 on a fabulous rugby weekend.

The Surfers play their home opener against the Sacramento Amazons at Robb Field in Ocean Beach on Saturday at 11:00 AM, followed by a match against the Nor-Cal Triple Threat at the same time on Sunday.  Come out and support the toughest and best looking rugby team in San Diego!  A full season schedule is available at www.SDSurfersRugby.com.

San Diego Surfers Kick Off Season with a Thrashing
September 14, 2006