Saturday April 7th

10:00 AM- Game 1
Chicago Lions vs. Detroit Tradesmen
The loser is eliminated from the USA Rugby National Championship

12:00 PM- Game 2
Metropolis vs. Buffalo

2:00 PM- Game 3
Palmer vs. Wolfhounds
Winner is Midwest Champion and is finished for the tournament.

Sunday April 8th

10:00 AM- Game 1
12:00 PM- Game 2

The loser of Game 3 and the winner of Game 2 will play for the 2nd and 3rd seeds for the Midwest.
The loser of Game 2 and the winner of Game 3 will play for the 4th seed for the Midwest.  The loser is eliminated from the USA Rugby National Championship.
Game order and times are subject to change to allow teams time for travel, etc.  Please check back after Saturday for an updated Sunday schedule.

After traveling to both Ft. Lauderdale and Pittsburgh and a number of open weeks the Cincinnati Wolfhounds were finally ready for the spring season home opener.   The Wolfhounds have long made claim to “Ohio’s Premiere Rugby Team” and would get a chance to prove it against the Dayton Flying Pigs on Saturday.

The Hounds, dominant in scrums and line outs, wasted little time putting together scores from captain Johnny Warner and lock Kyle Merk.  Newcomer Kiwi Sam Hannan got in on the action with his first try wearing the blue.

This highlight of this lopsided affair was just before the end of the half.  After Kyle Merk had added his second try, Jason Kleinhenz took the ensuing kickoff and weaved his way through Dayton’s defense before pitching to Piet Swanepoel.  After some elusive and punishing running, Piet returned the favor when he offloaded to a supporting Kleinhenz who put the kickoff away in the corner as time ran out.   Coach Nick Lauterbach later commented that in all of his years in rugby a kickoff return was something he had never seen.  The Hounds led 31-0 at the break.

The second half was more of the same with tries added from Meki Betomakita and a determined run by fan favorite Ferd Schneider.  Merk completed his “hat trick” with a score between the posts.  Impressive defense from the Wolfhounds kept Dayton off the board.  The final count was in the neighborhood of 60-0.

Despite a shortened roster with more than 5 players on loan to Dayton, the Wolfhounds second side was equally impressive.  Scoring early and often, powerful scrums and stout defense led to another runaway victory highlighted by three tries from Kendric “Dingo” Roberts.   The final score of 30+ -5 is a testament to the depth the Cincinnati Wolfhound Rugby Football Club has built.

The Wolfhounds will host the Midwest Rugby Football Union playoffs next Saturday April 7^th and Sunday April 8^th  at Brimelow Fields.  The top 6 teams in the Midwest will compete for 4 playoff spots in the USA Rugby National Tournament.

The Hounds started fast when Nate Kosman took the ball off a lineout, shook two tacklers to score from 10 meters out.  Ryan “Pony” Frentzel converted to make the score 7-0.  After a crisp start the game turned sloppy.  Numerous penalties and turnovers led to a Pittsburgh attack that netted a score and conversion to knot things up.  Shortly after the Hounds were several phases into an attack when a Pittsburgh penalty was called.  The Wolfhounds elected to kick for points.  Pony’s kick was just short as it caromed off the crossbar and bounced into the hands of a sprinting John “Rocket” McCafferty for a try.   The conversion was good.  The score: Wolfhounds 14, Harlequins 7.   The Hounds controlled possession the remainder of the half.  Kyle Merk appeared to score another try that was ruled held up just before time ran out.  The second half was punctuated by numerous whistles and stoppage of play highlighted by visits to the sin bin by each team.  Pittsburgh controlled possession most of the half, but couldn’t put points on the board.  The final score remained 14-7.

Like the D1, the Wolfhounds D3 squad also started fast with tries by newcomer Chris Schottmiller and later Chris Slicker.  Inspired play by hooker Matt Baker and 8 man Kendrik “Dingo” Roberts controlled the first half.  The score was 12-0 at the break.  Sloppy play and a few ill-advised passes proved to be the Hounds undoing. Pittsburgh scored 4 unanswered tries to secure the victory.

The Wolfhounds are scheduled to play two matches at Brimelow Fields against Dayton next Saturday 3/31 beginning at 1 PM.

Saturday April 7, 2012
Game 1: Cincinnati Wolfhounds (East #1) vs. Palmer Chiropractic (West #1)
Game 2: Buffalo (East #2) vs. Metropolis (West #2)
Game 3: Detroit Tradesmen (East #3) vs.  Chicago Lions (West #3)

Sunday April 8, 2012
Game 1: Loser Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game2: Loser Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3

For travel arrangements and area information, please visit the Butler County Visitors Bureau at the link below.

- 5:00pm – Happy hour at Tap-and-Go

- 6:30pm – Dinner served at Pavilion

- Club awards and 2011 HOF inductions shall follow immediately after.

10 for $10 Beer Tickets

$20 per individual or $40 per team
Double Elimination
First Place: Split 20% of the total buy-ins
Second Place: Split 5% of the total buy-ins

All proceeds benefit The Midwest Rugby Development Foundation!

• Off season training at DI- Sessions will start December 6 with sessions at 6am and 6pm (tentatively).  The DI training facility is located in the Beacon Sports Medicine building off of Kemper Rd.  Click HERE for info on DI and see John McCafferty for more information if you are interested but have not signed up.
• Winter Banquet – Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Mt. Adams Pavilion.  More information will be coming out soon regarding this.  Always a great night.
• First Practice – Saturday, February 4, 2012.  Hopefully but most likely not a Brimelow.  More information will be out as we get closer….but remember the day.
• Ft. Lauderdale Ruggerfest – February 24, 25, 26 2012.  It was decided this year that the club goes to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Savannah.  The competition level in Ft. Lauderdale will better prepare us for what is going to be a tough spring.  The hope is that we have the commitment to enter teams in the Premier, Club, and Old Boys side.  Please email Tony Schenke and let him know if you are able to go, would like to go, etc. so we can start planning travel and hotels.
• Midwest Playoffs – Saturday, April 7, 2012.  These will either be in Cincinnati or Detroit.  We will update this as soon as we know for sure.
• Crossover Match – Saturday April 28, 2012.  Crossover game with the South for a spot in the USA Rugby National Championships.
• Sweet 16 – Saturday May, 12, 2012
• Final Four, Saturday, June 2, 2012

And don’t forget most Saturdays there will be the Cincinnati Winter Touch Rugby World Cup Championship Series.  Check your emails for location.  And there’s always Saturday nights at Tap N’ Go.  Cheers.

Coming out of halftime, it seemed to be a new Wolfhound team taking the pitch, with flyhalf Shaun Grobler getting the scoring underway a little over a minute in with a converted try.  Minutes later, Ryan Grote was able to get in for his second try of the day.  After giving up a try to the Indy scrumhalf, in the play of the day to that point, the ball crossed the field from Jordan Kleinhenz to Ferd Schneider to John McCafferty who gave a quick waggle before passing to Tony Schenke on the wing for the converted try.  Fresh onto the pitch, Paul Rettig touched down ten minutes later after a series of quick pick and gos.  The conversion put the score at 41-14.  It was shortly after..in the real play of the day, that Ryan Grote ran down the sideline and scored his third try of the day.  The Hounds gave up another converted try before Piet Swanepol, not to be left out of the scoring, muscled his way in for a try, this time converted by scrumhalf Jason Kleinhenz.  At the final whistle, the Hounds were victorious 53-21.

The win sees the Wolfhounds finish first in the Midwest East Conference for the second year in a row.  With the Midwest’s decision to move the playoffs to the spring (April 7th and 8th or 14th and 15th in Cincinnati or Detroit), the Hounds will have a lot of time to prepare for Palmer, who finished first in the Midwest West Conference.

2 – Jim Pelton 53′

3 – Ferd Schneider 50′

4 – Kyle Merk 58′

5 – Tony Schenke  50′ 75′
6 – Joey Hood 61′

8 – Petrus Swanepoel 78′

9 – Jason Kleinhenz 78′

10 – Shaun Grobler 41′ 50′ , 61′

12 – Robert Deck
13 – Jordan Kleinhenz 67′

14 – Ryan Grote 27′ , 45′ , 64′

15 – Ryan Frentzel 5′ 17′ 17′ , 41′ 64′
16 – Lemeki Betomakita 64′

17- Daniel Schultes75′

18 – Josh Goldsmith 53′
19 – Paul Rettig 58′ 61′

20 – Nicholas McCauley 50′

21 – Nick Deignan 61′