2004 Season Recap
The inaugural 2004 Winter/Spring season saw the Tykes introduce three non-contact rugby (NCR) age group teams in U8, U10 and U12 divisions that were immediately competitive with established youth rugby clubs in SoCal.
All age group teams won a majority of their matches as they played a fast-paced, up-tempo game that became a hallmark of Tykes youth rugby. Indeed, the U8 team combined with the Lake Elizabeth Wildcats U8 squad to share the SCYRA Rugby Tournament's U8 championship title in its first season, and the U12 team beat a tough San Pedro side to win the plate (consolation) final in the same Calabassas tournament.
An exciting highlight of the season was the club attending the IRB World Sevens Rugby championship, played in the US for the first time, at the HomeDepotCenter in Carson, which provided most of the players their first opportunity to see international-level rugby played live. Also, in 2004, the Tykes forged an informal partnership with the Los Angeles Mens Rugby Club (LARC), and some of the Tykes players appeared as ball boys ands girls at LARC's opening match at the HomeDepotCenter after hosting their own scrimmage beforehand. 2004 Awards: Best Back: Casey Sublette Best Forward: Ben McGrath Best Rookie/Most Improved: Keenan Sucov/Neil Sisson MVP: Danny Heeley
2005 Season Recap
In the Tykes second season, the club expanded its player base to include a U15 NCR team that, while made up primarily of thriteen year olds as well as contributions from its U12 team players, held its own aginst other SoCal U15 teams generally comprised of older players. The U8, U10 and U12 NCR teams continued to play expansive rugby, although the addition of a the new U15 team also stretched the Club's growing player base as some of the players in the yonger sides were selected to play up in age group, where they gained valuable experience. Although the Tykes did not take home any SCYRA titles in 2005, the Club again won a majority of its games and put in good showings at the SCYRA youth rugby tournament and the San Clemente youth rugby festval.
Perhaps most importantly, the Club gained three new volunteer coaches in Walter Anderson and Ben Lochtenburg (who are still coaching in 2007) and Richard Ma (who has since left for NYU grad school, where we wish him well).
2005 Awards: Best Back: Will Ladnier Best Forward: Joe Robinson Best Rookie/Most Improved: Fred Robinson MVP: Casey Sublette/Hamish Lochtenburg
2006 Season Recap
The 2006 season saw the club introduce two new contact rugby (FCR) age-group teams at U14 and U16, as part of the growth development plan for youth rugby clubs in SoCal as envisioned by Southern California Youth Rugby (SCYR), which oversees youth rugby in SoCal. While short of numbers at the 10-a-side (U14) and 12-a-side (U16) divisions for most of the season, as was to be expected in the first year of these programs, the new FCR players nevertheless outfitted themselves admirably in practices and scrimmages against more established FCR sides, including games in which the MBTRC players were mixed in with opposing teams more experienced players to create competitive matches, both at home and away, and the players picked up invaluable experience in the tackle game.
The NCR teams continued to thrive with new players coming in at each age group, but especially so at the U10 & U12 age groups. At the end of season NCR tournament in Fullerton in early March, the Tykes played a combined team of U10 & U12 players in the U12 division, and were unlucky not to advance out of the group into the semi-finals after showing great determination and effort against teams comprised of all U12 players. As players have advanced each season through the age group divisions, the club is looking for a good recruiting class at U8 for 2007 to create a full pipeline of NCR and FCR players for the future seasons.
2006 Awards: Best Back: Sean Napolitano Best Forward: Mitch Dwyer / Nolan Scott Best Rookie/Most Improved: Cole Anderson / Kyle Khatchadorian MVP: Slater Ellis |
