Atlanta Harlequins Win 2012 USA Rugby Women’s Division I National Championships Rosalind Chou, President [email protected] www.atlantaharlequins.com After defeating both teams they faced in complete shut outs during the October 27 & 28 Division I Playoffs – which they hosted in Atlanta – (Chicago Women 58-0 on Saturday and Detroit 39-0 on Sunday), the Atlanta Harlequins faced ORSU (Oregon Sports Union) in the final championship match on November 11 in Ft. Myers, Florida. The match began with the Harlequins quickly drawing first blood with a converted try dotted down by Lauren Waltz at minute 2 of the match. ORSU held on for a converted forwards try at minute 26. But just before halftime, a quick tap put the ball into Atlanta prop Carmel Glynn’s hands for a converted try, giving Atlanta a 14-7 lead going into the second half. Within 10 minutes of the second half, Liz Snodgrass for Atlanta and Te Awhina Ho Chee for ORSU trade tries, putting the score at 21-7 to the Quins. In the 64th minute, Atlanta fullback Jess Wooden barrels through the ORSU defense to put down an unconverted try, giving the Quins a 26-14 lead. The final score came from a pass picked off by Quins flanker, Liz Snodgrass, who sprinted half the length of the field before offloading to hooker LaKeta Sutton, who sprinted another 40 meters for the score between the posts. The match ended with a final score of Atlanta Harlequins – 33, ORSU – 14, elevating the Harlequins from #3 to #1 in the nation for Women’s Division I rugby (2010 – #2, 2009 – #3). The Harlequins ended the season with 13 wins and 0 losses and have been admitted into the Women’s Premier League for the 2013–2014 season after WPL team Keystone voluntarily moved down to Division I. Full video of the match, complete with commentary, can be found on USA Rugby’s YouTube channel. Atlanta Tries: Conversions: Lauren Waltz, Wing Heather Hale, Flyhalf – 4 conversions Carmel Glynn, Prop Liz Snodgrass, Flanker Championship Match MVP: Jess Wooden, Fullback Madeline Wilbanks, 8-Man LaKeta Sutton, Hooker The Harlequins would like to give sincere thanks to our coach, Jason Payne, all of our sponsors, Harlequin alumni, family, friends, and supporters who have helped to make this season not only successful, but completely unforgettable. # # # Dedicated to excellence since 1984, the Atlanta Harlequins strive to give credibility to rugby in the South as well as right here in Atlanta. Currently ranked #1 in the nation for Division I women’s rugby, the Harlequins have a strong desire to bring rugby to the forefront as a viable sport for women. Information about the Atlanta Harlequins, rugby union, players, and staff can be found at www.atlantaharlequins.com. The Atlanta Harlequins are a 501c3 nonprofit organization. International Rugby Board – www.irb.com USA Rugby – www.usarugby.org USA Rugby South – www.usarugbysouth.com Georgia Rugby Union – www.georgiarugbyunion.org .