Ladies and Gentlemen of the Georgia Rugby Union,

The 2009 South LAU All-Star Championship was held on November 14, 2009.  The competition was expanded to 8 teams from the customary 6, allowing the Georgia and Mid-South Unions to field developmental sides and fill out Tier 2.  Entering as the number two seed in the tournament, Georgia was eager for success.  The Georgia developmental side (Georgia II) was the first to play on the day, and struggled to outscore the Deep South, missing a win by a close margin of 8-13.  After a short break, that same Georgia Il side was slated to play at the exact same time as the Georgia I side’s first game of the day.  Fortunately, the Georgia II side earned a win over the Mid-South II side 17-15.  Unfortunately however, the Georgia I side failed to edge out the fit and speedy third seed North Carolina side and narrowly lost their first match 11-14.  Visibly disappointed, the Georgia team resolved to step up to the face Florida in the Tier 1 consolation match.  A wily and skilled Florida back three disrupted the Georgia game plan, taking the match completely out of the forwards’ hands.  Unable to adapt quickly enough, Georgia I fell 18-0.

While the day was marked with some disappointment on the field,  the Georgia All-Stars ended up making great strides in advancing the program.  Over 100 players tried out for the GA All-Stars, and 42 ultimately travelled to represent the state.  This was an unprecedented year for college participation, with students from UGA, GT, KSU, GSU, Auburn, GCSU, Toccoa Falls College, Georgia State, as well as Savannah’s AASU and SCAD making the cut.  Over half will be eligible to return next year.

Yours in Rugby, the GRU Collegiate All-Star Coaching Staff

Randall Joseph, Head Coach
David Conyers, Eddie Miene, Rene Daniel, Coaches
Robert Feltus, Manager