Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from Walker Sports

How Bad are the Florida Gators? Two Gator Linemen Block Each Other

Things have not gone well for the Florida Gators this season.  As a matter of fact, that may be an understand statement.  The Florida Gators are horrible.  There's little doubt head coach Will Muschamp will be fired soon after the final whistle of this weekend's game against top 2nd ranked Florida State.  That's the price you pay when you lose to Georgia Southern, at home.  A game where the Eagles failed to complete a pass, and yet the Gators still couldn't find a way to stop them. 

So you ask, how bad are things down in Gainesville?  Well video has emerged of two Florida offensive linemen blocking each other during a key play in Saturday's game.  We're not talking about two linemen bumping into each other, these guys dug in and were aggressively trying to block one another. 
To be fair, it may have been the best block thrown by a Gator lineman all day.  Too bad it was against their own team.

Mike Gundy's Victory Dance is Epic

Here are Walker Sports, we are Oklahoma State fans.  Why do we like the Cowboys? It's all about Mike Gundy.  Our man crush on him goes back to 2008 with his epic rant to the media.

Last night Oklahoma State pulled off one of the best upsets in school history when they knocked off undefeated Baylor.  In true Gundy fashion, the head coach let his hair down and celebrated with his players, and the entire internet wins as a result.  (Go to the 2:15 min mark to see Gundy get down.
Congrats Mike Gundy you earned it.

A Fallen Rugger and His Family Needs Your Help

A fallen rugger and his family need the support of the rugby community.  Young star Isiah Willas has lost his life and his family needs the support of the rugby community to provide him with a proper burial.

A DC family is reeling under the weight of tens of thousands of dollars in funeral expenses after losing three generations in a car crash. 

Isiah Willas was a talented young man who had unknown levels of potential on the rugby pitch, and sadly that potential will never be realized due to a tragic traffic accident.  Unfortunately the story does not end there.  A family is reeling under the weight of  thousands of dollars in funeral expenses after losing Isiah his mother and grandfather in the fatal accident. 

The big extended family, including many from the Washington DC rugby community held services for Isiah, Cindy and Thomas Willis -- but none of them can be buried until the cemetery is paid. 

Grandfather Thomas Willis, at 69, the patriarch... mother Cindy Willis... and grandson Isiah Willis, just 21.

The three were returning from a funeral themselves earlier this month, when Virginia State Police say Isiah overcorrected and careened off I-95 in Prince George County

Authorities transferred the bodies to one funeral home in Virginia, than another in Maryland, and a third in DC, where they are being held. With each transfer the cost mounted the family struggled to meet the demands.

Isiah played rugby at the University of Mary Washington. "He was a great kid. A great kid," said his coach, Tim Brown.

He remembers a young man who had almost nothing, but was always smiling -- and excelling in the state rugby final. "I think Isiah touched the ball three times and scored twice. I think the quote from the JMU coach was, 'If he had touched it one more time, we wouldn't have one the game.'"

There's talk of insurance money to help cover about $33,000 in fees from the funeral homes and the cemetery. But Isiah, Cindy and Thomas Willis' bodies will go back into storage until his cousins come up with the money. 

Isiah’s current rugby club Washington Rugby Football Club has stepped up and set up a donation fund using Fundly, to help the family cover the cost.  Brian Mihelic, who coached Isiah in high school and at WRFC is heading the efforts.

 “ We are still working to raise more money.  Anything raised above the actual costs (they will eventually get some money from insurance), will go to The Isiah Willis Scholarship fund being set up at Mary Washington.” Mihelic stated in a recent email to supports. 

The rugby community has always proven to be one of the strongest communities around, and right now a family needs the support of that community

Donations can be submitted by clicking here

The Pacific Rugby Premiership is Bord

The official press release was issued earlier this week, the Pacific Rugby Premiership well begin competition in January of 2014. 

Here's the official release.
LOS ANGELES, CA NOVEMBER 6, 2013 - The rugby clubs of Belmont Shore, Denver Barbarians, Glendale Raptors, Olympic Club, OMBAC, San Francisco Golden Gate and Santa Monica are pleased to announce the formation of the Pacific Rugby Premiership (PRP), which is to play its inaugural season in 2014.

The competition will be officially launched on January 15th, with the first round of fixtures kicking off on February 1st.

Consisting of a 43 match season, teams will play each other both home and away over a 14 week period. The top two teams from the regular season will then compete for the Premiership title on May 17th, making this the longest competitive playing season for premiere rugby teams in the USA.

The PRP will also serve as a platform for clubs and players to showcase the depth of homegrown rugby talent here in the USA - pitching the leading teams in the country against each other week in, week out.
Being one of the fastest growing sports in America, rugby is drawing ever increasing interest. As a result of this new competition, each club will host a full calendar of highly competitive fixtures, providing a great opportunity for expansion in local markets. The Pacific Rugby Premiership will establish itself as the pinnacle of domestic competition - taking rugby to the next level in the USA.