It’s been a while since the last TOLA wrap-up, I know. I have to apologize, I was out at the Olympic Games; BUT THAT’S NO EXCUSE. While I was schmoozing in the Stade de France, the men and women of the Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas regions were grinding it out in the heat to compete for the ultimate championship of the Texas summer, the TOLA trophy.
I last left you after two rounds of the season had completed, Lone Star 7s and Bloodfest 7s. Jumping out to an early lead in the standings were the two Austin powerhouses, the Huns and the Valkyries. However with a long, hot summer ahead, anything was possible. Four more tournaments took place over the end of June and July; Choctaw 7s (Durant, OK), Hell or High Water 7s (Houston, TX), Cherrybone 7s (The Woodlands, TX), and the final hurrah – Riverboat 7s (Shreveport, LA).
Men's TOLA
From Dallas to Austin, the 7s train took an abrupt U-turn and chugged back north towards Durant, OK for the Choctaw 7s. Choctaw was the middle RRRC qualifier of the season and there were separate brackets for each competition. On the TOLA side, 12 teams were split into four pools of three who played in-pool before being reseeded; top eight to the Cup QF and bottom four into the Bowl games. Dallas 2 were the team to beat after taking top points from Bloodfest, while the Dallas Harlequins 2 and HEB 2 looked for any chance to pull an upset over the top dog. Out of the quarterfinals it was Dallas 2 (expected), Arkansas Gryphons (strong performance in the pool play as well), Hot Rod Classics (no idea here), and Tulsa (the dark horse from Lone Star gets their just revenge). In the end though no one was a match for the men in red as Dallas clenched maximum TOLA points and vaulted into first on the TOLA table. It’s worth noting that Huns 2 participated in the qualifier bracket, gaining them TOLA points, but not the maximum amount, as that is reserved for the winner. They added points but remained in second place in the standings.
Off to Hell or High Water 7s in Houston, the final RRRC qualifier with a true hybrid RRRC/TOLA bracket. What does that mean? Well it just means that all TOLA and RRRC point seeking teams play in the same bracket and points are allocated as demonstrated in the guidelines. This also makes the play quite competitive, as the top TOLA teams go toe to toe with the teams gunning for Nationals. The quarterfinal match-ups pitted the Harlequins against HEB, Gorilla against HARC, and the ultimate spiderman of who’s who, Dallas 1 vs Huns 2 and Huns 1 vs Dallas 2. Gorilla was the lone TOLA team who made it through quarters thanks to a strong win over HARC, and would take top points. The other 3 would split the differences thanks to the weather and condition of the field. Thus with four tournaments over, it would stand at Dallas 2 (18), Austin 2 (16), and Gorilla (14) on top of the table.
Next up was Cherrybone 7s in The Woodlands, TX. While many of the same names were in attendance, the Huns and Dallas sensed the end was near and stepped up their game. The Woodlands threatened to disrupt the hierarchy as the home side made some waves during pool play and semifinals, but in the end it would be the kings of the TRU 7s scene battling it out for glory. This time the men in blue took the crown, thus drawing even on the total points for first place. It would be a winner take all showdown the next weekend in Shreveport.
Shreveport, Louisiana (imagine an iconic flyover of the town set to some great hype music): where champions are made, where heroes never die, and where legends are born. It all came down to this; Austin versus Dallas, Huns versus Reds, the battle of I-35. In the end though, it wouldn’t come down to these two at all. In a dramatic twist, the final four saw the Huns 2 against the Quins and Dallas 2 against Fort Worth as the draw for the semifinals. The Huns stumbled on the final hurdle and were unable to sneak past the Quins en route to a repeat TOLA Championship title. It all came down to Dallas; win a semifinal and the TOLA Championship was theirs, lose and it would be one more winner take all game in the bronze. Fueled by the glory on the line, Dallas pulled through with the win over Fort Worth and cemented their names in the history book forever (or on a lil plaque on the TOLA trophy, same thing). The Quins would end up the 2024 Riverboat 7s Champions, but Dallas would claim the TOLA title. The Huns finished third, cementing their second place finish overall, followed by Gorilla, whose strong showing at Hell or High Water was enough to jump them to third.
Women's TOLA
First up to cover was Choctaw 7s in Durant, OK. This was a hybrid qualifier/TOLA tournament on the women’s side, with three sides competing for qualifier points. The two TOLA sides were the OKC Mountain Boomers and Dallas RFC. Because of the way the points system works, these two sides were always going to get the maximum TOLA points (7 and 5) even if they finished last and second to last. This meant solely by participating in Choctaw, both Dallas and the OKC Mountain Boomers would pass the Valkyries in the standings and claim the top two spots halfway through the season. Obviously the Valkyries climb back, but participation is King (Queen?) when it comes to TOLA ranking. In a five-team round robin, Dallas went 0-4, OKC 1-3; the battle between them being a tightly contested 19-12 match-up.
From Oklahoma, we went to Hell or High Water, another hybrid TOLA/qualifier tournament. Eight total teams participated, notably absent were the OKC Mountain Boomers who had taken the top spot in TOLA after Choctaw. Dallas were there, joined by the Austin Valkyries, the sHARCs 1 and 2, the Dallas Harlequins 2, and Louisiana Lagniappe. The Valkyries looked well-rested after not making the drive to Oklahoma for the previous tournament and went 3-0 in pool play, taking the top berth into the semifinals. They were joined by the three qualifier teams, sHARCs, HEB, and the Harlequins; guaranteeing them maximum TOLA points regardless of their finish. Dallas would finish in a tie with Louisiana Lagniappe for the 5th place spot earning them the next highest amount of points. With Austin taking max points in TOLA, they overtook the lead back from Dallas; who, thanks to attending this tournament, took enough points to secure them in second over the OKC Boomers.
Four down, two to go. It was a battle between the top three spots, currently at Austin (15), Dallas (13), and OKC Boomers (12). Next up was Cherrybone 7s in The Woodlands, TX; a tournament known for the heat, the turf, and rugby boots melting off your feet (see the first two points). Both Austin and Dallas attended, still in the hunt for the title, and were joined by the Gulf Coast powerhouse sHARCs and the Quins 2. The sHARCs stayed true to form and took the title, beating out a strong Quins side. Dallas finished third, ahead of the Austin Valkyries; moving them back into the top spot headed into the final stretch – Shreveport.
Unfortunately due to a clash between 7s by the Sea in Corpus and Riverboat 7s, the women’s bracket in Shreveport did not go off and the final standings were confirmed after Cherrybone. Dallas would go back to back as TOLA Champions, followed closely by the Austin Valkyries who were back on the podium for the first time in three years, and the OKC Mountain Boomers who placed third their first time competing in TOLA.
2024 Champions: Dallas Men
2024 Champions: Dallas Women
Finally caught up, whew. What’s next in TRU news? The TRU Summit, obviously. August 23-25th, this massive event has continuing education courses (I recommend the L1 Referee Course), networking opportunities, and the Hall of Fame banquet; all in centrally-located Austin, Texas. There’s also the Austin Summer Touch League at the Huns Rugby Ranch, if you’re keen to get a run-around. Otherwise, while you sit and wait for the XV season to start, get caught up on some paperwork – all players, coaches, and referees are required to register for the new season starting September 1.