Club Schedule/News
BIG WEEK - Saturday the boys have a big matchup against Belmont Shore with winners moving into solid 2nd place in SoCal. Come support us at MLK Park (4300 Mesa Dr, Oceanside, CA 92057) while you also…Enjoy an amazing meal from your plate sale purchase! Time to collect and enjoy! and it’s not too late if you’re still needing to get some!
Thunder girls are playing Saturday in Encinitas as ECP against Dragons, Mustangs, Hawaiian Gardens, Try Time, and OMBAC.
This weekend we want to give a huge shoutout to two of our coaches and Thunder alumni as they head to the Women’s College Nationals to represent Mira Costa College in the championship tournament. Good luck Heavenly and Marleeana.
And announcing another amazing college commitment for the boys this week, Ryan Scully is off to join Thunder alumni Solomon Williams with the storied Cal (Berkeley) rugby program. Great stuff Scully!
U16 Boys
Thunder U16 Premier hit the road to play against the Temecula Mountain Lions under the lights. Fresh off a big win last week, the boys were ready to stay on track. Thunder got rolling in the first minute with scrum half Jaden Patolo carving up the field for the first points of the day. Fly-half Klahsyk Taele orchestrated an outstanding match in both attack and defense chasing down 2 of his own kicks downfield for tries as well as some punishing tackles on defense. Flanker Vaughn Ellis also led the defense with his work rate. Not without some mistakes and 2 yellow cards in the middle of the game, Thunder played down 2 men for almost 8 minutes. With backs against the wall and the Mountain Lions finding momentum the defense would have to hold strong and they did just that keeping Temecula to just 12 points. Forwards Lino Ripley and Noah Lish would make huge impacts and put stamps on the game both running beautiful crash lines and carrying for long range tries. This was a great overall team performance, final 42-12.
Specific shoutout to captain Klahsyk Taele, following the match the referee followed up and advised Klahsyk had been awarded a “green card” for his leadership, sportsmanship, and respect for the referee. Well done Klahsyk, true leadership.
U18/15 Girls
Our U15/U18 girls faced some tough matches this week, but never stopped competing and never stopped believing. This week was all about learning how to push through when things get hard, showing heart, and staying together no matter the challenge.
We saw true resilience from Lilah, who kept getting back up and battling every step of the way. We saw selflessness from Blehsyd, who stepped up to help her team by playing in a division that is not normally hers. And we saw determination from Taimanei, who scored an amazing try even while the opposition did everything they could to derail her. She never lost focus, never lost sight of her purpose, and that purpose was to score.
Many of our girls, families, and coaches have been carrying a lot lately with loss, sadness, injuries, and the weight of everyday life. But that is what makes Thunder special. We lift each other up, hold on a little longer, offer a hand when it is needed, and keep pushing forward together. Even when the scoreboard does not reflect the effort, our girls continue to show heart, pride, and fight.
The journey is not over. Our girls still have skin in the game and another opportunity to make an impact this coming week. Come out and support these amazing young ladies. Thank you for all the love, support, and encouraging words that keep our girls in the fight.
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A special spotlight goes to Heavenly and Marleeana, who have been part of the Thunder family for many years. Watching them continue their rugby journey at the college level is something we are incredibly proud of. They have put in the work, stayed committed, and now have the chance to compete on one of the biggest stages.
We already know when they step onto that pitch, they are going to leave a mark and create memories. They come to play, compete, and win. More importantly, they represent the heart, grit, and pride that Thunder players carry wherever they go.
No matter how far away the tournament may be, know your Thunder family is cheering for you from the other side of the country. We are proud of everything you have accomplished and excited for everything still ahead.
Go make noise, play your game, and show them what Thunder is all about!
U18 Boys
U18 boys were off this past weekend, resting up for big weekend against Belmont and spending some time prepping for fundraising efforts!
We’ll be starting our “Burpee-a-thon” pledge campaign this week (doing the real work of the burpees on May 4)…stay tuned for details.
“Sip-n-snack” wagon raffle kicking off this week. We need donations and then raffle ticket sales!
Gift card auction also soliciting donations, raffle details to follow as well.
Zeffy ask is live at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/road-to-nationals-4
Links:
North County Youth Rugby = Thunder/Oceanside HS Youth Rugby
https://www.thunderrugbyclub.com/
@thunderrugbyclub @osiderugby @osidegirlsrugby
(newsletter subscribe: https://thunder-youth-rugby.beehiiv.com/)