12/6-7/2003: Atlantis Men & Women at
Caribbean Sevens
(Atlantis tournament #107)
Emil Signes
JUNE 27, 2013 (rev. April 30, 2018)
Note of 2013: With a couple of tiny changes, this article is
copied from that which appeared in the January 2004 Rugby. This was a great pair of
squads; we went 14-1 overall, and just as importantly
(to me) the two
teams got
along fabulously.
The two
teams that went 14-1 at
this tournament
Standing,
back 6: Ruaridh Sawers,
Ed Kos, Nigel
Arismendez, Reggie Tift,
Dale Gillmore (??),
Michael Carvin
2nd row
(9): Thad Hill, Ashley
Wilt, Emily Carlson
[Bock], Alison Price,
Sarah Sall, Kathy
Blanton, Shane Stewart,
Sean McKenna, Emil
Signes
Standing,
alone, at left: Danzel
van Zyl
Front:
Bonifacio Tejedor,
Tracey Bonikowski,
Hannah Rufener,
Stephanie Bruce, Kristin
Huber, Bev Armstrong,
Heather Jones, James
Yack
Not present: Al
Caravelli
Port
of Spain, Trinidad &
Tobago. December
6-7, 2003. The
Atlantis Women defeated a host
Trinidad and Tobago Presidential
7s side 39-0 to win their third
consecutive Caribbean 7s
Championship. The Atlantis
women were a perfect 7-0,
decimating the opposition by a
total score of 245-0.
In the men's final, a NOVA side
that featured nine current or
former Eagles - seven of them
Atlantis alumni - shut out the
Atlantis men 31-0. NOVA
outscored its opponents 350-7 on
the way to an 8-0 finish.
The Atlantis men finished 7-1.
Both Brackets permitted
11-player squads with unlimited
substitutions, resulting in
matches with great pace under
sunny skies in 88-degree
weather.
Most
Promising Player:
Atlantis' Stephanie
Bruce
Brown University fullback
and 7s rookie Stephanie
Bruce, led the Atlantis
women with thirteen tries
and nine conversions.
She was selected from all
participants, both men and
women, in the 24-team event,
as recipient of the Most
Promising Player Award, the
sole individual award of the
tournament.
Stephanie
Bruce gets "Most
Promising Player" Award
Atlantis Women:
213 Wins Since 1992
Since their debut at the
Benidorm Sevens (Spain) in 1992,
the Atlantis women have compiled
a record of 213 wins, 28 losses
and one tie. Eight of
those 28 losses were at the
hands of another Atlantis team
in an all Atlantis final.
Postscript
The Atlantis men and women
practiced with and against each
other. Leisure activities
prior to the competition
included a trip to Maracas Beach
and a day at the Santa Rosa race
track in Arima.
Al Caravelli, at age 45, played
scrumhalf, becoming the oldest
player ever to take the pitch
for Atlantis. (Note of
2013: Krista McFarren, at
50, broke this record in
2011.)
Jamaica's inexperienced women's
side, in their first ever
tournament, proved to be fast
and very aggressive; an example
of the continued growth of
women's rugby in the Caribbean,
where it was virtually
nonexistent five years ago.
Atlantis
Staff
Coaches: Emil Signes
and Reggie Tift
Manager: Sean
McKenna
Atlantis Men's Roster (7-1)
684 Nigel
Arismendez, Royalians (T&T)
267 Al
Caravelli, NYAC
685 Michael
Carvin, NYAC
686 Dale
Gillmore, Flit Rogues
229
Thaddeus Hill, Fort
Worth
687 Ed
Kos, Boston Irish
Wolfhounds
652
Ruaridh Sawers, At
Large
688
Tim Sheridan,
Brandywine
653
Shane Steward,
Krewe (FL)
654
Bonifacio Tejedor,
Krew (FL)
655
Danzel Van
Zyl, Potomac
AC
689
James Yack,
San Mateo, San
Jose
Atlantis
Women's Roster
(7-0)
378
Bev
Armstrong,
Beantown
681
Kathy Blanton,
NOVA
690
Tracey Bonikowski,
Maulie
Maguires
691
Stephanie
Bruce, Brown
379
Emily Carlson
[Bock],
Kansas City
Jazz
643
Kristin Huber,
Niagara (ON)
644
Heather Jones,
Pittsburgh Angels
674
Alison Price,
Kansas City Jazz
692
Hannah Rufener,
Ohio State
578
Sarah Sall,
Brandywine
693
Ashley Wilt,
West Chester
NOVA men's
roster (bold =
Atlantis
veteran): Jason
Raven, Prince
Hill, Malakai
Delai, Alex
Magleby, Jone
Naqica, Don
Younger, Kevin
Linzey, Anwar
Salaam, Brian
Englert,
Matt Curtis.
August,
2013:
Photographic
Memories and
Comments
Barbados.
Several of us
flew through
Barbados, and
hung out
outside the
airport
terminal.
Tracey
Bonikowski,
Michael
Carvin, Sarah
Sall, Reggie
Tift, Ashley
Wilt at
Barbados
Airport
Those that got
in early
enough made a
quick trip to
St. James for
some great
Trini roti,
but I have no
decent
pictures of
that
stop.
The next AM,
however, both
teams headed
for Port of
Spain's
Savannah,
where we had
separate but
overlapping
practices.
Both
teams at the
Savannah
between
practices
We headed to
Maracas Beach
after
training, and
despite the
rain were
comfortable in
the 80º+
temperatures.
The
view at
Maracas Beach
- it was
raining but
that just
added to the
spectacular
view
Left:
Mona's Bake
and Shark //
Right: Enjoying
a Carib in the
rain at Mona's
The next day
we were
invited to the
Santa Rosa
racetrack,
where one of
the races was
designated the
Atlantis race.
It was a nice
day out with
no physical
responsibilities.
Left:
At Santa Rosa
Park //
Center: Dress
Code // Right:
Horses enter
the track
At
the races.
Left: Most of
us.
Right: Danzel
and Bev
We're all
"Elegantly
Casual"
In
the winner's
circle of the
Atlantis race:
Sarah and Red
join the
winner
Most of the times we've been at
the Carib Sevens we've had a Christmas dinner at the Veni
Mangé. We did that again this year, and, as always, we
were well tended to by the proprietor, Allyson.
At the Veni Mangé. The menu
Left: Allyson, the proprietor // Right: Veni Mangé,
decorated for Christmas
Tim, Ruaridh, Sarah, Ed, Bev, Michael, Steph
Dinner's Over, Heading Home to Sleep; We Play
Tomorrow
Saturday when we arrived at
the field we once again saw the beautiful view from the
posts. BUT - the "Believe and Achieve" sign in front
of which we'd taken our team pictures the last two years -
defiled! Two port-o-johns covered the inspirational wall
:( ...
Saturday morning. Left: here's the field we will
play 15 games onRight: Our photo
background defiled!
We took
pictures of
our two squads
at the
commencement
of play.
Al Caravelli
still had not
arrived, nor
had we picked
up Nigel
Arismendez of
T&T's
Royalian's
club, who
would join us
early in the
tournament.
I had coached
Nigel on the
T&T
national team;
he was a great
pickup.
Men's
and Women's Teams
At Start of
Tournament.
Left:
The Banner
George Betzler
Created for
Atlantis Flies
Again
Right:
I show off my
new West
Indies Cricket
hat on
the sidelines
As this is a
rugby tour, we
actually have
a couple (but
not a lot)
pictures of
rugby
action.
First, Ruaridh
[pron. Rory]
on the attack
against
Guyana:
Ruaridh
has dragged
the Guyanans
across the
field; looks
for support to
change direction
Heather Jones
about to score
try vs.
Royalians
Left:
Shane (?)
lifted vs NOVA
(Alex Magleby
is defensive
jumper)
Right:
Al finally
arrived; this
is the only I
have with him
in it.
Al and Danzel
in front
Back: Emil,
Boni, Michael,
James, Dale,
Reggie, Thad,
Tim, Shane,
Ruaridh, Ed,
Sean
Tug
of War.
Left: Hannah
// Right: Steph
The tournament's over: we're the last ones to hang around
Atlantis'
Men's Results
(7-1)
Game
|
Type
|
Opponent
|
Type
|
WLT
|
PF
|
PA
|
1
|
Pool Play 1
|
BRUC
|
Club
|
W
|
45
|
0
|
2
|
Pool Play 1
|
Harvard (T&T)
|
Club
|
W
|
34
|
0
|
3
|
Pool Play 1
|
Northern
|
Club
|
W
|
31
|
0
|
4
|
Pool Play 2
|
Caribs
|
Club
|
W
|
28
|
7
|
5
|
Pool Play 2 |
Guyana
|
National Team
|
W
|
19
|
5
|
6
|
Pool Play 2
|
Police
|
Club
|
W
|
12
|
5
|
7
|
SF
|
Border Reivers
|
Invitational Team
|
W
|
19
|
5
|
8
|
Final
|
NOVA
|
Invitational Team
|
L
|
0
|
31
|
|
|
|
Total
|
7-1
|
188
|
53
|
Atlantis'
Women's Results
(7-0)
Game
|
Type
|
Opponent
|
Type
|
WLT
|
PF
|
PA
|
1
|
Pool Play 1
|
DC Dogs
|
Combined Team
|
W
|
45
|
0
|
2
|
Pool Play 1
|
T&T Select
|
Select Side
|
W
|
48
|
0
|
3
|
Pool Play 1
|
Royalians
|
Club
|
W
|
27
|
0
|
4
|
Pool Play 2
|
T&T President's VII
|
Select Side
|
W
|
27
|
0
|
5
|
Pool Play 2
|
Royalians
|
Club
|
W
|
26
|
0
|
6
|
Pool Play 2
|
Jamaica
|
National Team
|
W
|
33
|
0
|
7
|
Final
|
T&T President's VII
|
Select Side
|
W
|
39
|
0
|
|
|
|
Total
|
7-0
|
245
|
0
|
After the Games
Hotel after tourney; we held fine and rookie shows on the
balcony
For those that stayed another day, there was a tournament beach
party at Maracas Beach on Monday.
Left: View from Overlook // Right: Hannah, Sean,
Emily, Alison, Heather, Ashley, Reggie at Overlook
At the beach. Left: Lifeguard chair among the palms.
Right: Palm fruit
Hanging out at Maracas Beach one more time
Left: As a counterpoint to the first picture, here we are in
an airport again. This is Piarco (T&T)
Right: Just as we were about to land in Barbados I noticed the
tires were quite bald.
Note of 2013. Atlantis continued its co-ed tours to
T&T in 2004 with yet another great tour. See it here.
