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We are now items for purchase at the Iowa Falls Rugby Football Club.

What’s for sale:
IFRFC auto stickers.                       $10
IFRFC T-shirts.                               $20
IFRFC green and gold socks.         $10
 New rugby shorts.                           $30
2013 All Iowa T-shirts.                    $10
Old All Iowa T-shirts.                       $5

We will add more items as they become available, along with pictures and information. If you are interested right now in buying any of the items listed above please contact Dr. Francis Pisney, on the contact page.

If you find a link that is not listed here please either contact Dr. Francis Pisney or the webmaster to get a link added.

SOCIAL LINKS:

Iowa Falls Rugby Club Fields

Iowa Falls Rugby Football Club Foundation

All other links:
www.usarugby.org
www.midwestrugby.org
http://iowarugby.pitchero.com/
www.rugbyrugby.com
www.dropkickphotos.com
www.heartlandrugby.com
www.WorldRugbyShop.com
http://blog.rugbystore.co.uk/rugby-rules/

Hardin County – Area

Hardin County Trails
Experience Iowa Falls through a trail system that meanders through forested areas along the beautiful Iowa River while safely connecting our parks, schools, unique retail businesses and wonderful restaurants.
http://www.hardincountytrails.com/Default.aspx?action=home

 Iowa River Greenbelt
The Greenbelt offers a multitude of recreational opportunities including canoeing, hiking, biking, boating, tubing, camping, fishing, birdwatching, swimming, hunting and golfing.

Most of the Greenbelt is accessible by taking the Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive, which extends from Alden to Eldora. The area is also accessible by foot, bike or boat.
http://www.inhf.org/iowa-river-greenbelt-visit.cfm

Eagle City Winery
The Eagle City Winery is located in the heart of the Iowa River Greenbelt and produces a selection of sixteen fine wines. Open for wine tasting and tours from 10am-5pm daily, 1pm-5pm Sunday, closed Mondays. Please call: (641) 648-3669

The Eagle City Winery is located in the heart of the Iowa River Greenbelt and is now producing a selection of sixteen very fine wines.
http://eaglecitywinery.com/pages/

Iowa Falls – Area

City of Iowa Falls
Whether you are interested in exploring our resources for recreation, business ventures, sight seeing or just a shopping holiday, we are all here to assist you. Explore our website and feel free to contact anyone, anytime, at your convenience. Iowa is a friendly place and Iowa Falls is even friendlier.
www.cityofiowafalls.com

IAFalls.com
Here you will find the highlights for Hardin County, including countywide attractions, historical sites, community events, and links to local businesses and media.
www.iafalls.com 

Chamber Main Street
Iowa Falls is nestled on the borders of the beautiful Iowa River in north central Iowa. The river, the cliffs, and the parks along the river have given Iowa Falls the well-deserved nickname, “The Scenic City.”

Iowa Falls offers the best of both city and rural living — a small town lifestyle with a wide variety of local shopping and recreation opportunities, with the advantage of larger city cultural, shopping and entertainment centers only an hour’s drive away.

Located on some of the most beautiful stretches of the Iowa River Iowa Falls is truly a place you can fall in love with! Take a stroll in one of our city parks, or paddle the river, ride the Empress, or spend some time in our local shops and restaurants. Visit our International Art Collection and historical sites or take the walking tour of our historical downtown district.

Take a minute and picture in your mind a Scenic City. If that picture includes a pristine, meandering river and a lovely bridge, a quaint town , unique shops with famous eating establishments…and locals who are never too rushed to visit…FALLING IN LOVE WITH IOWA FALLS MAY BE EASIER than you think!
http://www.iowafallsdevelopment.com/iowafallschamber/

Chamber Business Directory
http://www.iowafallsdevelopment.com/iowafallschamber/chamberbizdir_Results.asp

Local Restaurants in Iowa Falls
http://www.iowafallsdevelopment.com/iowafallschamber/chamberbizdir_Results.asp?S_chamberBizName=&S_chamberCategory=Restaurants

Chamber Main Street Iowa Falls – Upcoming Events 2016
http://www.iowafallsdevelopment.com/iowafallschamber/chamberevents.asp

Empress Boat Club
The Boat Club, situated on the Iowa River, is a historic log cabin available for rent year-round. It is also home to the Scenic City Empress, a 50 passenger double-decker pontoon boat. The Empress cruises the Iowa River from May to October and is available for private events.

http://empressboatclub.com/

Empress Boat Club Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Empress-Boat-Club/271702406174992

Bed & Breakfast of Cabin Cove

Bed and Breakfast of Cabin Cove
Enjoy a quiet get-a-way on one of Iowa’s most scenic rivers. Start the day with coffee and/or breakfast listening to the sounds of the river. Then, enjoy a 90 minute Iowa River Cruise and see limestone bluffs, beautiful park scenery and the Iowa Falls Swinging Bridge. Your captain will provide a historical narrative of the river.

Come and stay on the river’s edge while you enjoy the wonderful scenery on the Iowa River.
http://bbcabincove.com/

The River’s Bend Bed and Breakfast

Welcome to The River’s Bend Bed and Breakfast, our Greek revival home built at the turn of the 20th century. We invite you to step through the columned foyer of this Victorian era home and feel the classic elegance, warmth, and comfort of a gentler time. Please contact us at 928-951-1910 or Riversbendbnb@hotmail.com

http://riversbendbnb.weebly.com/front-page.html

COMMUNITIES IN THE GREENBELT

Alden

Alden, IA is one of the up and coming canoe launch and kayak areas in Hardin County. A new portage area has been completed below the dam so you can continue downriver for another 1 miles if you want. Be sure to bring along the camera if you are canoeing, as there are plenty of deer, wild life, and wild flowers along the way.

http://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Hardin/Park/Alden-River-Access.aspx

City of Alden Iowa

The City of Alden is located along the bank of the beautiful Iowa River and is home to numerous scenic sights, which makes Alden a desirable place to visit.
www.cityofaldeniowa.com

Steamboat Rock

Nestled in the Iowa River valley in beautiful Hardin County, Iowa.  Steamboat Rock is a small town with big town ambition.  We are made up of people who know how to get things done and still have time for our neighbors and folks that are just passing through.  After all we are not known as the “Valley of Friendliness” for no good reason.

Steamboat Rock is  located 3 miles off Highway 20 in Central Iowa in the heart of the Iowa River Greenbelt, and just 5 miles north of Eldora.  Steamboat has easy access to the cities of Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Mason City, and Ames. Please visit us soon!
http://www.steamboatrockiowa.com/www.steamboatrockiowa.com/Welcome.html

Eldora
Located in America’s heartland, Eldora has been regarded as the garden spot of Hardin County and Central Iowa, thanks to Pine Lake State Park, the Iowa River Greenbelt and the numerous county parks that provide recreational opportunities.

Business, industry, agriculture, schools, churches and a strong heritage of family values make the area an ideal location for a young family to realize the Great American Dream.
www.eldoraiowa.com/

Union

The City of Union is a small rural village of approximately 400 residents located in the southeast corner of Hardin County on the bluffs of the beautiful Iowa River. Union is in the southern part of the Iowa River Greenbelt. This is one of the richest agricultural areas in the world.

You will find the following organizations active in Union: Kiwanis, Union Betterment Assn., Fire Dept., Ambulance Service, 4-H Club, Library Book Club, Quilting Club, Cub Scouts, American Legion and Auxiliary.
www.unioniowa.com

Hardin County Conservation Board
It is the mission of the Hardin County Conservation Board to provide safe and healthful recreational opportunities, to protect and enhance county natural resources and to offer opportunities for our residents to participate in conservation education.
http://www.hardincountyconservation.com/

Pine Lake State Park
Pine Lake State Park provides a pleasing mix of woodland, river and lake in the midst of rolling farmland. The 585-acre park encompasses two lakes: 50-acre Lower Pine Lake and 69-acre Upper Pine Lake. Of special appeal to nature enthusiasts are the ancient white pine, the white-barked birch trees and the rare ferns found along the Iowa River. The pine-scented air of the campgrounds and picnic areas is a pleasing rarity in Iowa.
www.stateparks.com/pine_lake.html

Iowa Birds and Birding
The Iowa River Greenbelt is an important wintering area for bald eagles with a number of winter roost sites identified. The only sharp-shinned hawk nest documented in Iowa for many decades also occurred here. Priority species found during nesting season include wood thrush, black-billed cuckoo, bobolink, and possibly cerulean warbler and pileated woodpecker.
http://iowaaudubon.org/IBA/SiteDetail.aspx?l=0&;siteID=250

Iowa State Parks, Recreation & Preserves
Recreation opportunities abound in Iowa State Parks and Recreation Areas. From hiking and camping to bird-watching and bicycling, each park offers outdoor enthusiasts a multitude of diverse and exciting adventures. Rich in history and natural resources, Iowa is a treasure chest of recreational excellence.
www.iowadnr.gov/parks/state_park_list/index.html

HARDIN COUNTY TOURISM INFORMATION
Hardin County is a non-metropolitan county located in north central Iowa. The county is named after Colonel John J. Hardin, an Illinois colonel in the Black Hawk War, who was killed in the Mexican War. The land is dominated by a flat Des Moines Lobe landscape with the beautifully lush wooded areas along the scenic Iowa River. The county encompasses approximately 360,000 acres or 570 square miles. In 2010, Hardin County’s population was 17,537, of which 4,563 people lived outside the corporate limits. The courthouse is located in Eldora, the county seat.
www.co.hardin.ia.us/

OTHER

Silos & Smokestacks Natural Heritage Points of Interest
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area preserves and tells the story of American agriculture and its global significance through partnerships and activities that celebrate the land, people, and communities of the area.
http://www.silosandsmokestacks.org

The Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive
This 32-mile route runs along the Iowa River from Alden to Eldora, entirely within Hardin County. It follows:

• Starting at County Road D20: Main Street and River Drive in Alden, G Avenue (gravel), 125th Street (gravel), County Road D15, and River Road, Union Street, Cedar Street, and Rocksylvania Avenue in Iowa Falls
• County Road D15, MM Avenue, OO Avenue, 155th Street, Q Avenue, 160th Street, SS Avenue, 170th Street (all gravel except for part of MM Avenue), and County Road S56 from Iowa Falls to Steamboat Rock
• County Road S56 and IA 175 from Steamboat Rock to Eldora, ending at County Road S62

US 20 Iowa River Bridge through the Iowa River Greenbelt
Constructed near the town of Steamboat Rock in Hardin County , Iowa , the bridge is the first launched steel I-girder highway bridge in the United States and one of the longest I-girder spans ever launched in the world.

The unique construction method was used to preserve the Iowa River Greenbelt, one of the few remaining old-growth woodlands in north central Iowa . The bridge design and the construction process were developed following years of intensive study into the area’s biology and cultural resources, and with the goal of preserving this environmental treasure.
http://www.iowadot.gov/iowariverbridge/
Iowa River Greenbelt Resource Trust
The Iowa River Greenbelt Resource Trust, a public/private funded organization, was created in 1987 by a group of environmentally concerned citizens in Hardin County. The four original communities, Alden, Iowa Falls, Steamboat Rock and Eldora each had membership representation on the board with A.E. Sheperd and George Vest, the respective mayors of Eldora and Iowa Falls, serving as co-chairs.
http://iowarivergreenbelt.org/www.iowarivergreenbelt.org/Welcome.html

Iowa Falls Times Citizen
Local newspaper for the Hardin County area based out of Iowa Falls, Iowa covering Hardin County and surrounding communities. You can pick up a paper at retail location within Iowa Falls
www.timescitizen.com

The Times Citizen on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Falls-Times-Citizen/19853582922

All images are property of their respective owners. No Copy Right Infringement intended. Iowa Rugby Football Club would like to make it’s visitors welcome to the Iowa River Greenbelt Communities and would like to welcome our guests to what we have to offer. 

The Game Rugby is a game that is played with 15 members on each team and one referee (called a sir). The object is much like football whereas you score points by making a touchdown in your opponents end zone (this is called a try). There are a few differences though. For example when scoring a try you must physically touch the ball down to the ground. Another difference is the fact that anyone can run with the ball, but you may not pass the ball forward. All passes must be backwards. You may kick the ball forward but then only the kicker and people from his team who were behind him when he kicked it may touch the ball. Anyone from the other team may touch the ball after he kicks it. This is a full contact sport, but you wear no pads. The game consists of 2 forty minute halves with no substitutions unless a player is hurt. It would be impossible to go into much more detail here without taking up page after page, if you would like more information please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

For anyone reasonably familiar with American football, rugby should be an easy game to understand. The purpose of the game of rugby is to carry a blown-up pigskin over a goal line, or kick it over a goal post with more consistency than one’s opposition. Unlike American football, the laws of rugby are few and simple. Rugby action does not stop until someone scores, the ball goes out of bounds, or a rule is broken.

Rugby teams don’t huddle to prepare strategy since no platoons for offense, defense, and special teams exist. A good rugby team–or side, as it is called, will respond instantly to a number of defensive and offensive situations, each member of the team moving independently within his role, but collectively for total effect.

Each rugby side is composed of eight forwards and seven backs. Each player on the field, or pitch, may pick up the ball and run with it, pass it, or kick it at anytime. Everyone is also responsible to play defense when the other team has the ball. It is generally the assignment of the forwards to secure possession of the ball and then either advance it themselves or pass it out to the backs. The ball can be advanced or moved three ways: It can be carried forward, passed laterally or backward, or kicked. If the backfield attack breaks down, rugby forwards, unlike football linemen, may handle the ball and become a dynamic offensive force themselves.

Rugby play goes on when American football play stops because rugby has no “first downs.” Rugby players keep on going until the whistle blows, but when a ball carrier is tackled (and actually brought to the ground), he must release the ball. Either a teammate or one of his opponents may then gain possession and continue the action. Or the tackled player himself may again play the ball once he has regained his feet.

The football scrimmage line is called the offside line, or game line, in rugby. It is an imaginary line that runs across the field through the ball while the ball moves. To qualify to take part in the actions, a rugby player must play from behind the ball, both defensively and offensively. That’s why the forward pass is futile (and illegal) in rugby. A player cannot chase a ball that has been kicked upfield by a teammate who is behind him. The player must wait until the person that kicked the ball, or someone behind the kicker, runs upfield, passing the others and thus putting them onsides so that they may play. A player may also be put onside if the player catching the ball either drops it or runs at least five meters with it. What the defender cannot do, is play the person waiting to catch the ball until the defender has been put onside either by the actions of his own team or the actions of the person receiving the ball…

The game begins with a kickoff from mid-field that must travel at least ten yards. When one side is successful in crossing the opponent’s goal line, and actually touches the ball to the ground, this endeavor is called a try and is worth five points. The ball must be placed on the ground–crossing the goal line is not enough for a score. If a player runs out of the goal area, or is held up and unable to get the ball to the turf, there will be no try allowed. Once a try is made, a conversion kick is awarded representing a chance to add two more points. The kick is attempted from the ground, anywhere along a line perpendicular to the goal line from the place where the try was scored (the ball was touched down). Two other kicks can put points on the scoreboard at any time during the game. A dropkick can be kicked through the goal posts anytime during play and it brings three points for a successful effort. If the referee finds a team breaking a rule, he may award a penalty kick at the point of the infraction to the opposition. A place kick may be taken from that point and if it goes through the uprights (goalposts) it is worth three points. BLUNDER AND YOU’LL SUFFER!: One of the secrets of good rugby is to be aware of all the rules and to be able to take advantage instantly of any opportunities that may arise. An unalert player may ruin the effort of his entire team by either hesitating when he should spring to the advantage, or by violating a law, thus giving the opposition a free kick. We have already discussed one of the infractions which may bring about a penalty kick; being offside. Other major blunders include holding the ball after a tackle, intentionally lying on the ball, blocking or obstructing an opponent, or dangerous tackling methods (you must make a grasp at the person you intend to bring down, and may not tackle him about the shoulders or head). Fans will be able to recognize the guilty side by the ten-yard retreat they must make from the point of the infractions. Minor violations of the laws such as a knock-on (fumble forward) or a forward pass result in a scrum.

When the whistle blows and the referee calls for a scrummage, the eight forwards on each team bind together in a formidable pack and come together headfirst against the opposition, aligned in the same manner. The team that did not commit the infraction is awarded the ball. The scrum-half from that side sends the ball in between the two struggling masses. They push and try to use their feet (but not hands) to heel the ball back through their own scrum. A penalty is assessed for reaching into the pack for the ball. Once it is out, the scrum-half takes the ball and passes it out to his backfield. This type of scrummage is known as a set scrum or set play since each player assumes a distinct position in the formation.

The set scrum is not the only scrummage that can occur on the field. When a player is tackled or the ball is free in a crowd of forwards, a loose scrum or loose ruck occurs. No whistles signal this variation and no set positions are required. Whoever gets to the ball first forms a ruck. Players get to the spot, bind into a pack and attempt to step over the ball to secure possession. The same rules apply to loose scrummages as to set scrums; no hands, the ball must be completely heeled or stepped-over before the scrum-half can pass the ball out to his from his team can bind onto him, holding him and retaining the advance. The defense will try to stop the rush by packing against the bound mass or by taking the ball from the person carrying it.

When the ball goes into touch or out of bounds, play is restarted by a lineout. A player from the team who did not touch the ball last throws the ball from out of bounds between two parallel lines of forwards standing perpendicular to the point where the ball left play. The nearest player in the line must be at least five meters from the touch line. The thrower attempts to loft the ball to the apex of the leap of his team’s best jumper. The jumper does his best to secure the ball and deliver it cleanly to his scrum-half. A well timed transfer assures the players in the backfield of getting a good pass from their scrum-half. A ball that is tipped down or passed sloppily puts the scrum-half in terrible straits, vulnerable to the break-through of charging opposition forwards with malice on their minds. The forwards of a scrambling scrum-half do their best to shield their teammate by binding tightly to prevent an opposition break-through.

Those who enjoy American football like nothing better than a player who tucks the ball under his are and scampers a long distance for a score. At first glance, rugby appears to be the broken-field runner’s dream–man for man coverage all around. One slight variation in the game turns a potential dream into a nightmare–no blocking. A runner may beat his opposite, pick up ten, twenty, even thirty yards, then suddenly get clobbered by the covering defense. The absence of blocking, and the loss of possession after a tackle quickly get the most powerful runner looking for more options than just putting his head down and pounding forward.

Choosing to pass

A competent rugby side will make a great effort to never allow a teammate to be isolated without someone to pass to. Even when the openside wing finally receives the ball, he will be looking back inside for supporting members of his own squad. A well coordinated team will tie the opposition in knots by continually changing the direction of the attack with good passing. It might appear that passing is somewhat limited by the elimination of the forward pass. But the variation in distance, speed and delivery is endless. Good squads will exploit all possibilities, even using the forward pack as a rushing group of huge option quarterbacks.

The final option of a triple-threat attacking rugger is the kick. It’s much easier to boot the ball forward thirty yards than it is to carry it the same distance. The kicking game is the backbone of a rugby side. Good kicks set up the good pass or the good run. The punt (for touch): This is a long kick in American football style. Used by a team defending its own end, it gets the pressure off by advancing the ball from behind the team’s twenty-two meter line and out of bounds. The Pop-kick: Here is another method of beating the opposite player. In this case, when the opponent approaches, the ball carrier uses a short stab of his leg and foot to literally “pop” the ball over the head of the opponent. If the ball isn’t kicked too far, the kicker should be able to field it coming down or on one of its first bounces and continue upfield. The Up-and-Under: In this kick the player with the ball gives it a tremendous taste of his foot, not for distance, but for height. He aims to drop it several yards downfield from his own forward pack, where they descend with increasing speed and bloody intentions on the hapless soul who parks in the spot to try to field the falling “red cross.” This kick is often taken by the scrum-half from the line-out or in a penalty situation. THE FINAL GOAL: A BLEND: No rugby team will win many games if they rely too heavily on a single facet of the game–the run, pass, or kick. Variety is important. For example, a player that has been passing all day may ‘sell the dummy’ — fake the pass and keep the ball, catching his opposite number helplessly off balance. Or a team that has been going to the openside of the field consistently may take the ball blindside to the chagrin of their opposition. These are all tactics that contribute to winning rugby. Once you learn the basics of rugby and give the game a chance, you’ll be able to appreciate the finer points. There will be no doubt in your mind, however, that rugby is a delicate true blend of strength, finesse, speed and stamina.

If there is any questions please contact the corresponding members.

If you need to get in contact with anybody, please subsitute the @ symbol where you see (at) and period where you see (dot).

The following are sustaining sponsors of the Iowa Falls Rugby Football Club.

These sponsors are major contributors to the IFRFC by donating funds, and or payment in kind. We have established four levels of major sponsorship available.

USA Eagle Level: $3000 or greater per year.

USA Gold Level: $1500 to $2999 per year.

USA Silver Level: $500 to $1499 per year.

Sustaining members: $250 to $499 per year.

Those listed may have websites, you may click on the name to learn more about our sponsors.

Jake Emerick 2009 $1000

LaVonne Kruse $1000

The Iowa Falls Rugby Football Club was founded in 1976 in Iowa Falls Iowa. Located in central Iowa in the heart of America. We have developed one of the finest facilities in the United States. We will soon be adding our sixth and seventh fields and completing our irrigation project. All of these fields are groomed, full sized regulation fields and are ready for play located on a 35 acre open space recreation complex. In 1976, former USA Eagle Dr. Thomas Altemeier moved to Iowa Falls to open a medical practice. With his experience and love for the game, he wished to continue participation. He asked his neighbor, Craig Harris if he would be interested in starting a club in Iowa Falls. Craig agreed and then promptly asked “what is rugby?” The same response was elicited from each and every player recruit. This nucleus of players has formed a stable platform for continued success of the club. Since then Dr. Francis Pisney has taken on the task of developing our facilities into what it has become today.

All club members range from 14 years of age, high school and college students through players over 60 years of age. These elders help us develop a stable, fundamentally sound group of rugby players and act as mentors to the younger, new players. We have been All Iowa Champs in several divisions numerous times but are mostly proud of our history of finishing in the top six teams in the State of Iowa, where high level play has become a standard. We are also proud to have High School-Under 19 Rugby on our list of club accomplishments. The Clubhouse, pitches and open space complex on Georgetown road are supported by the Iowa Falls Rugby Football Club Foundation established for the purpose of maintaining and developing the Open Space Recreational Complex for public use.