Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

The Rugby movie “Invictus” and the Jacksonville Axemen

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The Jacksonville Axemen are inviting all local Rugby players, supporters and fans to join them for a night at the movies on December 11 for the opening of the new Rugby movie “Invictus”. The Axemen have designed the night as a fundraiser for the Jacksonville area USO and also for the local Rugby Clubs to help them with the development of the sport in the Jacksonville area.

The USO is the official charity of the Jacksonville Axemen and as with most of their events, a $1 raffle will be held in association with the movie night and all proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the USO. There will be three great prizes to be won and the lovely Axe Maiden Cheerleaders will be on hand selling tickets prior the movie starting.

The Axemen are selling 200 tickets to the movie for $9 each that they pre-purchased at a discounted price. 100% of the profit from these sales will be evenly donated to the three local area Rugby Union clubs that have helped the Axemen promote and expose events over the past year. The Jacksonville Mens Rugby, UNF Rugby and the JAX Womens Rugby teams will all be on-site to help support the event and take the opportunity to expose their clubs and to attract interest from new fans and potential players. Axemen event planner, Spinner Howland, commented on the similarity of the movie plot and the use of it for this event. “Invictus is based around how the sport of Rugby was used to unite the nation of South Africa after Nelson Mandela took office. Using this movie as a joint effort that includes all the Jacksonville area rugby clubs is a perfect fit to bring us all together not only to help raise money for the USO but also to help us become a stronger force in the community by working to promote and expose our sport under the one banner. Just like Rugby united the nation of South Africa – We are using the movie Invictus to united Jacksonvilles Rugby community.”

The Jacksonville South African Club will also attend the event and one of their members who has been a long time rugby player for the Jacksonville Mens team and is the current coach for the JAX Womens team will open the movie with a short speech on the impact the sport has had on him and his home nation.

Following the movie all those fans who are 21+ will be invited to join the teams at Time Out Sports Grill where they can use their movie ticket to get a $1 Bottle of Bud or Bud Light or a $2 Bottle of Barons Black Wattle that is the official beer of the Jacksonville Axemen.

Go Jacksonville Axemen Go!

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The Barons Brewing Jacksonville Axemen have advanced to the American National Rugby League Grand Final after beating Boston 46 to 20 in one of the toughest and more exciting games of the year

The Axemen opened the scoring with two tries but Boston would not let the game slip away during the first half. With big hits coming with frequency from both teams and some quality offense and ball movement, both teams looked like even money at the halftime break with the score Axemen over the visitors 18 to 10.

It took some “motivational” words from the Axemen coaching staff to remind the guys just how important this game was and they now only had 40 minutes to finish the job.

The Axemen had suffered by having 3 weeks off the playing field due to end of season and first round playoff byes and it showed during the early part of the game. The second half was a more determined performance as the team found more ball control and where better in defense. They slowly worked away at the game plan to end the game up 46 to 20 and will now spend a week preparing for the Grand Final in New York City on August 29nd.

Go Jax Axemen – and good luck!

Jacksonville Axemen

Go Jacksonville Axemen!

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The Jacksonville Axemen have had an undefeated season and they are now only ONE GAME AWAY from going to the National Championship in New York City on the 29th of this month.
But for that to happen, they need to defeat Boston on Saturday Aug 22nd at UNF’s Hodges
Stadium. The Axemen are hoping for a record crowd since this is their first ever 2nd round
home playoff and the first chance at the National Championship. So please, come out and support the team! The game time has been moved to 4pm (over by 5.30pm) to accommodate those
fans who plan to make the Jags Pre Season game as well.

Go Axemen!

Jacksonville Axemen

the U.S. Men’s National Team against a French Rugby Union Club in Charleston, SC

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USA Rugby announced its plans to host Clermont Auvergne Rugby in what should prove to be a hard fought match featuring the U.S. Men’s National Team against the French rugby union club from Clermont-Ferrand at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 9, in Charleston, S.C.  The event, which is not only the first of its kind for the city of Charleston, but also the state of South Carolina, will be hosted in part by the founder of ASM Clermont Auvergne, Michelin, and the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium, and is set to be broadcast live on ESPN Classic.  Tickets are available beginning May 30 through Tickets.com and Blackbaud Stadium 843.971.4625.  For more on USA Rugby, visit www.usarugby.org.

Click here to read the previous post about this event.

Russell Crowe, Orange County Choppers,Greg Norman at Australia Day Challenge rugby game, Jacksonville Florida

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During the Australia Day Challenge,The British Leeds Rhinos met Australia’s South Sydney Rabbitohs at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Co-owner of the Rabbitohs, actor Russell Crowe, was of course present, but he was far from the only celebrity at the rugby game. The Teutuls from Orange County Choppers (OCC) and the TV series American Chopper showed up and presented a very special motorcycle to Crowe. Famous golfer Greg Norman and surfer Lane Beachley were also present. Despite the rainy weather, the stadium was packed. The fans got to experience an exciting game of world class rugby. The Rabbitohs had great support in the stands, but in the end the 2007 Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos won 26-24.