By Tom Franzoia - Special to the Citizen
Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 5:16 PM PST
The best rugby in the United States is played in Northern California.
The top college teams, both men’s and women’s, are in Northern California; the top high school team is in Northern California, and the top middle school team…yes, in Northern California; the Mecca for rugby in the U.S.
Rugby has taken off and the Sacramento area has experienced growth in the sport beyond its wildest dreams.
“In 1996, there were nine rugby clubs fielding nine varsity sides and four JVs, a total of 13 teams. Today, there are more than 17 clubs, with 13 Varsity, 10 JV and 12 Frosh-Soph sides,” detailed Ray Thompson from the Northern California Youth Rugby Club. “Prior to 1996, three conference teams went to the National High School Championships, none placed higher than third. Since ’96, the number of Northern California teams to attend and win have doubled, including five championship victories by Jesuit, including the 2009 National High School Championship final match that featured the Sacramento rivals of Jesuit and Christian Brothers.”
In the last 10 years the number of collegiate All-American rugby players from Northern California has seen an increase of 400 percent and the number of players to make the United States Eagles (U.S. All Stars) has more than doubled.
“Impressive as these comparisons are, they don’t reveal the subtler, ostensibly more portentous influence of the Sacramento Valley Rugby Conference in spurring rugby growth at lower and lower age levels in the region,” said Thompson.
The 2011 Rugby Kick-Off Tournament is the largest rugby tournament in Northern California. This year, more than 100 teams, from elementary schools through college level attended and referees traveled from as far away as New Hampshire.
The three-day tournament hosted a record number of teams and players and a level of rugby that is hard to match.
The Elk Grove United Rugby Club has been formed to offer a new sport to high school students in the Elk Grove area.
With the support of Elk Grove Youth Sports Association and Elk Grove CSD, the team practices and plays on lit fields with experienced coaches with an impressive resume of rugby history.
The EGURC is accepting high school players of all levels with or without rugby experience.
The EGURC Board of Directors is anticipating the expansion of rugby into the lower age groups by next year. The goal is for every high school in Elk Grove to have a school rugby team with a junior high program as the foundation and funnel to the growth of the sport.
For more information, search Elk Grove United Rugby Club and visit the club’s Facebook page
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