Area High School Rugby Prevalent
By DAX JUNKERS
Contributing Writer
2009 has been a year to remember in Oklahoma high school rugby. The league’s official name, Green Country High School Rugby, has been outgrown with member teams in Norman, Edmond and Mustang fielding very strong clubs, and other potential clubs popping up in Bartlesville and even Canton, Okla. But the heart of the competition has remained in Tulsa. Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, and The Brethren (a combined team of players from many schools in the Tulsa area) have shown loads of rugby talent thus far in the season, and Union is battling to remain a viable club.
Five weeks remain in the Green Country regular season before the state championship takes place on April 16 and 17. Bixby and Broken Arrow are atop the league standings right as the GTR goes to press; with Bixby the only undefeated club and Broken Arrow possibly the most dangerous. But with the bulk of the schedule left to play, many teams remain contenders for the state title and qualification for regional playoffs. Jenks is showing strength and good support thus far in the season, and Brethren is too talented to be ruled out of contention.
With 16,000 registered high school players across the nation under USA Rugby this year, the sport is growing rapidly and making inroads into school systems across the country. Many private high schools have adopted rugby as a varsity sport, and locally Jenks, Union and Broken Arrow have permitted use of school property for rugby practice. The Oklahoma league has quietly been developing some top rugby talent in the high school ranks for several years now and that early rugby experience has reaped dividends for local college and club teams as well.
Updated 03-25-2009
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