“˜Tis the season, Rugby fans! Action begins at all levels in January.

CARNEY’S CORNER:

   Rugby season is here! Schedules are finalized, tournament dates set, and lots of rugby to be had for everyone. I wanted to take some time in this month’s issue to discuss the upcoming season and the various tournaments the NCYRA will be supporting throughout the year.

   The season officially gets underway on the weekend of Jan. 10. This is the first week of competition for the Junior Youth (Under-8, U10 and U12) and Middle School divisions. These divisions compete in “round robin” matches on any given weekend, with one team hosting between one and three teams at their home field; this ensures good competition and ample playing time for everyone. 

   Our league is separated into four distinct regions, Sacramento Valley, Bay Area, Redwood (Marin County and north) and Central Valley (Fresno area). Our leagues compete in inter-region competition during the season, with everyone getting the chance to play each other at the end-of-season tournaments. An interesting aspect of our youth rugby programs are that we do not keep track of results and standings for U8-Middle School. The reason for this is to promote the character values that the sport has to offer such as camaraderie, sportsmanship, fair play and respect. All too often in youth sports, we see players, coaches and parents getting way too focused on winning.

   The season gets underway in earnest on the weekend of Jan. 24 at the annual Sacramento Kick Off Tournament held at Rancho Cordova High. This is one of the premier youth tournaments in the country. This tournament is considered preseason for our High School Boys and Girls programs, and is a fantastic platform to introduce the sport to new club recruits. With over 80 teams participating on a yearly basis, it is one of the largest high school tournaments in the country.

Check out the rest of this article in our latest issue of SportStars Magazine: ‘Tis the season