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Boys HS National Championships Returning to Elkhart for 2024

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Boys HS National Championships Returning to Elkhart for 2024

Xavier celebrates a win at the 2023 HS National Championships. Alex Goff photo.

The Boys High School Rugby National Championships will return to the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Ind. for 2024.

Following a detailed study of feedback from attending teams, the BHSRNC Committee found that a two-thirds majority either supported returning to the Moose Rugby Grounds or had no preference, and over 80% supported holding the tournament on Memorial Day Weekend or had no preference. 

As a result, the 2024 Boys HS Rugby National Championships will be held from Thursday, May 23 through Saturday, May 25 at the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Ind.

High school teams can apply to participate starting in January, 2024 (see the Boys HS National Championships landing page on Goff Rugby Report for updates>>). 

Successful applicants have a history of success on the field, and can demonstrate the ability to travel in strength. Teams who are unsure about their season are encouraged to apply—if things don’t go the way you hope you can always withdraw your application, but if you’re better than you expected, you cannot apply after the deadline and expect to be accepted.

Why the Moose Rugby Grounds?

Lauded as one of the best playing surfaces for rugby in the USA, and possibly the very best, the Moose Rugby Grounds features four full-size rugby fields on perfectly level grass surfaces. This rugby-dedicated venue hosted over 150 rugby games in the 2022-23 season and showed no visible wear. Constant care and attention means the grass fields are just that—grass, not weeds, not bare dirt. 

Natural grass surfaces lined exclusively for rugby makes for a better rugby experience for the players, keeps players comfortable even in hot weather, and helps mitigate injury frequency. Full control of the venue by the owners means that the only reason games won’t be held would be because of lightning or dangerous temperatures.

Why Elkhart?

A strong positive voiced by teams that have attended the championships in Elkhart is that the town has easy access to amenities facilities (restaurants, grocery stores, sports retailers, etc.) but is also relatively small and therefore easy to get around. Hotel prices are low and the BHSRNC tournament has a very good relationship with the hotels in the town. Those hotels are also all very close to the venue—a 10-minute drive—meaning teams can plan their day better, and even if you forget your team kit at the hotel you have time to go back and get it.

Travel

Some attending teams did say that Elkhart, Ind. is not convenient to a major airport. However, it’s worth pointing out that the Moose Rugby Grounds are within driving distance of a high percentage of participating teams. Moose Rugby Grounds are a 2-hour drive from Midway Airport in Chicago, a hub for Southwest Airlines. By announcing the venue nine months in advance, the Committee will be able to provide some travel planning advice.

The Committee

The BHSRNC Committee is:

Bart Bottorff (Operations, Logistics, Penn HS)

Joe Sweeney (Eligibility, Participant feedback, Xavier HS)

Joe Fridkin (Legal Counsel, KC Jr. Blues)

Alex Goff (Communications, Participant feedback, GoffRugbyReport)

Eric Jerpe (Officials, Eligibility)