Great Northwest Challenge Returns for June, 2024 in Montana
Great Northwest Challenge Returns for June, 2024 in Montana
The Great Northwest Challenge 15s HS-age All-Star tournament is back, and will be held in Montana in 2024.
COVID dealt these types of tournaments a blow and they have been slow to return, and one of the best before the shutdowns was the GNC. Now, sparked by JD Stephenson, CEO of Montana Institute of Sport, who has been working hard to build youth rugby in Montana, the tournament returns with seven brackets.
The event will host state or regional all-star teams for U19, U16, and U14 girls, U19, U16, and U14 boys, and a coed division for U12s.
The tournament will run June 21 and 22 and will be held at Fort Missoula Regional Park in Missoula, Mont.
Also during the weekend there will be a chance for players to meet college coaches and also to garner insight into the college recruiting world through a third-party observer—Next Phase Rugby. And on June 20, USA Rugby will host a talent identification day overseen by USA Rugby pathway managers Brendan Keane and Martha Daines.
“It’s massive for the development and identification of players to have events like the GNC back up and running," said Stephenson. "The hosting of a USA Rugby Talent ID Day with Martha & Brendan in attendance helps to bolster the event in which we are targeting 100 teams in attendance. The facilities and Missoula, Montana itself will provide for a great backdrop to what should be a brilliant event.”
The plan is to have state or regional (e.g., Northern California rather than all of California) teams, rather than academy or touring sides that draw from all over. This is a return to how these all-star tournaments were first envisioned.