Eagle Impact Rugby Academy finished up its busy summer of 15s tours with a trip to Ontario.

EIRA took teams of U15, U16, and U17, playing Ontario provincial age-grade opposition.

The teams overall went 5-1, easily the most successful as judged by wins and losses. Among the players who shone were Grady Pope out of Katy HS in Texas, and Aspetuck product Pearson Hill.

(Rugby Ontario photos)

The key to this trip, though, wasn’t about winning, but about how EIRA changed the format.

“We ask players and parents for feedback after each tour,” said program director Salty Thompson. “What we got from Ontario last year was that the players wanted more playing time.”

So the change put in for this year was that games were changed into three periods of 30 minutes. That fit under the limit of 90 minutes for players under 19, but allowed the teams to make additional shifts and give players more playing time.

“That kind of feedback is hugely important,” said Thompson. “And we want the players to get as much as they can out of the trip. Part of that is playing time.”