While there are several high school rugby teams playing a little on the down-low, there are leagues and tours that have been approved by governing bodies, and teams that have secured their own insurance to get the job done.

As a result, we have about 30 games on the slate, which is a little surprising but we're not going to argue.  And this despite the fact that Texas is basically taking a break from games this week.

The rankings will be heavily affected by these games, especially with some teams that weren't ranked but really only need to start well to get there.

Some of the matchups are between well-regarded teams, but teams that have been ranked based on one game, or less.

So ... notable matchups:

Cy Fair vs Woodlands. While Cy Fair is not ranked, a good showing, even in a loss, against a very solid Woodlands team should help them.
Aquinas at Bixby. Bixby's strong win over the Junior Stormers last week thrust them into the conversation.

"I was very happy with the way we played," said Bixby Head Coach. "First game out for both teams, horrible muddy conditions.  We have a very young team that did an outstanding job maintaining possession and putting phases together and finding the pay zone despite the sloppy field."  

Captain and No. 8 Matt Doyle was certainly a standout and while his play was exceptional, his leadership for a young team might well have been more valuable.

Aquinas has a relatively young team too, and will be taking their first steps onto the field after a 2020 season that was shaping up to be one of their best.

Ranked #2 (Bixby) and #7 (Aquinas) so far in this young season, both could do themselves some rankings good.

In another KC-area vs out-of-state game, we've got the Kansas City Junior Blues (#13 among HS clubs) taking on Germantown (#9). It was the Tennessee-based Germantown that had a burgeoning big season going on in 2020, but that was halted by COVID. KC is always solid and the only question is how has their recruiting been so far this season.

New Orleans Jesuit vs Brother Martin could well be a precursor to the Louisiana final. The two are ranked 4th (Brother Martin) and 5th, respectively. While we think some other school-supported teams will be coming into the rankings as their season start, these are still two teams to watch.

Tempe is an up-and-comer this weekend and plays the San Diego Mustangs. The Mustangs got the OK to make the trip and it's a big litmus test for the Southern California team.

If Naples is to be unseated in Florida, it might well be on the road at Key Biscayne this weekend.

We talked about the Moeller tournament here >>

And finally, perhaps the highest-profile game will be the #1 club, Charlotte Tigers, meeting #6 school team St. Ignatius in West Virginia. Charlotte graduated some dynamic players last year but they are still exciting out wide and tough up front. St. Ignatius is a bit more of an unknown quantity but in the end are very good at the halfback hinge and that could be crucial as if they are able to link a powerful pack with some backs who can challenge defenders, they could be trouble.

On the Field In Cleveland from Goff Rugby Report on Vimeo.

Games below. Check back on GRR for scores.