Southern California Joins Top School Leagues to Create SoCal Premier
Southern California Joins Top School Leagues to Create SoCal Premier
The SoCal Interscholastic Rugby Federation (SCIRF) and Southern California Youth Rugby (SoCal) have developed a new Premier High School League for the 2025-26 season.
The “Southern California Premier High School League” marks the first time Southern California’s top eight single high school rugby teams will compete under one banner in many years, paving the wave for rugby’s recognition as a CIF-sanctioned sport.
In the last few years, since 2017, these two groups, which include some of the stronger single-school teams in the nation, have played separately. Sometimes there have been crossover games, but nothing official.
The creation of the new league allows US Youth and High School Rugby to sanction competition between SCIRF and SoCal. The league features the top eight single high school programs in Southern California including Torrey Pines High School and Cathedral Catholic High School, who won their respective league championships.
SCIRF is an independent organization focused on the single school model and compliance with CIF policies and processes where applicable, while SoCal is the State Youth Rugby Organization under US Youth and High School/USA Rugby. The Premier High School League agreement allows for these two organizations to run separately, but have alignment with scheduling, compliance, and discipline.
“David Pool and I have been working on this concept for a few years," said Glenn Irvine, SCIRF Director. "It was a natural evolution to allow the top single schools in SoCal to play each other in order to enhance the competitive landscape and solidify the single school model as the growth model for rugby nationwide. Long term, I see this league as a means to continue to strengthen the high school game and ultimately produce highly capable and skilled players for colleges and representative sides.”
David Pool, who is President of US Youth and High School Rugby chimed in.
“It is vital that Southern California high school rugby programs join forces and create the best stage for these high school rugby players. With the LA 28 Olympic Summer Games and the Rugby World Cup in the US on the horizon, we have to create the platform for more rugby – from middle school to high school and club to high performance.”
“Bringing SCIRF and SoCal Youth Rugby single high schools together under one competition makes sense — it raises the rugby standard, gives the players a clearer pathway, and shows that we’re serious about building a unified and sustainable league for Southern California,” added Tom Judge, SoCal Youth Rugby President.
The Southern California Premier Single High School League season runs December-March culminating in the California State Single High School Championship March 14, 2026.
Currently the expected participating teams are: Loyola, Mira Costa, St. John Bosco, Orange Lutheran, La Costa Canyon, Torrey Pines, Cathedral Catholic, and St. Augustine.
Games will also be played against Jesuit, De la Salle, St. Francis, Charlotte Catholic and St. Joseph’s Philadelphia, probably making the Premier League the nation's most competitive league.
