GRR: North Carolina
After 11 months of no rugby or perhaps only modified 7s, rugby union at the high school level is making its return in the Carolinas.
Following host state health rules and relying on private insurance, several teams met up for a big preseason weekend of 15s rugby in Rock Hill, South Carolina over President's Day Weekend.
Over 60 youth, middle school, and high school 7s teams just completed a winter season in North Carolina, showing that you can get kids on the field, competing and having fun, and follow COVID precautions at the same time.
Asked to help get some kids a chance to play some rugby, Demond Burwell ended up with a motley group of rugby players, and formed them into a winning unit.
The COVID-19 lockdown has plenty of rugby players finding other ways to compete, and perhaps it’d be a surprise to learn what George O’Brien is doing.
The scampery scrumhalf from the Raleigh Redhawks, whose speed and elusiveness characterizes a very high-energy game, likes … fishing.
Providence HS was one of the teams able to cap off its regular season before rugby shut down, and they did so by winning the North Carolina single-school championship in style.