GRR: Rugby NY
High School rugby teams in New York are embracing touch rugby, which has proved to be a good way to get players back on the field while also making local and state officials feel comfortable with how contact is handled.
Touch Rugby may be the best inroad into getting rugby on the field this fall.
High school and youth programs have probably been the first to officially get the OK to play touch rugby in a competitive format, but this certainly could be the way forward for college and club, as well.
The New York State HS 7s wrapped up its fourth week of competition building toward this coming weekend's final event.
The back-and-forth rivalry between Pelham HS and PlayRugby Academy continues, and this past weekend PlayRugby took the Boys Varsity division, garnering some payback for the prevous week's Pelham victory.
Pelham HS hosted the first leg of the five-event Rugby NY Fall 7s Series this past Sunday, with three brackets.
Hosts Pelham HS took the Boys Varsity bracket, going 3-0. There was no playoff as severe weather halted play early. But Pelham was the only team to go 3-0 on the day. Play Rugby finished 2-0-1, winning two games and also getting a tie, to top their pool.
Fall 7s in high school has been taking over the country, at least parts of the country, and has become an excellent way of recruiting young people to the game.
Every state does it differently; some have boys and girls and multiple divisions, some have just girls playing, and some make it just a low-intensity fun thing.
Here’s a look.