High School Girls
We have three colleges with long lists of commits this time around.
Cal, Tennessee, and Iowa State are featured heavily. From the high school side, the Marin Highlanders keep popping up, including two for Cal.
The application window for the US Rugby Foundation is open and will remain open through August 31.
Eligible scholarship applicants must be graduating high school in 2024 and attending college and playing rugby for that college in the Fall of 2024. These scholarships all have their specific criteria.
The number of youth and high school players and coaches in the USA rose in the 2023-24 cycle, and one wonders if that growth will increase in the next cycle.
Fueled in part by a return to the idea that going outside is good, and in part by more regions getting back to normal post-COVID, registrations rose 12% to over 50,000.
Belmont Shore led the way among girls brackets at the NAI 7s.
They fielded three teams, winning the U18 Elite, coming in 3rd among the U16s, and 2nd in the U14s.
Only one other programs fielded three teams, the Utah Cannibals, who came 4th in U18 Elite and U16, and won U14.
Here's a quick look at the NAI 7s.
U18 EliteRebel Rugby Academy White won the Boys U18 Elite in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 12-7 deficit at halftime to win 26-24 over Next Phase Rugby. This was exactly the matchup last year and Rebel came away with a close win then, too.