This week in Chicago is the culmination of an initiative to help grow youth and high school rugby in the region.

Yes the USA will play the All Blacks on Saturday, but there’s more going on. The AIG Rugby in a Box initiative was launched in Chicagoland, introducing the game to 200 schools and organizations.

The Illinois Youth Rugby Association awarded AIG Rugby in a Box kits to schools that run Rookie Rugby in at least one physical education class prior to Oct. 4 and coordinated with Olympic Rugby Ambassadors to deliver hands-on lessons.

USA Rugby estimated that over 30,000 students would be exposed to the game during October, reaching a large number of at-risk kids and promising athletes who might never have heard of the game without this effort.

Meanwhile, members of both the USA and New Zealand teams have visited schools and Rookie Rugby events while in Chicago.

“One of the keys to achieving significant growth for our port is to put a rugby ball in the hands of as many new players as possible,” Illinois Youth Rugby Association Youth Development Officer Drew Parker said. “When you see these kids running with the ball for the first time, you get the sense that they’re going to be involved in the sport for a long time.”

Among the programs visited was the Chicago Wapiti, a team that started as a Rookie Rugby program and, as the kids have gotten older, now will be fielding a high-school-age team.

“That is our first program to grow directly out of Rookie Rugby,” said IYRA President David Hall.