(Tamara Tidey photo)

HS TEAMS AND DUES
USA Rugby has appeared to washed its hands of high school rugby, to all intents and purposes (italic words added after publication to more clearly reflect sources' opinions). There is no USA Rugby national championship - instead there are three privately-run NITs (two for boys, one for girls). There is no select-side championship - merely a USA Rugby endorsement of tournaments that already exist. How leagues operate is up to them. USA Rugby even change their dues structure so State-Based Rugby Organizations (SBROs) would pay dues directly to USA Rugby.

But, with no championship and no select-side championship, teams and leagues are starting to question whether membership in USA Rugby is a good deal. It's not that they don't want to be members - most coaches we talk to say they want to be members. But they don't want to have to pay large dues bills for an insurance program they don't need. Varsity teams get insurance coverage through their school. So the only thing they really support with their $30/year dues is the national HS All American team and their share of the office expenses. 

That's not insignificant, but you can see how leagues that don't play to a national championship that doesn't exist anyway, and that have rosters of 100 or more, would balk at paying several thousand dollars for that. 

So in comes a new Varsity Club designation that allows a varsity HS team, for $250, to register its entire team. The problem? The requisites for achieving Varsity status in USA Rugby's eyes, is too high. Only a handful of programs can meet it, even expensive private schools with top-flight insurance programs got turned down. This seems disingenuous from USA Rugby because it's not as if there were ever any standards for varsity status before. It's not as if USA Rugby doesn't tout the fact a team achieves varsity status. It's a case of taking credit for something you don't believe actually happened.

Here's the crux of the matter: USA Rugby wants and needs dues money from players. But, dues-payers need something in return. They don't mind supporting a national team. A national championship run well by USA Rugby is expected. An international presence is important, especially if you want to tour overseas. And the liability insurance is nice. Butif you don't provide a national championship, and many team don't need the insurance, you can understand that teams and entire leagues might want a new approach to the dues structure.

Teams are willing to pay dues to USA Rugby because the game needs a governing body and the national team needs support, but USA Rugby should provide more - such as more support fot the select-side tournaments. And USA Rugby should accept that making the single-fee club idea easier to get might seem like the total dues from varsity teams is dropping, but they should remember, $250 per team is still better than zero.


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