A group of supporters and alumni of the University of Wyoming rugby program is speaheading a move to create a state-wide govering body that will build the sport from youth through the ages.

Wyoming remains a strong DIA program, said John Pope, who is part of the group, but has also seen other programs improve. Many of those programs have imporved due to there being more money and support for college rugby. But, said Pope, the growth of high school rugby in several states has helped, too.

"We saw a grassroots effort to grow youth rugby in Wyoming start to build - Casper and Laramie and Jackson and other towns - and we realized that we're in kind of a unique situation here," said Pope. "This is an interesting state in that we have kind of an outsized rugby tradition. Our legacy is strong, but we also realized that if we're not going to be left behind, we have to step it up."

So the alumni group has a strategic plan in place for the men's college program at Wyoming. But along with that is a plan to set up a state-based rugby organization for all rugby, with a paid adminstrator who helps programs get started, and assists teams in getting coaches, working with paperwork, and growing the game.

"We are trying to turn this idea into a reality and create a development pathway," said Pope. "We don't need the biggest population of players to be successful. But we have a lofty goal - to make rugby Wyoming's premier sport. I think we can do it. We know rugby can create opportunities for the youth. It brings all of the benefits of community, camaraderie, and character that caused us all to love the game. It fits with the state well - we've got some get-it-done, tough kids who live here, and I think rugby is a way to bind communities across the state."

The group has invested significant capital into the project to get it going, and is now looking to USA Rugby to help legitimize the effort. The group of 30 to 40 supporters is looking to hire an executive director in the near future.

Already they've encountered positive feedback. A discussion with connections in Australia has yielded a potential player exchange between Wyoming and the University of Queensland.

If you want to more information on the Wyoming plan, contact John Pope at jpope@welldog.com.