Goff Rugby Report is still fielding comments regarding youth and high school rugby - comments USA Rugby is soliciting to help formulate a plan for the future.

We will be posting a few more comments in a bit, and addressing some of the player-coaching issues in the future, also. But today we will address the issue of select sides on the youth level.

 

This article is meant to reflect what others are saying, not the opinions held here at Goff Rugby Report World Headquarters. If you want to see opinions, you’re better off going to these articles:

 

More Trouble for Age-Divisions in All-Stars

It's Official - JV-Varsity Rule a Failure

 

Also, to track news and items about HS All-Star or Select Side rugby, go here:

http://www.goffrugbyreport.com/tags/hs-all-stars

 

The comments we have fielded touch on two specific issues:

1. All-star teams that do not represent state-based organizations.

 

2. Talented young players playing for a higher age group.

 

Item 1. Several commenters don’t like the trend toward all-star teams that don’t represent a single state. The trend has been encouraged by USA Rugby’s Youth & HS department (especially Manager Kurt Weaver) because they want HS league play to move toward single-school, and for clubs to morph into traveling clubs.

There is some small precedent for non-SBRO All-Star teams in that California has never fielded an all-state team - the state and the player pool is just too large. Southern California and Northern California have always been treated as two states when it comes to HS rugby.

In addition, there are some states where the enthusiasm or organization within an SBRO is lacking, and the gap has been filled by other traveling teams.

This is certainly something that appears to be coming to a point of contention - should the Regional Cup Tournaments (tellingly renamed from Regional All-Star Tournaments by USA Rugby) be State-Based teams only? It’s likely those that advocate such a rule would not have a problem with a state-base organization sanctioning more than one team (such as how Indiana operates). What they don’t seem to like is the proliferation of privately-run all-star teams such as Rhino, Eagle Impact, Greenwich, and 5785. 

 

Item 2. Readers are essentially unanimous in the feeling that if all-star teams are to be tiered, they should be tiered based on age, not school grade. In addition, the consensus is clear that there are players aged 17 or 18 who would be better off playing with a JV all-star team, and there are talented players who should play with older kids.

As a result, readers who commented on this issue think there should at least be some sort of reasonable waiver process. 

In addition, readers make a clear distinction between select-side play and development play. Select-side rugby is not all-inclusive - it discriminated based on ability. Select-side rugby attracts athletes to the game, certainly, by offering high performance opportunities to ambitious players, but all-star play isn’t designed to bring in all-comers the way introductory teams are.

 

For more on USA Rugby looking for input:

USA Rugby Soliciting HS-Youth Eligibility Opinions

Make Your Voice Heard on Youth and HS Issues

Readers and Goff Respond to Youth Survey Discussion