HS Rugby Talent in College FootballFormer USA U19 fullback Nate Ebner is back in the NFL playoffs with the New England Patriots, just a couple of weeks after adding his endorsement to USA Rugby’s 7s team combine. Ebner is one of a growing number of NFL players who played rugby in high school or college. One of those is, of course, former Highland HS standout Haloti Ngata. Ngata is an all-pro defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, but is currently under suspension for using banned stimulant Adderall because, say reports, he was too tired after games and practice to spend meaningful time with his kids.
Varsity Shift Tough, But Good for TPAfter starting the regular season 1-0 with a win over the highly-regarded St. Augustine, Torrey Pines Head Coach Matty Sandoval knows it’s not going to be a cakewalk through the Southern California Varsity Red Conference. The seven-team varsity HS league, with all of the teams being in the San Diego area, includes two teams that were in the Varsity White. Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon were the top two teams in the White in 2013-14.
Varsity Red Starts in SoCalCathedral Catholic and La Costa Canyon were winners in the opening weekend for the Boys Varsity Red division in Southern California.
Fallbrook tested Cathedral, as expected, but the Dons, led by SoCal all-stars Adam Wilson, Liam Brady, Owen Duvall, and James Ryan, were stronger. La Costa Canyon defeated Poway fairly comfortably 29-7 to move to 1-0.
SoCal Latest - Varsity WhiteIt’s still all to play for in the Southern California Varsity White division, but Dana Hills remains the team to watch in the Los Angeles Conference. Dana moved to 3-0 after soundly beating Palos Verdes 61-7 this weekend. It was an especially poignant game for Dana Hills as their Head Coach, Ian Ibbetson, learned Friday that his father, Victor Ibbetson, has passed away. The teams held a moment of silence before the game, and then Dana Hills put together an outstanding display to win convincingly. Meanwhile, View Park Prep stayed in the hunt with a very difficult 14-12 defeat of St.
Much on the Line in SoCal Varsity WhiteIt’s already Week Three in Southern California’s Varsity White Division.
In the Inland Conference, 1-0 Dead Rabbits play a non-league game against LA team Mira Costa after beating Desert Sands a week ago. Desert Sands, now 0-1, take on Citrus Valley, who lost 48-17 to View Park Prep in a non-league game.
Go-Time for SoCal Varsity RedThe Southern California Varsity Red competition starts this coming weekend as SoCal Youth Rugby officially launches its effort to make rugby a varsity sport in California high schools. This is the second season of the Varsity Red - all teams in the league are 100% single-school. They are all part of the San Diego CIF (California Interscholastic Federation), and seven are full varsity programs. SoCal Youth Rugby is trying to get the entire state to adopt the game as a varsity sport, and they’re starting in San Diego. The season starts Friday. Cathedral Catholic ran the table last year, and only St. Augustine pushed them.
USAR Varsity Rule Tough Sell in SoCalThe effort to create state-sanctioned varsity rugby in California has run into issues with USA Rugby’s insurance requirements. Many of the private schools in the Southern California Varsity Red Division have their own insurance for their sports teams, and administrators have balked at paying the full USA Rugby dues because they don’t need the insurance. USA Rugby, led by Youth and HS Manager Kurt Weaver, came up with a work-around, a $250 affiliation fee for Varsity High School that would keep those teams “involved and invested,” in the governing body, said Weaver.
Dana Hills Wins Big Early Game in LAThe Mira Costa rugby team lost their first game, ever, Friday night as the Mustangs pst 35-12 to their rivals Dana Hills. The two teams had met for the Southern California Blue Division championship last year - the Blue Division is a development division for new teams - with Mira Costa winning. But with both teams now in the Varsity White Division, the Dolphins turned the tables on the Mustangs. “This was a great victory for Dana Hills,” said Dana Hills Head Coach Ian Ibbetson. “Mira Costa brought their usual physical game and Dana matched them up front. It was one of my most satisfying wins of my coaching career. Obviously we wanted to win, having lost in the finals last year.
Charity Tournament Stats HS Rugby in SouthTop HS teams from the South met in Charlotte, NC in the Charlotte Catholic Charity Cup tournament Saturday. The Charlotte Tigers beat Chapin 32-7 and West Mecklenburg 40-0 in shortened games. The Phoenix club from Alpharetta, Ga. defeated Charlotte Catholic 15-7 also in the shortened game. The Tigers have a big season ahead, with their regular league season augmented by non-league gems against Phoenix, Gonzaga HS out of DC, Westerville out of Ohio, and Tennessee’s South Doyle.
This Weekend in SoCal HS Varsity WhiteIt’s week two already in the Southern California Varsity White division, with Week One’s winners, Dana Hills and Mira Costa, meeting up in Dana Point, Calif. Last year Mira Costa defeated Dana Hills in the Blue (Development) Division title game, so this matchup has more than a little meaning to it. Mira Costa won comfortable over Stern MASS last week, although the game is now officially listed as a forfeit, while Dana Hills were impressive in squeaking by View Park Prep 26-22. Wilson v St. John Bosco is expected to be rescheduled due to football playoffs. Meanwhile, Palos Verdes, despite being without their football players, will pitch-up against Stern MASS on Sunday.
HSAA Boys Camp Set for End of YearIt’s almost Christmas and you know what that means … it’s almost time for the post-Christmas High School All American Camp. This year the camp will be hosted at the hugely impressive Casa Grande Sports Academy, which is a high-end complex in Arizona.
Young Programs Win in SoCal HS OpenerThe Varsity White Division of the Southern California Boys HS league started with weekend, with victories for two teams new to the league. Both Dana Hills and Mira Costa played in the Blue Division in 2013-14, reserved for teams just getting started. Now established they moved out of the developmental league and into the Varsity White, which is for single-school teams that are allowed as much as 30% of their squad to be from another school. This week, Dana Hills faced off with View Park Prep.
SoCal HS Boys Season Gets UnderwayThe Boys single-school HS season in Southern California gets underway, sort of, this weekend. Already one game has been played, as St. Augustine defeated HTH/Point Loma 28-26 in a non-league warmup. But for the most part warmups will be a rarity for teams that are just coming out of football season. In fact, football already has had an influence on the league schedule. In the Boys Varsity White (which is the league for teams with 70-99% of their players from one school), the intriguing Wilson HS v Palos Verdes game has been postponed because the Palos Verdes football team is in the state playoffs. Palos Verdes Head Coach Jeremy Wilkinson said about two-thirds of his program will be tied up with the football playoff run.
Boys HS NIT Details Set
The Boys High School Rugby National Championships will be held on May 14-16, 2015 at the Rugby Athletic Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Boys High School Rugby National Championships expect to attract the top high school teams and clubs in the nation to the premier high school-aged tournament in America.
Established in 2014, the Rugby Athletic Center is a privately owned sports, entertainment, and events venue located three miles from the city center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 13-acre facility includes two high-grade competition fields and up to 4,000 spectator capacity. The Rugby Athletic Center recently hosted the 2014 American Collegiate Rugby Competition’s Bowl Series. http://rugbyathleticcenter.com/
Torrey Pines Gets Official School Status
The Torrey Pines HS rugby program in Southern California is now officially on campus.
“Rugby is coming on campus for the upcoming 2014-2015 winter season,” said TPHS Boy’s Athletic Director Matt Livingston, as quoted in an article written by Tim Pickwell in the Del Mar Times. “What that means is the club sport is being supported and operated under the direction of the Torrey Pines High School Foundation, and with the help of my office.”
The move is in part a response to Cathedral Catholic bringing rugby under the aegis of its athletic department in 2013. Cathedral finished the league season 7-0 in the SoCal Varsity Red division. Torrey Pines won the Varsity White South division with a 6-0 record last year.
