Arizona HS rugby is underway and Red Mountain is looking to be at the top of the heap once more.

The competition itself has undergone some shifts. Cienega high school has formed a new single-school team and has entered the Boys D1 along with Red Mountain, Tempe, and the Tucson Blackbirds.

Their first run-out wasn't too bad, a competitive 26-14 loss to Tempe, but it will be a tough road this year. Expect bigger things as the program grows.

With the loss of Arrowhead and Ahwatukee, the D1 ends up with only four teams. Red Mountain started well, beating Tucson 89-0 and the Blackbirds then turned around and beat Cienega.

Red Mountain has added some talent with mobile prop Sam Jameson who has moved from Colorado, while after Chandler folded some players have found other teams. Tim Parker, and Carlton Guthrie have come from there and added a spark and some experience.

Then Red Mountain has three players who have been in the program for five years in Ben Adams, Seth Causey, and Jett Rowell. All three started with Red Mountain in Junior High. Causey is a tall, lanky flyhalf who led the team in tries last year. 

There are other young players who have started even younger and are Red Mountain veterans despite being on sophomores.

Gordon Comfort is a football convert in his second season who is a tough customer, and captain Monai West is a powerful presence at No. 8.

In D2 Sahuarita HS is a new program, but they hit against Brophy last week and Brophy won 44-10. Phoenix and Glendale played to a 22-20 Phoenix result, but both teams could be contenders. But Salpointe may well be the top team here  

In the U16 bracket, Red Mountain is a good team, too, but Tempe looked very impressive in opening the season beating Red Mountain in their back yard.  

This weekend in the U16s Brophy plays Phoenix. 

In D2, 1-1 East Valley hosts 0-2 Black Mountain, but the highlight may well be 2-0 Brophy at 2-0 Salpointe.

There's only one game in D1 and Cienega plays Tucson.