Boys HS Nationals-Watch for Application Window

10.02.2025HS Boys

The Boys HS Rugby National Championships will begin accepting applications in January for the 2026 tournament and teams are encouraged to start planning.

The event, which has been run by a private committee of coaches and HS rugby leaders, has been held in its current format since 2008, with a HS Club championship, a Single-School championship, and a Tier II championship.

The BHSNC is sanctioned by USA Youth & High School as the official Boys HS National Championships for high school rugby in the USA. Every year the Boys HS National Championships Committee conducts a survey with attending teams and following the feedback from this past year's survey the tournament returns to the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Ind., and will be held May 21, 22, and 23 (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Every team plays a single, 60-minute game each day, resulting in a ranking of 1st through 8th for each of the three divisions.

Boys HS Nationals Single-School Bracket: A Look Back

Close Games Highlight HS Club Nationals

Looking Back at Boys HS Nationals Tier II

Teams are chosen to compete based on their current and long-term form, their ability to ensure they will be able to compete, and their demonstrated ability to uphold the highest standards of the game on and off the field.

Since 2008, in the Single-School Division, Jesuit of Sacramento and Gonzaga College HS of DC are tied with six championships each. St. Ignatius of Cleveland has two, Herriman (Utah), Xavier (NY), and Dixon HS (California) all have won the title once.

In the Club Division, nine different clubs have won the national championship, with Royal Irish (Indiana) topping the list with four. The last eight championships have seen eight different winners.

The Tier II Division was held in a somewhat informal way throughout the championship’s history until 2014. Since then it has had its own official championship. After the 24 teams have been accepted to the tournament, they are seed 1-through-8 for Single-School and HS Club. The remaining eight teams play in Tier II. Of the 11 champions, there has only been one repeat winner, the San Diego Mustangs.

There’s Always Room for New Teams

Over the last five tournaments, 54 different teams, Single-School and HS Club, have participated in the Boys HS Rugby National Championships coming from 24 different states (counting DC as a state).

The tournament has welcomed debutant teams every single year.

Back to Elkhart

With the size and demands of the tournament, the Moose Rugby Grounds in Elkhart, Ind. remain the best option, for now, as the host venue. With three full-size grass rugby fields for the games and another for warmups, the venue is unique in the United States.

With the Tournament having full control over field usage, players are able to ensure they can compete barring lightning or a tornado. The beautifully-tended grass fields helps mitigate injury and enhances the player and viewer experience.

The Boys HS Rugby National Championships Committee remains open to new potential venues with the following requirements:

1. Minimum three grass fields with rugby-specific lining

2. Reasonable geographic access

3. Control of field usage in case of rain