Friendship Cup Provides High-Level HS Competition
Friendship Cup Provides High-Level HS Competition
Top HS teams from around the nation will be converging on Knoxville, Tenn. for The Friendship Cup later this month.
The Friendship Cup began three years ago, when the Charlotte Cardinals (NC) and Raptor Rugby (TN) sought to play a single match outside of their respective homes for two of the best performing high school teams in the southeast. Three years later, the Friendship Cup has grown into a rugby festival featuring some of the best high school teams in America.
The original friendly match in 2023 sparked the flame that quickly spread to attract other top-quality teams. In 2024 the event featured teams from Ohio (St. Xavier), Indiana (Pendleton), and Tennessee (901 Rugby, Father Ryan, and Raptor Rugby).
"In 2025, we built this event around our stalwarts, the Charlotte Cardinals (current High School National Champions) and Pendleton Rugby (3-time Indiana State Champions). Once both Top-Tier teams committed, the rest of the teams fell into place. After you get these clubs committed you have a great base from which to build." said Mike Orefice. Santi Cuccarese added that “The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Youth Rugby, and Tennessee Rugby Park were founding partners with us and continue to provide a great venue with three all-grass pitches for the competition.”
This year's field boasts six current state champions and several teams from last year's High School Nationals, including last year's National Champion Charlotte Cardinals (NC), national runner-up Woodlands Rugby (Texas), national finalists Pendleton Rugby (Ind.) and the Charlotte Tigers (NC), Utah Division 2 champions Caveman Rugby, South Carolina champions Greer 76ers, and Raptor Rugby Club out of Tennessee to round out the boys’ division.
There will also be a girls division added this year with teams from Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. Because of a team's scheduling conflict there is room for one more team here. If you are interested in putting forward a Girls team to join this event – reach out to Mike Orefice: mike@peakrugbyusa.com
The festival will kick off on Friday, March 28, with players and teams being hosted at the University of Tennessee by Coaches Scott Tungay and Steven Harris, who will also be working on campus tours and providing an inside look at the Volunteers’ Men's Rugby program, which boasts players from several of the representative schools.
"We are six years away from a Rugby World Cup on home soil," said Tungay. "The future of American Rugby will rely heavily on the quality of competition at the High School level. I am very excited to be working with the team at Peak Rugby to bring some of the highest caliber Rugby Teams to Tennessee to participate in the Friendship Cup; let's see if any future Eagles come from this event.
“What Mike Orefice, Santi Cuccarese, and Tom May (former English International) of Peak Rugby have done to get all these amazing teams together in one spot (Knoxville), is truly amazing. This will be one of the highlights of our 2025 Spring season and a huge help as we prepare for our National Title defense later in May. Every single game will be extremely tough for each team. I simply can't wait,” said Coach Jason Zehmke of the Charlotte Cardinals Rugby Club.
Peak Rugby USA was established in 2023 to help young men and women achieve their Rugby goals through scholarship, college, as well as overseas advisory and sponsorships.
