We did do a video on clubs to keep an eye on, but one team we didn't discuss was Scottsdale.
In fact, we now have four teams from Arizona in the Top 50. There's no guarantee they will all stay, but it seems clear to us at GRR World Headquarters that the state is more competitive than it has been in a while. All of that is good for the game.
It's one of the conundrums of rugby in the USA—there are teams that dominate a region, and when we at GRR talk to those coaches, the coaches say "we'd love to have more competition." But what that also means is that the dominating team might have to lose some games. Some clubs understand that (our current discussion with Tempe Head Coach Hal Morgan is a good example of that as he knows his team is young and he said to us that more teams in Arizona capable of beating Tempe "will elevate the overall quality of Arizona rugby and make Tempe better in the process").
Morgan's attitude is commendable. Sometimes other coaches panic when competition arrives and wins a game or two. But that's what we need—regions where the league championship is always in doubt and there are a lot of close games. We need regions where the team that's last in the league is still a team you're nervous to face.
We are starting to see more of this in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina, as well as Arizona. We might be seeing it this year in Illinois, Louisiana, and Kansas. That remains to be seen. Target states to see more competitiveness include Virginia, Minnesota, and Tennessee.
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