The Boys HS Rugby National Championships has seen a massive changeover for 2019.
Announced last week, the field of 24 teams has nine changes from 2018, which is significant in what organizers said was the most competitive field of applicants they had ever seen.
Last year, the mix of single-school and HS club was not even — there were in fact 13 club teams and 11 single-school teams. As a result, while there are four new single-school teams this year—East HS, Kahuku, Snow Canyon, and Rocky Mountain—only three teams do not return. Those are Fishers, Brownsburg, and St. Edward.
In the HS Club division, it's the other way around, which one fewer among the new teams. Five do not return: South Bay, Rhinos, Fort Hunt, Union, and Phoenix Alpharetta. Four teams, Raleigh, Lamorinda, Charlotte Tigers, and Back Bay, come in fresh.
Interestingly, while the Single-School bracket has a decidedly more western look, the club bracket does not.
Among single-school teams, six teams are from western states, defined as states touching the Pacific Ocean, or touching a state that touches the Pacific. Six teams are from the East or Midwest. In 2018, only two out of the 11 teams were from the West.
Among the HS Clubs, the balance hasn't changed much. The bracket lost two teams from California, and one each from Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia, while adding two teams each from California and North Carolina.
The top two teams from each bracket last year (Single-School, HS Club, and Tier II) all return.
The only team that made the top two in the previous three years not to return in 2019 is Fort Hunt.
The 2019 Boys HS National Championships will be held May 16-18 and will be shown LIVE on FloRugby.
| Boys HS Historical Champions | |||||
| Boys HS Single-school | |||||
| Year | Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| 2018 | Kansas City, MO | Gonzaga | Herriman | Jesuit | Xavier |
| 2017 | Kansas City, MO | Jesuit-Sac. | Gonzaga | Penn | Herriman |
| 2016 | Charlotte, NC | Gonzaga | Jesuit-Sac. | Xavier | Penn |
| 2015 | Charlotte, NC | Gonzaga | Jesuit-Sac. | Herriman | Penn |
| 2014 | Elkhart IN | Gonzaga | Jesuit-Sac. | Penn | Xavier |
| 2013 | Elkhart IN | Jesuit-Sac. | Gonzaga | Xavier | Penn |
| 2012 | Sandy UT | Dixon | Penn | Xavier | Gonzaga |
| 2011 | Sandy UT | Jesuit-Sac. | Xavier | Gonzaga | Charlotte Catholic |
| 2010 | Sandy UT | Xavier | Gonzaga | Jesuit-Sac. | Charlotte Catholic |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh PA | Jesuit-Sac. | Christian Brothers | Xavier | Gonzaga |
| 2008 | Pittsburgh PA | Jesuit-Sac. | ND de la Salette | Penn | St. Thomas |
| Boys HS Multi-school | |||||
| Year | Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| 2017 | Kansas City, MO | Royal Irish | Fort Hunt | Granite Bay | Doylestown |
| 2016 | Charlotte, NC | Granite Bay | Royal Irish | United | KC Jr. Blues |
| 2015 | Charlotte, NC | Royal Irish | Granite Bay | United | West Shore |
| 2014 | Elkhart IN | Royal Irish | Santa Monica | Danville | San Diego |
| 2013 | Elkhart IN | United | Royal Irish | Danville | Colorado Springs |
| 2012 | Sandy UT | Royal Irish | United | Colorado Springs | KC Jr Blues |
| 2011 | Sandy UT | Highland | United | Royal Irish | KC Jr Blues |
| 2010 | Sandy UT | United | Highland | Katy | Belmont Shore |
| 2009 | Pittsburgh PA | Highland | United | KC Jr Blues | West Shore Utd. |
| 2008 | Pittsburgh PA | Highland | United | Westerville | Katy |
| Boys HS Combined | |||||
| Year | Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| 2007 | Salt Lake City UT | Highland | Jesuit-Sac. | Penn | KC Jr Blues |
| 2006 | Hanover NH | Jesuit-Sac. | Highland | Katy | Westerville |
| 2005 | Palto Alo CA | Highland | Elsie Allen | Penn | Dallas Harlequins |
| 2004 | Fort Worth TX | Jesuit-Sac. | Highland | Dallas Harlequins | Penn |
| 2003 | Kelly TX | Highland | Jesuit-Sac. | Kent | Wilmington |
| 2002 | Columbus OH | Highland | Westerville | Jesuit-Sac. | Xavier |
| 2001 | Columbus OH | Highland | Westerville | Xavier | Burbank |
| 2000 | Provo UT | Highland | Jesuit-Sac. | Westerville | Xavier |
| 1999 | Provo UT | Jesuit-Sac. | Greenwich | Highland | Park Hill |
| 1998 | Indianapolis IN | Highland | Westerville | Gonzaga | Worthington |
| 1997 | Provo UT | Highland | Xavier | Del Campo | Redmond |
| 1996 | Fort Belvoir VA | Highland | Doylestown | Redmond | Worthington |
| 1995 | Minneapolis MN | Highland | Whitman | Doylestown | Fort Collins |
| 1994 | Parker CO | Highland | Redmond | Whitman | Xavier |
| 1993 | Seattle WA | Xavier | Highland | Redmond | Skyline |
| 1992 | Doylestown PA | Highland | St. Louis Druids | Doylestown | Xavier |
| 1991 | Indianapolis IN | Highland | Whitman | St. Louis Druids | Xavier |
| 1990 | San Antonio TX | Highland | Alamo City | Doylestown | Liberty |
| 1989 | Salt Lake City UT | Highland | Burlingame | Xavier | Whitemarsh |
| 1988 | Washington DC | Highland | Burlingame | ||
| 1987 | Denver CO | Burlingame | Highland | Alamo City | Langley |
| 1986 | Cupertino CA | Highland | Burlingame | Bellarmine | Los Gatos |
| 1985 | Washington DC | Xavier | Highland | Burlingame | Redwood |
| 1984 | San Francisco CA | Lamorinda | Del Campo | Xavier | Harvard |
| 1983 | Washington DC | Highland | Langley | Serra | Seneca Valley |
| 1982 | Palto Alto CA | Redwood | Highland | Serra | Turlock |
| 1981 | Dayton OH | Redwood | Seneca Valley | Langley | Elder |
2019 Boys HS Nationals Teams:
HS Club: Aspetuck Valley (CT), Back Bay (CA), Charlotte Tigers (NC), Danville (CA), Eastside (WA), Granite Bay (CA), KC Jr. Blues (MO), Lamorinda (CA), Raleigh (NC), Royal Irish (IN), San Diego Mustangs (CA), United (UT)
Single-School: East HS (CO), Gonzaga (DC), Greenwich (CT), Herriman (UT), Jesuit (CA), Kahuku (HI), Penn (IN), Snow Canyon (UT), Rocky Mountain (ID), St. Thomas Aquinas (KS), Wando (SC), Xavier (NY)
