For the second consecutive year, the Iowa Youth Rugby Association (IAYRA) has increased its girls league’s membership by more than 50%. The high school competition has added three new 7s teams – Lincoln, Roosevelt, Boone – and 60 new players to the fall season.

“We have great coaches, and we’ve been utilizing social media more,” IAYRA Girls Development Director Kelsie McDowell explained the growth. “And with all of the boys programs, more and more girls are coming out of the woodwork asking their schools to start programs.”

But much has happened during the past year. The fall 7s season is the only competitive season for Iowa girls, but last summer, the league fielded its first-ever select side and competed in the Midwest All Star 7s Invitational. The team played long-established all-star teams from Wisconsin and Minnesota – and they won games.

“All of those players came back and really recruited hard,” said McDowell, who also coaches the Iowa all-stars, Southeast Polk, and Simpson College. “The teams want to do it again next, and now players understand that if you want to play for a select side, then you have to work harder.”

It was an eye-opening experience for players to see the popularity of rugby in different states. It was further enlightening to see league graduates continue to play in college.  Simpson College launched a 7s-only program in 2015 and the team advanced to the NSCRO 7s Championship at West Point, N.Y. McDowell will be welcoming more IAYRA alumni on the 2016 team, and hopes that the Des Moines Area Community College realizes its plans for a women’s program, providing more local competition.

These efforts have been translating on the field.

“It’s crazy because the three new teams, they’re starting off much better than when new teams began in the past,” McDowell compared. “And even the year-one to year-two improvements are incredible. Ankeny, for example, is doing great. Really, it’s a credit to the coaches in the area.”

Thus far, last year’s state finalists, Southeast Polk and Dowling, are the teams to beat and each other’s biggest competition. When the pair advanced to the championship match last year, Southeast Polk, which went undefeated all year, lost the title to Dowling in overtime.

“The teams get along; it’s a friendly rivalry, not a begrudging one,” McDowell said. “Our team is extremely strong this year, and we are looking forward to the final game. No one has come within 21 points of us yet.”

Keep an eye out for Roosevelt, which could be the wild card this season. The team is blessed with track and soccer athletes, and while the game hasn’t quite clicked with the squad yet, Roosevelt is loaded with dangerous athletes.

During the seven-week season, expect to hear more from Valley’s Hannah Fultz, Southeast Polk’s Sarah Niswander, and Dowling’s Joseline “Juice” Osman.

“Hannah is super fast, a spit fire out of the gate. Once she hits that corner, she’s gone,” McDowell said. “Juice is the fastest girl in the league and extremely talented. She’s also once of the most resilient, kind-hearted players I know. And Sarah, she has the most fundamentally developed game and is universally well developed.”

The state championship occurs on Oct. 24, but McDowell is already thinking about how to continue membership growth. The league does well to temporarily accommodate players whose schools don’t offer rugby teams, but those girls (there are currently three) playing on closest-proximity teams are tasked with rallying their respective schools to start their own teams. The number of coaches might inhibit some growth, so that’s another agenda item on McDowell’s list.

“Once we get all of the metro schools wrapped up, I’d like to get conferences going,” McDowell forecasted. “I want to branch out into the Iowa City area, Waterloo, Davenport – areas where there are some college teams.”

Big plans on the horizon, and a fourth state championship to be earned. Stay tuned as the season progresses.