A Key Reminder as the HS National Championship Application Looms

04.17.2025 - 04.18.2025HS Boys

st martins vs greenwich 2024 hsnc alex goff 8007

The invitation to apply for the Boys HS Rugby National Championships should be active in just a few days.

Watch for an update here on GoffRugbyReport.com.

Meanwhile, here's a reminder:

The HS Nationals are divided into High School and Club divisions, with a third Tier 2 featuring teams from both divisions that weren't seeded #1-#8.

It's important to understand what the terms "Single-School" or "High School" and "Club" mean, and here are the tournament's official definitions:

"A High School Team consists of players who are enrolled in that school only, regardless of local rules that allow students to play on other high school’s teams."

What this means is that the definition of a High School team for the National Championships might not be the same as your local rules. Team admins and coaches are always encouraged to check with the BHSNC Committee early to figure out if a player is or is not eligible to play.

"A Club Team is defined as a team of players enrolled in multiple high schools who play regularly scheduled matches against other club or high school teams. A club team is not an “all-star,” “academy” or “select side” team. Players on a club team may only play for that club team during that club team’s regular season. Players on club teams must be registered to that team by April 1, 2022. Club teams must submit a roster of their registered players to the BHSRNC Committee on April 1, 2022."

What this means if, first of all, no player can be playing for two teams (this doesn't prevent a player from, for example, playing for an invitational or select side at the Tropical 7s- we're talking about a player playing in two separate ongoing high school competitions. There have been examples of a player playing for his school in one league, and for a club in another league. That is not accepted by the BHSNC.

What is also notable is the phrase "who play regularly scheduled matches against other club or high school teams." What hits means is a team doesn't necessarily have to play in a specific league—they just have to have a recognizable season, playing roughly every week against like teams and, crucially, fielding players who don't play for anyone else.

(Again, the odd select-side appearance is OK.)

teams should keep all of this in mind when applying for the National Championship tournament.

Boys HS National Championships

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