The news that the Southern California Eagle Impact Rugby Academy will field its own select side is just the latest in a trend in HS rugby.

State-based rugby organizations have not always been set up with all-star teams in mind, although most put one together. But even as the all-star tournaments (now called Regional Cups) have become more formalized within USA Rugby, select sides that are not state-based have grown in number.

We’ve seen the growth of Atlantis from a touring program for men and women to one that serves high-schoolers are the U18 and U16 level. We’ve seen the Celtic Elite perform well out of southern Ohio, and the Glendale Raptors have, at the U19 level, reimagined themselves as a touring side rather than a club to play in the Rugby Colorado league. We will see more.

EIRA New York City has stated they want to form a team to play somewhere, and EIRA has already fielded 7s and 15s teams on tour on Canada using players drawn from around the country.

This fits in with the vision put forth by USA Rugby Youth & HS head Kurt Weaver - that clubs will eventually morph into travel teams. I am not so sure that will happen the way Weaver thinks it will, but we will see more and more privately-organized select sides.