High School boys teams in Virginia got rugby started this weekend and one team got a bit of a rough reawakening.

While the Richmond Strikers had been in action last week, beating the Raleigh Rattlesnakes, they had a much tougher prospect this weekend with the #1-ranked HS Club Charlotte Tigers coming to town. Charlotte led from post to post, and while the Strikers battled and were competitive, they couldn't contain Charlotte's big, physical forwards.

Prop Trevion Reed was a monster with the ball in hand and Charlotte flyhalf Porter Goodrum and his replacement Zach Colson controlled field position with their kicking.

Charlotte 72, Richmond 7.

"Charlotte should be ranked #1 in the country," said Strikers Co-Head Coach Stuart "Boomer" Willis. "Great forwards, great backs, very disciplined team. We enjoyed our chance to play them [and] we learned a lot from that game."

In league action, Vienna opened their season with a 43-19 defeat of Great Falls. Vienna was down to 14 players for most of the game thanks to a red card for a dangerous tackle, but seeing as they opened the game with four quick tries and a 24-0 lead, it wasn't an issue. Still, Vienna was a bit shocked by the call. Vienna senior captain and flyhalf Graham Ebert was the Man of the Match and was strong with the boot as well as on defense and attack.

Fort Hunt played a scrimmage last week and then a very controlled scrimmage this weekend — both teams setting up scenarios and and various situations in order to practice them.

"With football in Virginia having stopped two weeks ago, and if you've got a kid playing for the state championships he'd still be playing, we haven't had a lot of time to practice," said Fort Hunt Director of Rugby Dale Roach.

Next up for Fort Hunt is Xavier HS, and it will be their first true game.

"We seek to play the best teams in the US," said Roach.

Next week also Great Falls hosts Richmond while West End hosts Western Loudoun.