Tempe vs Red Mountain is a preview of the Rugby Arizona championship, and while Red Mountain remains the favorite, Tempe is looking strong and stronger.

The rise of Tempe is a direct result of the club as a whole deciding to prioritize youth even as the men’s club team has found success. The loss of Dave Blank, who oversaw Tempe’s youth efforts and died while still doing that job, was The HS team had to fold a few years ago, and that’s when club leaders realized that they could sustain a high school team unless they fostered younger players.

“In 2014-15 we had abut 20 youth players and we had to merge with East Valley in high school,” said HS Boys Program Director Hal Morgan. “Two years later we had 75 players from U8 to U18. We wanted to build on that vision.”

And that is what has happened. Tempe continues to build. Players are playing with the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy select sides, and several are those are still U16 eligible. Their U16 team is 2-0, including a 64-0 defeat of Red Mountain, and won Arizona last year. 

“We feel really good,” said Tempe HS team Head Coach Bret Fullerton. “We now have kids in the U16s and U18s who have come through the program. That helps us. The players come through with an established skill level and we don’t have to spend extra time teaching them basics of the game. The kids already know it.”

Scrumhalf Aki Pulu helps lead a Tempe team that is certainly improving over time. Their two games have ben against new single-school team Cienega. The first result was a 26-14 Tempe win. The second was 71-12. Meanwhile, Cienega also played Tucson twice, losing the first and winning the second game, indicating that Cienega is getting stronger, and Tempe is improving still faster.

Also showing well is No. 8 Sione Tongauiha, and players Tau Pauga, Ata Tuetupe, Alani Maafu, Andrew McGarvie, Ashton Liddell, and Diego Echavarria.

These players are at the core of a solid Tempe team, but really the core is the decision to concentrate on youth rugby and then have the patience to see the plan through.