For 18 years, Bishop Hendricken has been one of the strongest teams in the Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization - problem is, they’re not in Massachusetts.

Located in Warwick, RI, the boys of Bishop Hendricken were one of the original teams to form MYRO, including rivals BC High, St. John’s, and Belmont High.

An all-boys high school, Hendricken routinely carries a roster of around 50 players, and they maintain a connection to the program with alumni, often having former students get a run with the current players during training.

Bishop Hendricken won the New England Rugby Championship in 2010, and the Massachusetts Youth Rugby Championship in 2011 and 2014. Included in these titles, Coach Moore and his players have also tested themselves internationally, touring to England, South Africa, and Wales, as well as taking a trip to Canada every other year.

This Spring they will be traveling to compete in the Gonzaga Rugby Festival in April in Washington DC against some of the top teams on the East Coast. 

But things have changed on the local level. Having been a part of the growth and development of MYRO since it started, Hendricken is now on the outside. Last spring, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) announced it would add rugby as an official varsity sport in high schools. This was very good news for the programs in Massachusetts, but for Bishop Hendricken, based in Rhode Island, it meant they could not be part of the league or play for the state title.

Coach Moore was able to negotiate crossover (nonleague) matches against their rivals Belmont and BC High, but despite being a varsity program, Hendricken is not in the varsity league.

The Massachusetts Youth Rugby organization has split the remaining 12 teams into 3 divisions:

South Division: Bishop Hendricken, Scituate, Oliver Ames and the Boston Irish Wolfhounds (all teams other than Hendricken are non-varsity)

North Division: Essex, Andover, Arlington Catholic and Blue Hills

West Division: Springfield, Worcester, Wilbraham Monson Academy and Berkshire

While the level of competition in league games is not the caliber which they are accustomed to, Bishop Hendricken has taken advantage of their situation to focus on playing teams around New England they haven’t played for some time, like powerhouses Fairfield Prep (Conn.), and Amoskeag Rugby club, a team located in Manchester, NH.

The news of Massachusetts rugby going varsity at the high school level shows tremendous progress for the sport in New England, and although Bishop Hendricken has been left on their own in Rhode Island, there are few other programs like them in the country. Being varsity for 12 years, Bishop Hendricken offers their players a great opportunity to develop themselves both on and off the field, and as they compete for starting positions and championships, Coach Moore says it’s important to remind his players of the true value in the sport; competition and brotherhood. Many great players have left the fields of Bishop Hendricken to pursue successful careers in college and senior men’s rugby, while holding true the commitment to hard work, passion and camaraderie. 

Such as - DIA MVP Back for Fall 2016 - Mike Scarcella

or DII MVP Back - Tom St. Pierre

Bishop Hendricken may have been left out of the MYRO varsity plans, but the program doesn’t plan on letting this drag their level of play down, and instead sees this as an opportunity to further develop and grow.

-- Luke Gerweck