Rugby Idaho kicks off its season and it promises to be a good one.

Teams around the state are loaded with big numbers and improving athletes, and this state could be the next one to be a rugby hotbed.

Capital, Mountain View, and Rocky Mountain lead the chase right now, but there are other teams, such as Eagle, Bingham, and Nampa, that have over 40 players registered already.

For Capital, which was perhaps the first team to achieve prominence out of the state, this could be a rebuilding year.

Five players expected to return will not - two sustained injuries while playing football, and three others have football scholarships to college and will forgo rugby as a result.

Head Coach Matt Jacobsen said the numbers look good but the players are young, and it could be a few weeks before Capital hits their stride.

For some of those players it could be more than a few weeks.

“With our younger kids I think we are going to keep them together so they learn to play with each other, as opposed to flooding the varsity with freshman and sophomore players,” he said.

Mountain View looks to repeat as champs and the coaches like what they have. Their backline returns from last year’s state title winners, led by Cody Hersey, Quinn Williams, and Caden Chandler.

Cody Hersey is a four-year starter at flyhalf. He’s a talent at reading the game and is a repeat all-state player who can kick goals from any angle and long-range as well.

Hersey punishes teams that commit penalties.

Chandler is an explosive fullback who adds dimension to their attack and is strong on defense. 

Bryce Murdock holds down the forwards.

"Nobody works harder on or off the field than Murdock,” said Mountain View Head Coach Hamish Bell. "He is a natural leader both in example and ability. I never question whether Byrce will make the tackle, ruck, or anything else I ask him to do." 

Rocky Mountain has a Van Tonder aspect about it as Kyle is a brilliant X-factor at fullback, and his younger brother, Ethan, looks to have nailed down the scrumhalf spot. Wth team founder and longtime Coach Kirk Pulver taking a year off, Wesley Van Tonder has taken over as Head Coach, with his wife, Belinda, president of the club.

There’s more to the Rocky Mountain team than the one family, but they aren’t hurting, that’s for sure. Rocky Mountain is very strong in numbers, 

Bingham is an up-and-comer for sure, and sent a large contingent to the Rocky Mountain Classic all-star tournament in Colorado, including returning players such as Tre Breshears, Brendon Hatfield, and Noah Woodlands. Their numbers look strong.

So here's the opening weekend of Idaho's Boys HS season, with Bingham v Mountain View one of the games to watch. But as we said, this state as a whole might be one to watch.