High School Girls
BOULDER, Colo. – Twenty-seven young female athletes will make history next weekend as the first women’s under-18 national team to compete in a 15s match as the Girls High School All-Americans powered by ATAVUS head north of the border for a two-match series against BC Rugby U18 Women’s.
North Suburban won the Minnesota Girls High School State 7s Championship, bettering longtime powerhouse Armstrong 29-10 in the final. Armstrong had defeated Hopkins 36-7 in the semifinals, while North Suburban blanked a combination side of Orono, South Metro, and Minnetonka 51-0 for the title berth.
The Kent Crusaders HS girls team ran the table in the Washington State Games rugby 7s competition, winning all of their games throughout the four-tournament season.
An element of surprise tints many of Renee Gonzalez's rugby experiences, but the now-senior was expecting to attend her second Stars & Stripes camp as a veteran. That was, of course, until the Stars staff asked the 17-year-old fullback to have a go at flanker. The forwards. Scrums.
Not since 2009, when Petco Park last hosted the USA 7s tournament, has the San Diego Padres' stadium seen an influx of rugby players through its gates. On Sunday, July 26, the Padres sponsored Rugby Day during the team's final game against the Miami Marlins. It was a good day for the home team – Padres won 3-2 to finish 3-1 in the series – but even more so for the local SoCal rugby clubs.