GRR: Youth
Put simply, the 2018 edition of Carolina Ruggerfest being held in Matthews, a small town just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, is massive. The tournament, for its 15 year history, has always been an early season friendly for youth and high school teams. Already a large event in years past, this time around they will break all their own records. Here’s a look, just by the numbers:
The 34th Annual Kickoff Tournament starts up Jan 27-28, with over 130 teams at high school level down to under 10.
The event, held in Sacramento, is California-heavy but also features teams from Washington and Hawaii. Played on nine fields over two days, the tournament requires the assistance of 74 referees, 14 of them coming in from Canada.
The concept behind the Ruck in Rock Hill was very simple - hold the inaugural Rugby NIT for middle school to meet the demands of the exponentially growing ranks of middle school rugby in the USA.
It was something that was long overdue, and this past weekend the fact that it happened made it a success, and how it expanded was a win, too.
The Ruck in Rock Hill is set for this weekend, with a national Middle School invitational, a girls Middle School 7s tournament, a boys HS 7s tournament, and a South Girls HS All-Star event.
The tournament has expanded markedly after the initial promotion of it as a Middle School NIT. It has since filled up with other teams looking for competition.
Below is the schedule.
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