Plano Rugby Club was founded by Nick Marketos and Frank Waller over 20 years ago. It has since grown to be the largest youth rugby club in North Texas serving both boys and girls from K-12. We are both a sports program and a multi-generational community as former players continue to come back and support as coaches and as parents of kids in the program. The Club is currently affiliated with PSA Sports and operates under the USA Rugby and Rugby Texas frameworks. We have won many awards over the years, including State Championships at multiple levels from the middle school through varsity teams. Most of our players go on to play at the college level including players who become College All-Americans. Some have even gone on to play for team USA while playing professionally overseas or in the new American professional league Major League Rugby.
Plano Women’s rugby has been particularly successful since its introduction in 2012 as the first girls’ program in the State. They have won four State championships since then (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) and competed in States for six consecutive years. Several players have gone on to play D1 college rugby with two of them on teams winning national titles. We have several players currently in college, including two freshmen who are starting varsity at Alabama and Arkansas. In fact, roughly 70% of our graduating seniors go on to play at the college level and a good number come back as coaches and referees.
One of the unique things about rugby is the culture as it is both open and inclusive. It appeals to kids of all sizes and abilities, promoting personal growth, self-esteem and confidence, while also fostering respect for both the game and each other. Unlike a lot of the mainstream sports, it is a game that you can enjoy the rest of your life as rugby has both competitive and social leagues beyond college – even for folks in their 60’s and beyond. It is also compatible with other primary sports as it reinforces both fitness and similar skills as developed in football, soccer, basketball and wrestling while being a Spring sport. Rugby makes a great off season sport that will keep an athlete in shape and grow their skill set.
Finally, rugby will provide additional scholarship opportunities for students to leverage in their college journeys. Rugby is one of the fastest growing varsity programs at the college level, particularly for women, having been recently noted as an emerging sport in NCAA. As of this writing, 44 major college programs offer rugby scholarships for both men and women players. If you are interested in learning more please contact us at youth@planorugby.com or (469) 573-0098.