Rugby is for Everybody!

In rugby, there is a saying “Rugby is for everybody”. No matter your background, your body type, or your skill set there is a place for you on the pitch. While Plano Rugby strives for athletic excellence and to compete at the highest level, we also know that we must stay true to our roots and exemplify the values of rugby. Our goal is to build a safe and strong community in which all kids from all backgrounds can flourish.

We at Plano rugby Club are dedicated administrators and coaches aiming at making rugby a memorable experience for participants. Each year several players take up the game with little prior knowledge of rugby and it is our challenge to mold them into competent and competitive players.  Our reward is seeing the boys and girls discovering and developing a passion for this game and seeing them continue playing on to college and beyond.  Often, kids who may have been marginalized in other sports, or spend much of their time sitting on the bench discover that their talents lend themselves to rugby. We have had several players in the past selected for representative teams including the USA national Under 19s rugby team and have gone on to play at the collegiate and international levels. Since our inception in 2000, our club has participated in every Texas High Schools state championship.

A major objective of our program is the safety aspect.  The possibility of injury in a running contact sport cannot be ignored and everything is done to ensure that players learn the proper techniques such as tackling and positioning, etc.   Because of the continuous nature of rugby, where the game continues even after a player is tackled, and because there is no blocking, the collision impact is less than in football. Rugby injuries, despite the lack of padding, are no more prevalent than in soccer. All of our coaches are USA Rugby certified and take the safety aspects of rugby seriously.

An equal challenge for us is to encourage parents to participate in the program as supporters and spectators. To many parents, the game remains a mystery and perhaps this discourages them from becoming involved.   We wish to encourage parents to come and watch games. To gain a better understanding of the rules please review the beginner’s primer.  In addtion we will make available to parents a booklet provided by the USA Rugby  Union, explaining the rules of rugby.  However, what is not explained in this booklet is the tradition of rugby which remains a true sport.  While the game is a contact sport and is played with limited protection, its tradition requires a sportsmanship approach to playing the game. We at Plano High School Rugby program promote this approach and eschew modern sports propensity for trash talking, taunting, arguing with referees etc.

The Plano High Schools coaches and administrators are unpaid volunteers who manage to run an effective program from recruiting, registration, match scheduling, to coaching, etc.  However, there are several areas where parents can assist the program that does not require specific knowledge of the game and we encourage their participation in any way.  These are:

Sponsorship Donations and Fundraising

Recruiting and Promotion by spreading the word about rugby

Publicity

Assisting coaches and team managers

Forming a parent’s booster club

Taking action pictures of games to put on the website

Taping matches for a post-match review and youtube.

Arranging for post-match pizzas/hot dogs/refreshments with the opposition

Providing medical assistance for minor injuries at games

Providing publicity for the Rugby club through schools and other institutions

Washing team shirts after matches

 We use this Band for communications and announcements throughout the season.  Parents whose teenagers are tight lipped about what is going on can get information about match times, locations, directions, etc.  

Please feel free to contact us for more information.

 Is rugby safe for youth?

Because rugby is played without padding, many parents and the public in the USA compare this to ice hockey, lacrosse and football and immediately come to the conclusion that rugby is a dangerous or at a minimum a very rough sport.  Rugby is rough; bumps and bruises are not uncommon but it is not a dangerous sport and it is rare to get season ending injuries as you may find in football or other full contact sports.