The Warrior Within

  It’s not uncommon to find multi-sport athletes among young rugby players in America. Many balance rugby with football, basketball, or other sports during the off-season. But what makes our latest Q&A participant truly stand out is her remarkable versatility: Cadence is not only a dedicated rugby player, but also a cheerleader and an active member of her high school’s NJROTC program.
 Talk about a unique rugger—Cadence exemplifies discipline, focus, and leadership across three demanding arenas. Her ability to juggle the physical intensity of rugby, the precision and spirit of cheerleading, and the structured commitment of NJROTC speaks volumes about her character and drive.
 A proud product of San Diego’s youth rugby scene, having played with both the SD Mustangs and Spartan Youth Rugby, Cadence is poised for great things. Her well-rounded experience and strong foundation make her a promising addition to any club she joins in the future.

LLR-What position do you play and when did you start playing rugby?

CC- I started playing co-ed rugby the winter of 2022. I have played full back, fly half, wing, inside and outside center. The center positions would have to be my favorite. 

LLR- There are many examples of cross over athletes who come to rugby, but a Cheerleader to rugby on top of also being a member of the NJROTC. Which order did they all start and what are people's reactions when you tell them?

CC- I started cheerleading when I was 5 years old. When I was 11 years old I started playing rugby. I just started NJROTC this year as a freshman in high school. Most people are pretty surprised when they hear I play rugby and also cheer. A lot of people think those two sports don’t usually go together but everyone has been extremely supportive.

LLR- What's something from cheerleading that transfers over to rugby and rugby to Cheerleading? 

CC- I would say two of the biggest things that transfer between rugby and cheer would have to be communication and trust. Both of these are crucial for keeping everyone safe and achieving the team’s goals. 

LLR- What's been a highlight thus far for you in playing rugby?

CC- I can’t think of just one specific moment but I have been so lucky to have had such incredible opportunities to work with some of the most amazing coaches. Coach Troy with San Diego Mustangs was my very first coach and made me fall in love with game. Coach Ailani with San Diego Mustangs helped build my confidence on the field and see that I was capable of more than I knew. Coach Charlie the head coach at USD, runs the skills program at Proteus. He has taught me so much and gives me great advice to perfect my technique. He helps keep me focused on what’s really important and to stay on track. Coach Chris with Spartans rugby encouraged me to try other positions and taught me how to lead other when he put me in a captains role. I will always be so thankful for these coaches.


LLR- Do you still plan to continue all three programs going into college ?

CC- I would love to continue all three programs going into college. So finding a school with all three would be ideal. 

LLR- Is there a college or two you hope to attend in the future?

CC- Ever since I was 6 years old I have wanted to go to the University of Kentucky. I even had a UK themed birthday one year. Another school I have been extremely interested in is the United States Military Academy West Point.

LLR- Who has been a role model for you ?

CC- Someone that I really look up to would definitely have to be Portia Woodman. Every time you see her off the field she always smiling, really positive, and super humble. Then she steps on the field and she is an absolute beast. 

LLR- Favorite movie?

CC- My favorite movie would have to be A Dogs Purpose. 

LLR- In-N-Out or Chick-fil-a?

CC- I would have to choose Chick-fil-a

LLR- If you had the opportunity to speak in front of a group of middle school girls what 3 pieces of advice would you give them in giving rugby a try?

CC- If I could give other girls some advice about trying rugby I would say don’t be intimidated. It doesn’t matter your size or skill level, there is a place for everyone. Also rugby is not like other sports it’s a family. Not only do you build a strong bond with your teammates but also with players from other teams. Rugby is the most fun you’ll ever have you just gotta jump right in.

LLR- Any last words or heads-up about personal highlights coming up you would like to share? 

CC- I am super excited to start my first year of high school rugby. 

When I was in 6th grade I was being bullied and really just looking for something new. I found out my dance teacher played rugby when she was young and I thought that was so cool. So I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. Rugby has given me confidence and shown me that I’m a much stronger person than I thought I was.

*Cadence C. Currently plays for Spartan Youth Rugby  

Girls Rugby

This past year two of my daughters completed their first season of playing flag rugby. They absolutely loved it and keep asking when does the next season start (there is two, fall and spring but my family can only do spring ) . It's an amazing tool to help teach the very basic skills of the sport and help young kids build confidence, friendships and memories without the stress of competition. PLEASE reach out and sign up. If your area doesn't have a team inquire how one can get started. 

Kneel before the Royals

*This Blog and Life Love Rugby (LLR) on all social media accounts will never degrade anyone , rugby community or not, based because of their sexual orientation, religious beliefs and even political beliefs to that extent. All are welcomed #RugbyforAll 

The power of rugby as a sport has a way of changing lives forever and it can not be measured. In the city of San Jose, CA. , population over 1 million.  There is a lot of youth sports programs happening. there are so many options for kids of all ages from soccer, to basketball swimming and lacrosse. However, it is an absolute shocker that the largest city in Northern California has only 1 girls high school team let alone only 2 boys high school team. Almost seems like a utter knock on from Rugby NorCal to not have invested more into having at least 4 teams of each boys and girls playing with in the city limits alone.

Like many of you who find new rugby clubs at various levels Overfelt Royals, a high school girls team, came across one of my social media platform's and I was intrigued right away. Upon learning they are from my home town I had to begin to fallow them. Still relatively new to the scene there isn't much on the young club. these girls as you are about to read have endured some of the ugliest things that unfortunately are still happening in society today. I encourage every one to visit The Rugby Breakdown to read about their incredible journey thus far and the pure hate the Royals have endured. 

Id like to thank Julissa Deanda , current team president, for taking the time to answer questions and for being so honest and a shinning example on being a true leader. I deeply encourage if you are a coach in college, or anyone from USA Rugby to reach out to Julissa, outside of these questions we had a bit of a exchange through messenger and what an absolute passionate, encouraging and all around amazing young woman and you to will enjoy getting to know her very much! 

*coach Susanna Guardado has given some more insight into some of the questions. 

LLR- What year was the rugby club founded, what inspired the formation?

JD-  Our Royal Rugby club was actually founded just last year in 2021 but has been in the works since 2019. It all started when a simple game was introduced to a jv soccer team back in 2019, when our rugby coach, Coach Susanna Guardado or Coach G, was actually our soccer coach. She sort of just said “Hey want to try something new?”, during our final practice and we went at it. Our team became enthralled with the game and when our coach proposed actually starting a new team, no answer was needed; We were in. Unfortunately, soon after, Covid-19 hit and most of the team members had no idea what would happen with the sport. However, our coach was working hard behind the scenes from 2020 up until 2021 and fought for our club to become a reality. And although many people doubted us, in 2021, the same year we became a team, we became bowl champions. 

LLR- When someone talks about youth rugby in the bay area, there’s mostly talk about the boys side of things. How has the reception been so far from the school and local clubs of the Overfelt girls rugby team? 

JD- Well, personally, outside teams never seemed to be the problem. We actually made friends with a lot of them and raised 11k in donations from asking within the community. Rugby itself is a very respectful community because it’s built on connections to balance the toughness of the sport, so to our surprise it wasn't the outside clubs who put us down, it was our own peers. When it was first speculated that the girls would have a rugby team, an anonymous post was made on an instagram account. From what I can remember, it said something along the lines that we “ lesbians got a rugby team” and now we think we’re “the shit”. Under it were many tasteless homphobic comments such as being called “ran through'' for liking multiple genders or “sensitive” for standing up against their disrespect. Most of these comments were left by boys football team members . The post created a bigger chain reaction than I thought because by defending our team in the comments, I myself got into an argument and had a falling out with a friend because I called her out for defending them. And it wasn't harmful only to me, but to many of the girls on the team who also identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ scale. To be stereotyped into one category once again was frustrating as women themselves are already underpaid, underestimated, and disrespected not only in sports, but in day to day life. Our response after the dilemma: don't react, just prove them wrong. My personal response: “Where’s their trophy?”.

LLR- In a mass city like San Jose, the Royals have seem to become a bacon for the potential of girls rugby in the area, is there a sense of pride amongst you and your teammates for carrying the torch thus far for girls youth rugby in a blind spot of NorCal Rugby?

JD- My teammates and I are flattered to be seen as an inspiration to the younger athletes who want to play rugby someday. We realize our “rags to riches” story opened up a door full of opportunities such as articles and interviews that tell our story, or when we raised 11k+ from our community to fund our team, but those victories weren’t just handed to us, we had to earn it by having the grit to want better for ourselves constantly. However, we realize we wouldn't be here without our community's support so we are humble and grateful for that. We try to return the kindness by inspiring the new generations to continue the East Side rugby legacy. We hoped to inspire them by running workshops in the summer and we accomplished exactly that. In fact, many of the kids who went still refer to some of the players as “teacher” or “coach”! We have also volunteered with the BAWSI girls at sporting events and enjoyed seeing the smile on their faces when we were repeating a chant. At the core we are a community and family-oriented team, so yes we are proud of our accomplishments, but because we worked hard for it and would like to inspire the younger generations to do the same. 

SG- Of course it does! As the head coach of the program and founder of the team, I have bigger goals, bigger dreams for the program’s future. I strongly believe Rugby is a sport that San Jose needs, especially East Side San Jose!

Currently, there is so much collaboration and partnership being establish with our program. For instance, the SJSU WOMENS RUGBY program collaborates practices. Some of the San Jose Seahawks Women players come out (from time to time) to help during practices. As for next level work, I have 3 players who will be going to the U18 Mexico national tryouts in October!

LLR- In the article from The Rugby Breakdown posted towards the end of last year, it was stated that there was a lack of support from the school in helping with supplying practice space and proper time set aside to do so. Have things changed since then?

JD- Unfortunately, it is true that we had and still have an overall lack of support from the school. It’s just not as bad as it used to be. From the beginning, we realized we would have to share the field with the football boys, but we did not realize that we would be getting pushed off the field as well. We originally aimed for half of the field considering it is a 7’s team that requires a lot of running, but were given a shot put area to practice in. Not only that, but once we gained access to the lights to have our practices on the field from 6-8 pm, the football team began “extending” or pushing their practices back which left us once again in the shotput area. Regardless of the area we practiced in, we still won the 7’s championships, however, that still wasn't enough to gain respect or support because when tryouts for the 15s season began, suddenly a new rule was implemented, that “no players currently in a season can try out” for a club sport. This rule was probably made with the fact in mind that many of our core players in rugby 7’s also came from the girl's soccer team and that many of the boys interested in starting their own boy's rugby team, were from the football team. It was justified as a “safety precaution” for players in a season since playing BVAL sports should be prioritized and we are a club sport that's more prone to injuries. That rule cut our three weeks of practice to three short days right before the KOT tournament, which resulted in players getting injuries, myself included, from lack of tackling preparation. Yet regardless of the restrictions imposed on us, those who were truly passionate about rugby stuck around and for 15s season we ended up in the top three!

SG- It all starts from the top right. Last year we held a student body meeting with the school’s principal. Where we came prepared to take things to the next level and bring in title 9. Many things were agreed on during that meeting but as soon as season began, most of it went out the door and the story repeated itself. We have limited access due to football (field and weight room). We proposed a decent start time of 6p for the safety of our girls but that was declined. We don’t officially jump on the field until 7p, ending practice at 830pm

LLR- Overfelt just concluded a club sign up day for students, how was the turn out this year thus far for potential players?

JD- We had so much fun recruiting new players for our rugby team! It was very successful and we now have around 20 players compared to last year's 13-15 players. We gained so much interest from students at club rush that we even had to make a boy's sign-up sheet for those who were interested in starting a rugby team of their own. Now if they'll stick around, who knows, but we really hope they do!

LLR- Are you planning on continuing to play after high school and into college, if there a specific college you have a eye on or one reach out yet?

JD- Yes I want to continue playing rugby for college, specifically Howard or Harvard University! They specialize in my interests of political sciences and law and both have powerful politician alumnis such as Kamala Harris and Barack Obama. It’s also a POC dominated school so it would make me feel welcome as a POC myself. I actually hope to be in communication with Howard’s Rugby coach soon, as she has connections with my coach, Coach G. I plan to use all the opportunities in front of me to join these schools. They’re my dream colleges!

LLR- As club president what are some joys and hardships you face?

JD- Undoubtedly, everything about being class president is a joy to me. Knowing events ahead of time and helping plan them taps into the passionate leader inside of me. Facilitating a room and directing it when needed has always been one of my strong suits, as well as something I enjoy doing, so when I apply these traits in my day to day rugby life, by running informational club meetings or by representing our voice, like now, it's not because I have to, but because I want to. And although it is hard for me to focus, as a naturally forgetful and scatterbrained person, my position as president has taught me to be responsible. It has taught me to be a dependable person and show up when it really counts, because when my team needs to rely on me, I will be there to support them. 

LLR- If given a chance to speak at another school and talk to potential players about starting their own club team, what would you say to them?

JD- I would tell them that regardless of the obstacles they may face in their path, ambition and grit is the key to making it not only as a team but also as a family. If you can learn to trust your teammates to protect you when you're tackled, you’ll eventually learn that you can trust them with anything as well. They’ll be the first ones to have your back when you need support so if those connections are the ones you're looking to make, rugby is an option worth fighting for! Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re aiming too high or asking for too much. Just make sure you're ready to work for it too!

SG- Funny, because I have been reaching out to all High schools around the area and NOTHING. So now I’m opening my options asking charter schools and continuation schools. This sport is amazing and will open up many doors.

LLR- On the teams Instagram account I noticed this summer that there was some sort of clinic being run for younger kids, how was the reception of the clinic over the summer and how key is it to building a strong connection between the club and community?

JD- Running the open summer clinic allowed the rugby team to come full circle and return the favor for the overwhelming support the community has expressed for us by allowing them to learn the sport itself. Dani, Sol, and Vero taught the kids not only the basics of rugby techniques but also what it means to be a “team”. They taught them to communicate, be respectful, and persevere; skills that they will need not only in sports but also in their personal life. But these kids didn’t only learn life skills, they also had fun! In fact, they got so close to their teammates and teachers that many of them didn't want there to be a “last practice” and tournament. We made an effort to build a connection with the kids because they’re vital to keeping our legacy alive. By involving these kids in rugby ahead of time, we gave them the opportunity not only to fall in love with the sport and gain a new passion but also to possibly be part of the future generation of the Royal Ruggers!

SG- Yes! The summer clinic was something that I pushed for during our meeting. The vision was to host FREE rugby clinics for kids ages 5-12 years old every Friday. And May I say, this was a success. Every Friday we had 20-24 kids ages 5-12 yrs old out there learning the sport. I created a junior coach position so that 3 of my athletes can learn how to coach. I paid them out of pocket for their amazing work. Alongside, we had the older group (13-18 years old)  who would scrimmage for 1.5 hours. The older group would usually gather 14-18 people every practice. Like this we met many middle schoolers who are now interested in rugby and many little ones who wish to be in a team! 

LLR- Lastly what final words would you like to share, how can people interested fallow along and what can we all do, living in San Jose and outside the area to help support the program as it continues to grow

JD- In life, you will face much opposition as you try new things, just as we did when we fought tooth and nail for the Royals Rugby club to flourish and become our legacy. The key was to have grit and just like our scrums say, to “keep driving” because you can’t give up without a good fight, regardless of what life may throw in your path. Whether it’s by playing rugby yourself or simply supporting the community, we encourage you to immerse yourselves in the world of rugby. It is a diamond mind full of professional athletic opportunities and life-changing bonds within the small world we live in, so we advise you not to miss out! If you would like to follow along on our team’s journey and continue supporting us to the fullest, our Instagram handle is @wcoroyalrugb, and we’re both lucky and appreciative of having you!

SG- Add: if anyone is interested in being a part of the royal family in the spring, please reach out. We are looking into establishing a boys side as well. 

#RugbyForAll

To fallow the Royals please fallow along on Instagram: @wcoroyalrugb ,  I highly recommend if you are a women's college coach to please keep a sharp eye on the Royals and their progress being made, you may find the next group of stars that you need to help carry the program to a national title.

Let it be known, Rugby is a sport for all. if you have hate against some ones sexual orientation, color of skin, religious belief's and race then Rugby is not for you and we will as a society, as a community and as a family will not condone such views. I hope that Overfelt High school in San Jose,CA has or will investigate such disgusting acts if they are associated in any form with its own student body. It is also unfortunate but very true for many club teams on almost any level but the Royals have had to fight , mostly the football team, for practice time and space on campus. I commend the team as a whole for continuing to care the flag and represent Overfelt even when they have been exiled by most and are the main target from the powers that be to make it a point to extinguish the club as a whole. But with their adversity they have found a way to turn it all into fuel and prove everyone wrong over and over again.

As for the last point that needs to be made, there has been little to no effort made from Rugby NorCal to help grow the game for young women. How can the Largest city in its region have only one youth girls rugby team. 

If you would like to get in contact with Julissa please reach out in ether form.

Cell: 408-599-6080

Email: julissa040205@gmail.com

If you would like to get in contact with Royals Rugby (Overfelt Rugby) 

Email: coachguards@gmail.com

Instagram: @wcoroyalrugb 

*update: There is now movement being made that there will be a boys team spring (2023)

Pride of a Nation

  When I first moved to Oregon I began to look into the rugby scene through the state. Many club names kept coming up but Battle Ground always stuck out, the name alone would make anyone interested as to why Battle Ground. Some years passed and now that we are coming out of covid and rugby is now being played I wanted to recheck in and see what programs are coming back online and who's playing. I couldn't find anything about Battle Ground but Chinook now took its place. So when I did a quick search it came to my attention that Chinook rugby is Battle Ground youth rugby. I Thank Lance , club vice president and head youth coach,  for taking the time to answer some questions and giving great insight to where this amazing program is and going. Even though located in the state of Washington,  Chinook Rugby sits just outside Portland and near Vancouver, WA plays under the Rugby Oregon banner. 

LLR- Chinook Rugby was previously named Battle Ground Youth Rugby and Hockinson Youth Rugby, why the name change?

LH- Most of our players originally were from those areas so were known as that. We represent all of North & West Clark County so formed a club to encompassed the wider community and a new name search began. Went through the process of considering lots of names like Clark County but another club/team had that, the mountains like St. Helens and Silver Star we could see from our original home field. We moved from that to wanting to represent  the heritage and native culture of the area. First name that came to mind was the Klickitat tribe and the battle they were to have with the Army became known as Battle Ground, but having klickitat as a neighboring county might again be confusing. The next tribe in the region were the Chinook so we approached the Chinook Indian Nation for permission to use the name, they gave us their blessing and to this day we still liaise with the tribe and have their support.

 

LLR- What age levels does Chinook offer for those interested in joining?

LH- Cater for all student athletes. Officially 3^rd to 12^th grade but often get 1^st and 2^nd grade that can cut it with the 3^rd graders and are keen to play, so we welcome them to participate. The 3-6^th play non-contact co-ed Flag Rugby and 7^th grade up we commence Tackle Rugby with boys and girls teams. The divisions are now all in 2 year brackets to ensure safety and appropriate size.

 

LLR- With the covid pandemic have the programs seen numbers dropped with registration?

LH- Short answer is yes. 2020 was tough on all sports, rugby included. We did pre-season practices for 8 weeks, had our pre-season Jamboree and 3 days later the season was cancelled. We wanted to get students back out in 2021 so delayed the start to the season. For the older grades it was not feasible to do tackle rugby wearing a mask and we also had to localize the league as crossing boarders was not recommended. Not to be deterred we had a successful season of Touch Rugby with the generous help and support from Portland Touch. We had 86 turn out for the Spring and another 19 new to the sport with Girls Rugby in the Fall, so achieved our goal of getting student athletes out of lock-down and back outside having fun with their mates. 2022 we still have the largest club in the Rugby Oregon league (OR & SW WA) with 108 eager and ready to go for this Spring season.

 

LLR- What is a few highlights that Chinook rugby has experienced over the years?

LH- Sometimes the first thing some think of is State Championship titles. Yes, all our divisions have those. The HS Boys have a couple, HS Girls have more, and they are both currently hold the title since the last competitive league in 2019. Highlights are more than State Titles for us, it is about the growth or providing the sport to local student athletes. Best I explain with some bullet points on history of the growth in our club:

• 2007 Founding of Rugby in our local area by Coach Andre de Klerk with a combined Battle Ground & Prairie High Schools boys team.
• 2011 Introduced the HS Girls Lady Pack team.
• 2012 First youth 4-6^th grade team and a 2^nd combined High Schoolboys team. 4 teams, 78 players.
• 2013 First 7/8^th Boys team and another 4-6^th. High School boys divided into Prairie Wolf Pack & Battle Ground Bulls school teams.
• 2014 Added another 7/8^th boys team. 7 teams, 105 players.
• 2015 Introduced 7/8^th Girls and 4-6^th became 3/4^th and 5/6^th grade. 8 teams, 138 players.
• 2016 First official year for 7/8^th Girls and now 2 of each 3/4^th and 5/6^th. 10 teams, 168 players.
• 2017 Split High School and had 1^st JV team. 11 teams.
• 2018 More 3/4^th and 5/6^th with 3 of each. 13 teams, 189 players.
• 2019 First club in OR and SW WA to have 4 x 5/6^th teams. 14 teams 200 players.

 

LLR- When is the first game for 2022 season?

LH- Pres-season tournament was March 12^th and first round of the league March 19^th. Season runs until the finals on May 21^st.

 

LLR- Are there any key players that everyone should keep an eye out for in the coming season?

LH- That is a tough question. With so many missing out the last 2 years and all the Freshman missed their Middle School tackle. We are proud to say we got 5 players into college scholarships this current school year and are looking to do better than that after this season. Aiden Kerr is one of those and he is really making his mark with the WWU team and he could very well go all the way to a national side. We have 2 seniors, Israel Duncan and Brett Ebert that have already been accepted into WWU rugby team so watch out for them this season. On the High School Girls side there are some Freshman like Mae Otoupal, Clara Kapelka, Dillynn Ledbetter who were outstanding as 8^th graders in last year’s touch season and represented us in the high performance teams, so with 4 years in tackle ahead of them they are looking good to go far in the sport.

 

LLR- How can people follow along on what's happening ?

LH- We try our best to keep the community up to date with practice and game schedules. We have put a lot of work into our website to do this so all you need do is go to: https://www.chinookrugby.com/2022-spring-schedule

 

LLR- Many youth programs have various ways of recruiting new players, what's the one or two ways that Chinook has found to be the most effective way of getting new people to join?

LH- Yes, we put a lot of our fundraising dollars into flyers into schools, social media and the like, but word of mouth is what we have found to be most effective. To achieve that we stand by our clubs one and only priority goal for the youth of “Have Fun At Practice And On Game Day”. Even with the season about to start I still have kids coming to me and saying this is so much fun, can I bring a friend along. A long time servant of the game, fellow Kiwi who got me into the club in 2013, and past Head Coach of Prairie High School team who took them to 2 State titles in 2014 and 2019, once said to me. “If you can start the pre-season with 10 of 12 players you will have a full squad of 23 before the season starts. Just be a good coach make it enjoyable and they will all bring a mate along”. And yes when he won State in 2019 that is exactly what he did.

 

LLR- Seattle has the Seawolves, many of our hopes is that eventually another MLR team joins the PNW. Is a Portland team the final piece needed for rugby growth in Oregon?

LH- That is a great question. I love going to Seawolves games and a best mate and fellow coach Bradford Batten has season tickets. The growth of the sport will eventually need another team and Portland is and ideal spot for that. I see from Super Rugby and Northern hemisphere they sometimes struggle maintaining a high standard when they have too many teams vying for the same pool of players. Then again isn’t it great to see teams like Moana Pasifika and Fiji now in the Super Rugby.

The Rugby Oregon Red Hawks, our high performance teams, have built a relationship with The Loggers, the USA pathways academy in our region. They in turn are supported by the Seawolves with coach and player education. It is great for a coach like me down in SW WA to be involved in meetings with the Seawolves coaches and players.

—

  I wish all those in the Chinook Rugby programs the best this season, and I look forward to following them not just this year but in the many years to come. 

*if you have a program, youth, College or senior level that you wanted featured here please reach out at llrugby@yahoo.com or on any social media accounts. 

Oregon College Rugby Seminar

Make sure to head to rugbyoregon.com For more information. 

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

 Since moving to Corvallis Oregon I've always tried to keep up with the local rugby clubs, college, men's and youth. Linn Benton Youth Rugby supports primarly both main towns , Corvallis and Albany, in the neighboring counties, Linn and Benton county. since the lions where founded in 2001 the program has become a staple of excellence in the youth club landscape for Rugby Oregon. The director of Linn Benton was able to answer some brief questions about the lions and how to fallow. 

LLR -can you introduce yourself and what is your position with Linn Benton and when was the program founded?

JA- My name is Joe Alvernaz, I am Director of Linn Benton Rugby, I serve as middle school boys coach and an assistant coach to HS boys.  I have been involved as a coach since 2004.  Linn Benton Lions rugby was founded in 2001, winning the Rugby Oregon boys championship in its first season under coaches Amanda Six and Joey Webber (who is now Timber Joey, mascot of the Portland Timbers MLS team)

 

LLR -what age levels does LB offer? 

JA- Linn Benton Rugby offers HS boys and girls, middle school (7-8^th) boys and girls, and a co-ed flag rugby program for 3^rd-6^th grade

 

LLR -how many kids on average a year register with the Clubs? 

JA- 60 to 80 kids participate each year

 

LLR -what is a few highlights that LB has experienced over the years?

JA- HS girls were 2017 and 2019 Rugby Oregon Champions, 2018 runners up and 2017 Rugby Oregon 7s Champions.   In February of 2020 Lions alumni Joe Montgomery was signed by the Seattle Seawolves to a professional contract.

LLR -how can people follow along every season on what's happening?

JA- When things are going, we update Facebook and Instagram almost daily.

 

LLR -if a MLR team would come to Oregon, most likely Portland, how big would that be for rugby in Oregon?

JA- One good thing I can say about Portland is this:   They really do come out to support their professional sports teams, the Blazers sell out every game and the Timbers and Thorns are league leaders in attendance for professional soccer.   The addition of a Portland based MLR team would likely attract a solid following and lead to a natural growth in rugby participation.

 

LLR -Who in the MLR do you support?

JA- Given that we had an alumni on the Seawolves team in 2020, it is fair to say all of our coaches are solid Seawolves fans.    Although, I do have a soft spot for the New Orleans Gold.

 

LLR -if people want to learn more about the Linn Benton Lions how best can they do so?

JA- We use our team Facebook and Instagram for information and communication.   There’s always our team email,  lbyouthrugby@yahoo.com

*Rugby Oregon is going ahead with a 2021 season but modified. Click Here here to read how they've adjusted. 

Linn Benton Youth Rugby

www.lbyouthrugby.org

Newberg Girls rugby- Tigers.

It may not be Portland, or Eugene or even Salem but in Newberg Oregon there is something special brewing. The Newberg high school girls rugby team is growing and improving year after year. It is unfortunate that due to covid the State of Oregon has had to shut down and close down facilities that has made it hard for any sports team to practice let alone play games. Marcus is in a tough spot in trying to keep his players together and continue to build a program that is of varsity status through the local high school. I want to thank Marcus for agreeing to answering some questions and I hope like me you all also become new fans of the Tigers! 

LLR-  How long have you been coaching and how did you get involved with Girl’s Rugby?

 

MG- I have been coaching on and off since 2013. I started as an assistant coach for the Newberg HS Boy’s Rugby Club in 2013 and then in 2015 – 2016 I was an assistant coach for the Oregon Pioneer (Boys) Rugby Club. It wasn’t until fall of 2019 that I officially accepted the title of Head Coach for the Newberg HS Girls Rugby Varsity Team.

 

How did I get involved? I was lucky! It was the 2018 Rugby Oregon Finals Tournament at Western Oregon University (Go WOR – Western Oregon Rugby. I played 2008 – 2011). It was right after I refereed a match that the former NHS Girls Coach Bailey came up to me and said “Hey Marcus! Wanna take over as Head Coach?” It wasn’t an automatic answer, however, after a few conversations and a meet up with Bailey I decided to myself “Why Not?!”

 

Like they say in the Snickers commercial ‘No Regrets”!

LLR- When was the club founded and is it a multi school club or strictly for one high school?

MG- I had to reach out to Coach Bailey for this answer. Per her recollection the club was founded sometime in 2009 – 2010 and then excitingly became a varsity sport in 2018. To maintain the team’s varsity status, we can have a maximum of 3 players from metro areas and/or 5 players in rural areas. Their ability to play for NHS depends on whether there is a local team closer to them that they can join instead.

LLR- Due to covid how has the program stayed active since not being able to play or practice thus far?

MG- This is a good question. I will say that covid has totally impacted the team emotionally and mentally. Our last practice was on a Wednesday and then only a few hours later I had to send out mass emails saying, “Sorry girls, no Friday practice and we have no definite answer on to when we can come back.”

On of my ideas to try to keep an open and fun line of communication with them was that I created a Discord channel for my players. I created several different channels; one for rugby talk, rugby memes, rugby videos, non-rugby talk, non-rugby videos, and a channel where I attempted to live stream games from YouTube. I was super excited I found a great way to keep my team entertained. Yeah… it flopped hard. At most I had maybe 2 or 3 participants every few days. 

Other than that, I have just been regularly reaching out to the players at random via Instagram to see what they’re up to and how they’re feeling.

LLR- How many players does the team average every season?

 

MG- I would say the team gets anywhere between 12 – 23 players depending on the season. during 7s (Fall) we would see around 12 – 15 players and during 10s/15s (Spring) around 15 – 23ish.

LLR- How big is it for the club to have the varsity status compared to it being a non-varsity program through the school?

 

MG- I think for both the players and their parents the ‘varsity’ status is super important. I might be biased, and this might sound weird; however, I believe that schools show more pride and are more willing to boast the teams when they can say, “oh we have a girls varsity rugby”. Girls’ sports need as much support from the schools as they can get to flourish. I’m just excited for the future when I can have both Varsity and JV players wearing the Tigers Blue and Gold!

LLR- Has there been many crossover athletes that have come out for the team over the years?

MG- I believe that we have quite a few crossover athletes. Some of the sports that my captain tracked down was the following: Track, Soccer, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Basketball, and possibly volleyball. I hold the personal belief that players who do multiple sports excel in general! However, I have no qualms with the ladies who only play rugby. Because… Rugby!

LLR- Who would you say is the Tigers’ biggest rivals?

MG- I would have to say the rival to beat is East Portland Girls Rugby – David Douglas HS (coached by the AMAZING Toni Fuji).

LLR- What are some highs and lows the club has encountered thus far in its history?

MG- Highs: The team bond and comradery! I love seeing the Veteran players take the time to explain to the newer players different ways on how to be successful and the most important High – The love for Rugby!!!!!!

Lows: Numbers, we started of Spring 2020 with 15s in mind. However, due to circumstances outside our control we had to settle for a 10s team.

LLR- What division does the Tigers compete in?

MG- Oregon actually doesn’t have your typical ‘divisions’ for Rugby like other school sports do. For both Girls and Boys Rugby you either play as a school sport or a club sport so during finals it’s the varsity/jv finals or the club finals. 

LLR- In your opinion is Rugby Oregon and USA Rugby doing enough to help grow the game for girls at all levels?

 

MG- Rugby Oregon? Absolutely, I’ve been a Rugby Referee longer than I have been a coach and I have had the pleasure working for our former CEO Jenn Ackerman Heinrich for many years. The number of amazing things she has done to promote Rugby in Oregon (not only for the girls) is too hard to explain. I just wanna say; ‘thank you for everything you’ve done Jenn.’ Additionally, I am excited for her replacement Laci Betts who’s just as amazing. I can’t wait to see what becomes of Rugby Oregon; ‘Good luck Laci!’ 

 

USA Rugby? * cough * chapter 11… * cough * No comment…

LLR- What words of advice can you offer for others who are considering coaching Girls teams and to potential players who are thinking about giving rugby a try?

MG- For Coaches thinking about it? In the words of the majestic Shia LaBeouf “JUST DO IT! What Are You Waiting For?” Honestly, it’s the best feeling in the world being able to share your love and knowledge of Rugby. Whether you’ve only been a player, been a Team Mom all those years and want to step up, or you been refereeing so long you want to share your knowledge in a way that doesn’t require you to have to run around and chase 14 – 18 y/o for 75 – 80 minutes on Saturdays!

For Players? Don’t listen to those people who say, “oh my gosh, rugby is such a dangerous sport!” It is so much safer than American Football. Each year we’re finding new ways to ensure the highest respect for safety for players on the field. On another note, my number one philosophy of Rugby “Rugby = Family.” I don’t know how many times my WOR or Piggy family has had my back; when I lost my job, my housing, or just needed someone to be there for me, they were there! Lastly, the #1 thing about Rugby is that there is a position for EVERYONE! Are you tall? Short? Fast? Slow? Want to score by running around other people? Want to tackle a lot? Then Rugby is for you!

LLR- How can others follow along with Newberg's progress and help in any way?

MG- You can join us on the following social media platforms! 

Facebook: Facebook.com/nhsgirlsrugby

Instagram: newberggirlsrugby

Twitter: @rugby_nhs (give me a little time on this one... I’m new to Twitter!!!)

If you’re in the gift giving spirit, you’re more than welcome to support the team in many ways. Contact me via email at nhsgirlsrugby@newberg.k12.or.us, you can reach out to me directly if you have any questions on how you can contribute!

 

                                                                    Beautiful Kazoo pictured

Cheers! 

- Marcus Gillette, a WOU Wolf, a Portland Piggie, and a Newberg HS Tiger!

*Oregon offers 10s during the traditional 15s season for smaller clubs and is a great idea to keep the game growing even for smaller programs and clubs that may from time to time see numbers dip.