Can you hear the Ringing of the Victory bell..

When I was younger and in high school, Valley Christian, in San Jose, CA. We had only one rival, maybe some heated athletic battles with certain schools but there was only one school you went all out against regardless of how your season was going. Although Valley Christian sees its self as a Football school there was plenty of pride amongst its club sporting teams when we played Bellarmine College Preparatory.

Fast forward a decade and a few years the thanks to neglect from their own high school the Exiles RFC are no more and the Bellarmine rugby club still stands. During this time, and honestly before hand, the Bells have continued to march on and have become a historical pillar of high school rugby in the San Francisco Bay Area. Current player for the Bells , Mateo Scipioni is having an absolute great time playing and representing Bellarmine home or away and continuing to push his own rugby skills and career was gracious enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions to help more people become aware of Bellarmine Rugby and himself also. Trully hope you all enjoy and take the chance to reach out to the club and Mateo.

LLR- In a school mostly known for its football program and other more traditional sports, how did you come to play rugby?

MS- I’ve been playing rugby since the 6^th grade so I came to Bellarmine knowing I would play rugby. Although I played freshman football it wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the creativity and physicality that came with rugby.

LLR- What's been your experience playing at Bellarmine collage Preparatory?

MS- It’s been a good experience. The coaching staff is great with lots of experience in rugby. The players all come together and put in their full effort. Although we don’t win many games and we aren’t a very size gifted team we enjoy the games full of physicality.

LLR- How's the relationship between the rugby club and the other sports on campus between the players and coaches?

MS- As a club sport we don’t get the funding and attention that the traditional sports get, but we manage with minimal costs. We get a few athletes from football, wrestling, and other sports on the rugby squad, which gives us some diversity when it comes to the athletes on our team. The coaches are all volunteer coaches taking time out of their busy lives to train us.

LLR- Is there a tradition in the club that we should all know about , anything unique?

MS- We have a tradition of traveling either out of state or across the state every year to play teams that are not in our league to test our abilities against teams we wouldn’t usually play against. This is a great way to not only better our skills but also strengthen our bond as a team.

LLR- Last year the team traveled up to Seattle (tukwila) and played a curtain raiser to the Seawolves match, how was that experience for you and all involved ?

MS- It was a great experience having the opportunity to travel out of state and play the curtain raiser for the Seawolves. It was a great match in the rain, but I did not participate in the varsity match because I was out with concussion from the game the night prior. It was a well fought match and certainly a learning experience for us as a team.

LLR- When was the club founded?

MS- The club started in 1980 but it became College Park Rugby for a few years before becoming Bellarmine Rugby Club again in 2007.

LLR- In traditional sports at the school there's some many great long history rivalries with the other WCAL schools, who's the biggest rival for Bell Rugby?

MS-We don’t really have any rivalries with any schools or clubs. The schedule changes slightly every season so there aren’t really any rivalries that we have.

LLR- Saint Francis just completed their first season, is it in the best interest for Rugby and West Catholic (WCAL) schools to field rugby teams ?

MS- I feel that it would be beneficial for more schools in the area to field rugby programs. It would allow for more local competition instead of having to travel long distances, which is an issue for most rugby teams having to travel hours for a single match. It would bring together the schools in WCAL and facilitate potential rivalries which would be good for the rugby community in our area as a whole.

LLR-What days and times are practices and games?

MS- Games are on Saturdays and practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

LLR- What are your plans for after high school, are there academies or specific colleges you are looking at?

MS- Right now, I’m looking at universities like Colorado State, Montana State, and Oregon State. I would like to play rugby at either of these and study environmental sciences.

LLR- Best way to get a hold of you and the team and also follow all your journey's?

MS- The best way to get a hold of me or anyone on the team would be through Twitter, Instagram, or Email. You can follow @bcprugby on Instagram or @BellarmineRFC on twitter.

The King of Brooklyn is ready for battle

Ever wonder what a Rugby League player in america is really thinking about , how they go about practice, player recruitment and competition thoughts. Juggling work, higher education and personal life can be difficult already, but to toss being a player in a very niche sport and helping to grow, it can be a very tall mountain to climb. It's absolutely refreshing to see and hear some positive attitude from someone within a competition and the belief that with everything happening in a ever moving landscape that this is all for a positive step forward for League in America. The Kings begin the season soon and a chance to lay claim for Kings rugby to be the best, thanks so much to Shaniyat from the Kings who took the time to answer some questions. Hope you all enjoy and besure to fallow his journey this season.

LLR- What is your playing experience with Rugby, how did you come to the Kings?

SC- I’ve played league for 9 years now, rotating around as back. I’ve played union for 6 years. The Kings are the only domestic club I’ve played for since it was founded in 2014. A childhood friend played for the Rhode Island Rebellion a couple of years or so before that. So when he moved back to New York, he told me about this new club in Brooklyn. I had 0 rugby experience at the time. I was familiar with the game from movies like “Invictus” and “Forever Strong”. After watching match highlights of Billy Slater, I knew I had to give it a try. I played sports like football, soccer, basketball, and hockey growing up. So I was confident I could learn to play with my athletic abilities.

LLR- Internationally there's an idea of what training is needed to prepare for a match, what's training look like for your self and the team weekly?

SC- I’ve always believed in the results of your training will show when you play a match. Considering we are a domestic semi professional club, and a growing one at that, players and coaches trust each member to prepare themselves months in preparation in between the end of the previous season and heading into offseason training for the upcoming, I’d say about 6-7 months. So that gives everyone plenty of time to rest, recover, train both physically and mentally. League is a summer season in the eastern part of the states, so most players will play union in the Fall and into the Spring. Personally, I love the game so damn much, so my training and preparation has evolved in so many ways over the years. I train everyday and I’ll rotate between fitness in the gym and the field and doing a lot more mobility training to to get of nagging injuries from the year’s past. I work with a physio once a week to ensure I’m making progress. I work full time and go to graduate school in the Fall and Spring. So I’ll play union for the Brooklyn club of time allots me the chance to make sure I’m keeping up my fitness standards of play.

LLR- Are there any specific goals for yourself this season you wish to accomplish?

SC- I’m feeling really good overall so I’m just really exited to play a full season of league. It’s been 3 years since the pandemic and the game is continuing to develop so I’m excited at the prospect of playing with the boys this season and most importantly win. I’m confident with the team we have and there nothing more exciting than playing and winning finals footy. Of course, there’s always the thought of wanting to represent the national team to represent the US but I’m taking it one day at a time.

LLR- What's the overall sentiment from the team going into the RLU competition?

SC- Everyone is eager to play. We have experienced coaches which is always a plus and it’s put us in a fortunate position to have depth. We’re the only league club in NY. The Kings are energized with a mix of new players and a lot of veterans from the game. We’re looking forward to playing with one another and even against the other clubs. We’re a band of brothers with the clubs in the comp so being able to share the experience of the inaugural RLU season will be special.

LLR- What steps are being made from yourself and the team to help ensure the health of Rugby League continues to grow in your area ?

SC- Heading into the season though, RLU really is empowering players to have more of a voice to share ideas on developing the game which has been much needed. We’re feeling optimistic about the future of the game and all the opportunities that can come along to having a strong rugby league competition. League has been stuck in a rut the last few years in the US. We’re all observing the changes and moving appropriately in the landscape because we all want to grow the game at the end of the day. RLU provides that capacity for growing the game moving forward. I’ve been listening to more rugby podcasts such as Chasing Kangaroos and Rugby League in America, reading about the game, and staying up to date on rugby related news because I do hope to transition into a more development role one day. I am a firm believer in the potential in the game and I hope to be blessed to be in a position where I can make meaningful impact. Right now, I focus on the social media for the club and seeking funding opportunities to take the burden of costs for players.

LLR- Where will practices and games be located?

SC- We are welcoming anyone and everyone to come practice with us at Pier 3 field at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, NY every Thursday nights at 6pm. Our matches will be played at Bush Terminal Piers Park.

LLR- NRL or Super League and what team do you fallow closely?

SC- I really enjoying watching the NRL. I’m a Warriors fan but I did go to to Brisbane to watch the Broncos play Parramatta for my first and only NRL match I’m 2019 and the energy was exhilarating. But also, up the Blues! I do watch match highlights of Castleford Tigers and Hull KR for Super League here and there but I do want to watch more of the games there.

LLR- What's the best way to fallow your journey and the clubs during this season and beyond?

SC- You can find me on

Instagram: @_shaniyat

Twitter: @shaniyatny

The Kings

Instagram:@Kingsrugbyleague

Twitter :@BrooklynkingsRL

Twitter is probably the best though for all the rugby league updates.

SNEAKY FOXES

Much is talked about rugby league in America being centered around the south east corner.  With efforts being made out in the west coast with PCRL and its clubs its , the North Eastern is also to be given its spot light and attention. Delaware Black Foxes where founded in 2015 and have stayed steadfast in competing yearly regardless of competition. This year we will also see the beginning of the Rugby League United  competition, which the Black Foxes are a founding member of. I personally have been a fan of theirs from afar and am excited for the Foxes to take the pitch again. 

I deeply appreciate Ian from the Black Foxes taking time to answer some questions and I hope you all can enjoy. 

LLR- It's been some time since the Black Foxes were fairly active with a competition. What has the club done to stay active with players and keep the group intact?

I- We've always kept communication lines open with the players and tried to organize at least one team event each season. During times when we haven't been able to play consistently we still have had training sessions. We also got together to play touch just to keep our basic skills sharp and played at least one proper rugby league match every summer.

LLR- With as much chaos as it seems to be with the code of League in America, hopefully for the betterment of the health of the game here, what are the Black Foxes doing to help keep the team alive for next year and the years to come, are there youth groups being formed or active potential player communication happening ?

I- Every year we reach out and recruit from various rugby union clubs with the goal of getting more players to give rugby league a try. The past few years we've also built a good rapport with several university coaches in the surrounding areas. This helps replenish and rejuvenate the club with new players each season. We don't currently have a youth team specific to the Black Foxes, however, there are several players on this team that help coach youth and rookie rugby at various schools in our communities.

LLR- The women's side of the game is beginning to grow and some clubs throughout the USA are actively trying to also have a women's side compete with the men's. Is this something you all are looking into as well at this time?

I- Yes. We have been working on putting together a women's side called the Delaware Vixens. We're still in the early planning and recruiting stages of this process but the goal is to get the Vixens on the field competing possibly in 2024.

LLR- Where will home games be played?

I- Eden Park in Wilmington, DE.

LLR- Rugby League United is a brand new competition for yourselves and the fellow North Eastern clubs are set to begin play this year. Why now and not next year and has there been communication to others about joining down the road?

I- Honestly now just seemed to be as good of a start time as any. Delaware has done alright the past couple seasons but other teams in Northeast really struggled to bounce back after Covid and a few other factors. Now that some time has passed and these teams have had some time to recover, we all agreed that this was the right time to get back on the pitch and compete officially. We're trying to keep things relatively simple this first year by having only 4 teams in RLU but we won't rule out adding new teams and expanding the competition next year and beyond.

LLR- What is the current status with the relationship between the RLU and it's clubs with USARL competition and as a governing body?

I- Right now we're mainly concentrating on what's going on between Delaware, Brooklyn, Boston, and DC however we're always up for a chat and keeping communication lines open between our clubs and the USARL.

LLR- Has there been any communication between yourself and the other groups in America like The Championship (CRL) and Pacific Coast (PCRL) ?

I- Not officially but we'd be open to discussions with them and other groups/organizations in the future.

LLR- Final question, how can fans follow the Delaware Black Foxes and their journey and also the Rugby League United competition?

I- We have a website (Black Foxes Rugby) and we're on social media as well:

Facebook: The Delaware Black Foxes

Instagram: @blackfoxesrugbyleague

Twitter: @DEBlackFoxesRL

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