What is rugby?

Rugby is an exciting, fast-paced game for boys and girls. It's one of the fastest growing team sports in the U.S. and one of the most popular sports worldwide, with 405 million global fans. More

Is rugby football without pads?

That is a common, but incorrect, misconception. The laws of the game, flow of play and the absence of padding and helmets results in a tackling method and approach to contact that, while physical, is very different than football. A rugby tackle is more closely associated with a double-leg takedown in wrestling. Many football coaches at every level, from Pop Warner to the NFL, now teach rugby tackling to take the head out of the tackle and make football safer. Three-time college football national champion coach Urban Meyer credits rugby tackling for “saving the game of football.” More

What sports prepare athletes for rugby?

Rugby is the ultimate all-in-one sport, combining skills from many other sports. The kicking in soccer, strategy and contact in football, passing in basketball, running in track and grappling in wrestling all translate well to the rugby field. Rugby requires athletes of all skill types and shapes and sizes to be successful. There are positions in rugby, but the fluid non-stop play means every player on the field will often be in a position to pass, catch, kick, tackle (or pull flag) and score.

What are the Carmel Rugby Fees?

Details for both the CDC Rugby and USA Rugby/Rugby Indiana fees are available here.

What does my child need to play?

Cleats, mouth guard, desire and effort! Soccer cleats can double as rugby cleats; however, metal cleats (baseball) are strictly prohibited. Registration fees include a rugby ball, t-shirt, rugby shorts and socks for 5th/6th & 7th/8th grade tackle and a t-shirt and rugby ball for 2nd-4th grade flag. 5th to 8th grade players are also provided game jerseys on game days.

When is rugby season and where are the games played?

Indoor practices begin in early March and move outside after spring break. The rugby season is mid-April to the end of May with most matches played on Sunday afternoons. Practices and home matches are played at River Road Park.

Does Carmel High School offer rugby teams?

Yes! Carmel High School has club rugby teams for both boys and girls. Two seasons are played each year - rugby 7’s season in the fall and rugby 15’s in the spring. The boys team has won 15’s State Championships in 1997, 1999, 2017 and 2021. The CHS girls recently won the rugby 7’s Indiana State Championship in 2021 and the 15’s State Championship in 2022. They have also won a prior 15’s state title in 2001 and were runners up in 2010 and 2021. Learn more at www.carmelrugby.net.

How many high school rugby teams are in Indiana?

There are currently twenty-nine (29) high school boys and fourteen (14) high school girls rugby teams in Indiana. There are two divisions for boys (Super League, Division I) and two divisions for girls (Super League, Division I). Indiana has one of the largest numbers of youth and high school rugby clubs in the USA.

Is rugby a college sport?

Yes! 12 colleges and universities in the state of Indiana offer rugby programs:

Ball State University
Marian University
Bethel College
Indiana State University
Indiana University (D1A Big Ten)
IUPUI
Purdue University (D1A Big Ten)
Taylor University
Univ. of Notre Dame - (D1A Independent)
Univ. of Southern Indiana
Wabash College
Trine University

The D1A Rugby Union is for certain colleges and universities based on higher ability and skill. Division IA is an elite collegiate rugby competition sanctioned and administered by USA Rugby. The conference-based league features 37 elite men’s college rugby teams competing in six conferences: Allied Rugby, Big Ten, California, East, Mid-South, West, and one independent team.

Nationwide, over 440 colleges offer men's rugby and over 300 offer women's rugby, including many with scholarship opportunities.

Is Rugby in the Olympics?

Yes! Rugby was reintroduced into the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. The version played in the Olympics is Rugby Sevens, which is a faster-paced, more wide-open version of rugby played with only seven players on the field for each team. More

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