The San Diego Surfers are the current Women’s Premier League and USA Rugby Club 7s national champions, and they’re also the proud hosts of the annual Champagne Classic. Now in its 36th year, the tournament is for girls and women only, and invites the country to SoCal on March 30-31.
The event is divided into two competition days: Saturday is for the club and college divisions, and Sunday is for high schools. Colleges have long circled the Champagne Classic (and its fall counterpart, Scrum by the Sea) on the calendar, and the club 15s division has lured teams from the West (Denver Black Ice) and Midwest (Minneapolis Menagerie) to join local clubs like Fullerton. There is an active high school scene in SoCal this time of year, and the tournament is a place where teams from NorCal, Arizona and beyond can test themselves.
“We have three main goals in staging this event year after year,” San Diego captain Liz Trujillo explained. “Provide an environment for the development of rugby players and growth of rugby; host a competitive rugby tournament; and continue to grow the sport by bringing back a high school bracket into the weekend’s competition.”
For more information, e-mail Kelly Dean at kellydean25@gmail.com, follow the Facebook event page or visit the team’s website.
