With the dissolution of USA Rugby’s Regional Cup Tournaments, events like the Buckeye Invitational are even more important for high school-age players looking for that next-level experience and exposure. The annual all-star tournament occurs this weekend, June 15-16, in Dublin, Ohio, and fills a space that used to be held by some bygone Midwest 15s events.

The event has four divisions: high school girls, high school boys, and middle school boys (5th-7th grade). There are four girls’ teams competing: Allegheny, Ohio Aviators, Celtic Elite and North Carolina. They’ll play a 15s round robin with two games on Saturday and then a third on Sunday morning. The fourth and final round is for place.

ALLEGHENY

St. Bonaventure University Women’s Rugby Head Coach Meredith Pyke is the Allegheny Girls’ U19 Select Side coach. The Bears held a set of tryouts on April 13 at Mt. Lebo High School, and April 20 at St. Bonaventure ahead of selections. Nineteen players have made the travel roster (home clubs incoming), and they hail from a region that spans Upstate New York and western Pennsylvania.

 

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CELTIC ELITE

NORTH CAROLINA

The N.C. Youth Rugby All-Stars are running a little light, as the program is traveling to Japan for a 7s tour, taking off next week. Those 15 travelers were not available for the trip to Ohio. Trevor Caterson is the point person.

Tanner Avery
Sara Butler
Lillian DeSoto
Haley Falcone
Louisa Hinds
Maia Koppany
Quin Matthis
Sophie Nebel
Hanna Ortego
Arianna Pappas
Alana Reece
Aliana Sandberg
Viviane Skenteris
Olivia Spremberg
Fay Stoke
Zoe Tate

OHIO AVIATORS

Tiara Alo – Walnut Hills
Maggie Booher – Watkins
Adina Castillo – Perrysburg
Geneva Dixon – Dublin
Sieanna Duffy – Watkins
Riley Eberhart – Watkins
Caliope Fellouzis – Perry
Emalie Meadows – Dublin
Reese Marshall – Walnut Hills
Elyn McGowan – Watkins
Kaylee Miller-Grim – Perry
Myah Natorp – Walnut Hills
Alyssa Prucha – Highland
Jaz Shepler – Perrysburg
Alina Stretavski – Perrysburg
Maddi Vanhoose – Watkins
Emme Yonker – Perrysburg
Lulu Zeisloft – Perrysburg

Head coach: Craig Russell

GIRLS HS SCHEDULE

Saturday, June 15
Times in ET

12 p.m. Aviators v North Carolina (Field 1)
12 p.m. Celtic v Allegheny (Field 2)
3 p.m. Celtic v North Carolina (Field 1)
3 p.m. Aviators v Allegheny (Field 2)

Sunday, June 16

11 a.m. Aviators v Celtic (Field 1)
11 a.m. North Carolina v Allegheny (Field 2)
2 p.m. 3rd Place (Field 2)
2 p.m. Championship (Field 1)