The Celtic Barbarians (CB) is a well-known, well regarded select side program that has been sending North American squads to elite tournaments since 2008. So when Director of Rugby Cam Wilton announced plans for a U.S.-based entity that embodied the same ethos and principles as CB, a receptive audience was ready to buy into the Hawkeyes Academy. In December 2021, the U16 boys toured to Dubai for its first-ever outing, and when Wilton returned to the northern hemisphere, there were 60 high schoolers waiting in Boise, Idaho for the first Hawkeyes girls’ camp.
“I was thrilled . . .