The majority of the girls’ high school rugby action occurring in the fall is 7s, but there are two Midwest states playing 15s and naming champions this fall. There are a couple of states that play their main seasons in the fall, and it’s 7s-only for their girls’ high school teams, while the rest of the states also offer 15s in the spring. The following is an overview of what’s happening this month. [lead photo: Idaho’s Meridian HS / Photo: @therugbybreakdown]
RELATED: Girls & Women’s Rugby Scores — Sept. 13-15
Fifteens rugby is happening in Michigan and the competition has grown to nine teams (when including Indiana’s Warsaw HS, which does compete in its state’s fall 7s season due to large numbers). Michigan doesn’t really keep public records beyond a schedule, so it’s tough to follow the competition as a whole.
But a few pieces are known. Rockford High School (formerly Sparta-Rock) is still the team to beat and has started with big wins against Traverse City and Lakeshore Academy. Warsaw beat Grandville 37-7, a telling game between two evenly matched teams last year. The regular season ends Nov. 3 and then states is Nov. 9.
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Wisconsin is exceptionally well covered and publishes timely results and standings. There was excitement as the league announced a return to 10 teams in two conferences, but last weekend’s season openers produced a forfeit from GreenBay (against Divine Savior Holy Angels). Greenfield then announced that it could produce a competitive team this fall and the schedule must not be reworked.
Two games were played last weekend. Catholic Memorial beat DSHA JV 39-0, and Hamilton topped the Bruisers 50-7. The state championship is Oct. 27 in Milwaukee.
SEVENS SPECTRUM
There’s a wide range of 7s played during the fall in terms of competitiveness. AT the top of the pyramid are those states that have school-district-sponsored competitions or only provide one season — 7s — to its for girls’ high schools teams.
IDAHO (varsity standings) 7s is school-district sponsored, and there are varsity and JV competitions. After two weeks of play, no one has a perfect record. The top-five teams in the standings: Eagle (3-0-1), Middleton (3-1), Owyhee (3-1), Rocky Mountain (2-0-2) and Mountain View (2-2). The Lady Mustangs are hosting week three.
J.V. got in its Week 3 games on Sept. 17, and Middleton is the only undefeated team at 5-0. four teams have winning records and Middleton (5-0) is undefeated.
Eagle High School / Photo @therugbybreakdown
The state championship is Oct. 12 in Meridian, and word is Spiff Sedrick is coming to town. The following week (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 18-19), Idaho is once again hosting single-school 7s teams from Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington for a tournament.
IOWA (standings) kicked off its season on Monday. And remember: The state only offers 7s to its girls’ high school programs; there is no spring 15s. Four teams went 2-0 on opening night: Cedar Falls, Central Springs, Norwalk and Southeast Polk. Week 2 is also on Monday and three sites are hosting. The state championship is Sunday, Oct. 27.
COLORADO hosts both a single-school 7s season (Colorado Interscholastic Rugby Association, CIRA) and high school club 7s season (Rugby Colorado). They will name separate champions, but the teams do cross over and play each other at friendly tournaments. On Sept. 7, for example, the state opened with Summit 7s, which saw teams from both competitions take the pitch. The host fielded five sides and beat Utah’s United in the final. The Tigers varsity team is heading to Salt Lake City this weekend to participate in Utah’s Week 2 of 7s.
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Sept. 14 was the official kickoff to both leagues. In CIRA, Monarch beat Summit’s JV team in three games, and Eagle Valley also went 3-0 against Palmer HS. Rugby Colorado has eight club programs competing in the fall 7s series and the first stop occurred in Ft. Collins. The hometown Hammers, last year’s champs, went 4-0 in Tier 1, posting three shutouts and a close 14-10 win against Valor. The Hammers also placed two teams in Tier 2. Denver East, which is not competing in CIRA this year along with Regis HS, went 2-0-1.
CIRA will hold its championship on Oct. 26 in Superior. Rugby Colorado is a five-stop series and then will hold state finals on Nov. 2.
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Like Iowa, MISSOURI provides a 7s season only for its girls’ high school teams, and it occurs in the fall. In the first series stop in Columbia. Reigning champ St. Thomas Aquinas went 3-0 with wins against Independence (21-0), Liberty North (19-0) and Liberty (27-5). Kalea Peterson was named Player of the Tournament. Overland Park, Kansas, is the site for round two, and five teams will feature at St. Thomas Aquinas’ home pitch. The state championship is Oct. 19.
Cumberland Valley hosted the first of six rounds in the PENNSYLVANIA fall 7s series (standings) and Doylestown went undefeated. The Dragons and several other Pennsylvania teams sent players to the Elite Girls Rugby League Selects tryouts in New Jersey, too. Berks County hosts round two this weekend. The state championship is Nov. 2-3 in Reading.
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The two-day Irish Ruggerfest at Father Ryan was the season opener for many of the Middle TENNESSEE teams. The tournament also drew the Atlanta Valkyries and Roswell Rebels from Georgia. Riverdale went 5-1. This weekend is Sumner 7s in Hendersonville. In the Memphis area, MICR teams started scrimmaging in late August and games are also occurring during the week. For example, Soulsville, Freedom Prep and Power Center Academy are playing the evening of Thursday, Sept. 19. A middle school series is also underway. The state 7s championship is Nov. 2.
Bear River, Herriman, Majestics, Provo, United and Wasatch participated in the opening round of UTAH 7s last weekend. Added to the lineup this Saturday is Colorado’s Summit High School. The state series runs every Saturday until Oct. 5.
There’s also an exciting 15s tournament occurring on Oct. 18-19. The first stop on the new West Region 15s series occurs in Salt Lake City, and the Majestics and United are hosting. Also coming to town are the reigning HS Club 15s National Championship titleholders Belmont Shore, a San Diego select side, and NorCal’s SacPAL Amazons and San Mateo Wolverines.
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
INDIANA gets together on Sunday in Elkhart and goes for four-straight weeks until Oct. 13. Traditionally, the first three weeks are totally friendly and focused on growth and development. Then the final week serves as a championship.
NORCAL starts single-school 7s with a Kickoff Tournament at Carondelet this Saturday (TRB will be on site). There are three game weeks, and each week has a Bay Area location and a Sacramento location to accommodate the geographic range. So far, 14 teams are featured on the various schedules. The playoffs occur in Week 4 on Oct. 26, also in two locations. The championships are Nov. 9 at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.
OHIO gets going this Sunday at two locations: Rugby World in Avon, and Coffman Park in Cincinnati. A whopping 19 sides are competing at Rugby World, and most teams have multiple squads. Reigning champ St. Joseph Academy and Highland have entered three teams apiece, and West Pitt from Pennsylvania is traveling with two teams. In Cincinnati, it’s just Cap City and Cincinnati, and both have two sides apiece.
There’s high participation and thankfully Rugby Ohio makes good use of Xplorer to keep stats: See schedule.
OREGON (standings) has 10 sides competing its fall 7s series, which begins this weekend. The East County Grackles, Summit and Valley Panthers have two squads in the competition. Tournaments are every Saturday through Oct. 12.
WASHINGTON doesn’t start playing games until Oct. 5, and for the two weeks afterward, but the state started the fall with an attack clinic on Sept. 14. More than 40 high school players attended. This Saturday is the defense clinic.