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The second edition of the West Region 15s Showcase occurs this Friday-Saturday, Jan. 16-17 in Long Beach, Calif., and organizers have applied feedback from 2025 to enrich this year’s event. The lineup has expanded to include an academy side, and USA Rugby and collegiate scouts will have targeted access to players, parents and coaches.
Last year, the Southern California event was part of a circuit, but there is no series in 2026.
“That was part of the feedback that we got,” said Belmont Shore Director of Operations Robert Pahulu, who is the main point of contact for the 15s showcase. “It was such a success last year when we were all in SoCal. The weather was good, and it was perfectly timed for college recruiters – right after Christmas break and before the spring season starts. So instead of rotating to different parts of the region, we all pretty much agreed to keep it at one location.”
All of the action will occur on one pitch – another request from recruiters – and scouts will have access to players’ bios through College Rugby Connect.
“Every player at the circuit will use it,” Pahulu said. “These profiles will be sent to every college recruiter, even the ones that are not going to be present. USA Rugby, too. Names, emails, contacts, school info, transcripts.
“That was another piece of feedback from colleges: Grades and GPAs are nice, but actual transcripts would be better,” he continued. “That way, coaches can get an idea of what the classes look like and where players might need help [to strengthen their academic profile].”
Pahulu has also added a College Corner, a separate area designated for coaches and families to learn about each other.
“We want to strengthen the relationship with the collegiate level because there are a lot of opportunities that a lot of these families may not know,” Pahulu said. “We want the circuit to be that space where these parents can come and learn, ask questions, talk to college recruiters, and just be aware of the opportunities and what it can offer.”
At the time of print, the following college rugby programs are sending representatives to Long Beach, but stay tuned for Wednesday, when another slate of attendees will be announced:
Adrian College (Mich.)
Alfred University (N.Y.)
Boise State (Idaho)
Brown Univ (R.I.)
Dartmouth (N.H.)
Davenport (Mich.)
Grand Canyon Univ (Ariz.)
Gonzaga Univ (Wash.)
Life Univ (Ga.)
Lindenwood (Mo.)
Long Beach State (Calif.)
Long Island Univ (N.Y.)
Univ New England (Maine)
Univ New Haven (Conn.)
Princeton (N.J.)
Sacred Heart (Conn.)
St. Bonaventure (N.Y.)
St. Thomas Univ (Fla.)
Southern Nazarene Univ (Okla.)
Thomas College (Maine)
U.S. Military Academy (N.Y.)
U.S. Naval Academy (Md.)
Walsh Univ (Ohio)
USA Rugby will also be present in SoCal and will host a morning camp on Saturday.
“For USA Rugby to want to use the circuit to host a camp, that’s a big deal,” Pahulu said. “We’re trying to grow and strengthen our relationship between us (us = club side, grassroots rugby), because we believe in their pathway as well. And when I say, ‘us,’ I mean the club side, grassroots rugby.”
Five of the six teams attending are returners from 2025: host Belmont Shore, Majestics and United from Utah, and NorCal’s Sacramento Amazons and San Mateo Wolverines. The newcomer is TOA Rugby Academy.
“We didn’t want [the showcase] to be just for clubs, and we were hoping to bring in high school, but I know that comes with a lot of restrictions,” Pahulu said. “I’ve been talking to Chris Kovack, who is the chairman for girls’ 15s nationals, about bringing him on and what that would look like. He went with the TOA Rugby Academy, and I think it’s perfect, because they’re bringing girls from all over the Pacific Northwest [and Colorado and Hawaii]. We’ll get more club representation in this circuit with them coming aboard. It’s new and something different, but we’re excited for it.”
The West circuit originally came to life because a handful of high-performing teams needed more 15s exposure. The addition of TOA, which would otherwise feature in an all-star environment, matches that quest for more and better rugby.
“Yes, this is a showcase and we want to get these girls recruited, but at the same time, we also want to give a little peek of what’s to come,” Pahulu said of whether to pay attention to the results from the tournament. “The teams that are here are all pretty much teams you’ll see at nationals. These are some competitive teams, so we didn’t want to water it down competition wise. And we tell the kids – give it your best shot because you’re being looked at.”
The five high school club teams are readying for their local 15s seasons, and Pahulu’s Belmont Shore is trying something new this year. The club will enter a developmental team into the SoCal 7s season, and the top side will pursue 15s in NorCal.
Belmont Shore has been practicing for a while but just started implementing our MS and HS girls at the same time. Before it was just HS
“We’re dealing with a lot of numbers and we want to keep growing,” Pahulu said. “We want to keep these girls active in both 7s and 15s, because colleges are doing both, so we don’t want to get stuck in one lane. So those girls with no rugby experience, we’ll stick them in the SoCal 7s series to get their feet wet. But we’re trying to do. More 15s and the NorCal area does 15s.”
More information to come, but having Belmont Shore compete against the likes of the Wolverines, Zons, and perhaps traditionally strong programs like Pleasanton and Sacramento Harlequins would be a nice spring season.
For more information on the West showcase, follow Belmont Shore’s Instagram account, @belmontshorerugbyseniorgirls, and stay tuned for a follow-up.