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Next Phase Rugby and The Rugby Breakdown are pleased to announce their partnership, one that will further connect women’s college rugby programs to high school student-athletes.
Next Phase Rugby President and Founder Greg Stelluti discovered rugby at West Chester University and enjoyed 20 years playing in Pennsylvania, New York, and internationally with the USA Rugby League Tomahawks. When he transitioned to coaching, he created the Berks County RFC, a youth organization based outside Philadelphia that includes a girls’ high school program.
When it came time to educate his players on college rugby opportunities, he struggled to find helpful, complete resources. And so in 2021, Next Phase Rugby was born. Today, it is the leading college rugby recruitment service in the country, having enrolled more than 10,000 players and 450 collegiate rugby programs in its nearly five years of existence.
“Next Phase Rugby was born out of a need to better connect high school athletes with college opportunities,” Stelluti explained. “While we’ve seen strong engagement on the boys’ side, we recognized a clear opportunity to make deeper inroads into the girls’ game. Partnering with The Rugby Breakdown allows us to do exactly that—reach more female athletes across the country and help them navigate their path to the next level.”
Coincidentally, The Rugby Breakdown (TRB) was created in the same year (2016) that the Berks County RFC came to life. TRB founder Jackie Finlan began her rugby career as a player (Univ. Arizona, Village Lions, Philippines) and entered the rugby-reporting world with the NYC-based Rugby Magazine in 2005. More than 10 years later, Finlan launched TRB to focus solely on the girls and women’s rugby game in the U.S.
“Much like Next Phase Rugby, TRB formed out of necessity, but there was also a deep sense of loyalty and pure interest that drove its creation,” Finlan said. “I just wanted to generate more and original content, and create a home that was laser focused on a particular demographic.”
Together, Next Phase Rugby and The Rugby Breakdown look to educate the girls’ high school rugby space with the options in college, because they are vast. TRB features will not only highlight recruitment success stories, but also educate readers on misconceptions around who is “recruitable,” how college coaches utilize NPR, how the service can build visibility for a program overall, and much more.
“When I’m asked who can play college rugby, my answer is simple: Everyone can,” Stelluti added. “Whether it’s NCAA, varsity, athletic department-supported or club rugby, there is a place for every athlete to continue their journey. College programs are actively looking for players, and together with The Rugby Breakdown, we’re excited to help more young women find those opportunities.”
For more information on Next Phase Rugby, visit https://nextphaserugby.com/ for more information. To download the app, visit the Apple App Store or Google Play and search “Next Phase Rugby.” Questions? E-mail greg@nextphaserugby.com. For more information on The Rugby Breakdown, visit https://www.therugbybreakdown.com, peruse @therugbybreakdown on Instagram, or contact Jackie Finlan at editor@therugbybreakdown.com.