Rugby New York encompasses three regions – Metro, Capital and Western New York – that traditionally contest their own spring 15s season and then send representatives to a state-wide semifinals and championship. But during Covid-19, only Western New York is in a good place to provide competition, and the Buffalo-area league is getting creative to offer opportunities beyond a rebuilding-oriented spring.
“New York was really difficult because it didn’t come out with statewide rules. The governor left it to each local health department,” Rugby NY Western Director Glenn Nenoff said of Return to Play protocols. “Most of the Western New York teams are in Erie County and we’ve been approved [for play] for quite a bit longer [than other areas]. Central New York, where Corning and Syracuse are located, haven’t been allowed to practice until this week.”
Western New York was awaiting some direction from Rugby NY, and when it didn’t arrive, the league coaches assembled to create a pathway to play this spring.
“All of the girls’ coaches in Western New York are friends,” said Nenoff, who also coaches Orchard Park. “They’ve played against each other, with each other, coached each other. We’ve always had a good, tight-knit group of coaches. No one really jumped out and took charge, so we did it as a group. We met 3-4 times to make [the season] work. Others – Metro and Capital – might have a team go somewhere for a game this spring, but they don’t have a season. This is all a product of us all getting along.”
The hook for getting a contact 15s season approved was eliminating scrums and mauls from the game. The coaches explained that that omission removed 18 minutes of close contact from a normal match, and that concession appeased the local health department. Nevertheless, there were still many obstacles to confront.
“Almost all of the school districts moved their sports to the spring,” Nenoff said. “Football, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, outdoor track – they’re all playing or just started. So field space has been an issue for all the teams here.”
Fortunately, City Honors has its own rugby pitch and South Buffalo offered its facility to the community, so those two fields are available.
And then, of course, numbers are down across the entire field. City Honors, which is affiliated with the high school, has fewer than 30 players. The rest of the league is at or below 20 players.
“Some girls haven’t played in two years,” Nenoff said. “Now they’re working, or other social things have become more important. We lost four vets at Orchard Park that I thought would be back.”
Recruitment efforts have also been stunted. The region was allowed to play flag and touch in September 2020 and half of October, but then a spike in the Covid-19 numbers shut down activity. It’s tough to recruit when there’s not a product on the pitch or a full student body in the schools.
“Some good things came out of lockdown,” Nenoff countered. “Kenmore thought it was going to fold. They couldn’t get coaches, they couldn’t get numbers. So they took a step back and decided to merge with the boys’ and youth programs. It’s rejuvenated the girls’ program. New colors, new kit, they have numbers and coaches. And now they’ll have players coming up through flag. Rachel Noone and Juette Joseph – both St. Bonaventure alumnae – are head coaching, and Mackenzie Doolittle is the overall coaching coordinator. It’s great because Kenmore is one of the original teams and it would’ve been sad to see them collapse.”
Six teams will play with the intent of 15s: City Honors, Corning, Hamburg, Kenmore, Orchard Park and Syracuse. South Buffalo is an associate team and can augment other squads or try to get B side games. Three teams are meeting for more a player clinic and controlled scrimmage this weekend, and then league games commence May 2. On June 6, the top-two teams will play each other in a final match.
“They just want to be playing,” Nenoff said of the overall vibe. “They’re really happy to have a five-game season, and a mini all-star game just to play.”
Last weekend, City Honors and Orchard Park welcomed the Moon Area Tigers’ varsity and JV teams to Buffalo. Aside from valuable field time and the opportunity for refs to get comfortable with the game modifications, the outing allowed Western NY to test its Return to Play protocols. Orchard Park actually supplemented its roster with South Buffalo players, after a potential exposure required a few Bulldogs to stay home out of an abundance of caution. All of these measures are meant to keep everyone safe but also keep a full season intact. One infection shuts down a team for 10 days, and since February, rugby has watched 100 other high-risk sports teams be forced into hiatus.
“Moon Area looked really good,” Nenoff said of the Pittsburgh-area program. “Their backline and their kicking game are fantastic.”
The Tigers won both games: 17-5 v City Honors and 33-0 v Orchard Park. The team’s been playing since March [read more] and this weekend will make its third trip to Ohio for additional matches.
“There was a big division,” Nenoff compared the hometown players. “And some of it had to do with players’ positions or their situations at home. My daughter, Ella, is a kicker and spent lockdown kicking into a net, so her kicking had improved greatly. If there were sisters who were able to pass to each other for a whole year, it showed when they came back. Some players’ fitness greatly improved. But for most people, there is a restart. It’s back to basics.”
A focus on basics was also necessary because there was a lot of new talent on the pitch last weekend.
“At one point, there were seven girls on the pitch who had never played a rugby minute before,” Nenoff said. “You’ve never seen more excited girls afterward. It was really cool, because even after playing a great team and having a tough time at it, they were so excited. And they were young, too – 8th and 9th graders.”
Nenoff credited the league’s returning players for creating an environment and attitude that welcomed newcomers during a difficult season.
“Players have had to be more like coaches now more than ever. Luckily we have very experienced captains,” Nenoff said of Orchard Park specifically. “Ashley Reed is a Midwest Thunderbird and a very experienced back. She’s our only senior captain – we don’t have many seniors. My daughter, Ella, is a junior and has been playing for seven years. Annie Henrich is a freshman and was voted captain. She comes from a strong rugby pedigree. They’re teaching the girls way more than I am, and their leadership is off-field too. It’s amazing.”
Nenoff called City Honors the class of the competition, and with the leadership of star forward Lexi Erdolino, the team is favored to win the spring season. The Central New York teams are still unknowns, as they’ve been able to train indoors but have only started contact practice this week. But each team has its strengths, and they’re driving the post-season planning.
“There’s a really strong core of players throughout the league. Each team might have 6-7 and then a bunch of new people,” Nenoff said. “But the energy level is really good. They’re asking about fall rugby and summer tournaments, because they want so much more rugby.”
Midwest High School Thunderbirds head coach Garrett Fisher, who is also a zone representative for the newly formed Eagle Eye Scouting Network, will travel to Buffalo on May 23. All six teams will play their games at one location and get that exposure that might otherwise be elusive this year. The region’s all-star team, the Western NY Lightning, is also mobilizing. In the past, the program’s combined with Allegheny Rugby Union (ARU) players and competed at the Midwest All-Star Challenge. The ARU hasn’t announced plans for high school all-stars, so the Buffalo-area program is preparing to attend the June 19 event in Elkhart, Ind., on its own.
There might be other competitive options in Ohio’s Celtic Elite, or perhaps all-star teams in Pennsylvania, Connecticut or New Jersey. The piece that Western New York is really missing is the option to play across the border in Canada. The fall traditionally sees big, group clinic days with 35-40 players playing 7s and Lightning head coach Clarence Picard in attendance. Whatever shape the rest of the year takes, the appetite is there, both from the players who are ready to play, and the coaches, refs and parents who are ready to see the joy on their rugby-playing faces.