Even though rugby is not a “new sport” as the posters plastered throughout the BV West indicate, it certainly is not a mainstream one. While the majority of BV West students play football, soccer, tennis, and even hockey, it is a surprise to many people that a Blue Valley Rugby team even exists.
The Blue Valley Rugby team consists of high school students from throughout the Blue Valley High School district and is merely one of the eleven high school rugby teams throughout Kansas. Other rugby teams include boy’s teams from Central High School, Lawrence, Olathe, Park Hill High School, Schlagel High School, Shawnee Mission East High School, and most recently St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Liberty High School, and DeSoto/Mill Valley. There also now a girl’s high school team, the Kansas City Dragons
The Blue Valley Rugby Team is a club sport under the umbrella of the men’s Kansas City Blues Rugby Club. The KC Blues Rugby team was established in 1996 based on a loose affiliation with UMKC and Rockhurst College. The team soon became one of the dominant teams in the United States. The team competes in numerous national and international tournaments through the USA Rugby association. The KC Blues ended last year with a 10-17 season and although may not be the nationally dominant team it once was, it is still a reputable team with a record that is far better than the Chief’s record this season.
The Blue Valley Rugby team consists of 30 players headed by two coaches, Matt Adrian Tanner and Paul Tripp. As the posters taped throughout the school denote, there was an informational meeting recently on Thursday, November 29 and a chance for BV West students to join.
Although Rugby may not be a mainstream or extremely popular sport, it is a unique sport full of tradition that teaches the importance of camraderie, thinking on your feet under pressure, and how to take a hit.