RIVERDALE PRESS, Bronx, NY
Local ruggers fall hard, but learn a lot in city tourney
By Will Dubbs
June 11, 2007
Several kids from the Riverdale Community Center — an after-school program housed at MS/HS 141 — laced up their sneakers at Columbia University’s Baker Field on Saturday to take part in the city’s first-ever Mayor’s Cup flag rugby tournament.
The RCC competed in the 16-team middle school division of the tournament, sponsored by Play Rugby USA in conjunction with the New York City Sports Commission. Seven Riverdalians tested their rugby skills in sevenon- seven match-ups against PS 279 from the Bronx, PS 195 from Harlem and the Henry Street Settlement from Manhattan.
Despite finishing with a 1-2 record in group play, and being ultimately eliminated by semifinalist PS 279, it was clear the RCC students had their share of fun.
“They might not have been as successful on the pitch as they would’ve liked,” admitted RCC’s coach Dominic Wareing, “But it was a great day and they really enjoyed themselves.”
Participants also received medals, rugby T-shirts and athletic bags as souvenirs for competing in both the tournament and a separate passing, kicking and running challenge during the event.
Ross McClelland, another coach from the Play Rugby USA organization, believes that the main goal of the tournament and the first annual National Rugby Week is to bring together kids of different backgrounds “to play together,” something he believes the Mayor’s Cup successfully achieved.
At the tournament, 23 schools from around the city came together to play flag rugby, a non-contact version of the sport born overseas, which eliminates tackles and dogpile-like scrums, but keeps the basic concepts of rugby intact.
Kathy Gilson, executive director of the community center, and Mark Grif- fin, founder and president of Play Rugby USA, believe that the reason rugby is a hit with kids is that it gives players equal responsibility on teams.
The fact that flag rugby makes it easier and safer to “tackle” opponents, and places an emphasis on the passing aspect of the sport, allows more kids to get involved.
Also emphasized is the simplicity of the sport. To play rugby, one only needs a ball and fellow kids who want to play, affording more kids from all social and economic backgrounds the ability to play rugby.
The kids at the Riverdale Community Center began playing the new after-school activity at the start of the 2006-2007 school year.
Nearly two years later, more than 150 Riverdalians are playing flag rugby twice a week at the center.
“I think that this tournament showcased why rugby is a good tool for kids,” said Griffin.
The lasting image of the event for Wareing, however, is the response he received from his Riverdale pupils.
“Smiles on faces, and the teamwork and discipline they showed was fantastic,” the coach said. “They persevered, they never gave up and that was great to see.”
E Rugby News
Play Rugby’s Mayor’s Cup Attracts 23 Teams
New York, NY
June 7, 2008
A total of 23 teams (17 middle-school and 6 elementary), most traveling by public transportation from all corners of New York City, gathered at Columbia University’s Baker Field at the north end of Manhattan Island to compete in Play Rugby USA’s Mayor’s Cup Flag Rugby Festival.
At the end of the day the A-side from IS 392 (the Waverly School of Arts - Brownsville, Brooklyn) defeated IS 392 ’s B-side 25-20 to take the Middle School Championship. To reach the final the Waverly School teams defeated PS 218 (the Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School) and PS 279 (Captain Manuel Rivera Jr. School), both in the Bronx.
IS 392 ’s win was the first ever team competition for the school and the principal presented the Mayor's Cup to all A & B team participants at a school assembly on Monday June 9th. It was reported that the students wore their medals all day - even on the subway.
In the Elementary School Division, Pelham Youth Rugby defeated the Epiphany School 35-30 in the final.
Diversity
The diversity of the teams at Baker Field on that sweltering “summer in the city” day was fascinating. In contrast to the current player population of US rugby, the majority of Mayor’s Cup participants were African American or Hispanic, hailing from public schools in Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens neighborhoods. But there was also a Chinese-American middle school team from Manhattan’s Chinatown YMCA, teams from the affluent NYC suburb of Pelham, and teams from Manhattan’s exclusive Lycee Francis and Queen’s United Nations’ School, attended by the children of many diplomats.
Play Rugby USA
Play Rugby USA, a non-profit organization, was started four years ago by Mark Griffin, an Old Blue (NY) player and Eagle trialist. Griffin gave up a career in banking to organize a movement to bring the benefits of rugby to boys and girls of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Utilizing professionally trained coaches, Play Rugby USA improves physical fitness and delivers curriculum-based activities themed around non-contact flag rugby. Character development is achieved through a focus on 10 core values designed to improve self-esteem, develop community and resolve conflict.
Approximately 85% of program participants come from underserved backgrounds, with about 70% being either African American or Hispanic.
The first Play Rugby participants were 75 children from a homeless shelter in Brooklyn. It was, however, hard to maintain this program as the children were not always able to make it to the field each week.
So Play Rugby decided to take rugby to the students. Coaching services are now delivered on-site directly to the students both during and after school. Play Rugby’s four full-time employees and 10 volunteers coached 30 programs this year. During the school year an average of 600 students participated in program activities each week.
Play Rugby USA Teaching Youth Through Rugby
October 2, 2007
Play Rugby USA is a recently established youth development program that is trying to help develop a young players character, athletic ability and academic commitment through the game of rugby and Play Rugby USA’s Mark Griffin took a moment to speak to RugbyRugby’s Brad Kilpatrick about the program. Read more...
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