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Rising rugby
New sport enters youth, adult lives
Friday, July 23, 2010
 Click here to enlarge this photo Submitted photo
The youth of the Pax River Rugby youth program, above, will play its first home game of the 2010 season this Saturday.
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But if you begin to see rugby balls on fields around the area, don't be alarmed, but do thank the Pax River Rugby youth program and men's rugby program President Justin Thomson.
Based out of Hollywood, the Pax River Rugby coed youth program has seen a boost of involvement from its program that began last summer. From 14 kids in 2009 to 41 kids today, the program is evolving.
"Word of mouth is really helping expand the program," Thomson said. "We did not lose a single kid from last year, and now we have 41. The sport is growing by leaps and bounds, a lot more than I thought it would.
"…The good thing with youth rugby, every kid touches the ball, every kid has to touch the ball because of the nature of the sport. It's a team sport and there is no show-boating or dancing on the field; it's still very much an honor-system type of a sport."
The youth program, supporting children 5 to 14 and running from the end of May through the end of July, will have its first home game of the 2010 season at the Clarke's Landing field across from the Clarke's Landing restaurant Saturday with the first game (U-11) slated for 10 a.m. and the second (U-15) at 11 a.m.
"They are excited," Thomson said about Saturday.
All of the coaches within the youth program have a vested interest in the way the kids are coached as they, themselves, all play as members on the men's program. That tutelage, combined with common interests, has given rise to the large interest in the program.
"What we teach the kids is what we are doing, it's kind of the lead-from-the-front attitude that we have," Thomson said. "I think it really took off because of parents' word of mouth. I have parents coming out and can't believe the attitude that we have with the kids."
A member of the U.S. Air Force, Thomson, a New Jersey native, has been stationed in Maryland for duty. Upon arriving to the men's program in 2007, he realized the lack of a youth rugby program, despite the men's program being around for 20 years.
With the lack of youth participation in the sport, Thomson helped create the noncontact, two-hand touch youth program.
Rugby, though, serves much more than just being a sport to Thomson and the kids who participate in the program. Since the organization is a nonprofit, Thomson allows for children, male and female, to participate at a low cost — only a $40 sign-up fee — which ensures the children receive two T-shirts and a rugby ball. The remaining $7 or $8 is given to charity.
"Last year we raised over $8,000 for nonprofit organizations in Southern Maryland," Thomson said. "… We are having kids participate in the many fundraisers that we have, too. … We help teach the kids a sense of morale and giving back to the community."
With a big jump from year one to year two, goals and expectations for the program continue to be on the rise as it will enter its third year next May.
"My goal, easily, would [be] to have teams within the program," Thomson said. "That, so they are able to play each other. … Some of the other state programs are able to play twice a week, while we can only play once. … My overall goal, though, would [be] to get this sport into high schools. It is the fastest growing sport in the United States right now."
So, again, when you see a rugby ball flying in the air at local fields, there is no longer reason to be surprised.
"You can't go to the store and buy a rugby ball here in Maryland," Thomson said. "So, instead of buying kids a trophy they are never even going to touch, we bought every single kid a rugby ball."
For more information on the Pax River Rugby program, how to register children and other photos and information, go to www.paxrugby.com.
