Hey there, Rugby Rioter!
🏉 Welcome to this week’s edition of Rugby Riot, where we bring you cool high school rugby stuff from around the nation.
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This weekend, we’ve got State Semi-Finals in North Carolina, solid SoCal matchups to watch, Florida action, Texas action…
High school rugby everywhere!
Let’s go! 👇
In This Issue

Spring 15s: 22 days (March 1st - unofficial start of the season for many teams)
Carolina Ruggerfest: 22 days (March 1st -2nd)
Gonzaga Classic: 64 days (April 12th)
Midwest Invitational: 78 days (April 26th)
Nationals Tournament: 104 days (May 22nd)
Tip: Keep an eye on the RANKINGS page so you can keep up with scores and trends around the country 🏉
things are heating up…🔥

Gonzaga Classic - Spots Available
Premier Division:
The Gonzaga Classic is looking for one more team for their premier division, the most competitive division at the tournament.
If you want to challenge your top varsity squad, you should consider attending the Gonzaga Classic (April 12th-13th).
Some teams that you will compete against in Premier:
Gonzaga (DC)
Charlotte Cardinals (NC)
Woodlands (TX)
Staples (CT)
Aspetuck (CT)
Clayton (NC)
Fort Hunt (VA)
Father Duenas Memorial School (Guam)
Spots are also available in the Varsity and JV divisions.
This is a great opportunity to test your team, see how you stack up against some very good competition, and spend quality time with other players and coaches.
👉 You can get all the details and sign up here.
🔥 This Week’s Must-Watch Games:
North Carolina
South Meck vs. Hough — Friday, February 7th — STATE SEMI-FINALS
This should be a highly competitive match, with the winner moving on to the state finals. Hough defeated South Meck during the regular season 34-14, but South Meck has had a very strong season overall and a group of hungry, physical players.
Hough lost a close game to Charlotte Catholic two weeks ago. They are a game away from a possible rematch and doubtless want to prove that they can earn consecutive state titles.
Charlotte Catholic vs. Marvin Ridge — Friday, February 7th — STATE SEMI-FINALS
Charlotte Catholic, stunningly, is a game away from the state title match after an 0-7 season last year. It’s a wild story that we’ve been covering since December. Although Marvin Ridge has struggled this year, the stakes could not be higher—so we expect a strong effort on both sides.
Charlotte Catholic has been phenomenal lately. Can Marvin Ridge dig deep and slow them down? Or will Charlotte Catholic continue their incredible comeback season and cruise to the State Final?
We’ll keep you updated…
SoCal
Orange Lutheran vs. Rancho Cucamonga — Saturday, February 8th
Both of these teams have been on a tear recently. Orange Lutheran has won two in a row, while Rancho is on a three-game winning streak. They have both beaten a talented John Muir squad with relatively close scores.
The question is, which of these two is going to separate themselves from the pack in SoCal? Orange Lutheran has a difficult three-game stretch (Rancho, Torrey Pines, Loyola). Rancho has dates with Coronado and San Clemente on the horizon.
Torrey Pines vs. La Costa Canyon — Saturday, February 8th
Torrey Pines went toe-to-toe with Cathedral Catholic last Saturday, which we covered here. La Costa Canyon started hot but has hit a two-game skid against top-tier competition (Cathedral Catholic, St. Augustine). But don’t count them out. When LCC is firing on all cylinders, they’re a threat.
We’re curious to see how Torrey Pines looks after the big Cathedral Catholic showdown, and we’re tracking La Costa Canyon to see if they can bounce back against yet another SoCal heavyweight.
Cathedral Catholic vs. St. Augustine Saints — Saturday, February 8th
Cathedral Catholic is as dominant as ever, with last week’s thriller against Torrey Pines (28-28 tie game) the only blemish on their otherwise perfect season. Meanwhile, St. Augustine has played very well lately, defeating the La Costa Canyon boys last week 33-19, and they’re surely excited about having a crack at the biggest name in town.
Cathedral’s attack has been relentless all season—can St. Augustine slow them down? Or will the Dons keep rolling?
We’ll find out tomorrow.
Florida
Okapi White vs. Key Biscayne — Saturday, February 8th
Okapi has been on a roll, winning their first two games handily. Key Biscayne is just getting going—with a commanding victory over Ft. Lauderdale to open their season.
It’s early, but Okapi feels like a formidable opponent for anyone this year. Will they continue collecting big wins, or will Key Biscayne announce their arrival to the scene?
We’ll be watching.
Texas
Strake Jesuit vs. HCYA — Friday, February 7th
Both of these teams made their season debut with solid wins and similar scorelines: Strake over FFA (46-22) and HCYA over Kingwood (45-15).
Strake Jesuit has been a mainstay of Texas HS rugby for years, whereas HCYA is in just their third season. This is a great opportunity for HCYA to show the Texas rugby scene that their young program is a force to be taken seriously, while Strake Jesuit will want to capture a win before a difficult two-game stretch (Woodlands, followed by Dallas Jesuit).
NorCal
De La Salle vs St. Francis — Saturday, February 8th.
Two NorCal big-shots that just smoked their opponents last week. De La Salle won 42-14 over Bishop O’Dowd, and St. Francis beat Serra HS 50-7.
But don’t expect another blowout. This one’s gonna be a bruiser. Both teams bring serious physicality and can score in multiple ways—who’s gonna set the tone in this NorCal clash?

Did you see these?
👆This is a new format we are offering every week (Monday/Tuesday). It’s a quick recap of some of the weekend game action. Check it out!


Hough (black) vs. South Meck (red) earlier this season. They meet again this evening in the State Semi-Final. 📣
Credit: Craig Frederick

The former rugger who is running across America for 100 days straight.
Former high school fly-half ⏐ Ultra runner ⏐ Running through your town (probably)

Jonathan Kuplack
Credit: Sebaste_org
You like badasses who do wild and difficult things?
Good. Then I’d like to introduce you to Jonathan—a badass currently doing something wild and difficult: Running across the entire flipping country in 100 consecutive days.
What’s that break down into?
35 miles/day…for 100 days straight.
3500 miles total.
Where’s he at now?
Day: 20
Miles Run: 700 (!)
Current Location: Somewhere desolate/SouthWest USA.
How’s he holding up?
Week one: “digestive issues” (sick as a dog) 🤢
Week two: Stress-fracture in his foot. (no bueno) 🦶
Week three: Achilles tendon screaming out in pain. (come on!) 😖
STATUS: Still running.
Why is he doing this?
To promote Sebaste, an organization he co-founded that “designs and implements dynamic programs that transform the lives of boys and men through devotion, brotherhood, challenge, and adventure.”
Basically, they inspire young men to conquer mediocrity, with summer programs that are challenging and unforgettable.
Fun Fact: Jonathan is first cousin of yours truly — Ipse, the Rugby Riot Editor. We played rugby together in high school as well.
How can you follow along?
Here you go 👇

“I’m a firm believer that basketball players make amazing rugby players.”

Think you know rugby? Prove it!
Which of the following was once a legal way to score points in rugby but no longer exists?
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll have more dope rugby stuff to share with you; scores, highlights, stories, RANKINGS UPDATES… all the goods.
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Be well, ruck with gusto, and may your compression shorts always stay in place.
-The Rugby Riot Team