Hey there, Rugger!
👊 Happy Friday.
Can’t believe we’re already using this word: playoffs.
Yep, it’s officially playoff season in North Carolina, and SoCal isn’t far behind.
This week we take a look at some recent results and an intriguing slate of weekend matches.
Packed with rugby. Let’s go 👇
Pro tip: Keep up with scores, polls, and upcoming livestreams at the Rugby Riot Hub.
Tournaments approaching:
🏟️Puriri Memorial Invitational
🗓️Feb 20–21
St. George, UT
🏟️Carolina Ruggerfest
🗓️Feb 28–March 1
Charlotte, NC
🏟️Friendship Cup
🗓️March 28—29
Nashville, TN
🧐Surprise from last week
Rio Americano (CA)
Who are these guys? That was our question when we saw their 31-21 victory over reigning state champs, St. Francis.
Turns out, we know them pretty well—just by another name. Rio Americano is essentially the single school version of the Carmichael Hawks, the NorCal club team that impressed at West Coast Sevens and had several great results last season in 15s.
Many from this squad have been playing together since middle school, and their early statement win over St. Francis earns them a closer look as the season progresses.
They have an opportunity to keep building their resume this weekend when they take on the vaunted De La Salle boys.
Another close result there should put Rio—and by extension, Carmichael—firmly in the Nationals conversation.
Pay attention to these lads.
🎥 Watch Rio Americano vs De La Salle here.
⌚️Saturday Jan 31, 6pm ET Kickoff
🏟️Playoffs land in North Carolina
Semifinals this weekend—State Final next week.
Quick read:
Charlotte Catholic squeaked by Hough last week 14-12, but we’re told they were down a few starters. Catholic looks like the team to beat in the playoff field.
South Charlotte has a chance for an upset when they face Catholic this evening, with a spot in the State Final on the line.
Hough vs Marvin Ridge looks like the match of the week. Marvin Ridge gutted out a 14-12 win when these two met a couple weeks ago. But this is playoffs, so the stakes are much higher. Expect a full throttle affair.
🎥 No word yet on live streams for the semis tonight. But the final will be live-streamed next week by Queens University. We’ll keep you updated with new links on the Rugby Riot Hub.
❄️ Snow wins the preseason.
The wintry weather has taken a toll on many teams’ plans, with several games being postponed or cancelled. One coach we spoke to said “This weather has totally blown up our preseason.”
In the northeast, there doesn’t look to be any reprieve this week—with temperatures hovering around zero and roughly a crap-ton of snow on the ground.
Those teams with access to indoor training facilities certainly have an advantage as the calendar turns to February — and meaningful games creep onto the schedule.
Stay warm out there!
👊Quick Hits:
Red Mountain (AZ) whacked Brophy (AZ) 50—0 in their season opener. We’ve been told to keep an eye on these guys this season. Noted 🫡
Rancho Cucamonga (CA) performed well at the Storer Classic a couple weeks ago and we have a feeling they may be another program on the rise in SoCal.
Okapi (FL) — No slow start this season for the Wanderers. They thumped Jacksonville 50-0 in their season opener, and the film reveals shifty players across the roster. Jacksonville is no slouch… which makes Okapi’s victory all the more impressive.
St. Paul (LA) lost 14-29 to Brother Martin down in Louisiana last week. That caught our attention because—this time last year—Brother Martin beat St. Paul 64-5. There may be more to the story, but this feels like a significant improvement for St. Paul—especially versus the reigning state champs who just blanked Jesuit NOLA 29-0.
⚔️ La Costa Canyon vs Cathedral Catholic.
LCC might be a dark horse candidate to make the SoCal title game. They lost a very close one to Torrey Pines a few weeks ago, but they seem to be gaining momentum each week.
It’s a strong, big-bodied roster top-to-bottom, with flyhalf Max Ricono dishing out highlight-worthy plays each week.
These two teams battled it out last season in the SCIRF championship, and LCC had control for significant portions of that game. Cathedral pulled off the win, but it felt like it could go either way all match. We expect another cracker this week—and it’s going to definitely shape the playoff picture in SoCal.
Beyond the scoreboard, Saturday’s matchup has deeper significance for the LCC rugby community:
“This week’s match against Cathedral Catholic carries special meaning for the La Costa Canyon Rugby community. We are honored to introduce the Carrigan Cup, a perpetual rivalry trophy created in memory of former LCC Mavericks and Dragons rugby player Carrigan Jones, who tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident on February 7, 2024.
Carrigan was more than a rugby player — he was a teammate, a competitor, and a young man who embodies the values of this program: toughness, loyalty, and brotherhood. His passion for life and for the game left a lasting impression on those who played beside him.”
This should be a terrific match and a great display of camaraderie.
🎙️ Will Hooley will be on the mic and TVX is producing the game. So it’s going to be a live-stream worth tuning into—even if you don’t have a dog in this fight.
🗓️Saturday Jan 31, 1pm ET Kickoff
“St. Martin’s is a peculiar institution in today’s world. And rugby, with its own peculiar demands, is uniquely suited to the academy’s ultimate goal…” Read the rest here 👇
“The scrappy, gutsy, tough-as-nails Falcons are this year’s victors in the Battle of Del Mar Heights Rd….” Read the rest here 👇
Shay Farkash delivers a helluva tackle vs Cathedral Catholic. Even the ref looks impressed.
📸Adam Taich
🤔“How do I become a better rugby player?”
If you’ve asked your coach that question, chances are pretty good that he replied: “Watch more rugby.”
Watching professional rugby, especially international matches, is a sure-fire way to improve your rugby IQ.
With that in mind, we highly encourage you to tune in to the Six Nations — which begins Feb 5.
Peacock is broadcasting the whole thing, which makes it really easy and inexpensive to catch all the games.
🔥Highlight of the week
Team Pages on the Rugby Riot Hub.
Left to right: Cathedral Catholic (CA), East High (UT), De La Salle (CA)
A huge thank you to the coaches adding details to their team page on the Rugby Riot Hub!
Livestream links. Trophy case. Notable alumni.
It’s all coming together 👊
It’s so cool to learn more about each program’s history and share it with the world. This is where rugby comes to life—in the stories and players of each team.
Keep at it, and thank you!
If you haven’t yet updated your team page, or if you’re having trouble with the site, just shoot me a quick email. I’m very quick to fix things.
Cheers,
Zach — Chief Rioter
Hough (NC) vs Marvin Ridge (NC)
🗓️Friday Jan 30, 7pm ET Kickoff
🏟️State Semifinal
Marvin Ridge narrowly beat Hough two weeks ago.
📸Marvin Ridge Instagram
We were going to write about the significance of this match, but coach Mitchell said it perfectly here:
“Much love and respect to our great friends at Huskies – but this will be put to the side for 140 minutes tonight as our Varsity and JV sides compete for places in State Championship Finals.
Like Marvin Ridge, Huskies have successfully grown a ground-up program to over 140 young athletes over the last few years - both with great rugby cultures.
We know each other very well and expect 2 titanic contests with no quarter asked nor given.
It’s knockout rugby now, so the stakes are high! But regardless of who is delighted or gutted later tonight, next weekend, the day after the State Championship Finals, we’ll be training together as Cardinals!”
Best of luck to both sides! We’ll be following along.
Who wins? Vote here 👉
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll have more dope rugby stuff to share with you; scores, highlights, stories… all the goods.
If you like this, share it with your friends!
Be well, ruck with gusto, and may your compression shorts always stay in place.
-The Rugby Riot Team