SoCal finally decided it could get along with itself.
For years, there has been infighting between folks in the high school rugby scene in SoCal, which led to a split league and drama.
But as of this week the warring sides have put down their gloves and come together to create a new league that unifies SoCal high school rugby.
How it used to be
We won’t go all the way back, but in recent years there were two distinct school leagues in Southern California:
SCIRF (Southern California Interscholastic Rugby Federation) — an independent organization that modeled itself on CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) processes. CIF is the same governing body that runs high school football, basketball, and other sports, and SCIRF’s aim was to eventually push rugby toward full varsity recognition.
SoCal Youth Rugby (SCYR) — the State Youth Rugby Organization under USA Youth & High School Rugby, running youth and high school club programs across the region.
The two leagues weren’t allowed to play each other—and SCIRF teams couldn’t enter the state tournament. (Sanctioning and insurance stuff.)
That meant some of the best school teams in the region never truly competed. Cathedral Catholic (SCIRF) and Torrey Pines (SCYR), for example, only met once a year in a “friendly.” (Newsflash…it was never friendly.)
So when the state tournament wrapped, it always felt a little incomplete. Was the SoCal champ really the best team in SoCal, or just the best in their league?
Long story short: the top programs weren’t squaring off, and the two leagues didn’t get along. Plus it was just confusing.
Cathedral Catholic (left) and Torrey Pines (right)
BOTH were SoCal champions this year. 🤔
Enter the SoCal Premier League
Now things look different. And that’s good news.
SCIRF and SoCal Youth Rugby have agreed to combine their single school programs under a new banner: the Premier League. The new league pulls from both sides to create one unified, competitive structure — and it’s formally sanctioned by USA Youth & High School Rugby, which finally allows competition between them.
Teams will be split into two divisions, North and South, with the winners meeting in the state final against whoever comes out of NorCal. The inaugural season kicks off December 2025 and will run through March, culminating in the state championship on March 14, 2026.
David Pool, president of US Youth and High School Rugby, helped orchestrate the deal. Here’s how he summed it up:
“It was a total collaborative effort to get this across the line.
This is going to create one of the best competition structures in the country.”
Note: Here are the main characters that made this collaboration happen.
Glenn Irvine—SCIRF
David Pool—USYHS
Valory Reed and board—SCYR
Additionally, Pool pointed out that with the new structure, there is a path for more schools to join and help grow rugby’s footprint in the region.
“The more schools that we have with rugby programs, the more rugby will be played and the better the competition will be.
Ultimately, the hope is that this leads to more growth.”
Why this matters
The best teams in SoCal will finally play each other with something at stake.
The league is cleaner and easier to follow.
Multi-school teams now have a target: grow into a single school program, and you can join the Premier League.
With SCIRF’s CIF alignment baked in, the Premier League gains access to school facilities, athletic trainers, and administrators for scheduling. Translation: more fields, more structure, and fewer headaches for coaches and parents.
In short, it means SoCal is getting its act together.
What coaches are saying
“The hill just got steeper for Torrey Pines. But having quality league opponents like Cathedral, LCC and St. Augustine will hopefully bring out the best in us. We look forward to the challenge.”
—Matty Sandoval, Head Coach Torrey Pines
“My feeling is there is no downside to this. I think it will be a really good thing for rugby in our region.”
—Matt Hawkins, Head Coach Cathedral Catholic
So there you have it. Everyone is excited.
Our only question is:
What took ya so long, SoCal?