Hey there, Rugby Rioter!
While most of us are still wiping gravy off our face and deleting hundreds of sales emails, North Carolina is gearing up for actual, REAL rugby games.
Yup, North Carolina begins their winter high school rugby season in one week. And nobody is more excited than us here at Rugby Riot - it’s been a long fall with no 15s games to write about.
So buckle up! Before you know it we’ll be sending you highlights from current games and more fun analysis than you can handle.
(Speaking of NC, see below for our preseason snapshot of South Meck HS Rugby)
Now let’s get to this week’s edition.
Oh, and don’t miss our Fan Rankings announcement! It’s in the News section.
In This Issue
Note: You may have noticed there was no newsletter last week. Why’s that? Well, here in the NorthEast, we had a big ole snowstorm blow through which dropped approximately a crap-ton of snow on us. No electricity, no internet, the works baby. But we’re back at it this week - enjoy!
NC Winter 15s: 7 days (December 6th)
Spring 15s: 92 days (March 1st - unofficial start of the season)
Carolina Ruggerfest: 92 days (March 1st - 2nd)
Gonzaga Classic: 134 days (April 12th)
Midwest Invitational: 148 days (April 26th)
Nationals Tournament: 174 days (May 22nd)
📣Announcement: Fan-Powered Rankings📊
We decided to do something fun….Fan Rankings! In other words, the top ten high school teams in the nation, according to YOU.
💡How it works:
Select YOUR top 10 high school rugby teams in the USA.
Select your top Club Team nomination.
We’ll publish the results on December 20th.
Note: We focused on Single School teams for this one, but you can write in a club team and we’ll give a shout out to the most tagged club team. We may do a separate Club Team Fan Ranking if things go well with this first one.
Pssst. As of today, Cathedral Catholic (CA) is in the lead for the top spot in the Fan Rankings. 👀
Vote Here 👇
Even if you’re subscribed, you still need to hit the Subscribe button in the poll. Don’t worry, it won’t change your subscription status or disrupt anything.
Think you know rugby? Prove it!
Can a player wear gloves during a rugby match?
BIG HIT ALERT
When: May 2024 Where: Nationals, Elkhart Indiana Who: Herriman (UT) vs St. Martin’s (KS)
A Herriman player makes a decisive hit on a St. Martin’s player at the Nationals 2024 tournament.
Well this is a winger’s nightmare. A grubber comes bouncing through, you pick it up, and *BAM* you get smashed into the turf. Big ouch.
This is from the 2024 Nationals tournament this past May. Herriman ended up winning this match, though St. Martin’s played admirably and and had several highlight worthy moments themselves.
Just try to stop us.”
South Meck Locked and Loaded
Let’s take a little trip down to North Carolina, shall we?
South Mecklenburg High School - South Meck for short - is gearing up for a banger of a season. They have been one of the top three school teams in NC for the past 3 years and coach Rick Norvell has big expectations for his squad this season: “I’m really excited. We have a very strong senior class and we’re poised to have a great season.”
Here is a snapshot of their key players, and a few quotes to make things interesting. BTW, Coach Norvell has been coaching these guys since 6th grade (!) in rugby AND football.
Recent History
2022: State Champs 🥇
2023: State Runners up 🥈
2024: 3rd in the State 🥉
Key Matchups
🗓️December 13th. - Marvin Ridge HS: This will be a big rematch of last year’s state semifinal. Marvin Ridge defeated South Meck in a close game, and it’s bound to be a bruiser this year. This is the second game on South Meck’s schedule, so they’ll be tested right out the gate this season.
🗓️January 10th - Hough HS: These guys won the whole thing last year, defeating Marvin Ridge in the state final 40-10.
Key Players
📋 Quinn Miller
Former 8-man turned prop brings dynamic play to the front row, with the brains to match the brawn.
YEAR: Senior
POSITION: Prop
THREAT LEVEL: ★★★★★
STRENGTHS: Great Runner, Phenomenal Strength
FUN FACT: Goes by “Stash”, presumably due to the badass mustache he rocks.
COACH’S QUOTE: "He's so dynamic and for a big guy, he's really fast. His rugby IQ is off the charts - that's why he helps run training stations."
📋 Jack Flemings
One half of South Meck's twin terror, this Flemings brother has been causing havoc in the backline since middle school.
YEAR: Senior
POSITION: Center (12)
THREAT LEVEL: ★★★★★
STRENGTHS: Versatile, Fast, Heavy Hitter
FUN FACT: Comes from a family of 12 siblings with deep rugby roots at South Meck.
COACH’S QUOTE: “High Rugby IQ, very fast, very aggressive - he can do a lot of things very well.”
📋 Nick Flemings
The slightly beefier Flemings twin brings a perfect blend of power and finesse to the forward pack.
YEAR: Senior
POSITION: 8-Man
THREAT LEVEL: ★★★★★
STRENGTHS: Powerful Runner, Hard Tackler
FUN FACT: Part of a rugby dynasty - older brothers Crispin and Sebastian are both accomplished rugby players.
COACH’S QUOTE: “Same as his twin brother; super aggressive, smart player.”
📋 Allan Diminich
The spark plug at scrum-half who makes the whole thing go.
YEAR: Senior
POSITION: Scrum-Half (9)
THREAT LEVEL: ★★★★★
STRENGTHS: Opportunistic and Ferocious around the break-down.
COACH’S QUOTE: "Massive heart and massive will to be the best he can be. He's not just a pass-first nine - he'll join the pod and create havoc."
📋 Jackson Wilson
The field general at fullback who refuses to just sit back and wait for the action.
YEAR: Senior
POSITION: Fullback (15)
THREAT LEVEL: ★★★★★
STRENGTHS: Defensive Commander, Speed Machine, Excellent Field Vision
VERSATILITY: Can slot in at 10 or wing when needed.
COACH’S QUOTE:"He doesn't just wait for something to happen - he makes things happen."
👊 THE LEADERSHIP SQUAD: All five players above are members of South Meck's Leadership Council. As Coach Norvell says, they’re "Not just the best players - they’re the best leaders on the team."
Good luck to South Meck this season!
We’ll circle back in a week or two and let you know how their season opener went.
Oddball musings, induced by borderline hypothermia.
🏉 Is there a secret society of rugby moms who simply scream ”GET HIM!” at rugby games? There’s at least one at every game. I’m beginning to think they are in cahoots. 🕵🏻♂️
🏉 Rugby across the US is kinda like federalism - each state does things its own way, much to the chagrin of those trying to collect scores and info. Speaking for a friend here…
🏉 Football Announcer: “Interception!” Rugby Announcer: “And just like that, he’s kidnapped the ball!”
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week, we’ll update the Fan Rankings (make sure you vote!) and we’ll check in with North Carolina to see how the first games of the season go.
If you like this content, share it with your friends! The easiest way is to copy this URL www.rugbyriot.com and text it to your pals.
Until next week, cheers!
-The Rugby Riot Team