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Boulder Rugby Club Summer Youth Program

The Boulder Rugby Club sponsors youth two teams (under 13s & under 15s) in the ERRU  summer TRY program for kids. The TRY program is intended to introduce area boys and girls to the game of rugby. Primary emphasis is on fun and safety with secondary emphasis on skill and team development. The program is open to boys and girls ages 9-15 years.

The kids play on a smaller field, have shorter games and play with slightly smaller balls. Both the U-13s and the U-15s play full tackle rugby but scrum and lineout play is modified to reduce injuries. The club supplies balls and jerseys so the kids only need shorts and shoes. The season runs June, July and half of August. All games are played in Denver or Boulder. The squad is coached by Jim Bruce and John Barkmeier is the team coordinator.  This past summer we had 21 boys on the roster, fielding two Seven-a-side teams each weekend. The season finished in August with the 2006 State Championship in South Denver where both Boulder sides won their respective age divisions. The Under 13 side has won the state championship each of the past four years. Practices are generally each Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 – 6:00 pm during the summer at Valmont Park.

All interested players or parents can contact Coach Jim Bruce: JimBruce11@comcast.net or at (303) 516-9704 for further information.

History of Youth Rugby Programs at BRAC

Boulder Rugby operates several programs for youth in the Boulder area. The purpose of each of the programs is to expose kids the game we all love with emphasis on enjoyment participation, sportsmanship, and safety.  The programs have been developed to allow participation of boys and girls from age 10 to age 18 and include both full contact rugby and touch rugby.

In 2002 the first under 14’s game was held in Boulder the day after a wet spring snowstorm. Twenty kids, many of them sons of broken down men’s club players played three twenty-minute halves to the delight of parents and kids alike. Since then, Boulder has fielded youth boys’ teams each summer to compete in the Denver youth summer league.  Boulder has dominated the under 12’s competition by walking away with the championship in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

In 2004 an effort was launched by the club to the increase the participation of youth in the area and to expose a greater number of kids to the game. Touch rugby was introduced to PE teachers in Boulder County as a module. Each school that signed up to participate was provided with lesson plans, rugby balls and volunteers from the rugby club to introduce the game of touch rugby to their classes. Teachers at both public and private elementary, middle and high schools in the county have enthusiastically embraced the program. To date, over 2,000 boys and girls have participated in rugby through this effort.

All of the youth programs embrace the philosophy that the Rugby community is a unique group of individuals (and a group of unique individuals) who dare to try something different... a legendary game that mixes strength, speed and agility… a game that will forever welcome athletes of any and every size and shape. Successful rugby does require fitness, but first and foremost it requires that special person who's ready, willing and able to give it a go.