Month: June 2017

2017 Year to Date Recap & Upcoming Opportunities

As our 2017 Spring season has come to a close, I wanted to say Thank You to all of our players and parents for an amazing season.  None of this would be possible without your support and dedication!

We have come a long way this year as an organization.  While mother nature provided a challenge to kick off the season, we got things moving as the snow melted and had a fantastic spring season.  While we will continue to have growing pains, we have seen great successes along the way!

  • 133 new high school players
  • 36 new middle school players
  • 10 new coaches
  • 3 new referees
  • Montana’s first USA Rugby Level 300 coaching clinic
  • New programs starting in Bozeman
  • New programs starting in Lincoln County
  • Expanded area to include Spokane, Washington in addition to our clubs in Post Falls, Idaho
  • 3 successful spring tournaments – Jack Riekena Memorial 7’s, State, & MYRA Fest
  • Team Montana traveled again to Oregon for the GNC, while it was a boys only show this year, the players did fantastic. The Varsity Boys went 1-2-1, JV Boys 1-3, and Middle School 2-2

Administratively we made huge leaps for the long term benefit of our organization.

  • Rugby Montana created as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
  • Updated Website and increased social media presence
  • Rugby Montana YouTube page
  • Sports Engine Online Registration

Upcoming Opportunities:

  • Big Sky State Games 7’s Rugby Tournament for Middle School & High School, July 15th in Missoula. Teams can register at bigskygames.org  and individual players should notify their coaches or contact Misty at to get signed up.  The fee is $15 per player or $150 per team of 10.
  • Referee clinics will be held in late summer/early fall for any interested parents or players. (this is a great opportunity to expand your game knowledge and earn a few $$ spending money).  Sign up for more information at – https://form.jotform.us/71778432912159
  • Atavus Training Academy September 9-10 at Montana State University. Information available at https://rugby.atavus.com/shop/usa-rugby-academy-training-camp-montana/
  • Fall 7’s league for interested programs will start September 23rd with 3-4 tournaments throughout the State.

For those continuing onto the next journey, good luck and stay in touch.  For those returning families and players we will see you very soon!

Sincerely,

Misty Zahn, Rugby Montana Administrator

Montana Players off to the Regional Challenge Tournament

Representative players from clubs across Montana, Northern Idaho and the Spokane Valley will be traveling west to Corvallis, Oregon to compete in the Great Northwest Challenge.   The Regional Challenge Tournament (RCT) is one of 5 tournaments nationally that showcase the top players  from each region for college recruiters, USA Rugby High School All-American (HSAA) selectors, and is the beginning path to the Youth Olympic Games.

Players have been meeting for weekend practices since May getting ready for this opportunity.   Recent years have seen players getting selected for college rugby programs and the HSAA program.

Teams in the tournament travel from Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California, Montana & Oregon to compete.

We wish all of our players, coaches, volunteers, and referees the best of luck this weekend!

A huge thank you to all the coaches who helped prepare the players for the weekend and parents for their support throughout the season!