Embarrass River Rugby Club seeking athletes

Club entering second season

TIGERTON — The Embarrass River Rugby Club, operating out of Marion and Tigerton, is recruiting for its second season.

The club began in the spring of 2019 through the efforts of a locally transplanted family of rugby enthusiasts who wanted opportunities for their children. Players are needed in order to grow the program and assure a successful second season.

Last year, the club participated in the Wisconsin Middle School Rugby League and had players in both the boys and girls division. These divisions are aimed at introducing young athletes to the sport of rugby and participation in middle school eases the transition to high school rugby.

In fall 2019, female high school members of the club played cooperatively with programs in Oshkosh and Madison to gain valuable playing experience.

This spring, the club aims to field a full roster of high school girls and middle school boys, anchored by players who gained experience last year. Opportunities also exist this spring for middle school girls and high school boys interested in learning the Olympic sport ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Rugby as a sport has similarities to American football and soccer. It is a tackle-oriented sport and most players get hooked by the physicality of the sport after their first in-game experiences. Safety and fair play are fundamental to the sport that requires speed, endurance and strength.

When asked about fears of injury, certified coach and referee Brian Gleason said, “My kids have played rugby since they were in early grade school and I played for 13-plus seasons. I feel the game is safer than many alternatives and I have been around the game long enough to have plenty of anecdotal evidence.”

Gleason also pointed out that many NFL and NCAA football programs are looking to rugby for safer and more effective tackling techniques, including the Seattle Seahawks and Ohio State University.

Gleason, who also teaches at Marion Junior/Senior High School, has shared his knowledge of the game with physical education classes at the school, the Bowler/Gresham Thundercatz football program, and spent time introducing rugby to summer school students in Tigerton last summer.

“The game of rugby is for everyone … there is an idea that you need to be a big brute to be successful in rugby and that could not be farther from the truth,” said Gleason. “The sport relies a great deal on speed and being able to create and utilize space which is not apparent in highlight films of big tackles.”

Families interested in getting a start in rugby should look for more information and registration details at EmbarrassRiverRugby.com and follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/embarrassriverrugby). Anyone willing to travel to the Marion/Tigerton area is encouraged to participate.

The club is currently accepting registrations for the spring middle school and high school programs for both boys and girls, as well as the summer non-contact flag rugby program for grades 3-8. Inquiries can be directed to embarrassriverrugby@gmail.com.