Bay Port Rugby
Home of the Pirates
1. What can we expect from rugby, and how do we join the club?
First and foremost, rugby is a lot of fun. Rugby is considered the ultimate "team" game, with camaraderie its centerpiece. Rugby is played in every nation on earth, and is the 2nd largest participatory sport in the world. It is currently the most popular club sport on the American college campus. Playing rugby also helps athletes fine tune skills that are important in other sports such as football, wrestling, lacrosse, soccer and basketball.
To join our club, you are required to fill out completely and sign 3 forms found on our web site. The forms are the NEW Youth Rugby Release, USA Rugby Membership Form and the USA Rugby Waiver. Submit these forms along with the club dues, buy a good pair of cleats and a mouthguard, and you should be all set.
Our rugby team has "Club Sport" status, and at this time is unaffiliated with the Howard Suamico School District. For more information about the club, Wisconsin Rugby Union, Midwest Rugby Union and USA Rugby, visit their websites from our links page. Our club is a member of the NEW Youth Rugby Conference and competes with other high school clubs in Northeast Wisconsin. No experience is necessary, and our club is open to students properly enrolled in high school.
Please see the contact page for bios of our staff.
4. What can parents do to help the rugby program?
The support of our parents is key to the success of our club. We welcome parents ideas, involvement, and suggestions.
5. Do high school soccer and football athletes play rugby in the spring?
There are many schools in the USA and in Canada where football, soccer and rugby co-exist as varsity sports. Coaches at these schools report that rugby is an excellent off-season sport for football, basketball, hockey and soccer athletes.
6. Do you suspend athletes who are not getting good grades at school?
No formal or informal arrangements are in place with schools regarding monitoring of grades. We rely on the parent and player to establish the priority of grades vs sports. If a player is doing poorly in school and the parent wishes to hold them out of sports, we will support the parent's decision fully.
7. Is there a team fundraising obligation?
Since we receive no financial or other support from any school district, our team is dependent upon donations, fundraising, team dues to fund basic operational costs. See our sponsor form on the info page if you or anyone you know would like to make a donation.
8. What kind of equipment is needed to play rugby, and what is the cost?
One of the great things about rugby is that there is very little equipment needed. All you really need is a patch of grass, players, and a ball...and you can play rugby. Athletes may wish to buy rugby cleats, but football or soccer shoes will suffice, but the front cleat must be removed. The club owns and supplies jerseys for matches. A mouth guard is required. Team shorts and socks are included in dues.
9. How much are individual member dues for the season, and how are they spent?
Dues are currently set at $65 for the season. This pays for the player's shorts, socks, local and national team and player fees, referee fees, and many other expenses during the course of the season. Payment plans are available for players on a tight budget. In instances of serious financial hardship, there are alternate methods to assist players with paying dues. All discussions are in complete confidence. When we travel to away games we usually travel in personal vehicles and everyone helps cover fuel expenses. Player also have to join USA Rugby to be eligible to play.
10. Safety in the tackle; How can these kids play “football” without wearing pads or helmets?
It is very important to recognize that rugby athletes are not playing football. They are playing rugby, and there is a big difference. The ball is the same general shape as in football, but that is where the similarities end. Most of the thousands of injuries suffered each year in football result from dangerous techniques that are only encouraged by the wearing of so-called "protective" gear.
Since rugby tackling requires a "grapple-and-wrap" tackle (as in wrestling) there is no need for helmets and pads. Further, there is absolutely no blocking in rugby, and therefore fewer injuries to knees and ankles as a result of poor or illegal blocking tactics. Rugby tackling is very different than football tackling, and is much more like a "takedown" in wrestling. All rugby athletes are taught to tackle and be tackled safely before they are allowed to participate in contact practices and matches.
Rugby athletes are strictly required to wrap their arms around the ball carrier when making a tackle ...no cross-armed impacts, no purposeful head-on-head collisions, no initiation of contact with the head and neck. It is also important to understand that the ball carrier in rugby is not striving for the extra yard necessary to make a first down, as is often the case in the gridiron game.
In football, the bigger and more violent the collision, the less chance there is of a first down, and the more likely there will be a fumble. This is how thousands of football athletes suffer serious head and spinal injuries each year, despite being equipped with heavy shoulder pads and hard plastic helmets. But the violent collisions in football help to sell tickets and generate vast TV audiences. There are no first downs in rugby. And no fumbles either. Rugby is all about passing.
Rugby is a fast-flowing game of continuous motion. Rugby is based on teamwork, and quick passing ("recycling") of the ball to supporting teammates. Rugby is not focused on individual efforts, or gaining an extra few inches, or crushing a ball carrier. A rugby athlete who is about to be tackled (or who is in the process of being tackled) is primarily interested in passing or rolling the ball back to a supporting athlete. The tackled athlete wants to get rid of the ball, not hold on to it and take additional "hits" in an effort to gain a few more inches. In this way, the rugby ball remains actively in play, and the tackle situation (if one arises at all) is quickly and safely concluded.
11. Are there a lot of injuries in rugby?
There is a tremendous amount of misinformation on this important issue. Most of this misinformation is given out by folks who know little or nothing about rugby, or who are often personally "invested" in sports that they perceive as competing with rugby for talented athletes. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually very few serious injuries in rugby. As with all contact sports, there are bumps and bruises, and occasional sprains, concussions and fractures. True, rugby is a contact sport, and a vigorous one. However, the rate of serious injury in rugby is less than that experienced in other contact sports, such as football and ice hockey. The rate of serious injuries in rugby is roughly comparable to that in soccer and lacrosse, and substantially less than in sports like skiing, in-line skating and skateboarding.
12. What happens if an athlete is injured during a match or practice?
Injuries do occur in rugby, just as they occur in any contact sport. Athletes are responsible for reporting minor injuries to their parents. However, injuries that are suspected to be more serious in nature (i.e. fractures, larger cuts, concussions, and serious sprains) are reported immediately to the player's parent or guardian by the coach. A cell phone is present at all practices and matches in the event of an emergency. Certified trainers are present at some matches, and tournaments, but not at all events. Appropriate action will of course be taken in the event that an injury requires emergency attention, and a parent cannot be located. At the beginning of the season, all parents are required to fill out a form, so as to provide emergency contact information. Parents are also requested to sign a Medical Authorization form in the event that emergency treatment is needed and a parent cannot be located on an immediate basis to authorize such treatment.
13. Does the club provide medical or disability insurance?
No, we do not provide medical or disability insurance of any kind to any of its athletes or coaches. No rugby club provides such insurance to its athletes or coaches, at any age level. No medical or disability insurance is provided for our rugby athletes by any school, school district, or by the Archdiocese. Each rugby athlete must arrange for his or her own coverage through his or her family.
14. How much travel is involved?
Most of our High School team matches are within an hour drive. We usually play 3-4 away matches during a spring season.
For the 2010 Year all matches are within a 20 minuet drive until playoffs.
When playoffs come the furthest team that we could possible play is Fond Du Lac. The State, and NEW youth rugby tournament will also be in Fond Du Lac on the 22nd of May this year.
15. Does the club provide transportation to and from "away" matches?
Ordinarily, team travel to "away" matches is by carpool. Carpool vehicles are operated by coaches, parents and by the athletes themselves. Parents should be sure to discuss travel plans with their athletes, including the identity of the person who will be driving.
16. Do the teams have drug and alcohol policies in place?
Drug and alcohol use will not be tolerated, and is strictly forbidden in connection with all rugby practices, matches, tours and events. The club reserves the right to permanently terminate the membership privilege of any athlete suspected of possessing, transporting or using drugs or alcohol in connection with any rugby practice, match or other event. Further, if a coach suspects that an athlete may be involved in drug or alcohol use outside of rugby events, the situation will be brought to the attention of the athlete's parent or guardian, immediately, and on a confidential basis.
17. How much time is spent on rugby on a weekly basis?
Typically during the season, we will meet for either games or practices on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. See the Schedule page for more information. No player is penalized in any way if he or she needs to skip rugby practices or matches in order to study, or to attend family, school or church events. Athletes are strongly encouraged to engage in a personal fitness program on their own, outside of practice. Rugby is much more fun when the participant is fit.
