Maybe Next Year

The Churchill Cup games will not be in Columbus this year. Due to budget constraints and the Major League Soccer schedule, they could not find a proper venue and date.

Fortunately for us, Ohio is a very attractive place to host international games. Our airport is convienent and cheap, we have great hotspots of rugby fans and players and our venues are second to none. The folks at USA Rugby and the IRB are excited about the prospect of a game here, just not this one.

Although it would have been a great step forward for Ohio rugby, we can still work to push the game forward here.

We had our first conference call with all the SBRO's from around the country last night. These calls will be monthly and deal with the latest items from the USA Office, address concerns/questions, share ideas and generally get everyone on the same page. It was a very constructive call and Mark Griffin has laid out a vision and the tools to get there. We are lucky to have him in the position of National Youth Director and the movement will advance because of him.

Locally, we have had a difficult week with eligibility concerns. The short answer for the new eligibility guidelines is that this is a process and will be worked out. Be patient and know that in Ohio, we have strict guidelines we follow for eligibility. The release only applies to teams that will be participating in the U19 Club National Championships, which is 8 teams nationwide.