Play Rugby USA: Teaching life through rugby

Rugby is an intense sport that is rapidly emerging and developing in the United States. Although it contains aspects from both football and soccer, it is altogether something new and different.

To celebrate and spread the sport, SoCal Rugby Camps have taken it upon themselves to engage youth in rugby.

SoCal Rugby Camps is a non-profit program under an organization called Play Rugby, which provides opportunities for youth to play rugby all year. Each day, they engage in different activities to heighten their skills in rugby and, of course, play rugby.

The premise of the camp and organization go further than skills on the field, however.

“The program works with kids using life skills, the commodity, the friendship, the teamwork– all the elements that are essential to the game and basically using rugby as a vehicle to bring it to the kids, ” Coach Dallen Stanford said.

And the student athletes do learn from it.

Student athlete Cayanara Espino said, “Knowing that you have someone with you at any time– not only on the field but off the field– it’s like having a second family.”

This story was produced through the HS Insider summer internship program which is supported by funding from LA84 Foundation.