Narberth Youth Rugby Club kicked off its 10th Season with a monster showing at the prestigious Frostbite Rugby Tournament in Landisville, PA.  Narberth RFC competed against top level teams from Pennsylvania and Maryland, ending the weekend of rugby with a 5-0 record and hoisting the championship trophy proudly above their heads.

Battling against frigid temperatures and stiff competition, Narberth won their first three matches on Saturday.  They defeated Mount Saint Joe’s High School (Baltimore, MD) 3-0, North Bay RFC (Aberdeen, MD) 12-7, and Carlisle High School (Carlisle, PA) 15-0.  The scores reflect the strong level of competition and the growth that Narberth RFC has made in the last few seasons.

Narberth RFC returned on Sunday to defeat Calvert Hall College High School (Baltimore, MD) 12-7 in a very physical match.  Late in the day on Sunday Narberth took the field against Hempfield High School (Hempfield, PA), leaving everything they had on the field and walking away with a 45-5 win and the championship trophy.  Narberth played a brand of fast and exciting rugby throughout the weekend, using the speed and skill of their back line players to attack strong defenses.  The workhorses of the team, the forwards, provided the back line with many opportunities to get their hands on the ball as they secured the ball at the rucks and scrums.  Narberth hopes to carry the momentum from the Frostbite Tournament to their regular season as they kick off league play on March 19th against Allentown Blues RFC.

Narberth RFC has been competitive throughout its 10 years, earning 2nd place in the Rugby PA State Championships in 2014.  Since 2007 the club has worked to add younger age divisions with the hopes of growing the game and building experienced players.  A flag rugby program for boys and girls in Kindergarten to Sixth Grade is available in the summer, and an Eighth through Ninth Grade program plays in the spring.  That work is paying off this season with several veteran players having 8-10 years of rugby experience.  The rugby experience is something that is historically lacking in American rugby as players do not typically start until college.  One focus of Narberth Youth Rugby Club is to provide the experience at an earlier age so that the boys and girls can excel when they move onto collegiate levels.    Although based in Narberth, PA the club includes players from throughout the Main Line including Lower Merion and Radnor schools.  More information can be found on their club website www.narberthrugby.com.

Back Row: Head Coach Gabe Gliwa, Cameron McKendrick, Mason Gray, Isaac Martin, Evan Martin, Colin Prigent, Jhamir Watkins, Patrick Morey, Raymond Fullbright, Michael Boken, Devlin Eckardt, Coach Chris Metzger.

Front Row: Jack Torbeck, Erin DeLuca, Ty Bookstaver, Bruce Herriott, Nicholas DeLuca, Nate Nagvajara, Henry Weinrieb, Adam Judkowski, Luke Powell, Cathal Brannigan,

Not pictured (but on roster): Davon Collins, George May, Jack Stickney, Nicholas Merriam, Tim Delleville

Posted in News and tagged