Congratulations Graduating Rugby Class of 2009!

As the spring rugby season comes to a close, the weather is starting to get warmer (finally in cities other than Texas) and the craze for summer 7's is starting to buzz.

I want to take this moment and congratulate all the graduating 2009 Rugby players.  

Whether graduating kindergarten (if overseas), high school or college this is an exciting time in your life; a fresh start, a new beginning, and most importantly an exciting adventure.  

You’ve accomplished many things so far in your life even with all the bumps in the road. There is much more to come!

I want to take this time not only to congratulate you all, but to remind you of one thing that made this time so special and so unforgettable….Rugby.  

A sport that is a part of your life, a part of your family, a part of you.  Please remember this experience and carry it with you in your next adventures.

I received an email a few weeks ago from the USA Rugby Membership Department and I want to share it with all our readers.  

It included a breakdown of all the CIPP registered rugby players in the nation broken down by league (club, collegiate, high school, etc.).  It even divided the numbers between men and women.  Here are the stats:

Since 8/15/08, 81,920 Club & Individual Members have registered with USA Rugby.

21,878          Adult members  (Female 3,612; Male 18,266)

28,827          College members (Female 10,230; Male 18,597)

24,253          HS/U19 members (Female 5,133; Male 19,120)

3,388            Youth/U15 members (Female 173; Male 3,215)

1,377            Referee Members (Female 204; Male 1,173)

** You can always access real-time information on any specific TU or LAU from USA Rugby. 

So, here is my shout-out to all the ladies. Please continue to play after college and help support this game for future generations. The numbers don’t lie.  There are 10,000 collegiate players right now, so why aren’t there more women club players?  

It’s not even half! We need to keep this sport alive by continuing to play, coaching, and refereeing. 

When you start thinking about walking away from the sport that has brought you so much… road trips…rookie skits… boat races… 6 am practices… All-Star events… National Championships… laughs… loves…and friends.  

Think about if you had never started this adventure.

To the Rugby Class of 2009…. Carpi Rugby!

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Your Scrumhalf Connection...my blog to rave about rugby life and sometimes even my life. Women's rugby for life...http://yourscrumhalfconnection.com Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/scrumhalblog for instant updates to the blog.