The Story

Rugby NorCal is the governing body for Youth and High School Rugby in Northern California. We are a 501c3 registered non-profit organization. Our mission is to serve the Membership by promoting the enjoyment of rugby for all, preserving the image and history of rugby, and developing all aspects of the sport, focusing on player safety, to enable rugby to be a recognized presence in Northern California.

Rugby NorCal is focusing on two specific initiatives this year that we need your help to ensure their success! The first initiative is the new Player Welfare Program (PWP), and the second is focused on youth outreach and development through the implementation of Rookie Rugby and Try On Rugby Programs and Leagues. If we are able to meet, or better yet, exceed our goal of $20,000, the Athletic Trainer costs for all Rugby NorCal Programs will be almost covered, lessening the administrative and financial burden on each club, allowing them to focus on helping more children in their own communities participate with their clubs. Reaching our goal will also enable us to pay for equipment and the man hours necessary to run Rookie Rugby and Try on Rugby programs all over our region.

The Player Welfare Program is a unique and innovative way that Rugby NorCal is addressing player safety concerns. More often than not, we are seeing youth contact sports dominating the headlines for their safety concerns rather that the benefits participation in youth sports can have on a child’s development. The PWP initiative has been created in an attempt to spearhead this issue and show our commitment to the safety and welfare of every player that participates in a Rugby NorCal league or event.

The program has three major parts. The first part includes offering free baseline concussion testing to every playing member over the age of 10 (almost 4,700 children). The second part is ensuring that every sanctioned Rugby NorCal match or tournament has certified Athletic Trainers or EMTs on the sideline to respond to injuries or emergencies. The third part of the program is the integration of an injury tracking database into our current registration system so that those assigned Athletic Trainers or EMTs can report the injury data and allow us to mark players suspected of concussion as medically ineligible to participate until clearance is provided by a primary care physician. It is also tracking any and all other injuries so we can analyze exactly when and how injuries are occurring in our sport at the youth and high school levels, and take preventative measures where possible to reduce injury risk and occurrence.

As you can imagine, this program comes at a significant cost to Rugby NorCal, and as such, some of that cost is having to be passed back on to the clubs and the membership. Your contribution will enable us to reduce that financial burden on the clubs, and ensure that all our athletes are properly cared for!

The second major initiative is the introduction of the sport in a non-contact environment to school districts, individual schools, after school programs, and partner organizations such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs. This initiative requires a significant amount of manpower and hours on the ground instructing teachers and coaches how to run such a program. Your contributions will aid us in the ability to provide those human resources to our communities, as well as help fund starter kit packages that can be given to schools and organizations who wish to start these programs.

I want to thank every one of you who have taken the time to read more about what Rugby NorCal is doing to grow and sustain the best sport in the world. It is our hope that every child in Northern California can be exposed to the sport, and can benefit from being exposed to Rugby’s values; Teamwork, Sportsmanship, Respect, Compassion, Camaraderie, and Enjoyment.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause, every dollar counts towards a great experience for a child! As a reminder, Rugby NorCal is a 501c3 registered Non-Profit Charitable Organization, so your donations are tax deductible. Thank you!

Mark Carney
Executive Director

Visit our website to learn more about our organization and the programs we run! www.rugbynorcal.org

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