Could you please give me a rough idea of when practices start?
Tigers Rugby will start official practice on December 1st at the artificial turf field in Broomfield County Commons Park. In December and January, we practice Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays outside on our game “pitch” (rugby for field).
Practices start at 3:15 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10:00 am on Saturdays in December and January . Practice always lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes .
The City and County of Broomfield will provide us permits for February at a later date. They traditionally allow us to use the grass fields in March if the grass is clearing by then. Throughout the season we have 3 days-a-week practice at Aspen Creek Park on Mountain Meadow Drive and Sheridan (2 blocks south of 144th on Sheridan).
Games?
League games (An A-side match for 70 minutes and a 35 minute B-side match) are played on Wednesdays and some Saturdays.
U-16 (Freshmen and Sophomores) play on Mondays (two 45 minutes games a day). We play our home games at Championship Field in Broomfield County Commons Park at 132nd and Sheridan.
How long does your season lasts?
The first match is currently scheduled on February 25th.
The State Championship tournament runs from April 28th through May 16th.
How difficult is it for a 9th grader to pick up the sport for the first time?
First time players pick up the game quickly. 8th graders traditionally join our club as well. There is a separate match schedule for the U-16 players, so they get plenty of game time playing against other kids their own age. We are blessed to have close associations with other coaches at other schools.
This year we will field A side and B side teams and one independent Tigers Rugby U-16 side.
How you are affiliated with the school?
Tigers Rugby is an independent non-profit corporation that has no direct affiliation with any school.
Tigers Rugby began as a program for off season training for football players. From 2002 through 2005, I was a football coach at Holy Family. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a Licensed Physical Therapist, I coached linemen, speed and explosion, and served as the Junior Varsity Head Coach at Holy Family for two years (2004 & 2005).
When it became more difficult to afford the time to coach 12 months a year, I settled into rugby only. This year marks our ninth season. We are still friends with all of the football coaching staff, and with the coaches of other schools.
Personally, I had played rugby for 16 years, and coached my sons for 10 years, through a period when we were state champions in football twice at Holy Family. In the last eight years, Rugby Colorado (formerly Colorado Youth Rugby) has presented Tigers Rugby Football Club the prestigious 2011, 2006 & 2005 Team Sportsmanship Awards, the 2011 & 2004 Player of the Year Awards, and the 2011 & 2005 Coach of the Year Awards. Our club has moved up the ladder gradually over the past 8 years as an independent club team, as evidenced by our appearances as the 2011 Division I State Championship Semifinalists, 2009 & 2010 Division I State Quarterfinalists, 2008 & 2007 North Division Champions, 2007 State Championship Plate Finalists, and the 2006, 2005 & 2004 Plate Semifinalists.
