SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Rugby Club is launching a youth rugby program next spring to create an avenue for boys and girls ages 6-12 to learn the sport the right way in a safe environment.
“We’re trying to create a pathway from 6-year-olds up to professional and that’s our objective as an organization—building this as a sporting choice form the beginning like the other sports,” said SRC Commercial Manager Eric Huss.
Teaming up with the City of Saratoga Springs, the Saratoga Youth Rugby Program was officially accepted as a new recreation program back in late August.
To help raise funds for the equipment, coaching and field costs, the SRC is now offering a Saratoga Rugby Discount Card for $20. The card, which can be found and purchased at www.saratogarugby.org/card, offers discounts at the following locally-owned locations through all of 2015:
The Bread Basket: 10 percent off $20 lunch, free coffee with breakfast sandwich
Child’s Automotive: $10 off oil change, $25 off over $100
Creative Sparks: One free studio fee ($8 savings)
Cudney Cleaners: $1 off each dry cleaned item
Dehn’s: 10 percent off any purchase
Hot Yoga Saratoga: 20 percent off all Yoga packages
Ice Cream Man: $1 off every $5 spent
Kilwin’s: 15 percent off any purchase
Mingle on the Avenue: 10 percent off all food items
Parkside Eatery: 10 percent off breakfast menu order (cannot be combined)
Peabody’s Sports Bar & Grill: 10 percent off all food items
Pizza Works: Free garlic knots with any purchase
Plum Dandy: 10 percent off every purchase
Saratoga Coffee Traders: 20 percent off any purchase
Saratoga Winery: Free wine tasting (one per visit)
Spring Nails: 10 percent off any services
The Strike Zone: Free shoe rental for everyone in party
Saratoga Youth Rugby will be mainly coached by members of the Saratoga Stampede, who qualified as the No. 4 seed in the New England Rugby Football Union tournament in just their second season as a Division II program.
With a 6-3 record, the Stampede’s milestone victory over rival Albany on Nov. 8 earned them the playoff berth to play No. 1 seeded New Haven on April 18. It was the first time the Stampede defeated Albany, as the SRC has gone from a Division IV social club to a bonafide DII program since its inception nine years ago.
This past fall season, the Stampede had athletes from as far away as South Africa, Scotland and New Zealand on the team in addition to local participants.
The Youth Rugby Program will also include well-known and experienced coaches from the Capital Region that will teach the sport with strictly non-contact, flag rugby.
With a focus on providing a safe environment to teach the proper fundamentals while increasing the standard of the sport in the area, Huss is a proponent of the sport in part because it is so well-rounded.
“Aside from my overall love for the game—I grew up playing soccer, lacrosse and wrestling and baseball and every other sport,” Huss said. “I find that rugby has everything. It has all of the components of other sports. People don’t have an overall awareness of it, but it’s an amazing sport. It has everything that you want in a game. It’s continuous, high-paced, physical, and there’s a lot of scoring. It’s a wonderful game and it has a great flow to it. It can also create a skillset that transfers to any other game. You have to be able to kick, run, pass, tackle—you have to do everything.”
The Saratoga Rugby Club also includes the Saratoga Stallions 7s and the over-35-year-old Saratoga Broncos. More information on the SRC can be found online at saratogarugby.com or by calling Huss directly at (518) 496-6662.
