REDHAWKS YOUTH RUGBY FOR YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER
Did you know that rugby is the fastest growing sport in the United States?  Did you know that playing rugby helps your son or daughter become a more well-rounded athlete, improving skills and conditioning for other sports?  Did you know the rate of injuries in rugby is generally comparable to that of basketball and soccer?  Did you know there are several local rugby clubs with grade based teams from pre-kindergarten through high school?  Did you know that many of your neighbors play on one of the best youth rugby teams in the region—The Raleigh Redhawks Youth Rugby Club—and that its current President, Dave Krosner, is also one of your neighbors?  Finally, do you or your kids have any idea how fun rugby is to play and watch?

The Raleigh Redhawks invite girls and boys of all ages to register for the upcoming Winter/Spring season.  You can find more information about registration and about the club and the upcoming season at www.redhawksrugby.com.  Generally, evening practices commence in early January and run through the middle of May.  Most games at the younger levels occur in Raleigh and Cary, and the older levels also have games in Charlotte, Chapel Hill and other locations.  Kids on teams below 5th grade play two-hand touch rugby (non-contact), and kids on teams from 5th grade up play tackle rugby.

So, what makes rugby so great?  First, anyone can play—no experience is necessary.  The Redhawks’ coaches have decades of experience and are able to quickly teach the kids the game.  Second, the game requires athletes of all different sizes and speed.  Unlike other sports—where to succeed at the highest levels you may need to be extremely tall or fast or big—in rugby there are positions for players who are tall, short, fast, agile, big, or small.  In fact, some of the best players on the Redhawks are small and fast.  Third, the game is continuous—there are no designated offensive and defensive players—rather, like soccer, each player is essentially on offense when you have the ball and defense when you do not.  In rugby, every single player in every single game will run with the ball, pass and catch the ball, make tackles, be tackled, and have the opportunity to score!  Fourth, Rugby provides great cardiovascular exercise, and studies have shown that the average player in a high school rugby game will run five miles during the course of the game.

Rugby also teaches valuable life lessons.  Players learn to establish and strive for team and individual goals, to face and overcome adversity, to put their team ahead of themselves, to work through problems, and to be great sportsmen.  Unlike other sports, rugby has a long and steep tradition of camaraderie among players of competing teams.  During its almost 200 year history, rugby games from school boys through international matches, always end with the host team feeding the visiting team.  By the time most rugby players stop playing the game, they have developed innumerable friendships often around the globe.

There is also the opportunity to play rugby at progressively higher levels and internationally.  There are opportunities to play on state, regional and national all-star and all-American teams.  The very best players will have the chance to compete for a spot on the U.S. national team—The Eagles—who compete in the Olympics, the Rugby World Cup and other international events.  The Redhawks boast two players who have competed overseas—one, a 10th grader, is currently attending boarding school and playing in Wales and another, a 9th grader, spent his summer playing in New Zealand.  One of your neighbors played for the USA Rugby South All-Star team this past summer and competed against the high school national teams from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and Uruguay. Finally, since rugby is played at virtually every U.S. college, kids with the desire to play a sport in college can achieve that through rugby.
For more information about the Raleigh Redhawks Youth Rugby Club, please visit our website (www.redhawksrugby.com) or contact our President, Dave Krosner (919.412.6030).

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A few important items. Please read and take action now!
1. The order deadline for the Redhawks Track Suits is October 25.  Please don’t disappoint your son or daughter--order them before then!  (You can also purchase one for yourself!)  When you order them indicate the size desired. You may also elect to have your son or daughter’s name embroidered onto the chest of the jacket and/or the pants. I highly recommend name on jacket at a minimum since there will be lots of identical jackets!  Here is the website store to order the tracksuits. If you are a coach—be sure to indicate that Coach should be placed on the sleeve.  https://squareup.com/store/wild-haggis-sports/

2. Season Registration.  If you have not already done so, please register for the season ASAP.  We have lots of pre-season expenditures—including much more costly field rental—so it would be a great help to us if everyone would register and pay their season fees ASAP.  Register under the registration tab of our website.   http://redhawksrugby.com   Please also encourage and have your kids encourage their friends to also register to play for the Redhawks.  The more players we have, the more productive we can be at training sessions and the better we will all become.

3. Practice Location.  Our most prevalent parent request was for us to find better practice fields.  In addition, the JCC has decided to close their fields for their long-anticipated field reconstruction so the JCC was not available to us for the 2018 season. We have been working extremely hard to find a suitable alternative—which was not easy.  But we are excited to report that all of our practices for the 2018 season will be held at the new MAC Sports and Entertainment Facility at 8924 Midway West Rd.  Raleigh, NC  27617.  There are two lighted fields of which we will use one, a lighted volleyball court and a decent amount of parking. I think all of our parents and players will be pleased with the change.  And—it is very close to the JCC and probably more convenient for most of our families then the JCC as it is off Westgate Road near Glenwood Avenue, not far from Lone Rider Brewery.  Here is their website for more info.MAC@TheMacNC.com   www.TheMacNC.com

4. Season Game Shorts and Socks.  Game shorts and socks will be the same as last year.  If you need either, please order them here. (As many of you know, I am a big believer in TEAM and I think the very first step in being a team is looking like a team—so please be sure your son or daughter has the required shorts, socks and track suit!  This site for your shorts and socks also has other Redhawks spirit wear you may want to purchase.  https://www.worldrugbyshop.com/club/10559138/

Thank you so much for your prompt attention to these requests and for having your son or daughter play for the Redhawks!  You and your children are what makes the Redhawks great and we all thank you for your support!
Best, Dave

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A few items:

1. Our spirit wear order deadline is October 15th. If you want to obtain Redhawks shorts, shirts, etc., please visit this on-line store and place your order by October 15. Don’t miss out!  https://rrr20172.itemorder.com/
2. Please register for the season now. www.redhawksrugby.com.  Registration fees are $250 for tackle and $150 for touch rugby!
3. Here are links to two other on-line stores—this first one https://www.worldrugbyshop.com/club/10559138/ is for your required rugby shorts and socks for games (they are the same as last year so if your shorts and socks from last year are still in good shape, no need to get these again).  This site also has some spirit wear you may be interested in purchasing.  This second one https://squareup.com/store/wild-haggis-sports/ is for your purchase of Redhawks’ track suits!  We want every single player to purchase a tracksuit so we can dress as a team for all games in cold or wet weather.  Parents and fans are also welcome and encouraged to purchase a track suit. Coaches—when you purchase your tracksuit, be sure to indicate that you are a coach so that “Coach” is printed on the sleeve.  I will have sample sizes and will set up a time for players to come try on the sizes so you can be sure to order the suit that best fits your son or daughter (or you!).  We will need all orders to be completed by approximately mid-October to ensure that the tracksuits arrive prior to our first High School game of the season.  I promise the kids will love these tracksuits and you will have difficulty getting them to wear any other jacket!

Best,

​Coach Dave