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First New Orleans public school team tackles rugby
Published: Sunday, January 15, 2012
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/01/new_orleans_public_school_team.html
As the high school rugby season prepares to kick off in mid-January,
the New Orleans area has added its first public school rugby team:
Lake Area New Tech Early College High School. The Catholic boys
schools that already have teams have welcomed the addition with
scrimmages and advice.
Lake Area New Tech scrimmaged against one of rugby's local
powerhouses, Brother Martin, at Pratt Park in December. The Lake
Area New Tech Leopards held their own in a tighter game than the
19-5 score would indicate.
"After Christmas break you won't be able to stop us," said Troy Mack
Jr., a senior who plays inside center for Lake Area New Tech.
Lake Area New Tech officials decided to join the Deep South Rugby
league in September when senior Anthony Bertrand approached school
counselor John Leitz with the idea of forming a team.
"We couldn't have a football team because we were a first-year high
school, and I just decided that we should play something that's
inexpensive, fun, and something new and different," Bertrand said.
Although they'd never played rugby before, Bertrand and his friends
were eager to put a team together.
Leitz called on the New Orleans rugby community for assistance in
getting the Lake Area New Tech team started.
"The biggest thing I needed was some good experience in rugby and
knowledge. Jesuit, Brother Martin and Audubon coaches and New
Orleans Rugby have been huge in helping us get started and moving
this forward," Leitz said.
The Deep South Rugby League consists of 10 teams across Louisiana,
Mississippi and Florida.
Jerry Malina, head coach of the New Orleans Men's Rugby team and
assistant coach for Brother Martin, was one of the coaches who
helped develop the high school rugby program 10 years ago.
"We have been stuck on six (teams) for a long time. That's Shaw,
Jesuit, Brother Martin, Rummel, Episcopal School of Acadiana and a
team from Niceville, Fla.," Malina said. "It is really the New
Orleans Rugby league, but we have incorporated teams that have
nobody else to play."
New Orleans Rugby put the word out in the rugby community that Lake
Area New Tech was putting together a team.
Adam Ducoing and Chance King Doyle signed up for the head coaching
positions and are now tackling the challenges of the first-year
team.
"It's got its challenges because none of them have ever played and
most of them hadn't even actually seen the game before, but they've
really taken to defense," Ducoing said.
Troy said the first order of business is for the team to get rid of
its football mentality. Players are using material they have
received from their coaches and from their own research.
"We've watched videos with the coaches, we read books and we print a
lot of stuff up off the Internet," Bertrand said.
"The rules are where they're really struggling, but we have been
giving them handouts on positions and how to hold your channels, and
the more scrimmages we play the better we are going to get before
the season," Leitz said.
The Leopards have faced other start-up challenges. Originally
practicing on a 20-yard vacant lot next to the school, the team now
has Pratt Park as its practice field.
The team has overcome financial hurdles, and after the scrimmage
with Brother Martin, the team won't have any more issues with having
enough players to make up a 22-player squad.
"After this scrimmage tonight, I've had about six other guys come up
and ask what they need to do to play -- we are seeing that interest
growing," Leitz said.
It's a sport that's easy to love, the players said. Everyone gets a
chance to be involved, and the game is fast and aggressive.
"It is fast-paced, no stopping -- and I like the fact that we can
strip the ball whenever we want as long as we are standing up,"
Bertrand said.
The Leopards are determined and focused on becoming one of the
league's powerhouses.
"We practice more than anyone, we practice four days a week -- we
have been working hard to catch up," Leitz said. "We have to get
into the top four to get into the state playoffs and there is no
doubt in my mind that we will get there."
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Deep South Rugby Referee Society
If you are interested in picking up the whistle and giving back
to the best sport in the world, please contact
Alex Sharland for more information and to register for the class.
sharland.associates@gmail.com
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Welcome to the Deep South website! You'll find everything you need to keep on top of what's going on. You can find local clubs along with their current contact information. Local clubs can check their compliance with the union as well. Keep checking back in with us often. If you have photos or stories you'd like us to post, PLEASE pass them along for our new sections "Picture of the Week" & "News from Around the Union."
Thanks!
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| New Orleans at Battleship, Spring 2010 |
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Deep South Rugby Members, we need your help! Please send us your favorite Team, Game and Social Rugby Pictures. We will begin to post a new picture each week and if you include a story or caption we will post that as well. Thanks!
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| Archive Pictures |
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| Deep South Rugby now has polos available to the general masses! Polos are $25 + $3 shipping. Polos fit regular, and are available in sizes Small - XX Large for all three colors. Check or money order should be made out and addressed to Charles Dube, 27721 Rileywood Drive, Daphne, AL 36526. Please specify Size, Color, and shipping address in your order. All proceeds benefit the Deep South.
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Rugby 7s in the 2016 Olympics!
The sports of golf and rugby sevens have been voted today by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session for inclusion in the
program of the 2016 Olympic Games – awarded last Friday to Rio de
Janeiro. The two sports had been recommended by the IOC Executive Board
(EB) in August following an extensive evaluation by the Olympic
Program Commission of the seven sports seeking to enter the program.
“Both golf and rugby are very popular sports with global appeal and a
strong ethic,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “They will be great
additions to the Games.” The two sports, voted on separately in
alphabetical order of the sports, golf then rugby, received a simple
majority of votes cast by the members of the Session. The result of the
first vote was not revealed to the Session until the vote for the
second sport had taken place.
Bernard Lapasset, President of the International Rugby Board, said: “I
am so delighted and proud. My thanks to the IOC members for their
wonderful support. Rugby is honored to be a part of the Olympic Sports
Program and we are already looking forward to Rio 2016.”
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