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		<title>USA Rugby's Kurt Weaver Discusses Changes in HS Rugby</title>
		<description>Discuss USA Rugby's Kurt Weaver Discusses Changes in HS Rugby</description>
		<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html</link>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 21:35:20 --500</lastBuildDate>
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			<title>Wolf says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3095</link>
			<description><![CDATA[An invitational tournament without a territorial qualifier will make attendace more feasible for more teams. That is good. All interested teams, however, should be able to apply for an invitation. This allows start-up teams or teams on a strong cycle a chance at the championship. The committee can then process those "applicants" using their criteria for merit.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Wolf</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 09:54:21 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3095</guid>
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			<title>Rugbydad52 says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3032</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Rugby needs to grow in a step wise approach, and this is too big of a step. Twenty five years ago most Americans were introduced to rugby for the first time while in college, and usually for the "extra cirricular" activities. Today we see touch leagues forming with 8 year olds. GREAT!In my opinion though, we're still not at critical mass yet where all high schools can support a team. Today most HS rugby teams come from private schools. To ask a U19 team to compete with a private school's resources (fields, money, paid coaches, trainers, etc, etc) isn't right. As I understand the rules, if you attend a HS with a rugby team, that's where you play. If you attend a HS without a team or don't attend HS at all, you play U19. Perfect. For most boys this is their first experience playing tackle rugby. These four years are critical to developing skills, technique and most importantly a love of the game. I worry these new changes will demotivate many......that's what college is for.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Rugbydad52</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 14:51:16 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3032</guid>
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			<title>Rugby Utah says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3030</link>
			<description><![CDATA[We started this same migration away from U-19s in Utah as we formed the SBRO. We already have the same requirements that USA Rugby is proposing and experienced almost 100% growth from 2010 to 2011. There was little to no impact that we could see. The U-19 teams stayed with the Union and All the rest of the youth came to the SBRO. I understand the ideal of all Single HS teams in a state and the demise of the club but I do not think we have sufficient mass in Utah, and probably nationally, to make that move. That said, we have mixed HS clubs (no U-19) play Single School clubs for a state championship and no one has seen any negatives yet. In fact, this years championships consist of a single school and a multi school representative. Utah allows charter and home schooled players already as well. It is working.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Rugby Utah</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 13:08:55 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3030</guid>
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			<title>Joe Sweeney says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3019</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Changing the National Championship to an invitational is huge mistake. Why not allow teams to compete for the spot? Weaver’s argument is that the Nationals force SBROs to move their state championships earlier and that shortens the season. Good argument if it were true, but it’s not. The majority of SBROs who choose to compete for bids to the Nat'ls hold their state championships AFTER the Nat'ls. Of those who hold the state champs before the Nat'ls, 4 out of 5 are from areas with enough early good weather that they start in February and have 12+ weeks to complete their league season. The only SBRO that starts in March and ends before the Nat'ls is Washington, where no HS teams and only 1 club has opted to compete for a bid to the Nat'ls. Changing the Nat'ls from a play-in to an invitation is fixing a system that isn’t broken and replacing it with a system that doesn’t allow new, underrated, upstart teams to compete for a spot. It is against the basic ethic of competitive sport]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Joe Sweeney</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 08:08:24 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3019</guid>
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			<title>RUGBYINTHE801 says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3010</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Im not talking about Import players Brian.. im talking about for EXAMPLE (take UNITED RUGBY) which has 308 players of various ages last year.. and only 3 from over seas.. break them up into 15 schools with different age groups.. 14-15, jr.varsity, and varsity teams.. and thats 45 teams.. Add in two coaches per team.. and thats 90 coaches..and thats just one club!!! YOU tell me Brian. Are there that many QUALIFIED , good rugby coaches you know?? who are going to teach safe, sound rugby to your kids??? yes it is about the kids.. and it is about USA rugby.. And in this instance.. BIGGER is not nessisarily better.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>RUGBYINTHE801</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 22:11:31 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3010</guid>
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			<title>Stuart Hutchings says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3001</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Interesting perspective - In FL the HS teams declined to play teams with players who had graduated HS but were U19 because of the 'bigger boys'. We had a 250lb, 6' 2" Freshman and a 5'6" 135lb HS grad in our team!!! Strange....]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Stuart Hutchings</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 15:57:07 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-3001</guid>
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			<title>Stuart Hutchings says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2999</link>
			<description><![CDATA[All players should be able to play in their age group which is dictated by their date of birth and not their academic status just as in the rest of the rugby world. Its a sad fact that 70+% of HS graduate rugby players never play again. Why? Firstly - Secondly many HS grads aren't physically/mentally ready for Mens rugby. Maybe an over simplification but these are factors. Additionally we should all be looking to find reasons to maximize playing opportunity and not minimizing them by bringing in rules such as this one and college eligibility guidlines.surely we want the sport to grow and give everyone the opportunity to play who wants too?? a handful playing rugby. Why is USAR trying to reinvent the wheel.. age group rugby works very well in the rest of the world as is proven by their national teams results.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Stuart Hutchings</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 15:03:05 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2999</guid>
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			<title>anon says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2998</link>
			<description><![CDATA[@NC Rugby - So we should push a 14yo at the bottom of the HS game out? And to the question of home schooled etc. If a student is enrolled in courses leading to a diploma or equivelant they are usually elegible for HS sports. Most states have this policy and cap the age @ 19 in case they are stretching it out.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>anon</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 14:53:56 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2998</guid>
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			<title>Rugby52 says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2997</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Taking out the top 25 HS and U19 teams, I think HS teams have a huge advantage over clubs in this age group. HS teams are together all day. After school they can practice every day on their own field and really come together as a team. This is critical in rugby - especially early on. Clubs (at least where my son plays) have to fight, beg and borrow to get a field. Often times we (the parents) have to kick in some $$ to pay to use them. Most of the kids can't drive and they are coming from 6 - 8 different High Schools so getting them all together at the same time and in the same place is a challenge. They're lucky if they can practice 2 or 3 times a week. So, while they're all good athletes it takes MUCH longer for them to come together as a team. I worry having clubs play against HS teams will demotivate many in the club side and they'll go back to playing baseball or lacrosee in the spring for their HS team. Of course if every HS had a rugby team, that would be different.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>Rugby52</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 14:51:44 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2997</guid>
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			<title>anon says:</title>
			<link>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2996</link>
			<description><![CDATA[@rugbyinthe801 - SO we should wait for volunteer coaches to appear out of the woodwork? No way. Good SBRO's have mechanisms in place to locate recruit and sometimes guilt coaches into coming. People here are so focused on the quality of play. Lets get 200 hs's in every state playing mediocre rugby (by USA Standards). THEN lets really push to improve. If your organization is not built for and pushing for growth - then you will not grow.]]></description>
			<dc:creator>anon</dc:creator>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 14:51:10 --500</pubDate>
			<guid>http://rugbymag.com/boys/996-usa-rugbys-kurt-weaver-discusses-changes-in-hs-rugby.html#comment-2996</guid>
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