Mountain View Rugby Club
Did you know that Mountain View has a Rugby club? The Mountain View Bobcats are members of the American Youth Rugby Union (AYRU). I met with Paul Lynch, co-founder of AYRU and the Mountain View Bobcats, this week. The Bobcats have been in Mountain View since 2009. Paul explained to me that most American kids are new to the sport and they aren’t usually exposed to it until they get go high school. If they have the opportunity to experience it as a young child they are at a great advantage when they have the chance to join a high-school or college team.
Apparently many people are under the misconception that rugby is a rough and dangerous sport. Paul tells me that it is actually very strict and civilized. “Although it is very physical, you have the utmost respect for your opponent” in the game of rugby. The kids learn good conduct and sportsmanship and the game builds their confidence and self-esteem. One of the major aspects of the game is not letting your team down by behaving disrespectfully to your teammates, your opponents or to the team captains or referees. Everyone needs to follow the rules.
The AYRU is open to all kids, boys and girls from ages 6 to 14. There are about 50 kids involved in the Mountain View Bobcats right now and there is room for another 50. Everyone gets to play, regardless of skill level. There are scholarships available to those that might have difficulty with the registration fee. You can contact Paul and play for a day to test it out and see if you would like to join the team. Some of the games are tough/tag rugby and others are contact. I asked how many broken bones they have had and Paul told me that there have been none in the 3 seasons in Mountain View. That’s a pretty good record.
Two of the coaches of the Mountain View Bobcats have played professional rugby and the “advisior” to the team, Brian McCellahan, is currently a professional player. Brian also happens to have been born in Mountain View. One of the coaches is the owner of St. Stephens Green on Castro Street. Many of the parents want to learn about the game after they watch it for a few minutes while their children are playing and they end up becoming coaches for the team.
After a game, both of the teams sit down together for a meal. They talk about the game and get to know each other. That’s very different from other sports. They are given the chance to critique each other’s technique, give feedback to the other team and talk about how they can improve their performance. It all sounds so civil and respectful. I really like that. To learn more about the Mountain View Bobcats, AYRU, and sponsoring or joining the team, please visit their website or their Facebook page.
I love Mountain View.
Great article. Thanks for promoting the sport I love so much.
We love AYRU. The coaches are terrific and it’s a great, challenging game.
Rugby gives the opportunity for kids to play a team sport with fantastic coaching and great team spirit. The kids learn to work together, win and loose with pride when they try their hardest. It builds self confidence within the players and great friendships. Our grandson found this to be a safe sport to experience fun challenging physical play. We are very grateful for this opportunity.. Thanks to all the great coaches that give freely..