Welcome to Our Rugby Family
We are excited that you are learning more about our rugby program and hope to welcome you soon to the Carmel Youth Rugby family.
Affiliated with Carmel Dads Club, Rugby Indiana and USA Rugby, we provide opportunities for boys and girls in grades 2-8 to play flag and tackle rugby in a fun environment focused on safety, skill development, teamwork and participation, directed by highly experienced and USA Rugby and Rugby Indiana certified coaches.
Our program is local travel, playing nearby teams from Fishers, Westfield, Pendleton, Brownsburg, Zionsville, Pike, Noblesville and others. We are focused on developing the fundamental skills required to play rugby. We believe that through development our athletes will grow to love the game and continue to play throughout their life.
Many people in the United States aren't familiar with rugby. It's a global sport invented in 1823 and now played in over 120 countries by 9.1 million people worldwide, including 2.4 million women and girls. During a time when some youth sports are declining, our program has grown by 105% over the past five years.
Rugby rejoined the Olympics in 2016 in Rio with both a men's and women's 7’s tournament. And, in 2018, the United States hosted the Rugby 7’s World Cup for the first time, where more than 100,000 fans packed into AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The 2023 Men’s World Cup in France was attended by more than 4 million fans at the 48 tournament matches and reached a broadcast audience of over 400 million television viewers.
Rugby is a unique sport because it allows the players to make real-time decisions. The game of rugby includes preparation, training and coaching, but the non-stop action puts the strategy and in-game decisions into the players hands. No other sport is quite like rugby – combining skills from football, soccer, track, basketball, wrestling and more, all in one!
All players run, pass, catch, kick and score and all play both defense and offense at any given time during a match. There is a position on the field for everyone who wants to play – short or tall, big or small, boys and girls. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, our flag teams and 5th/6th grade coed tackle teams led the state in girls’ participation and our 7th/8th grade girls team won the Rugby Indiana State Championship in 2022!
Above all, rugby is a social sport with strong values that cultivate camaraderie and competition while also demanding respect and good sportsmanship. Our club’s mantra, #FIRSTonthepitch, is a constant reminder to focus on Friendship, Integrity, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Teamwork.
We encourage you come to our Try Rugby night, explore our website, connect with us on social media, and register to play this fun and fast-paced global sport.
Sincerely, Scott LeVeque
CDC Youth Rugby Commissioner
& father of three ruggers
