Great Falls Village is going to be a busy place this Saturday, Nov. 17, as Great Falls Rugby hosts its fifth annual tournament to benefit the spinal cord injury research and recovery programs at MedStar National Rehabilitation Network. This annual charity event is the brainchild of Gary Coetzee, president of Great Falls Rugby and a spinal cord injury survivor.
Sunday’s tournament is a youth tournament for all age groups U7 through high school. A number of D.C., Maryland and Virginia youth, middle school and high school teams are already registered. The fun begins at 9 a.m. and will go all day.
If you’re interested in checking out the youth “touch rugby” program, those games will take place on the field behind the post-office. In this version of the game, if a player is tagged below the waist, he may take two steps but then must pass the ball. Tackling starts in fifth grade. If you’d like to see the middle and high school tackle program, visit us at Leo Santabella and grab a bite to eat from our food trucks Kiwi Pies and Buena’dillas. A portion of all sales go to the cause.
Great Falls Rugby, founded in 2011, is a 501c3 non-profit organization and has seen registrations surge after the sports appearance in the 2016 summer Olympics. “Many families are looking for a safer alternative to American football, while others are realizing how well the sports complement one another. Rugby-style tackling is taking hold in both college and profession football.”
The 2018 season is drawing to a close, but, there will be indoor clinics during the winter and the club is looking forward to the 2019 season in January. Looking for a Spring sport? Rugby is the answer. Registration and playing opportunities exist year round and the Eagles are always looking for opportunities to promote the club throughout the Herndon, Great Falls, Reston, McLean and Sterling areas. For more information, visit www.greatfallsrugby.com. The club is also on Facebook. For information on Rugby Virginia, visit http://rugbyvirginia.com.