WI Youth Growth Part II: Rugby and Lacrosse

Marquette University’s announcement today that it is fully funding varsity men’s and women’s Lacrosse should not come as a shock. It’s a reflection of LAX’s enormous growth. Let’s look at the facts (see the chart above).

This is the explanation from Marquette's Athletic Director, Steve Cottingham;

“We saw this as a strategic opportunity. There has been incredible growth in lacrosse. There are only two men’s and three women’s programs in the Upper Midwest, in five states. Eighty-two percent of our freshmen class come from those states.

“We really thought it was an opportunity, a great demographic fit. And if you look at the schools that play lacrosse, it’s sort of a natural demographic. It’s a sport we thought we could become competitive at fairly quickly. Lacrosse made a great deal of sense to us.”

I wonder if rugby's incredible growth the last ten years will lead to more schools adopting MU's philosophy. It's not too hard to imagine similar comments about rugby. The catch is, it's also difficult to imagine schools (high school or college) adopting two new sports. So, let's look at how rugby's growth compares. The numbers above compare WI’s rugby from ’05-’10, to Lacrosse’s growth from ’04-’09. The data comes from Rugby Magazine’s 2010 census and a study conducted by the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation in 2009.

Observations:

I. LACROSSE IS GAINING MAINSTREAM ACCEPTANCE:

Eighteen varsity LAX programs in a matter of five years, with six more teams in the process of applying for varsity status. Clearly, they are organized. They have trained coaches, and they’ve convinced parents that this is a safe, rewarding contact sport. Varsity status equates to more access to students and more funding. Kids like getting recognition for playing for a school team. It might not be the main reason they play, but it certainly helps and gives the sport creditability.
Rugby has made few inroads in this area. Name one varsity rugby program in the state? Our most successful program, DSHA, is NOT one. Is this a conscious strategic choice by our rugby teams not to pursue varsity acceptance? Has rugby failed to show the qualities needed to gain mainstream acceptance?

Another observation: varsity lacrosse programs dominate the Madison area: Sun Prairie, LaFollette, Verona, and Middleton all boast impressive numbers of boys and girls. Has Lacrosse affected high school rugby in Madison? The girls rugby team there folded a number of years ago.
II. Selectside Teams Have Played Little Role in LAX’s Growth in WI:

It’s just not a big focus. They encourage local teams and building numbers in order to play. Look around their league and youth websites. One of their lead articles is that they announce an All-State team, like other traditional high school sports, in order to recognize kids.

III. THE SNOWBALL EFFECT:

How many more Lacrosse teams will start up as a result of the number of grade school kids playing or because of the lure of a college program? Where’s the motivation or interest for kids to start high school rugby teams going to come from? Check out Dunhams or Sportmart. Do you see rugby balls for sale there? No. Lacrosse nets and sticks? Probably. It seems Lacrosse is hitting up both ends of the spectrum: elite collegiate teams and youth.