"The Rugby Mentality"

Below is an open letter from the Director of Ohio's Elite  Rugby, Chris Hopps, published in 2010:


     "In my experiences as a youth and high school rugby administrator I constantly have to correct myself against the “Rugby” mentality. This way of thinking effects many facets of running a union including the most important – expectations. Expectations of our athletes, coaches, venues, events and administrators is what allows us to rise and to fall.

The High School Athlete

If you are a high school athlete you constantly dream of state championship glory. You are brought through the ranks of youth leagues, middle school programs and finally you ascend to the senior high school arena. Some of these championship dreams are more realistic than others but they all include screaming fans, crying parents, perhaps even a school band playing wildly as you compete for the ultimate adolescent prize.

If you ask a high school rugby player their experience in a state championship it likely includes matches played in a park. An assistant coach, alumni or poor junior varsity player patrolling the sidelines as a touch judge. Your poor grandmother brought her own chair or is expected to sit on a hill while you and your teammates propel each other towards your season long goal.

In my first year within our state organization I took an unintentional but important detour. I went to the state volleyball tournament. The pageantry and opulence of the event was astounding. It was everything that such a high level of sport should be. And that started a journey that included our state bowling, wrestling and lacrosse state championships. After watching the hodgepodge of adolescent glory, and misery, I realized how far apart the expectations truly were for rugby and mainstream sports in America.

A high school state final in high school wouldn’t even match a regular season event in any of the state sanctioned sports, let alone our state playoffs. There were aspects to rival events that we had never even considered. And there it was - we were missing the event. At our best rugby had been a collection of matches played by the athletes - for the athletes. We had given no credence to fans, administrators or media.

Why should we accept an inferior product?

This critical review encouraged me to take a look at other segments that we had missed the boat on.I had always operated within rugby as a happy volunteer. This sport was advanced on the backs of volunteers and amateur philanthropists. Referee’s declined match fees, coaches donated their stipends and administrators – how could they accept payment for something they loved? We were surrounded by a rugby environment that, at the top levels, demanded professional commitment and resources, but in its compensation was amateur and volunteer.All had done there work admirably to get our organization to where it was but we were lacking the accountability that comes with compensation.

This sounds easy but in America playing rugby takes sacrifice. Sacrificing class time, work time, family time – money and influence. We got nothing for free and took nothing for granted. We had boot-strapped ourselves to where we were. I was proud of being an American rugby person and felt that I owned just a tiny little slice of this great sport here. I’m sure many feel the same way. I’d always scoffed at taking payment for rugby activities. A couple hundred dollars would be great for me, but imagine what it could buy for the club! I repeated this to myself many, many times.

It finally occurred to me that we had progressed to the point where volunteerism was impeding the growth of rugby. We needed administration, direction and accountability. We needed to reward those who had already sacrificed so much. Coaches and administrators had to be paid! This idea was so “un-rugby” that it was tough for people to wrap their heads around it.

So what does the future hold?
I continue to focus and evaluate our expectations as an administration and as rugby players in general. Rugby is great because there is so much room to achieve and to fall. It truly is the collective will of the players, coaches and administrators that can construct greatness. Without plans, blueprints or maps there are so many programs and teams that have achieved a level of professionalism that can match any varsity program of a big budget sport. Raising our expectations has helped improve the experience of all involved in this game including fans and volunteers."