Tournament Notes:
-DSHA HS won their 10th National Championship. Unprecedented. All have come under the leadership of Head Coach John Klein.
-Columbia Central's 3rd place finish is the highest finish in the history of the National Tournament for a team from the South territory. Girls rugby has been making notable progress in places like Tennessee, Georgia, and Carolina. Congratulations.
-Two of the three medal winners yesterday did so for the first time. New programs continue to emerge and find success.
-Rocky Mountain's runner-up finish is the highest finish for a team from Idaho. In their first year at this competition, Rocky Mountain (along with Eagle HS the last two tournaments) have made an immediate impact on the quality and competitiveness of the tournament. The 5th place match was an outstanding, high-level display of team rugby.
-Orchard Park dropped out of the event after their two matches on Saturday due to injuries. With a smaller roster, they were not able to complete their matches.
-TMJ 4 Sports in Milwaukee covered DSHA's build-up to the finals. Video can be seen here:
-News Three Now in Madison covered the event. Jump to the 27 minute mark here.
-Alex Goff was on site and his story may be found here.
-Jackie Finlan's article on The Rugby Breakdown (subscription required) may be found here.
-DSHA freshman Ana Byrne scored two tries in the final.
-Three of the referees on the weekend played high school girls rugby in Wisconsin. They've each come up the ranks to contribute to the growth of the sport. We couldn't grow the game without them. Certainly congrats and thank you to each of the referees who staffed the event. Special thanks go to Aoife Hanley, Ellen Moyer, and Michelle (Knurr) O'Brien for giving back to girls rugby.
-Special note goes to City Honors and DSHA for playing JV matches over the weekend. Seeing the size of these and other school-connected programs is encouraging.
-Getting into school communities helps rugby reach and tap into large student-athlete populations. Below is a list of the 2022-2023 school enrollment numbers for each team at the National High School Girls Tournament:
DSHA HS (680*)(all-girls school)
Rocky Mountain HS (2403)
Columbia Central HS (1357)
Catholic Memorial HS (566)
Eagles HS (2092)
Sussex Hamilton HS (1508)
Grandville HS (1772)
City Honors HS (1042)
Orchard Park HS (1418)
All-in-all, these school communities expose a potential student-athlete population of approximately 12,838 kids to rugby. While each program has varying degree of support and presence in these school communities, the potential to communicate, expose, recruit, and grow the game of rugby is immense. Congrats and best of luck to each of these programs as they continue to grow the game.
--The event would not have been possible without the support of USA Youth & High School Rugby, Major League Rugby, Madison United Rugby, and Next Level Rugby.
--Sunday's Final Rounds may be viewed here thanks to Next Level Rugby.
Girls HS Nationals Historical Records
2023 Girls High School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Madison United Rugby, WI
Runner-up: Rocky Mt. HS, ID
3rd place: Columbia Central HS, TN
2022 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Notre Dame College, OH
Runner-up: Summit HS, CO
3rd Place: Eagle HS, ID
D2: Orchard Park, NY
2019 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Infinity Park, CO
Runner-Up: Catholic Memorial HS, WI
3rd Place: Summit HS, CO
2018 Single School Champion: Kahuku HS, HI Location: MTSU, Tennessee
Runner Up: Catholic Memorial HS, WI
3rd: DSHA HS, WI
D2: Broken Arrow, OK
2017 Single School Champion: DSHA HS, WI Location: Elkhart, Ind
Runner Up: Kahuku HS, HA
3rd: Orchard Park, NY
D2: Oak Creek HS, WI
2016 Single School Champion: St Joseph's Academy, OH Location: St Charles, MO
2nd: Summit High School, CO
3rd: DSHA High School, WI
Div2: Penn HS, Ind
Year Champion 2nd 3rd Location D2
2015 Fallbrook, CA Kent, WA Danville, CA Pittsburgh, PA South Bay, CA
2014 Fallbrook, CA Amazons, CA DSHA, WI Pittsfield, MA Pleasanton, CA
2013 Fallbrook, CA Kent, WA DSHA, WI Racine, WI Fullerton, CA
2012 Fallbrook, CA Lakewood, OH DSHA, WI Palo Alto, CA
2011 Fallbrook, CA Amazons, CA DSHA, WI Sandy, UT
2010 Amazons, CA Fallbrook, CA DSHA, WI Sandy, UT
2009 DSHA, WI Lakewood, OH Amazons, CA Pittsburgh, PA
2008 DSHA, WI Lakewood, OH Amazons, CA Pittsburgh, PA
2007 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Vernon, WI Milwaukee, WI
2006 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Ft. Collins, CO Portland, ME
2005 DSHA, WI Kent, WA Vernon, WI Milwaukee, WI
2004 DSHA, WI Kettle Moraine, WI Amazons, CA Burbank, CA
2003 Amazons, CA Ft. Collins, CO Kettle Moraine, WI Kansas City, MO
2002 Kent, WA Haverford, PA Northshore, WI Seattle, WA
2001 Ft. Collins, CO DSHA, WI Kent, WA Ft. Collins, CO
2000 Ft. Collins, CO DSHA, WI Wayzata, MN Milwaukee, WI
