Philadelphia, PA On August 30th & 31st, Rugby Pennsylvania was thrilled with the opportunity to present at the School District of Philadelphia’s Professional Development Days, hosted for its Physical Education teachers. During the course of these two days, over 300 physical educators from schools across the district participated in a Rookie Rugby crash course. The goal of these sessions was to show how the introduction of a rugby ball to the PE classroom can be a useful tool. Armed with the curriculum resources provided by the Rookie Rugby website (www.rookierugby.com), teachers were able to see and experience how the sport of rugby can be another mechanism to student engagement.

Representatives from Rugby PA exposed the teachers some of the fundamental rugby skills, including pass, catch, and converting a 2 v 1. Educators were also given the chance to play some small skill games and see a brief introduction as to what a flag rugby game looks like.

After the sessions, teachers were given the opportunity to apply for one of the 20 Rugby Ball kits provided by Major League Rugby. Over 100 teachers applied, showing the appetite for rugby is high in Philadelphia. The 20 schools chosen to receive the kits were based on their ability to work rugby into the fall 2023 curriculum, and report back the number of students who participate. 

“This growth initiative was something we’ve been working on since 2019,” commented Rugby PA Executive Director Dylan Hamilton. “We’ve always known the positive impact that introducing the sport of rugby to the students in Philadelphia would have. And the prospect of exposing all of the educators in the district to the game at once was a dream come true. We are so grateful to the School District of Philadelphia for allowing us this opportunity,” he added. 

This was the first step in what Rugby PA hopes will be a meaningful partnership with the district. The organization will also look to support after school programs with coaching and equipment resources, as well as assistance with starting new High School Club teams. The end goal being an increase in the number of students playing rugby in the city of Philadelphia.

A special acknowledgement to Major League Rugby, USA Youth & High School Rugby, and USA Rugby for working to provide the equipment to these schools at no costs. Initiatives like these are a worthy investment into the future of the sport.