FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:    Jeremy Riffle, BohlsenPR

 

Rugby Indiana off to solid start to 2011

Two recent events help organization gain momentum for upcoming season

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Feb. 3, 2011) - The 2011 rugby season is rapidly approaching, and Rugby Indiana has been doing its fair share to get people excited. Over the course of the last two weeks, the organization has conducted several demonstrations at local schools as well as hosted a national conference.

During January, Rugby Indiana held Rookie Rugby demonstrations at 15 Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) aimed at educating children about the sport and encouraging them to start their own teams. The organization teaches students from elementary through high school about the basics of rugby and how they can begin playing competitively. Rugby Indiana also provides them with rugby balls so that they can continue to play on their own.

Rugby Indiana plans to visit the remaining 23 IPS schools throughout this season.

In addition to reaching students from the Indianapolis area, Rugby Indiana hosted rugby enthusiasts from across the country at the USA Rugby National Youth Conference on the Game. Delegates met in Carmel, Ind., to learn from each other, network with their peers and receive coaching instruction from USA Rugby National team coaches. Attendance was nearly double that of the 2010 conference; 19 of the 27 Indiana-based clubs were represented.

    "We had a tremendously successful month of January," said Michelle Leroux, executive director of Rugby Indiana. "As the 2011 season approaches, it's important to educate the youth of Indiana about this amazing sport, and so far, we've gotten a great response from students that want to start teams and get involved. Our national youth conference was the perfect springboard into the season. It was an ideal forum to learn from one another and discuss how to grow the sport. I'm excited about the future of rugby in Indiana, and I think this will be the best season yet."