Rugby: Woodlands back in Texas rugby elite

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Woodlands Rugby will once again take their place at the forefront of Texas Rugby by accepting an invitation to join the TRU Men’s Division I League for the forthcoming 2012-2013 season. Having met all league requirements, The Woodlands Rugby Club will join Texas’ Top Tier after a four-year hiatus in Division II.

Here they will join the likes of The Austin Blacks and the Dallas Reds in competing for a fiercely sought after premier division playoff spot. As one of the prerequisites for acceptance into the top division, The Woodlands will also be entering a second side in the TRU Men’s Division III, otherwise known as Division Ib.

With Woodlands Rugby accepting the challenge of moving back to Division I, there are now two (2) division I teams in each of the three large Texas cities, Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and The Houston area.

“It has been a long time coming, too long in fact,” said club president Doug Corrigan. “Woodlands Rugby has a proud tradition in Division I and we fully intend to build on that tradition in 2012/13 and beyond.”

Woodlands Rugby have competed in numerous divisional playoffs throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s, having made the USA National Division I Sweet 16’s on no less than six occasions, and perhaps most notably winning the USA National Division II championship in 2001.

“We’ve competed (and won) at the highest level in years past, and we think it’s about time we did so again”, said Corrigan.

As proof of their intent to retake their place as one of TRU’s and Nation’s top teams, Woodlands Rugby have also announced that they will be once again hosting a TOLA Sevens Tournament on July 21.

Last year saw the inaugural hosting of The Cherrybone Sevens, held in memory of former father and son club members John & David Cherrybone, and Woodlands Rugby plan on building on that experience.

As sevens head Coach Phil Beck (himself a former English Premier League player with London Wasps) put it: “The hosting of the tournament in 2011 was a real challenge for us but immensely rewarding. The tournament was a huge success and a great learning curve to boot. We received extremely positive feedback from competitors and TRU officials alike.

“This year’s tournament will be bigger and better, there is no doubt about it. We have local sponsors eager to be a part of the event having experienced it first-hand last year.

“We will even have live streaming coverage of all the games on July 21. To my knowledge that has never been done before in Texas. And what better way to signal your intent for the coming fifteens season than by winning your own tournament.”

The Woodlands Rugby Club was founded in 1983 and is a 501 c 3 Non-Profit Corporation.
For more information on The Woodlands Rugby Club or The Cherrybone Sevens, visit www.woodlandsrugby.com or www.cherrybonesevens.com.