Youth Rugby League is coming to La Jolla for players, ages 7-14

By Zack Jacobs

Rugby is one of the fastest growing youth sports in America and has been added to the 2016 Olympic Games. There are 14 Youth Rugby Clubs in San Diego County — from Coronado to Poway to Del Mar — and now in La Jolla.

La Jolla Youth Rugby is open for online registration at

lajollarugby.com

with the goal of bringing Rugby to La Jolla, UTC, North Claremont, Sorrento and Pacific Beach. The season is January and February, and is usually completed before baseball, lacrosse, soccer and other spring sports are in full swing.

The organization is run entirely by volunteers and sponsor support for the 501(c) 3 non-profit organization is needed. Help with coaching and team/club management is also needed.

Youth Rugby is not the crazy, sometimes violent, sport one sees on TV. It is much more controlled with rules for safety, and a large emphasis is placed of fun, sportsmanship and community.

Rugby players are a unique fraternity who compete on the pitch and then bond as friends after the match. No experience is necessary to play. Once players know the game, they take to it very quickly. It takes the parents a few more games to understand the rules, but they understand the energy, fast pace and excitement from the first game.

Registration for teams is age-based:

• U8 Team (ages 7-8)

• U10 Team (ages 8-10)

• U12 Team (ages 10-12)

• U14 Team (ages 12-14)

For more information, call Zack Jacobs at (619) 933-6701 or visit

lajollarugby.com