Arlington Stallions Finish Strong; Earn National Ranking
The Arlington Stallions Rugby Club Varsity side, competing in Division 1 of the Illinois Youth Rugby Association (iYRA), finished the spring 15-a-side season with a 6-1 record and competed in the 2014 Illinois High School State Championships in Rockford on May 26.
Twenty-eight teams participated on Championship Day, which crowned state champions at the Varsity, JV and Frosh/Soph levels. The Stallions took 4th place, losing to Mt. Carmel in the 3rd place game. The Goff Rugby Report Boys National Rankings for 2014, published in Rugby Magazine, listed the Stallions at #42 due to its strong performance throughout the season and playoffs.
The following weekend, the Stallions Midis (7th-8th grades) earned third place in the state by beating the Naperville Crusaders 24-5.
On July 12, the Stallions High School team won the iYRA 7's Rugby State Championship Tournament in Lake Forest, by beating Mt. Carmel 44-0 in the championship game.
Seven Stallions high school players earned selection to the Illinois High School All-State Varsity and JV teams and competed in the annual Cody Cup against Wisconsin, at the Regional All-Star Tournament in Pittsburgh in June and against a visiting high school team from Down, Ireland on July 6. The club also placed six players on the middle school All-State team, which competed in the Midwest Regional All-Star Tournament in Elkhart, IN last month.
Tony LaPiana (Fremd) and Zach Niro (St. Viator) will join the All-State high school team, the Tornados, on tour this summer through England and Wales.
The Stallions high school club fields Varsity, JV and Frosh/Soph teams with players from across the Northwest suburbs, including schools in District 214, neighboring districts and St. Viator. The Midi and Mini (5th-6th grades) teams field players from Arlington Heights and surrounding suburbs.
For more information, visit www.ArlingtonStallionsRugby.com.