What Is try league?

Try League is a competitive rugby league run in conjunction with Rugby Colorado, which means your child will be competing with Glendale against some of the 22 other Try Clubs in Colorado. But more than that, it means that your child will be joining a program designed with a carefully-structured balance of learning the sport, learning to play safely, and having tons of fun.

Rugby Family

where should your child start?

Try Leagues are structured by age but also with consideration for a child’s size. We all know that every child grows at their own pace.

So please note, there are waivers that allow children to play up or down these levels for safety or experience reasons beyond these guidelines. We will always make sure that your child is where they are supposed to be!

U8

Ages: 5 – 7 (by May 1st for Spring and Sept 1 for Fall)

Weight: 35-75 pounds

U8 play is co-ed and doesn’t involve tackling or kicking.

There are no scrums or stiff-arms and restarting play means both teams are allowed to fully reset before play commences.

All play is flag rugby, which means if a player’s flag is pulled off they are considered “out” of the game until their flag is re-attached. The ball carrier can hand off the ball to another player to keep the game going.

The skills we look to develop at U8 are running and evasion as well as passing and catching the ball. Fun is always a priority.

Photo by Seth McConnell

Photo by Seth McConnell

U10

Ages: 8-9

Weight: 50-100 pounds

U10 is also co-ed, and though this is where we start to introduce one-on-one tackles, flag rugby is still available. Remember, the most important thing in tackle safely is to learn to tackle correctly. Glendale is staffed with world-class coaches who are members of the MLR, WPL, D1, and World Rugby. They will teach your child to tackle correctly.

U10 is also where we start to introduce players to 3 vs 3 scrums, but the skill focus is still on evasion, pass-catch, running and, of course, now tackling.

U12

Ages: 10-11

Weight: 65-130 pounds

Two big new inclusions at this level: kicking and rucking. Play now begins with a kick off and drop kicks are also introduced.

Players learn rucking with one player from each side of the ball. The tackler must roll away from their opponent and then reset as the defender. The defending player is not allowed to counter or attack the ruck.

Teams are still co-ed and the tackling is strictly one on one.

Photo by Seth McConnell

Middle School

Ages: 12 – 14

Weight: Lite* and Open Division*

Lite Division – 6th grade and 7th grade <140lbs

Open Division – 7th and 8th grade

Once again, new additions: first is positional awareness, knowing where your teammates are on the field and where they will be, which is a crucial stage for a rugby player.

Second is the Maul. And Mauls are just fun for everyone.

At this level the game starts looking more like traditional rugby: we teach line outs, scrums can max out at eight players and speedy restarts are now a part of the game.

With rules closer to traditional rugby comes the introduction of yellow and red penalty cards.

*Players are able to submit a waiver to compete either up or down a division.

Glendale matters

putting it all together

When considering safety, it’s important to remember that the safest thing you can do for a child is to train them properly. At Glendale, your child will learn at a facility that trains world-class and professional athletes from the MLR, USA and World Rugby; your child will train with professional coaches who are members of the WPL, D1, and USA National Teams and some of whom are themselves world-class athletes.

Try League is focused on building a positive culture both on and off the field, and while many leagues focus on players who already have strong skills, Glendale’s focus is on fostering a player’s love of the game and a sense of community among other players. The best way to do this is to teach the kids properly and then to let them have fun.

For More info about Spring 2023 Try League!