The mission of Utah Youth Rugby is to foster an environment in which participation in the sport of Rugby enhances the life experiences of the youth athletes and families we serve regardless of race, religion, gender and socioeconomic status.
Utah Youth Rugby, sanctioned by USA Rugby as a State Based Rugby Organization, was formed in 2010 to promote, serve, advocate, and organize youth rugby in the Great State of Utah. Since then we have grown from a handful of teams to over 130 High School, Youth and Rookie level teams for boys and girls of all ages.
Our member clubs compete in 7s and 15s seasons throughout the year.
Utah Youth Rugby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your tax deductible support helps us to continue developing our players, coaches, the organization and youth rugby in the State of Utah as a whole.
Thank-you for your support.
An SBRO is a non-profit organization coordinating/governing day-to-day operations for youth and high school rugby in each individual state. Utah Youth Rugby is the USA Rugby sanctioned SBRO for the State of Utah.
The objective of an SBRO is to increase the total number of rugby players while lowering the age that kids are first introduced to the sport.
SBROs are responsible for developing an administrative structure with the objective of promoting the development of youth rugby within their state. They are also responsible for day-to-day governance including, but not limited to, organizing league structures, collecting dues, implementing a state championship, and conducting rugby outreach.
This structure narrows the sphere of influence from regions to states which promotes working with individual schools and communities. This individual attention helps grow the foundation of youth rugby through both contact and non-contact programs by understanding specific community needs, wishes, and wants.
There are currently 45 SBROs at various levels across the US; for a complete list visit www.usarugby.org .
SBROs advance through various levels of development. When an SBRO reaches Level 3 they are officially separate from their LAU and TU and responsible for the governance of youth and high school rugby within their state. SBROs, TUs, and LAUs all work alongside one another to grow the game of rugby in the United States.
States that do not have an SBRO established are governed by their current Local Area Union (LAU) and their Territorial Union (TU). For a list of TUs and LAUs visit www.usarugby.org .
The end goal for the SBRO model is fifty SBROs in fifty states. At the current time there are some states that have two SBROs and some states that combine to make one SBRO. This is the case due to participation numbers and geography states.
Moving forward SBROs will be developed consistent with the end goal of one SBRO in each state.
States that have developed to Levels 3 and 4 are further established and structured than those states at Levels 1 and 2. These states tend to be in areas where growth of rugby is more prominent in the nation. Utah Youth Rugby is a Level 4 SBRO.
There are four stages of SBRO development:
Level 1 - Emerging
SBROs at this level are made up of a group of dedicated volunteers who have by-in from the rugby community and have developed a plan for growth within their state.
Level 2 – Developing
SBROs at this level are more organized with establishing non-profit status, a developing structure, and policies/ procedures.
Level 3 – Functioning
SBROs at this level are approved by the USA Rugby Board and Congress. They have put in place paid executive, centralized policies, membership registration, and have officially separated from the LAU.
Level 4 – Fully Sanctioned
The final stage of development finds an SBRO with a financially, self-sustaining model in place.
USA Rugby provides various levels of support to SBROs including best practices, developmental support, professional development opportunities, network access, and financial support. Financial support from USA Rugby is provided through two grant programs focusing on outreach efforts, equipment and supplies, and human resources support.
SBROs are established non-profit organizations that remain financially sustainable through fundraising, sponsorship, grants, donations, and membership dues.
There are tremendous benefits for players, coaches, referees, and supporters joining their SBROs. Members will be protected under USA Rugby’s liability insurance and receive numerous benefits from National sponsors for joining. Additionally, individuals will benefit from various playing, coaching, and refereeing resources and courses, competitions and events, and personal support in developing the game. Players wishing to join a Utah Youth Rugby member club are required to join Utah Youth Rugby.
Individuals can become involved in Utah Youth Rugby across many levels. Many volunteers and paid employees work as administrators, coaches, referees and supporters. In order to get involved with Utah Youth Rugby contact Brent Meier through brent@utahyouthrugby.org.
For more information, contact info@utahyouthrugby.org