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Fallbrook rugby players make all-star team

FALLBROOK — Two juniors and one sophomore from the Fallbrook High School rugby team were recently selected to play the game on a grand scale.

Cormac Kenan, Dylan Newman and Kyle Volan were selected to compete against the Trinity Grammar Rugby Club from Perth, Australia.

The USA all-star team players, known as the Griffins, were selected from active rugby clubs from San Diego and as far north as San Luis Obispo. The three Warriors were excited to be selected, but the thought of playing a team from Australia was a bit intimidating.

“These kids start playing rugby at age 5 or 6; it’s like American kids playing Little League Baseball or Pop Warner Football,” said Volan.

The competition was held in Fullerton and involved teams from Australia, Canada and the United States.

The all-stars arrived early on Sunday, March 23, and had only enough time to squeeze in an hour of practice. Most of these players had never even met each other before. By the end of the match, they had prevailed, shutting down the Australian team by a score of 40-0.

“That was huge,” said Kenan, who scored one try (which is like a touchdown but worth five points).

Kenan, Newman and Volan are automatically invited to try out again for the Griffin all-star team in May. They will conclude the season this year in a tournament in Denver, CO.

Last year, the U14 (under 14) Fallbrook team won the state championship, with an impressive 10-0 season. Most players on the U14 team moved up this year to the U16 team and are undefeated so far this season.

There are presently five rugby teams in Fallbrook, including two girls’ teams. Their next home games will be played on Sunday, April 6, at Fallbrook High School’s football field. The public is encouraged to come out and watch.

For more information, visit http://www.fallbrookrugby.org.

 

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