Rugby on rise in Lowcountry

There are about 200 active rugby players in the Charleston area, estimates Andy Pelland, president of the Charleston Rugby Club.

But if Pelland and his mates have their way, that number will soon be on the rise.

Charleston Rugby is hoping to capitalize on a couple of news-making events -- the inclusion of rugby in the 2016 Olympic Games, and the release of Clint Eastwood's South Africa rugby movie, "Invictus" -- to spark a rugby renaissance in the Lowcountry.

"Those two things are really drawing a lot more attention to the sport," Pelland said. "It's a great sport for everyone from kids to adults, and it's a real easy sport to get underway."

For those interested, a good place to start is Saturday's ninth annual Southern Classic tournament, starting at 9 a.m. at The Citadel. Teams from all over the South will compete.

Charleston Rugby will have a youth tent set up, and the first 10 high-school aged students (13-18) to visit the tent will receive free tickets for the "Invictus" movie, courtesy of the Citadel Mall Stadium 16 Theater.

That fits neatly into Charleston Rugby's goal of starting youth programs around the Lowcountry. In 2007-08, Pelland said, the Charleston Warriors club was formed to give high school students a chance to learn and play the sport, joining similar clubs in Columbia and Greenville.

This year, Pelland said, Charleston Rugby is partnering with the Charleston Recreation Department to form a youth league, and with Wando High School and Charleston County School of the Arts to get programs going at those schools.

Pelland said a high school rugby club can be cranked up for less than $600, with students responsible for only socks, shorts and cleats.

"We've had mixed success," he said. "The biggest thing is trying to find locations to play, schools and systems that will support it, and finding coaches."

Rugby as played by grown-ups can be a rough sport, but Pelland points out that youth rugby is a non-contact sport.

"On the youth levels and in middle school, it's touch rugby, like flag football," he said. "In high school, there is contact, but it is limited."

Pelland said groups like USA Rugby also are careful to teach "safe" techniques.

"The way we teach it, I think most parents can see the benefits of having the kids out there," he said. "The primary tenets are teamwork and camaraderie. To be successful, you have to have 15 people working together and coordinated for 80 minutes, and those values can lead to success in things much bigger than rugby."

The 2016 Olympics will include "rugby 7s", a shorter, quicker version of the game with seven players on each side.

"The U.S. is pretty competitive in that," Pelland said.

"And they will be pulling players from areas with high school rugby, so it's really important that programs get underway now."

Rugby already has strong roots in Charleston, including six college squads, a women's team and a men's team, the Charleston Outlaws. The U.S. national team has held matches at Blackbaud Stadium in each of the last two years.

Pelland said the Outlaws squad includes players into their 50s and from all walks of life.

"Doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors," he said. "Rugby really teaches you to work."