RUGBY

"WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS WHO WITH A FINE DISREGARD FOR THE RULES OF FOOTBALL AS PLAYED IN HIS TIME FIRST TOOK THE BALL IN HIS ARMS AND RAN WITH IT THUS ORIGINATING THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE RUGBY GAME.-A.D. 1823"

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Rugby in Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition dating back to the 1960's.  Wisconsin has been well represented nationally at all levels including high school, college, adult, and select programs. Youth participation in rugby began officially with the formation of the Badgerland Rugby Conference in 1995, followed shortly behind it by the Wisconsin Girls Rugby Conference.

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The Wisconsin Tag Rugby Association (WTR) was created in 2010 to safely introduce rugby to children in grades 1-8, while providing a unique sport experience. Tag rugby is a coed sport that is fast-paced, easy to learn and requires no prior experience to play. Similar to flag football, the rules for tag rugby have been modified to minimize contact, and “tackles” occur by pulling one of two velcro flags from a ball carrier’s belt.

WTR members encomapass a variety of individual programs with partnerships of park and recreation agencies, YMCA's, and other entities.  The culmination of each programs hard work is displayed at several summer tournaments held each summer in June-August.