Looking once again to diversify the sports programs available in the Bronx, rugby has found its way into the borough.

Sports Professions High School has announced that they are taking part in a rugby program with an aim at offering students differing and unique paths into the sports world.

Lisa Lake, a U.S. history teacher at the school and New York Rugby Club teammate Annie Collier, a doctor at Our Lady of Mercy, along with David Levine and through a Nichols Foundation grant have created an under-19 rugby club made up predominantly of students from the local Gunther Avenue specialized high school.

The program consists of 25 boys and seven girls and is the first such club in the Bronx and the first high school level under-19 rugby club in the entire City with several located throughout the Metropolitan area.

"Because of the themes of our school, we were looking for a way to expose our students to more non-traditional sports," said Lake. "We all know about basketball, baseball and football, but there is a whole world of sports out there a lot of Bronx youth are not aware of and rugby is one of them that the kids have taken an immediate interest in."

A combination of both soccer and football, rugby is a full-contact sport that is played with the reliance focused on the whole team and not just one individual.

"Everyone is a star," said Collier. "Once you master the game together and learn to handle and lay out contact, it helps build self-esteem, confidence, teamwork and loyalty in an individual. There are a lot of really values in the sport; a whole rugby culture that is lost in all star-oriented sports like baseball and football. In rugby, you overcome obstacles together."

After a four-week training session in the spring and a practice all summer, the team is preparing itself for competitive play in the near future. Taking advantage of help from various coaches who are teammates of Lake and Collier, the students learned various aspects of the game and the physical and mental conditioning necessary to succeed in the sport.

"I love the contact," said Julissa Gonzalez. "I thought it was going to be like football, but it is nothing like football. There is no padding and I am a girlie-girl so I was scared. I thought I was going to die, but when I first tackled someone, it felt great."

Robert Cabrera joined the group as a way to get some extra credit in Lake's U.S. History course, but learned to enjoy the sport and the extra benefits it provided.

"I did a lot of research on it and I started liking the sport more than the traditional sports," he said. "And I practiced a lot. You become very physically fit going at it for 80 minutes straight without a timeout. The whole ordeal has helped me become more mature and a better person."

Cabrera has seen an improvement in his studies, as the school requires him to perform well in class in order to play. The young student hopes to get a rugby scholarship to a school and possibly play overseas with his dream of becoming a firefighter also a firm possibility.

"The rugby program has really brought about an improvements in some of our at-risk students," said principal Janet Gallardo. "There has been an increase in attendance and in grades amongst these students. They are becoming responsible young citizens with a larger understanding of what is out there in terms of sports-related jobs. That is what we set out to achieve here. Students learn that you do not have to be an athlete to be involved in sports, but rugby is another avenue that can help students get into a good college."

Added Gonzalez: "I hope I can get a scholarship for rugby and then use that to help train for a career in psychology."

The program, which anyone under the age of 19 can join, regardless of school affiliation, has not just helped students; it has also bolstered Sports Professions High School's reputation in the community.

Long plagued by negativity due to a move that put them in direct contact with middle school students at I.S. 144, officials have been battling to change people's views. Students, too, have felt the negativity and have reached out to the community to perform various outreach efforts, through reading programs and possible snow removal efforts, but the rugby team has people talking and it's all positive.

"These children are good students," said Northeast Bronx Association president Vinny Prezioso. "I have reached out to the kids in the sports program and I have nothing, but good things to say about them. In some way, at some time, I hope the NEBA can support them. We will see what they need and if possible, we would like to be of help."

Right now, the program lacks facilities to train in and outdoor space for practice. Other costs include those for mouth guards and cleats, which as of now have been covered by the grant, and bus travel expenses for the team to play other schools. Anyone who wishes to help can do so by calling the school at (718) 862-3891 or the women's team hotline at the New York Rugby Club at (212) 332-9911.

WHAT IS RUGBY?
by Jon Minners

Rugby is a sport with rich history dating back to the 19 th century in England.

The goal of rugby is to move the ball forward by running with the ball or kicking. The team, which scores the most points wins the game.

A match begins with a kick-off from mid-field, which must travel at least 10 meters. Play is continuous and free-flowing. There are no "downs," no designated offensive and defensive teams, no blocking and no automatic "turnovers" of possession. The ball usually marks the offside line.

The ball may be advanced through running or kicking. Passing with the hands cannot be forward but can be lateral or backward. Players without the ball cannot be tackled or interfered with in any way (this includes a player who has just kicked the ball).

When a player is tackled to the ground, the ball must be released and the player must move a way from it; play continues without stoppage. A "ruck" or informal scrum forms over a tackled player without stoppage of play.

Scoring: Try - Five points when the ball is touched to the ground in the opponents end zone.

Conversion - Two points for a kick through the uprights after a try is scored. The kick is taken on a line (parallel to the touch-line), which passes through the place where the ball was gounded. Thus, grounding the ball "between the posts" makes for an easier conversion attempt than if the ball is grounded near the side-line.

Drop Goal - Three points for drop kicking the ball through the opponent's uprights at anytime during play.

Penalty Kick - Three points for place-kicking the ball through the opponent's uprights following an infraction by the opposition. Penalty kicks must be taken from the point of the infraction.