At Braintree High School, the rugby team has steadily grown as a program. After starting in the spring of 2021 with a challenging 1-6 postseason record, the team has since made the playoffs for the past two years. Now, as they enter the spring 2025 season, they aim to continue their upward path with the growing program.
But along with this comeback, comes lots of injuries and difficult obstacles.
Many rugby players also participate in football during the fall, bringing strength and physicality to the rugby field.
“I also play football and enjoy football a lot. One of my teammates from football told me that rugby would be a good choice because it is a very similar sport”, adds Sophomore Starter Nicholas Saunders.
With this part of the team as a feature, additionally, the team could be able to learn to play correctly and use existing athleticism to prevent injuries.
“At the end of the day if the players are tackling and playing the game correctly then there should not be any injuries during the game”, claims Nicholas.
Although Nicholas is still early in his rugby career at BHS, injuries can arise unexpectedly.
“I’ve only really had one serious injury. I broke my collarbone twice during my sophomore year. …The second time was in the first rugby scrimmage that season, I was tackled and landed on that same shoulder, re-breaking it”, shared Senior Captain Michael Witham.
Like Nicholas, Michael has built his strength through football, which contributes to his rugby performance.
When involving sports, danger is a serious thing that should be considered no matter what. But the important aspect is whether or not a player can do as much as they can to prevent a heavy injury to themselves.
“Because the players don’t wear any protective gear other than a mouth guard, they can only hit as hard as their own body can tolerate as well”, remarks Head Coach Nicholas Sullivan. “In addition, there is a new tackle law this year that lowers the acceptable height of a tackle.”
As schools begin to realize how dangerous Rugby can be for these teens, coaches try to focus on specific ways to prevent getting hurt.
“We avoid injuries by teaching proper form/technique in tackling, rucking, and scrumming. By knowing the correct form and technique of the contact aspects of rugby, the players are properly prepared for games and thus the risk of injury is reduced,” notes Coach Sullivan.
Although rugby can be dangerous, players still choose to play the sport for the excitement and challenges it offers.
“It was never a regret joining, if I had to recommend this sport to someone, I would be glad to”, admits Nicholas.
