Rugby Pennsylvania, the non-profit that acts as Pennsylvania’s youth rugby association, mandated changes for all member high school rugby teams across Pennsylvania. For the 2025 spring season, which began in March, new levels of teams were introduced for girls’ rugby teams. There is a U19 team for high school students and a coed U14 team for those who have not yet entered high school. In addition, two new rule changes have been added around scrum, which are a means of restarting play after a stoppage, and a clearer definition of high tackles.
From the 2025 season on, eighth graders will not be permitted to play on the high school teams. In the past, girls’ rugby teams could recruit students from eighth through 12th grade to play on their teams. With the new rules, all players who have not yet reached high school will play for the U14 team. The U14 team mostly consists of eighth graders but also has some seventh grade players, while the U19 teams consist of high school players.
Advertising rugby to young girls in the community has been a goal for the rugby team, especially in previous years. Organized trips to the middle schools to advertise rugby to girls were frequent, but recruitment was still hard for the team according to junior and girls rugby player Maggie Barnes.
“Before, if you were in seventh (grade) you would have had to be on the youth team. In years past before the new rules it has always been super hard for us to get any middle school girls, even eighth graders,” Barnes said.
In addition, the new rules also include a change in the definition of a high tackle. In years prior, tackles only had to be below the shoulders. Now, tackles must be made below the sternum of the player being tackled. If the player makes a tackle above the sternum, it will result in a foul or punishment.
“Anything above that (the sternum) is considered high and results in a penalty. The referee can issue a yellow or red card if they feel a tackle was dangerous,” girls’ rugby team coach Steve Bugh said.
In addition, as established by the new rules, the scrum-half on the opposing team must be behind the tunnel. This change in ruling allows members of the offense to have the ability to put pressure on the defense, helping them become more aggressive in their plays.
“The (tackle) rule has been evolving for several years. The rule change just makes it easier for referees to make the right call,” Bugh said. “The scrum change is forcing us to think about new tactics on defense to increase pressure on the offense.”
The team is gradually learning to adapt to these recent changes by dedicating time during weekly practices to develop new techniques and strategies, improve understanding of the updated guidelines and build a better sense of coordination among players.
“We are just taking each practice at a time,” Barnes said. “It is great because we have so many new players, so to them these rules are not new.”
Sosi Sengal can be reached at [email protected].
