Freedom Youth Rugby Club: Welcome

Freedom Fighter's rugby wishes to thank BALL'S OUT! Rugby for their continued generous sponsorship of the Potomac Rugby Union, Youth League's end of year tournament.  If you are in the market for rugby gear, click the link above to visit and order.

WEATHER HOTLINE:

Please take note of the Freedom Rec Council Weather Hotline.  This hotline is for practices and home games ONLY (not away matches).  The phone # is 410-549-6296, option 5.  Save it to your mobile phones, please

  Coach Jed

Welcome to the official home page of
the Freedom Youth Rugby Club located in Sykesville/Eldersburg, Carroll County, Maryland!!!

Hi Gang!  Opening day is around the corner and we have a RECORD number of ruggers and coaches participating this year.  Thanks to all!!!  A common question I get is "Is it too late for my child to sign up?".  The answer is always "NO!".  We welcome the opportunity to expose our sport whenever it occurs.  If you are interested in checking us out, bring a completed registration form (found in the "handouts" section, to the left of this message) to one of our practices, and don't worry about the fee right away.  We want to make sure it is a fit for your child before you pay anything.

 Practices are held every Tues/Thurs from 6:30-8pm beginning on May 26th.  Our season will begin officially on June 20th.  This year there will be no matches scheduled for the weekend of July 4th, as that Saturday is actually Independence Day, and there are more important things to think about than rugby (did I actually say that ;-).

  Finally, The tournament will be held on August 1st and 2nd this year (please plan vacation accordingly) and will be held (by popular acclaim), at Freedom Park for the 2nd consecutive year!!!  Let rugby fest begin!

If you are new to the site, this is where you will find updates, but you should also check out the previously referenced "handouts" section for important items like registration forms, rules and other things of interest and importance.  We will update our practice and game schedules as they firm up.  As always, if you would like more information on Freedom Youth Rugby, read below, or  e-mail Vonnie or Jed at freedomfightersrugby@yahoo.com . 

Enjoy!

Coach Jed Davis

___________________________________________________________________

This site is provided to help coordinate information for our team, parents, coaches and supporters. The primary goal of the Freedom Fighters rugby program is to introduce young athletes to the game of rugby and have some summer fun. Freedom is part of the Potomac Rugby Union Youth League which is comprised of teams from the Baltimore, Washington and Northern Virginia suburbs. Most of our games are against teams in the local area.


Players ages 7-14 (note new cutoff date) before June 1st are introduced to the basics of rugby playing a game called Touch 7s. As the name indicates, there is no tackling involved. As a result, boys and girls play together on co-ed teams, broken up into 4 age groups: U9, U11, U13 and U15.  New and returning players of all levels of experience and ability are welcome!

You'll find that Freedom Rugby provides a more relaxed environment than many other organized sports you may have encountered. While it is our hope that the players will put out a good effort in practice and play games to the best of their ability, the coaches are also aware that our season falls during the summer. Therefore, there is no mandatory attendance at practice or games. We want players to attend as often as they can, whenever they can.

Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hodges Park from 6:30-8pm. Games are held on Saturdays, beginning mid June, and ending with the tournament on the first week of August (parents take note, this is one weekend you may want to make sure your ruggers are available). Home games are played at Freedom Park; away games are played at various locations in the Baltimore metro area such as New Windsor, Ellicott City, Lutherville, Columbia and Silver Spring.

Freedom Rugby Inclement Weather FAQ

Weather events occuring 30 minutes or less prior to practice will follow the guidelines below.

A few quick weather FAQ's:

1. Do we practice in the rain? Rugby is a sport played in all sorts of conditions; rain, snow, ice and slush. Fortunately for us, we only have to deal with rain. In light of safety conditions, should it be raining on or between 6:30 - 8:00pm on practice nights, please meet at the pitch (what we call a rugby field) and be prepared to pick up your child.
2. Do we practice in a light sprinkle? This is invigorating and healthy, so we don't fear light sprinkles UNLESS thunder is heard, or lightning observed. This is a cause for immediate stoppage of play. If you are not present for practice, please return immediately to pick up your child.
3. What about if it has rained during the day but is dry now? Check your e-mail. We won't practice in dangerous turf conditions (sloppy conditions), but a soft pitch is a friendly pitch, so a little moisture won't hurt.
4. Will we cancel because of excessive heat?  The answer is yes, on a case by case basis.