No Longer Oakland's Best Kept Secret

We are proud to have the final version of a brief documentary telling our story. It was roughly eight months in the making. The process embodied the cliche "the devil is in the details" as filmmaker Paul Washburn and President Burke kept fine-tuning it to tell our story.

Rugby traditionally has been an upper-crust sport but in the last 10 years the game is taking a foothold throughout Northern California, especially in the high school level for boys and girls.

It's always been our goal to grow rugby in our own back yard and make it accessible to all boys enrolled in a high school in Oakland. Kids from these less affluent communities don't get the same chances as suburban kids to participate in athletics. Sports and rugby are powerful bonding agents for boys. We try to get these kids heading down the right path, hopefully towards a four-year college or a junior college.

If any of you have been paying attention lately to Oakland politics you might have noticed that Police Chief Anthony Batts is talking a lot about his department and the City doing more with less in the face of severe budget problems. One of solutions he has discussed is getting to kids earlier and earlier with healthy activities and outlets, before they head down the dead-end trail of gangs, violence, etc.

Our youth rugby program fits nicely with what Chief Batts is talking about. We need the support of everyone to keep offering and growing our program. Please check us out at http://www.oaklandwarthogsrfc.com/

10 Reasons to Play Oakland Warthog Youth Rugby

I ask myself: If I had a son would I want him to play for our team? I can definitely, resoundingly and unequivocally proclaim "Yes!" In fact, our head coach's son plays for us. But after a few practices this season I am more enthused than ever about endorsing our program and trying to truly make it a city-wide team for all Oakland boys and a source of pride from the Bay Bridge to the San Leandro border and beyond. It's our fourth year.

I have either played for or been involved in coaching seven rugby clubs including the Warthogs. I can honestly say "we've got it going on."

These are the top 10 reasons to wear the black and white of the Warthogs:



10: Behind soccer rugby is the second most popular sport in the world.

9: We are a structured program but not rigid. We try to keep practice a balance between having fun while instructing the team that it's a physical sport that needs to be taken seriously.

8: We preach that rugby is secondary to earning an education. We insist on a 2.5 grade point average to play. We also take our team for tours of local colleges to show them life outside of Oakland.

7: You don't have to be the biggest, strongest or fastest to be a good rugby player. If you are smart, aggressive and work hard you can find a spot on our rugby team.

6: Rugby is played on more than 400 college campuses in the United States. The odds of playing college football or basketball are slim. Our league, plus other high school, collegiate and club rugby in Northern California are about the best in the nation.

5: Playing rugby means having friends for life. The sport, because of it intense focus on teamwork, bonds players like no other team endeavor. There is a powerful network among rugby players on the pitch, in school and in professional careers.

4: Continuity of coaching and team administration. We have the same head coach, assistant coaches and direction for the team. We are all on the same page. We want our kids to be good citizens as much or more so than being good rugby players.

3: Diversity. Sure, it's a buzzword but we embody it. We draw kids of all races from almost all schools in Oakland, from Oakland Military to American Indian Charter to Oakland High School.

2: Self-confidence. Our sport forces kids to go beyond themselves, physically and mentally. These kids discover how hard they can compete and that their teammates depend on them. Rugby is epitome of getting knocked down but getting back up.

1: Fun.