What are the areas in the United States where rugby is the most popular?

GalwayCanuck: What are the areas in the United States where rugby is the most popular?
Could you please list the places in the United States where Rugby is the most popular? Maybe the top ten states where rugby is most widely played?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Solomon
probably the cities with the most Indians, Pakistanis and Carribians who play rugby and cricket instead of football and baseball

Answer by blm
There are pockets everyone — one is in LA where there is a fairly large Samoan community. San Fransisco is strong as it has an ideal climate for rugby. Denver has the only rugby specific facility in the US, and some of the Ivy League schools in the North-East (which have stayed out the big-money college sports) have strong rugby traditions. Really — its wherever people have shown an interest. But you can’t even focus on states — you have to look below that at the community level.

If you go by the areas where there is strong repersentation in the Rugby Super League (although they play the union code), which is the semi-pro league in the US, then the strong pockets are in Boston/New England, New York City, Chicago and the California coast.

If you expand your question to include Canada, then the single biggest pocket of rugby interest in North America is — without question — the Victoria/Vancouver area in British Columbia. They can play rugby pretty much year round in that climate — rarely too hot or too cold.

Answer by Mark L
In addition ot BLM’s notes, there is a vibrant program in the Salt Lake City area (very large population of Islanders), Chicago, Washington-DC and suburban Maryland and Virginia, New York City, Texas (Dallas and Austin), and Seattle.

But there are also local-area unions from South Carolina to Kansas City and Omaha, and on to New Mexico and Wyoming. Most military bases have teams, and probably half to two thirds of the colleges and universities.

The problem with USA rugby is not lack of interest or shortage of players. It’s quality coaching and integrated programs that run from youth up to senior men’s and women’s sides. There is lots of competition for other sports, of course – and most of the more established sports [particularly gridiron and football (“soccer”)] work hard to keep rugby small.

Rugby in the States also has a bad reputation, particularly among women (think mothers and spouses), school administrators, and administrators for public parks for behavior, especially use of alcohol and rude and abusive behavior toward women. Although recent efforts at club and union administration have tried to sort some of this out, there is a basis for the objection. Finally, rugby has a reputation for serious injuries. Although objectively gridiron is more dangerous,the American public is used to football injuries, and therefore discounts them somehow.

Mark L.

Answer by Andrew W
Colorado has stepped it up as a big rugby state. They have a rugby only park called infinity park. They are currently hosting the 2009 churchill cup. They are also home to the rocky mountain challenge, the premier high school tournament in the United States.

Answer by jeff c
Texas- Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio