They tackle each other at full speed and don't wear helmets or pads. But one thing is for sure. Rugby players are crazy about rugby.
Just ask Jude Macfarlane about his love of the rough and tumble sport. Now a senior captain on St. Edward High School's rugby team, he went out for the team as a sophomore and was immediately hooked.
"I've played football and basketball. I did baseball when I was in grade school and rugby is 10 times more fun than those [sports]," he says.
St. Ed's is a leader in Northeast Ohio when it comes to rugby. It is one of the few high schools in Ohio that recognizes rugby as a varsity sport. Most schools consider it a club sport since it is not sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Across Ohio, there are about 30 high school teams that compete against one another, and, every year, that number grows.
"It's definitely starting to catch on," Jude says. "It used to be that there were only two or three good teams, but now there are six or seven good teams in the state. I think in 20 to 30 years every high school will have rugby and it's going to be one of the biggest sports."
Girls are getting in on the action, too. In Northeast Ohio, there are eight high schools with all-girls teams.
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