Rookie Rugby
This project's parent organization is USA Rugby
It operates in United States
It uses Rugby Union and Indigenous games
Entered the Sport Federation or Governing Body of the Year
More about Rookie Rugby
Our project is an integrated national public health, multi-media and physical participation campaign promoting the brand new sport of Rookie Rugby. Our tag line is "Pick up the ball and run with it…then pass it on". We strive to create a viral internet campaign resulting in active participation in rugby to fight the obesity epidemic in America. With a staggering 32% of America's young people being overweight, there is significant demand and need for 'non traditional' sports to engage students in new physical activities. Rookie Rugby provides a unique, fun and engaging solution.
Our program would reach out to 67,300 elementary schools in America (students aged 12 or under), providing 33% of schools with a bar-coded rugby ball and free curriculum CD. Every school would pass the ball around its students during PE class, recess and after school, playing fun games from the curriculum and blogging about their experiences online at– the Rookie Rugby Club. They would then ‘pass the ball on’ to a neighboring school. We would then simply partner schools up with local community rugby programs to support legacy rugby programming to maintain participation. The ‘traveling-balls’ would be tracked online throughout their travels, far and wide.