Last month, I explored high school club rugby in eastern Idaho. The sport is fresh in the state, but especially in eastern Idaho, so I reported on the new teams and the growth of the sport in this area.

Here’s the story that appeared in the Post Register, with an excerpt below.

The Idaho Falls Girls are one of six high school girls team in Idaho, and they’re one of four teams that formed this year. The other three are Rocky Mountain, Eagle and Rigby, all boys teams.

Chet Blasucci, a defensive line coach for the Rigby football team, started the Royals Rugby Club. Like [Carly] Smith, Blasucci played rugby in college (at Utah), but his reasons for starting the club largely revolved around off-field issues.

Two of the players Blasucci coached on the gridiron got in legal trouble in the offseason.

“Let’s just say they needed a place to go, something to do,” Blasucci said. “Being bored isn’t always a bad thing, but it’s not always a good thing.”

By starting a rugby team, Blasucci could kill two birds with one rugby ball. He could coach a sport he loves while limiting the opportunities certain football players had to get into trouble.

The Rigby High School administration has supported the Royals, as well, even though rugby is not governed by the Idaho High School Activities Association. The entire Royals roster is made of of Rigby students, and the school allows the Royals to use its fields for practices and game.

Jumper Jason Kirby, top, practices with members of the Rigby Royals Rugby Club on their lineouts Wednesday at the Rigby Indoor Sports complex. (Pat Sutphin / psutphin@postregister.com)
“We’re just happy to get kids involved in whatever they want,” Rigby athletic director Bob Moon said.