Growing the sport: Iowa rugby teams face Irish school in historic match
WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE ON SATURDAY. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW FOOTBALL IS SATURDAY, BUT PHOTOJOURNALIST DILLON COIN AND I WATCHED RUGBY TODAY IN IRELAND, AND THE TEAMS WERE FROM IOWA. THIS WAS SO COOL. IT’S RARE. IT’S VERY RARE. THE BONDURANT BOIES, THE SOUTHEAST POLK GIRLS AND THE IOWA STATE RUGBY TEAM ALL COMPETED AGAINST TEN YEAR COLLEGE OF IRELAND. TODAY, TURNER IS A FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL FOR KIDS WHO WANT TO PLAY RUGBY AT THE NEXT LEVEL. THE THREE IOWA BASED TEAMS COMPETED AGAINST THEIR RESPECTIVE AGE GROUPS. BONDURANT HEAD COACH BRAD LEWIS ORGANIZED THE EVENT. HE TELLS US THE I-H-S-A WOULD NOT ALLOW THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS TO TRAVEL, SO THE RUGBY TEAMS GOT TO GO INSTEAD. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AN IOWA HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, BOYS OR GIRLS, HAS PLAYED THE FIFTEENS INTERNATIONALLY. THAT’S 15 PLAYERS AND IOWA STATE MEN’S RUGBY PLAYED FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LAST SEASON AND TESTED THEIR SKILLS TODAY AGAINST THE IRISH TEAM OR AN IRISH TEAM. THE CYCLONES FELL SHORT 45 TO 11 TO THE IRISH, AND THE TWO IOWA HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS DID NOT WIN THEIR MATCHES EITHER, BUT THEY SAY IT WAS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE AND THEY HOPE THIS ALL GROWS THE SPORT. IT’S BEEN REALLY FUN BECAUSE EVERYBODY ASKS US, WELL, HOW ARE YOU GUYS HERE? BECAUSE RUGBY IS NOT VERY POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES. AND I SAID, ACTUALLY, IT’S THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN THE UNITED STATES. AND IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, HOPEFULLY GET US TO WHERE WE ARE A SANCTIONED SPORT BY THE IOWA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION. SO PRETTY, YOU KNOW, SMALL IN IOWA. SO I’D SAY IT’S JUST A REALLY BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOW AND REPRESENT THE STATE AND OUR COUNTRY AND COME OUT HERE AND SHOW THEM WHAT I WAS LIKE. IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL DAY. A WHOLE LOT OF PROUD PARENTS, TOO, CAME OUT AND MADE THE TRIP TO SEE THEIR STUDENT ATHLETES PERFORM. YEAH, A LOT OF THOSE RUGBY FAMILIES TALKING TO
Growing the sport: Iowa rugby teams face Irish school in historic match
Updated: 9:53 PM CDT Aug 21, 2025
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The Iowa State Cyclones aren't the only local team competing across the pond this week. Iowa rugby teams participated in a historic match against Terenure College from Ireland on Thursday, marking the first time Iowa high school teams played internationally. The event featured the Bondurant-Farrar boys, Southeast Polk girls, and Iowa State rugby teams, each competing against their respective age groups from the Irish school. Tenerure College is a finishing high school for students aiming to play rugby at the next level.Brad Lewis, Bondurant's head coach, organized the event after the Iowa High School Athletic Association did not allow high school football teams to travel, leading to the rugby teams being invited instead.Iowa State men's rugby, which played for the national championship last season, tested their skills against the Irish team but fell short with a score of 45-11. The two high school teams also faced defeat, but the experience was unforgettable, with hopes of growing the sport.Watch more here:
DUBLIN — The Iowa State Cyclones aren't the only local team competing across the pond this week.
Iowa rugby teams participated in a historic match against Terenure College from Ireland on Thursday, marking the first time Iowa high school teams played internationally.
The event featured the Bondurant-Farrar boys, Southeast Polk girls, and Iowa State rugby teams, each competing against their respective age groups from the Irish school. Tenerure College is a finishing high school for students aiming to play rugby at the next level.
Brad Lewis, Bondurant's head coach, organized the event after the Iowa High School Athletic Association did not allow high school football teams to travel, leading to the rugby teams being invited instead.
Iowa State men's rugby, which played for the national championship last season, tested their skills against the Irish team but fell short with a score of 45-11. The two high school teams also faced defeat, but the experience was unforgettable, with hopes of growing the sport.
Watch more here: