When asked what he loves about the sport of rugby, Rye boys coach Jim O’Hara didn’t know where to begin.
“Well,” O’Hara said, “how much time do you have?”
The fact is, rugby is unlike any other sport on the planet. It’s true. Beyond the highly demanding physical nature of the game, lies a set of values – “laws” in rugby parlance – that get passed down from generation to generation wherever rugby is played. Anywhere in the world. And even if you’ve never played the game, but support the sport in some way, then you’re a member of the not-so-secret rugby family.
“The game teaches young people about respect for your opponent and for the referee,” O’Hara said. “Those values are embedded in the sport. It requires discipline, camaraderie, faith in yourself, and responsibility. I’ve often felt that if there were more high school rugby teams, there would be fewer problems in this world. I truly believe that.”
The 2025 Garnets rugby program is the epitome of all of the above. This year, for the first time, Rye High School has three teams: A-side (varsity), B-side (JV), and C-side (freshmen). In O’Hara’s nine-plus years at the helm, this level of interest in the program is unheard of.
“Exposure helps,” he said. “We’ve had some competitive teams over the past 10 years on the state and national levels, and Rye youth rugby gets bigger and bigger every year. And we don’t make cuts, so anyone and everyone is welcome. We are a family but we’re part of a larger global rugby family. If a kid comes out to give it a try, they usually stay.”
O’Hara’s Garnets won each of their first two games this season easily. They travelled all the way to Louisiana in mid-March to play Jesuit High School of New Orleans and won 41-17. In their next game, they rather effortlessly defeated Staples High School (Westport, Conn.), 51-7. With those two lopsided wins, the folks who follow high school rugby in the U.S. noticed immediately that this may be O’Hara’s strongest – and fastest – team in years.
“We’ve never been the type of program to make too big a deal about individual players,” O’Hara said. “What we have on this year’s team is a group of seniors who conduct themselves with dignity, strength, and courage. Their collective leadership will shape our season from start to finish.”
As Rye assistant coach Tim Walsh always says, “The game sells itself.”
If you live anywhere near Rye and you love rugby, you’ll love this 2025 team.
