http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/sports/othersports/15rugby.html?hp
What was once seen as a sport of exclusive prep schools, the game of rugby has entered onto the fields of Hyde Leadership Public Charter School in Washington, DC. Hyde has become the home of what is believed to be the nation’s first all-African-American high school rugby team. It is also where a growing number of students have been exposed to a sport they once knew nothing about and to parts of society that once seemed closed to them. A rugby-playing teacher, Tal Bayer, invited students to a pick-up game after school. Those informal games led to the birth of a team in 2000. After several years, Hyde has become one of the city’s top programs, finishing second out of seven teams in the Metro Area Varsity Rugby Conference last year. Even more important, Bayer and his players said, is how rugby has exposed them to experiences and opportunities. "Rugby has taken me places I've never imagined going, and I’m thankful when I can go to places where I don’t always have to duck and dive," said P. J. Komongnan, a player on that squad who has returned to Hyde to serve as an assistant coach.
Source: New York Times (free registration required)
Date: 11/15/2008
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