HILO — The competition keeps growing, making it harder every year for the Hilo Reign to win a Under-19 rugby title at the state championships.
Nusi Tukuafu — a cousin of former Hawaii volleyball player Torry Tukuafu, if the name sounds familiar — is the coach of the Reign, the defending champs, and he’s seen the sport explode in numbers since Hawaii Youth Rugby started in 2004.
The under-19, under-15 and under-10 championships will be held today, starting at 8:30 a.m. at Hilo Bayfront.
There are 20 players on his Under 19 club, and 80 in all spread out over the other four U-19 teams: Keaukaha Sharks, Waimea Boars and Kona Bulls. In a couple of years, the Puna Chiefs will add to the crowd when their players get older.
For all age divisions, starting at 7, Hawaii Youth Rugby has roughly 300 competitors. The league is head and shoulders above Oahu and Maui as far as development and depth.
The state championships not only produce club or island pride, but also help the numerous football players to sharpen tackling skills and maintain their conditioning.
The objective is similar to football: get the ball past the goal line, scoring on a try, which is five points. A conversion is two points for a kick over the crossbar.
There are 15 players and two 40-minute halves. There’s no blocking, and passes can only be thrown laterally or backward. Anyone can kick the ball to avoid getting pummeled during a tackle, which turns air balls into a festive free-for-all.
“My kids are looking for a physical sport during the offseason, and rugby fills that void,” Tukuafu said. “On our island, we’re getting scouted by USA national teams. We’re trying to get our players to that level.”
Hawaii Youth Rugby can take a bow in that regard.
Nuu Aiava, a Waiakea senior running back and Keaukaha Shark, and Tama Paogofie from the Kona Bulls are on the USA High School All-American team, a farm system affiliate for the national club.
Tukuafu pointed to a pair of his players — Suwaiter Poch and Kaula Pilago, a Kamehameha senior — as potential USA candidates. He also likes the ability of Poch’s sister, Tracy Poch, a Waiakea senior who wrestled.
“I talk to our boys and girls that football scholarships are not the biggest thing coming around, but next best thing is rugby,” he said. “A lot of schools on the mainland are offering scholarships for rugby.”
Rugby is not a sanctioned NCAA sport. But it is played on the collegiate level. National collegiate championships began in 1980, and the University of California has won 26 out of 32 titles.
Tukuafu’s stepson, Kolbi Tualei, is in the eighth grade at Keaau Middle School, and Tukuafu envisions a brighter future in rugby than football for the youngster.
“He’s on my U-15 team, and I see his future trying to get on the USA national team,” Tukuafu said. “They’re looking for younger ages to develop. We’re offering to develop a lot of youth on the Big Island.
“The key for a good rugby player is to understand all the laws of the game and to work on technique. For a team, it’s being able for 15 to turn into a unit and bring it all together and make it work.”
Anare Vuta, the Puna Chiefs coach, believes rugby holds a ton of attractions, starting with safety.
“When parents come in, they think it’s a violent sport, but when we tell them about it they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s a safe sport.’ We teach kids safety, and all that fear is gone,” said Vuta, who grew up playing rugby in New Zealand, where the sport is king. “And moneywise it’s cheap. All you need is a shirt, shoes and then you just go.
“I see so much potential on the island. It gets kids off the street, especially in Puna, and takes their aggression off the street.”
He moved to the Big Island in 2007. Before that he lived on Oahu for four years, and played in a men’s rugby league.
“On Oahu, they focus on the adults,” Vuta said. “We focus a lot more on the youth. That’s why there a lot of teams at the state championship from the Big Island. We’d like to build a foundation.”
The league’s website, hawaiiyouthrugby.com, also offers a link to colleges that offer rugby scholarships. Vuta also noted that rugby’s popularity is growing, and the sport will be reintroduced at the Olympics in 2016 in Brazil.
Through rugby, Vuta hopes for a bright future for his son, Akariva, who’s 6 years old and will be eligible next season.
“I tell our kids they should strive to be in the Olympics,” he said. “I look at it that hopefully my kid can get a college scholarship and represent our island in the Olympics. He’s quick on his feet and has got a fast pitch.
“It helps for football, and it’s perfect for a lot of kids.”