Great Plains Rugby All-Star Match

The Great Plains Rugby Football Union (GPRFU) has selected Pierre, SD as the site for this year's annual All-Star Challenge Rugby match. The match will be held on Saturday, September 4th at Hilger's Field, located at 4th Street and Governor's Drive. The 3:00 p.m. kick-off will feature the 2009 National Rugby Champions, Northern State Outlawz, taking on the Great Plains RFU All-Stars. This will be the first ever Rugby Football match played in Pierre. Admission is FREE.
"Pierre was selected as this year's site as a way to introduce the sport of Rugby to the city, in hopes of starting a new club." Says GPRFU President Steve Grunberg. "Our plan is to have the new Pierre Rugby Club compete in the South Dakota Division of the Great Plains Rugby League against established clubs in Sioux Falls, Aberdeen and Rapid City. We would also like to start a couple of high school programs around the Pierre area."
Prior to the All-Star Challenge kick-off, the match referee will brief the spectators on the basic rules of rugby football, and demonstrate key elements of the game, such as: scrums, mauls, rucks and lineouts. After the match, an informational meeting will be held to explain how Pierre residents can join the new Pierre Rugby Club. No rugby experience is necessary to join. The new club will be teaching the basic of the game to its new members.
The GPRFU (www.greatplainsrugby.com), established in 1982, is the local governing body for rugby in the states of Nebraska and South Dakota. The organization consists of 26 seperate clubs at the adult, collegiate and high school levels, for both male and female athletes. The GPRFU is affiliated with USA Rugby (www.usarugby.org), the sport's national governing body. USA Rugby manages the USA National Rugby Team, who will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games.