Wasatch Rugby brings bronze back from National Championships

Wasatch Wasps High School Rugby at National Championships. Photo: Grego Miranda Photography & Creative

HEBER CITY, Utah — While most student-athletes are involved in summer break activities from Wasatch High School, the Wasatch Rugby players have made it onto the podium at the National Championships.

After an 11 – 0 undefeated regular season the U14 boys of the Rugby 7s squad traveled to Ohio where they got third place in the tournament.

The Highland Buzzards from the host state took the top prize in that age and gender classification with the Panther Rugby Academy based out of Tennessee winning the boys U18 division title and the Bethesda Roosters winning the boys U16 Championship there coming from Maryland. 

The Wasatch High School Rugby Wasps’ Director of Rugby and Head Coach is none other than Patrick Whalen, Ph.D, former USA National Team Eagle and professional rugby player who has over 25 years playing the game of rugby and is in his 11th year coaching WHS boys and girls. The Asst. Coach is Michael Topp, a Kiwi from the Rugby Nation of New Zealand where he was a prolific player in an elite academy. 

The youth athletes they coach in this varsity letterman sport at Wasatch High School can advance into a type of feeder program to the Utah Cannibals Team. 

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The extremely fast-paced game of 7s is played with seven players on each team, and each game is only 15 minutes long with two seven-minute halves. Tackling, finding space and speed are incredibly important components of 7s.  7s is played in a tournament style format where teams may be playing four to five games in a day.  

Their counterparts, the Lady Wasps won the Utah State Championships this summer in the sister sport of Rugby 15s.