BOZEMAN — It’s a bustling weekend for rugby in Bozeman, where the Great Northwest Challenge is taking place, attracting more than 2,000 high school players from all over the country.
“Just the community with it is, like, so different than any other sport I’ve ever played,” said Delaney English.
English is a Bozeman High student and rugby player. She says she first became interest in rugby in seventh grade, while playing soccer.
“I played co-ed soccer, and I was just knocking all the boys down and some parents suggested there’s a new rugby program in Bozeman and my mom convinced me to go try it, and I had a lot of fun,” said English.
WATCH: Great Northwest Challenge brings rugby players from across the country to Bozeman
Flash forward five years, English continues to play rugby and is participating in this weekend’s Great Northwest Challenge in Bozeman, bringing together high school players representing 35 states.
“I played last year for Montana, and It was super fun,” said English.
The event is hosted by the Montana Institute of Sport, a Bozeman-based non-profit that strives to get kids moving and make an impact through sports.
“Between this and the other tournaments we host, we’re trying to make Bozeman a rugby destination and a real rugby hub,” said JD Stephenson, CEO of the Montana Institute of Sport.
Stephenson says this is event is not only a tournament, but also a vessel for college recruiting for 30 schools and for Team USA.
“We’re going to see players out here over the course of this weekend that will be representing potentially at the 2028 Olympics,” said Stephenson.
“Our job is to help USA rugby identify this next kind of generation of players that are coming through to be national team players,” he added.
As Stephenson explains, the Great Northwest Challenge is particularly unique because it is the only event that integrates recruiting over the course of the entire tournament and brings together teams representing their states, including Montana.
“For us, it’s really important to have that sense of pride coming and playing for Montana,” said Stephenson. “Especially as a small state, it’s really important for us to represent a true Montanan team here which is really awesome.”
As for English, she says she hopes to bring her rugby skills to college.
“I think it’s a super cool experience, and I think I want to continue to play rugby. It’s a great way to meet new people,” said English.
“Hope to get more girls interested in trying it out, especially here in Montana. A lot of people don’t know about it,” she added.
If you’re interested in watching this weekend’s tournament, head over to Bozeman Sports Park and visit this link for more information.
