Brownsburg Rugby Club Wins State

“The high school team had never won state until this year,” said Brandon Boals, Brownsburg Rugby Club Coach.  

The organization, which was established in 2002, brought home their first high school title on May 26. After the big win, some of the D2 State Champions chatted with   e Republican about their successful season.

Grant Fletcher, fly-half (10), has been a part of the team for nine years. “One of my favorite parts of being a part of this team is how close we became as the season progressed,” Fletcher shared.

In fact, the fly-half attributes much of the team’s success to their strong bond. "That made a huge difference in the outcome of this season. We all believed in each other.”

Speaking of the outcome, it was one the senior will remember for years to come.

“Finally getting it done in my senior year is a surreal feeling. It has been nothing but a dream come true hearing that final whistle and getting the trophy handed to us at the end of the game,” Fletcher said.

While Fletcher’s been dreaming of the big win, another player, Tobin Peterson has been manifesting it since December.

“We set a principle at the beginning of the season that we had our minds set on state,” Peterson, the 8-man explained. “I had made a group chat last December … and named it ‘25 State Champs.’ Ever since then, every practice, sprint, and tackle was held to that standard of success.”

While hard work on the road to victory comes from the players, the coaches are putting in their time, too.

“This was all with great help from our coaches, especially Brandon,” Peterson shared. “He coached a lot of us back in 6th grade so winning it with him meant so much more and I think he really did something with this team.”

“Brandon helped a team with more than half the players on their first or second year playing look like they have been playing for years,” Fletcher added. “He’s a coach that fully supports his players when coaching and fully believed in us this year to get it done. He’s a great coach and also considered a great friend.”  

This was Boals’ first season coaching high school rugby and he did so alongside fellow coaches and Rugby Club alumni, Alex Goodnight and PJ Goduto. And though the victory was oh so sweet, Boals’ favorite part has been the memories.

“From a coach’s standpoint, especially like my brother being a senior this year, and me coaching all those boys for like six or seven years, and kind of seeing them grow as, not just rugby players, but as men.”

Before becoming a coach of the State Champs, Boals was a player himself, within the same organization.

“The legacy, just thinking about it – I tried for four years, and all the teams before me, even in high school, everybody’s tried,” Boals said. “But for it to be this season was lots of emotions. . . I’m very proud of this team.”