May 2026 Newsletter
The Dream Team at Work for the Hounds
CARFU Referee Society
Help a Girl (Laura) Out
We are in the thick of the spring season and already Rugby Illinois is starting their playoffs. Championship matches will take place Memorial Day Weekend, but venues and timing have not been figured out.
Make sure your availability is up to date, and you remain VERY flexible. Often Laura may have less than a week. It’s hard enough making the assignments based on who’s available, let alone taking in the thousand other factors she tries to consider. Help her out by accepting assignments ASAP. We all need to be prepared to go wherever, including Notre Dame de LaSalette!
The Summer 7s Season
The 7s season will start right after 15’s, so make sure your availability is up to date through the end of July.
As we learn of tournaments we are posting them to the CARFU RS calendar (https://carfu-rs.com/calendar/).
**MANDATORY** 😁Meeting/Social/Bronco
The plan was to hold this in March…then it was in April…now May is shot…
So we will be holding an IN PERSON meeting on June 7th. PLEASE SAVE THE DATE and count on attending. It will give us a chance to connect and socialize as a group after a a full spring season.
We will review the spring season and discuss law clarifications and game management challenges we have experienced. We will also review 7’s law and game management.
Finally, we will run an official Bronco test. This is more for those referees looking to move up. The Bronco Test is a hard-aerobic running assessment where participants have to complete a sequence of shuttle runs over 60m, 40m and 20m for five sets. The participants’ aim is to complete the test in as quick a time as possible. Here is a link to the RFU’s description with standards for level 5-10 referees (up to C2).
The test will provide each referee an understanding of how their fitness compares to their grade. For those referees with promotion ambitions this will provide you with a record of your scoring that you need for higher level matches.
While the meeting is “mandatory” the Bronco is not.
We hope to have a bit of a social at the same time. We are working out those details. But please reserve the afternoon of June 7th.
Youth Rugby
By Tom Kean
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Tom Kean, Eric Hipp, and Sean Haughian for all the time that they’ve given to the Youth Rugby Program this year. They have worked almost every festival and ensured great play. The future of rugby in Illinois is bright thanks to them, Tony Lubric and the RIL board. Special mentions go out to Chris “Milo” Milojevich and Laura Neville who have also covered a couple of weekends, as well.
Rugby Illinois’ middle school rugby season continues to run smoothly, and that success would not be possible without the dedication of our referees. They give their time, energy, and attention to help provide a safe, fair, and positive experience for all players. Officiating youth matches requires patience, consistency, and commitment. Thank you to all who have given their time to help make our games enjoyable and successful for everyone involved.
Our youth rugby program continues to see strong growth across all age divisions, providing opportunities for boys and girls to participate in a fun, competitive, and community-driven environment. All divisions are fully co-ed, helping create an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes players of all experience levels.
The season is played festival-style at various locations throughout the Chicagoland area, running from early April through the end of May. This format allows clubs and families from across the region to come together each weekend in a positive, energetic environment that emphasizes participation, sportsmanship, and player development.
The U15 division featured 6 teams competing throughout the season, with approximately 100 players participating. This division continues to serve as a key developmental stage for athletes transitioning into full-contact rugby while building advanced teamwork, fitness, and game strategy skills.
The U13 division experienced particularly strong participation, with 10 teams and more than 130 players competing during the season. The growth at the U13 level reflects increasing interest in youth rugby across the region and highlights the success of local club recruitment and development efforts.
At the introductory level, Rookie Rugby (U10 & U8) welcomed more than 60 young athletes. Rookie Rugby focuses on skill development, confidence building, athletic movement, and teamwork in a non-contact environment that emphasizes fun and learning the fundamentals of the game.
Combined, the program supported well over 290 youth athletes across U15, U13, and Rookie Rugby divisions this season, demonstrating the continued momentum and expanding reach of youth rugby within the community.
Thanks,
Tom
🟨 DISCIPLINARY REPORTS 🟥
RIL & CARFU Disciplinary Chairs both report that the reports we have been submitting are good and provide them with the information that they need to adjudicate accordingly. Amy Cullen of RIL made a special comment that the additional commentary about the game helps provide her a better picture of what happened leading up to the card.
Of course it is no surprise that for RIL the vast majority of cards were for high tackles followed by repeat infringements of high tackling. Continue to maintain strict standards on these.
Marques Plummer of the Midwest Disciplinary Committee, said that trending around the country is misconduct at high school games in regard to players, coaches and parents. Senior club is all the usual business with some really wild stuff thrown in. If he attends our event on June 7 he can give us the skinny on the really wild stuff!
REMINDER: Score and Disciplinary Reports need to be submitted within 24 hours after the match.
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