The Falcons Rugby Club started accumulating titles since its establishment at the school in 2010 and was ranked among the top five teams nationally during their 2022-23 season. Whether or not it is an official CIF approved sport, the boys Falcons Rugby Club deserves far more recognition than they are currently receiving, mainly due to their success in season and numerous titles.

“In the 2022-23 season, my sophomore year, we won the state championship game, played at Saddleback College,” James Curtis (12), boys Falcon Rugby Club team captain and scrum half, said. “This was not only unprecedented for Torrey Pines, but for any team from Southern California. I think it really shows that our team plays at an elite level, and proudly represents the Torrey Pines colors in huge games, which I believe deserves more recognition from the school.”

With the team’s continued success, there’s a shared sense of anticipation about what lies ahead.

“I’m excited about it because it means more training,” Andrew Taich (11), inside center rugby player, said. “Our team will likely improve our skills and sense of unity.”

Becoming a CIF sport would increase training hours, leading to a better team all in all. Currently, the team faces a difficult training schedule due their standing as a club, with practices from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

They are currently a low priority for field space, which is ironic considering how many titles they’ve won.

“Torrey Pines is considered the premier high school rugby program in Southern California, winning five SoCal championships and playing in two of the last three state championships” Coach Matty Sandoval, head coach of the boys Falcon Rugby Club, said. “We also won state in 2023.”

It’s very apparent that the Falcons Rugby Club has been working hard since the beginning and is ready for even more. 

“I think becoming a CIF sport will allow SoCal rugby to be more structured and less subject to last minute changes,” Curtis said. “As of right now, our training schedule consists of a team lift on Mondays, team lift and an on-field training on Tuesdays, field training on Wednesdays, field training on Thursdays and game day on either Fridays or Saturdays.”

Despite their consistent efforts, they remain unrecognized by students and staff across campus.

“I feel like we still don’t get the recognition we deserve because even though we aren’t a school sport and don’t represent Torrey Pines, we are still a club,” Taich said. 

This will hopefully be changed in the future by them working to become a CIF sport, and simultaneously gain more recognition and resources to strengthen the program.

“Rugby remains a popular club sport on campus, and we generally average 50 to 75 students between the varsity, JV and girls’ teams,” Sandoval said. “Part of the popularity is due to the many college rugby opportunities available in both men’s and women’s college rugby.” 

With teams holding large rosters, it is considered a generally popular sport. With a significant amount of players on the team, coaches and team captains play a crucial role in the teams success over the past few years. The team’s excellent leadership has led players to tremendous success, shown in their numerous victories. Many of their players even plan to play rugby at the collegiate level. Sandoval mentioned that alumnus from the program have played at over 30 colleges on the boys side, and over 12 on the girls side.

Curtis is one of the players planning on taking the game to the next level.

“I recently received what they call a ‘tag’ from the University of California, Berkeley to continue my rugby career at the DI collegiate level,” Curtis said. “A ‘tag’ is essentially admission support from the Cal rugby team and athletics department, and I’m just waiting to get admission confirmation in February.”

The unity among the rugby team has contributed to their successes as well, as rugby calls for heavy communication and teamwork. 

Without the dedicated teamwork seen among the players, it is unlikely that they would have thrived as much as they do. 

“Another thing that really sets us apart from our competition is the way that everyone on the team truly buys into our system,” Curtis said. “We really play as a team, which rugby definitely requires, and you can feel that energy and cohesion at each practice and on game day.”

Making rugby a CIF approved sport would only act as a further attribution to their success and play a crucial role in furthering their accomplishments.

“I think the biggest change that would come from rugby becoming a CIF sport is the unity it would create,” Curtis said. “There are currently multiple leagues, some multi-school, some single school, so sometimes filling a full season schedule within our league is challenging.” 

The complex world of the sport and the multiplicity of leagues can be challenging at times for players. Given that rugby becomes a CIF approved sport, it would also increase the amount of schools available to play, fulfilling the athletes desire for more competition. 

“Believe it or not, Cathedral — our rival down the road — is in a different league than Torrey Pines, so it doesn’t count towards our playoff standings when we play them each year, despite them being some of the toughest competition we face,” Curtis said. 

The Falcons Rugby Club is eager to become a CIF sport, and obtain the benefits that it will bring them. 

“Falcons Rugby has a proud tradition, and is known around the country,” Sandoval said. “Our reputation for good, clean rugby and excellent sportsmanship is an honor we have earned. Please come see your classmates play, we promise you will be entertained.”

The Falcons Rugby Club has proven themselves to deserve the title as an official CIF sport, as they consistently demonstrate excellence both on and off the field.