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SYC West End History

WEST END BOYS TRAVEL TO MILWAUKEE, WI FOR LAKEFRONT 7'S

Summer 2023 — West End HS Boys travelled via road trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to compete in Lakefront 7's. The boys fought their way to a championship match, defeating the UW Badgers select before falling to a strong SEP Varsity Rugby side from Iowa. West End would take fourth at the Rugby VA Final. MVP: Grant Meyers | Captain: Elijah McFarland

WEST END HS BOYS WIN 2022 CAPE FEAR 7'S!

Summer 2022 — The West End HS Boys travelled to Wilmington North Carolina to compete in Cape Fear 7's. Against all odds, the boys fought their way to the championship & WON vs a stout Cape Fear home team. West End would tie for third in the Rugby VA Final. MVP: Connor Flannery | Captain: Jackson Long

2022: WEST END UNVEILS NEW CLUB BADGE & HALL OF FAME

West End like many organizations across the country felt the harsh effects of Covid-19, stifling a generation of players. It became paramount to look inward and create an identity for the next generation of West End Players. The club unveiled a new logo-badge and announced it's inaugural Hall of Fame class of notable alumni from 1977-2000.


WEST END BOYS HS TEAM WINS 2016 TIER II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!

May 21, 2016 -- The West End Boys HS rugby team, the #6 seed, won the Tier II national championship with a hard fought 19-15 victory over #1 seed Pelham on a rain-soaked, muddy pitch at the Rugby Athletic Center in Charlotte, NC. Hooker Ieaun Israel led the scoring with two tries, including the game winner; fullback John "Cowbell" LeFevre scored on a spectacular run and glide to the corner, and scrumhalf Jacob Estes added two conversions. 

Along the way, West End beat #3 seed St. Thomas Aquinas 19-10 and #2 seed Charlotte Catholic 27-19.

In Rugby Virginia, qualified for the state semifinal but did not play because of forced choice between states and nationals -- West End wisely chose nationals.

WEST END BOYS 7/8TH GRADE TEAM WINS 2017 STATE TITLE

The SYC - West End Boys 7/8th team won the state tournament in Richmond on May 13, 2017.  They played a tough match and defeated top-seed Vienna while making more penalty kicks after the match had ended in a 5-5 tie. It was total team effort.

BOYS & GIRLS HS TEAMS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2015!

May 30, 2015 -- SYC/West End's Boys HS and Girls HS teams both won the state championships! 

The Boys beat Ft Hunt 22-20 in a nail-biter.  Down 17-20 with time about to expire, West End scrumhalf and MVP Jacob Estes quick tapped from a penalty on Ft Hunt's 5-m line and dove in for the game-winning try.

The Girls crushed FPYC 73-10 in a game that was never in doubt.  MVP was flyhalf Maddie Pennell.​


WEST END BOYS HS TEAM -- RESULTS FROM 2015—2008

  • Spring 2015 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat Fort Hunt 22-20 in the state championship final. MVP: Jacob Estes. Undefeated season overall.
  • Spring 2014 -- Rugby Virginia state finalist. Lost to Fort Hunt 7-30 in the state championship final.
  • Spring 2013 -- Rugby Virginia state finalist. Lost to NOVA 26-31 in the state championship final.
  • Spring 2012 -- Rugby Virginia Final Four. Lost to Hampton in state semifinal.
  • Spring 2011 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat NOVA 34-15 in the state championship.
    MVP: Michael Tobias.
  • Spring 2010 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat FPYC 18-9 in the state championship.
    MVP: Joe Eustace.
  • Spring 2009 -- Rugby Virginia state finalist. Lost to Western Loudoun 10-13 in the state championship.
  • Spring 2008 -- Rugby Virginia Final Four. Beat Western Loudoun 28-10 in the 3rd place game.

WEST END GIRLS HS TEAM -- RESULTS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS

  • Spring 2019--Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat "Family" (Prince William, Vienna  & Richmond) in the state championship final.
  • Spring 2016 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat West End II in the state championship final. 
  • Spring 2015 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat FPYC in the state championship final.
  • Spring 2014 -- Rugby Virginia state champs! Beat Ft Hunt 59-12 in the state championship final. 
    MVP: Abby Tobias. The team also placed 3rd in the National Invitational Tournament, Division 2, held May 17-18 in Pittsfield, Mass.
  • Spring 2013 -- Rugby Virginia state finalist. Lost to FPYC 12-22 in the state championship final.

WEST END BOYS Middle school TEAM -- RESULTS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS

  • Spring 2013 -- Finalist in the Rugby Virginia state championship. Narrowly lost to Alexandria/Ft Hunt in the final.
  • Spring 2012 -- Rugby Virginia state finalist. Narrowly lost to Warrenton in the state championship final.
  • Spring 2011 -- Rugby Virginia state champs!

SYC Rugby, The Screaming Eagles, was founded by Jeff Rupp in Summer 2000 as the first youth rugby program in Virginia. The program offered tag and tackle rugby for boys and girls ages 6 to 18, with spring and summer seasons.

By the mid-2000s, during the summer season, SYC Rugby offered tag and tackle rugby from U7 thru U18.  Up until 2008, boys and girls played tackle rugby in the summer on co-ed teams. 

About this time, SYC joined with West End Rugby during the spring season. SYC Rugby supported the "West End" teams for Boys HS, U13, and U15 as well as Girls HS and Middle School. West End Rugby has a long and storied history dating to the late 1980s which included many state championships and at least 2 national championships.

Since 2008, the entities have grown closer and we are now known as West End/SYC.  We offer Tag Rugby from pre-K thru 4th grade and Tackle Rugby (both 7s and 15s) from 3rd thru 12th grade.


WEST END RUGBY PRE-SYC

NOTABLE YEARS

  • 1998: West End was suspended from advancing in post season play for three years after a handful of players streaked at the national tournament at Brigham Young University.
  • 1997: PRU Championships. National Appearance in Provo, Utah
  • 1996: PRU Runner Up. Loses to Doylestown in the East Coast Semi Final, in Rockaway Beach, NY
  • 1995: PRU Runner Up, Loses to Walt Whitman in the PRU Final
  • 1994: PRU Championships. West End defeats then National Champions #1 Xavier at Cherry Blossom Tourny to Win Cherry Blossom Tournament. #1 Xavier returns the favor 5 weeks later and defeats #2 West End in the East Coast Final. West End loses to #2 Redmond, WA at Nationals 14-7 and places 5th at Nationals in Denver Colorado. 19-2-2 season record.

 

  • 1992: PRU Championships
  • 1991: PRU Championships
  • 1990: PRU Championships | National Appearance
  • 1989: PRU Championships | National Appearance
  • 1988: PRU Championships
  • 1987: PRU Championships
  • 1986: West End defeats Celtic Cup against Langley HS.
    West End would never lose another game to them.

West END RUGBY—1985

Eager to grow compete, Coach Sodhi recruited eleven players from neighboring Lake Braddock High School. Now a mixed team— a scrimmage was held to ultimately decide the name of the club. The Lake Braddock players won, and the club's name was forever changed to West End Rugby.

First GIRL's team—1981

The first high school women's team was formed in 1981 under coach Daniel Carr. Their only opponent at the time were college teams. 

Wshs rugby—1980

The club improved, but struggled to defeat rival Langley HS. A young alumni Michael Sodhi began coaching the team in 1980.

established in 1977

West Springfield High School Rugby was formed in 1977 under head coach Art Steffen. The team went winless in their first season.

West End Rugby 1977

West End Rugby | Original Team Photo—1977