About this episode
Key Takeaways USA Youth and High School Rugby, formed in 2021, has significantly improved youth rugby's positioning and representation Key initiatives include high-performance partnerships, coaching education (Six Degrees), and developing a comprehensive player pathway Current focus is on building foundations for scalable growth, aiming for 1 million youth players in the future Challenges include geographic spread and competition with established U.S. sports, but rugby community engagement is a key strength Topics Giovanni Valetti's Rugby Background Born in South Africa to Italian grandparents First rugby experience: 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa Moved to U.S., studied sports management Became Executive Director of SoCal Rugby in 2018 before joining USA Youth and High School Rugby Formation and Structure of USA Youth and High School Rugby Created in 2021 following USA Rugby's restructuring 501(c)(3) organization focused on youth and high school rugby Board structure with regional representation Aims to insulate youth game from potential issues at higher levels Provides more direct representation for youth rugby interests Current Initiatives and Programs High Performance Partnership with U.S. national teams Six Degrees coaching education platform Imagine Rugby (non-contact introductory program) Working on integrated strategic plan for player pathway Focus on mass participation and skill development Challenges and Opportunities Geographic spread makes competition and travel difficult Need to compete with established U.S. sports for participants Current player base is substantial compared to some rugby nations Opportunity to leverage upcoming World Cups (2031, 2033) for growth Building sustainable structures for post-World Cup growth Community Engagement and Retention Rugby community provides networking, job opportunities, and lifelong connections Focus on retaining players as coaches, referees, and administrators Working to improve communication and engagement with clubs and players Encouraging content sharing from clubs and state organizations for social media Next Steps Continue developing and promoting Six Degrees coaching platform Expand high-performance initiatives and player pathways Improve marketing and communication to showcase YHS Rugby's work Encourage more content sharing from clubs and state organizations Focus on building sustainable structures for long-term growth beyond 2033 World Cups worldrugbyshop.com rugbynorcal.org