Scrum of the Earth

Rugby, that grandfather of American football and a great way to lose a few teeth, is enjoying something of a local renaissance, in part because of the construction of the nation's first municipal rugby stadium in Glendale. If you’ve ever been curious about the high-speed rough-and-tumble sport, there's never been...

By Cory Casciato

May 8, 2008

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Rugby, that grandfather of American football and a great way to lose a few teeth, is enjoying something of a local renaissance, in part because of the construction of the nation's first municipal rugby stadium in Glendale. If you’ve ever been curious about the high-speed rough-and-tumble sport, there's never been a better time to bandwagon, since the Glendale Raptors are enjoying a stellar season. The men's team is undefeated in league play, the women's team is undefeated, period, and today's "test" — that's rugby-speak for a match — is the season finale for both teams.

"The men play Grand Junction, which has always been a great intrastate rivalry and should be a good test for the western region's number-two-seeded Raptor men," says Mike Dunafon, mayor pro-tem of Glendale. "Additionally, our special guests for the day will be the Sports Buddies and the kids from Denver Big Brothers Big Sisters."

Catch the tackles at Infinity Park, 950 South Birch Street in Glendale. The men play at noon, followed by the women at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults; kids twelve and under get in free. For more information, visit www.glendalerugby.com or call 720-226-9720.
Sat., May 10, 2008

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