One of the fastest-growing sports in the United States is rugby, especially at the youth level, with registration numbers reaching over 50,000 in recent years. And Naperville’s no exception.
Developing skills at a young age
“I started when I was three. My dad used to play rugby. He’s coaching right now,” said Crusaders player Jack Blowers. “You get the ball a lot. And I like kicking. I love it. And it’s fun to tackle, too.”
Jack Blowers is one of the many members of the Naperville Crusaders youth rugby program, which begins as early as kindergarten, before eventually feeding into the high school program, the Naperville Warriors.
“I played in eighth grade, and I thought that was one of the most fun sports I’ve played, because I played for the Naperville Saints, and I was a lineman, so I thought it was really fun that I got to be able to pick up the ball and run with it,” said Warriors player Jackson Hirst.
Naperville has been home to a pair of strong high school rugby teams in Neuqua Valley and the Naperville Warriors, for well over a decade. But it took the hard work and recruiting efforts of coaches like Nick Evans to get the youth programs pointed in the right direction.
Developing a passion for a new sport
“About 3 or 4 years ago was straight after COVID. My son wanted to play rugby, and we knew about the Crusaders. But the Crusaders had at that time six kids. And so we kind of started to build it back up again over the last 3 or 4 years,” said Nick Evans. “And so we’ve been able to build the club up from six to about 62 this year.”
“My dad played obviously in England, and since I’m from England, rugby’s a massive culture there,” said Warriors player Noah Evans. “It’s a really nice game to know all the boys and like playing with them.”
Nick’s son Noah, who now plays for the Warriors after starting with the Crusaders when he was in sixth grade, has played a major role in getting friends to give a different sport a try.
“So I played baseball up until literally about two weeks before I joined. And then Noah and these guys were like, come out and play and then just played. And I never went back,” said Warriors player Luke Slusher.
“Noah and Jack said, “Hey, rugby’s a fun sport to play in the spring, it keeps you in shape for football. So I just want to go play that, and it’s been a lot of fun,” said Warriors player Gio Garcia.
Rugby does share similarities to football in that there is tackling, and you score by crossing the goal line, which is called a try, and by kicking the ball through the uprights. But the players appreciate the differences in the sports, including a more continuous play style.
“When someone gets tackled, the game doesn’t stop like football. It just keeps going. You form a ruck. And you go over, and you push to fight for the ball. And then you pass the ball out until you score. And then you kick for goal. That’s about two points, and the try is five points,” said Jack Blowers.
“I like the freedom of it. Football is very play-by-play with the playbook. You have to run your route exactly as the coaches like. Where in rugby, it’s a lot more open, a lot more freedom. You get a lot more chances to go around and do stuff,” said Warriors player Jack Anders.
Whether they are first-timers or rugby veterans, the top draw for the Crusaders and Warriors programs is the joy of the game.
“And the one thing that we always say is, “Did you have fun at training? Did you have fun at games? It’s a tough game, but we make sure they enjoy it,” said Nick Evans.
“This is my first year with the Crusaders. What made me start? My dad coaches the Neuqua Valley High School rugby team, so I wanted to try rugby. They’re really nice, they really help you out,” said Crusaders player Nixon Scott.
Fun and success go hand-in-hand
That enjoyment – and hard work – has led to increased success on the field.
“We got to the state final last year for the first time in 15 years,” said Nick Evans. “We’re unbeaten in the league this year. The Crusaders are doing exactly the same thing. They’ve been in the state final for the past three years, and hopefully, fingers crossed, all the teams will get there again this year.”
“It’s been great because the program kind of struggled for a few years, so it was nice to see all the work that these guys have put in finally come together and be worth something like a state championship appearance, which they all deserved,” said Warriors player Jack Latus.
The U13 Crusaders finished the 2026 season in fourth place, while the U15 team took home the state championship over the South Suburban Cobras. The Naperville Warriors varsity team ended another strong season with a third-place finish at state.
Creating new bonds and playing the right way
With some in it for the camaraderie…
“There’s no other sport where it’s like it’s kind of like when you step on the field, you’re one team, and when you get off the field, you’re one team as well,” said Noah Evans.
“I think mostly like what matters to me the most is having a good coaching staff, but like, also like being able to connect with teammates during the game and having a good time,” said Crusaders player Eli Kukkuri.
And others, the thrill of the game…
“I just would say I like to run through people,” said Jackson Hirst.
Coach Evans is glad to see them all come together to play this growing game the right way.
“What we’re trying to do is get a lot of kids to understand the game. They don’t have to be the biggest. And I think if we’re careful about the way we play rugby out here, it should be an expansive game. It shouldn’t just be for the biggest kids or the fastest kids. And hopefully we’re proving that,” said Nick Evans.
For Naperville Community Television, I’m Justin Cornwell.
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