Rugby program at risk

Fallbrook, you reside with champions! Since 2005, this little community has grown a premier youth rugby program from a small group of Potter Middle School students into a regional powerhouse. In addition to being champions on the field, Fallbrook Youth Rugby (FYR) has lead the effort to get high school rugby sanctioned as a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sport.

This may soon end for the high school boys however, if the Fallbrook Unified High School District (FUHSD) assistant superintendent Jose Iniguez has his way.

Despite a history of cooperation between FYR and FUHSD, superintendent Iniguez has abruptly taken a very confrontational stance with FYR. Last April, FUHSD asked for a meeting with us. While voicing support for our club, the district identified concerns with the school’s exposure to liability by its affiliation with a non-sanctioned contact sport like rugby. He proposed some minor changes to our relationship to remove the school’s liability. We agreed to these changes. Nothing in that meeting hinted at any attempt to derail our high school program. That agreement was memorialized in writing.

Recently, assistant superintendent Iniguez wrote an email to our high school representative, Mike Majewski. In this email, he recanted the school’s support for our club and suspended our student run ASB club without due process.

His actions threaten the future of boys high school rugby in Fallbrook. If this bothers you, please voice your concern. Email assistant superintendent Iniguez at [email protected]. Please copy (cc) [email protected] so we can document the response.

Marc Brakebill

President,

Fallbrook Youth Rugby