Madison United Rugby
History: The idea of Madison United Rugby started in the fall of 2007, when rugby coaches and administrators -often the same people - started talking about a way to unite all of the Madison area rugby Clubs around our common interests. They thought a new "umbrella" organization could provide organizational efficiency and help build our sport. From these early conversations a Board of Directors was formed and Madison United Rugby Inc. was incorporated in April 2008. Later that year MU Rugby was granted 501(c)3 tax-exempt status by the IRS. We are governed by a seven member Board of Directors.
Mission: To support the growth of rugby in the Madison area. We have developed an alliterative four point approach to this broad mission.
PLAY: We support the playing of the game by our member Clubs, at the highest level possible. We are establishing a fund to assist Clubs with expenses of National Championship Playoff travel and lodging, to assist individuals players chosen for Select-Sides, and to assist our Clubs with the hosting of international touring sides.
PROGRAM: Our signature program Youth Flag Rugby will debut Summer 2010. Our goal for the first year is to have one hundred grade school kids playing flag rugby. This will be a six week, coed, non-contact program. It will provide structure for developing running, passing, catching and kicking skills, with an emphasis on sportsmanship and teamwork. Session will run from June 21 - July 31, with two age groups; those entering grades 2-3 and those entering grades 4-6. Middleton and South Madison are the first two locations, and we plan to expand in future years as our resources allow. Other programs will include the hosting of Camps for training and development of Coaches, Referees and Player Skills.
PLACE: A proper field for rugby has always been one of the biggest issues for American clubs. Thanks to the hard work and generous donations of many, the Wisconsin Rugby Club Sports Complex now exists to benefit all of our Clubs. In the Village of Cottage Grove, just east of Madison, we own a portion of Fireman's Park. The fields are set for drainage, are graded, the seeds are planted and soon we will be able to play on a truly 'home' field.
PARTNERSHIPS: For rugby to grow significantly, we recognize the need to expand beyond our current sphere of operations. MU Rugby is actively seeking partnerships to support our family oriented operations. We are actively connecting to the community at large through our Youth Flag Rugby Program and the WRC Sports Complex will be available for sporting and social activities other than rugby. Sponsorship opportunities exist for individual Clubs as well as for MU and the Sports Complex. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information. P.S.....MU is pronounced just like a cow would say it, "moo".
