Bend Blues rugby club still recruiting for season, hoping to avoid merger with Summit HS

(Update: Adding video, comment from Bend Blues, Summit coaches)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Tuesday was supposed to be the first practice for the Bend Blues Rugby team.

The practice was canceled due to the snow covering the fields, but the club has bigger problems, if it doesn’t find more players.

New Head Coach Connor Crossley told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday, “We need 15, likely by the end of this week, to field a Bend Blues team and compete in this league.”

He has his hands full with the task.

 “It’s been difficult o find players and kind of picking up a club that’s three years stale,” Crossley said.

This is his first year as coach of the team, but the Blues haven’t had a full season since 2019, because of the pandemic.

“I think we had our largest roster size ever (in 2019) -- but three years later, everyone graduated,” Crossley said. “Everyone has kind of moved on, and we’re looking for players.”

He needs about 10 more players, and if he doesn’t find them, the Blues' multi-school Rugby Oregon squad will have to merge with the single-school team at Summit High School.

Summit Coach Ross Emerick said, "It's not helped by the fact that guests can't get into schools to recruit at the moment."

Emerick said his team has enough players and hasn't had the same problem, since one of their coaches is on staff at Summit High and can recruit there.

Crossley doesn't want to have to merge.

"It's always disappointing, when you miss out on a team,” he said. “But at the end of the day, as long as kids get to play rugby, that's all that matters."

And Summit is ready to welcome a merger with open arms. 

"We'll gladly take (Crossley) back as a coach,” Emerick said, “And incorporate those kids in and make sure we give everyone the opportunity to play."

Check out Rugby Oregon’s website for more information and a link to register for either the Bend Blues or Summit High team.