Denver Lions Youth Rugby Club
About Us

Our club had more of a start than a founding. Jamie Graves, a parent and former rugby player, gathered local neighborhood kids & their schoolmates to have a go at trying rugby. We had one U-9 team in the TRY league during the 2006 season. The kids came up with the team name that first season and so we are the Denver Lions. Two years later, the Denver Lions became a Rugby Colorado TRY league team drawing players from NW Denver, West Denver, Edgewater, Lakewood, Arvada, Golden & Wheat Ridge. In order to have more kids at other ages playing rugby, many parent volunteers and local rugby players have stepped forward. The Lions have matured into a team that typically has over forty players spread across all age grade categories. We have also formed partnerships with North High School Vikings and a local men's club, the Denver Barbarians. The Lions proudly wear the Barbarians insignia on the back of their jerseys. Barbarian and Vikings players have brought their rugby expertise the the club helping Lions grow into confident, skilled, players

 


Rugby Ethos


Rugby is valued as a sport for men and women, boys and girls. It builds teamwork, understanding, co-operation and respect for fellow athletes. Its cornerstones are, as they always have been: the pleasure of participating; the courage and skill which the game demands; the love of a team sport that enriches the lives of all involved; and the lifelong friendships forged through a shared interest in the game. It is because of, not despite, rugby’s intensely physical and athletic characteristics that such great camaraderie exists before and after matches. The long standing tradition of players from competing team enjoying each other’s company away from the pitch and in a social context, remains at the very core of the game. Rugby has fully embraced the professional era, but has retained the ethos and traditions of the recreational game. In an age in which many traditional sporting qualities are being diluted or even challenged, rugby is rightly proud of its ability to retain high standards of sportsmanship, ethical behaviour and fair play.


The Denver Lions hope to teach and help reinforce these cherished values.