Ellensburg Youth Rugby
How It Started
The Ellensburg Youth Rugby program started in the fall of 2019 thanks to former CWU Alumni and Cascade Rugby Union President Chris Nesmith. The area was prime for a youth rugby program in Ellensburg, WA, home of the Men’s Varsity Central Washington University Rugby Club, and top 6th rugby program in the country. Chris connected with Bob Ford, former Central Washington Rugby Coach, to share his vision. From there, Chris and Bob worked hard to establish Youth Rugby in the city of Ellensburg, to follow the success of the CWU rugby team.
First things first, they had to find a pitch. They approached the City Parks and Recreation Director, Brad Case, and managed to secure an abandoned baseball pitch that the rugby club could use for practice. In the Winter of 2019, Ellensburg Youth Rugby was officially launched and the team held its first practice in March of 2020 right before the start of the pandemic.
Before the start of the 2021 season, Chris formed a connection with the United States Rugby Foundation. The Foundation was immediately interested in how they could support Ellensburg Youth Rugby through a Grant and inquired about their needs. Ellensburg Youth Rugby is just one example of how the Foundation can improve playing grounds for rugby teams across the United States and continue to grow grass roots rugby.
Ellensburg Youth Rugby received:
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Additional Support
Additional support from the City Parks and Recreation and its director helped the team in their journey to transform the abandoned baseball field into a rugby pitch. In March of 2021, they helped remove the base plugs, home plate, and pitchers mounds, while replacing them with goal posts. The City Parks Department also allowed the team to host matches at Rotary Park, where competitions were held on 3 different pitches for 3 separate age groups (U12, U14, and HS). These events sparked the kids’ interest in rugby even more.
The Youth Program had other sponsors that helped with the pitch as well, including Winegar’s Coffee & Creamery and Reecer Creek Excavating. Thanks to the funds provided by these two businesses, the team was able to remove the backstops and dugouts, and Reecer Creek Excavating even laser-leveled the pitch and assisted with post installation. Ellensburg Youth Rugby also received $10,000 from the City of Ellensburg Parks Partnership Program, which will allow them to install a new sprinkler system by next year.
2026
Ellensburg Rugby went international. Both the High School Boys and Girls programs traveled to Ireland for the club's first-ever international tour, a rare opportunity for any youth rugby program to offer both squads at once. The trip opened at the Killary Adventure Centre with the same team-building and leadership exercises used by the Irish National Team ahead of the Rugby World Cup, then continued in Galway, where the teams trained with the Connacht Rugby development program and played matches against St. Michael's and Shannon RFC. The girls trained alongside athletes in Ireland's U16 pathway, and the group's visit lined up with the Six Nations Championship, including a trip to Dublin to watch Ireland face Wales. Sharpened by that experience, the Bulls fought their way back to the Division II state championship match, falling just short to a strong Moscow Rugby squad in a game that showed just how far the program has come.
The club also launched its first Summer Fitness & Skills Academy with support from CWU coaches and student-athletes, giving players a way to build fitness, rugby IQ, and technical skills outside the traditional season. Fall brought Try Rugby clinics for new U10, U12, and U14 players, along with a run of Sevens tournaments for the High School Girls and focused development sessions for the High School Boys. Behind the scenes, coaches are now aligning on facilities, coaching education, and player pathways, including a proposed Rugby Analysis Room at the Ellensburg Rugby Pitch that would put the club among the first youth programs in the region with integrated video analysis built into player development.
“Players develop leadership, accountability, and emotional resilience. Many have found their voice and confidence through rugby.”
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“For some athletes, this is the first program where they feel like they belong and are accepted.”
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2025
Ellensburg Rugby's breakout year on the field. The Ellensburg Bulls High School Boys captured their first-ever Rugby Washington Division II State Championship, a milestone years in the making for a program that only a few seasons earlier was still working to establish itself in the state's rugby landscape. The title capped years of dedication from players, coaches, volunteers, and families who built the program from the ground up, and it marked a turning point in how Ellensburg Rugby is viewed across the state. Registration held strong at more than 160 athletes across six divisions, keeping Ellensburg one of the largest youth rugby programs in Washington.Ellensburg Youth Rugby has seen significant growth in 2023, with player count increasing from 46 in 2020 to 183. This growth underscores the effectiveness of our program and the rising interest in rugby within our community. This year, we've also enhanced our facilities with a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard, funded by a US Rugby Foundation grant. This grant, focusing on innovation and inclusivity, has been instrumental in fostering a thriving rugby culture in Ellensburg.
Growth continued off the field too. The partnership with Central Washington University Rugby deepened through training sessions, youth camps, mentorship opportunities, and coaching support, connecting youth, high school, and collegiate rugby across Kittitas Valley. CWU student-athletes took on coaching roles with younger players, strengthening the sport's pipeline and giving aspiring coaches a way to invest in the next generation. That collaboration, paired with continued community and business support, laid the groundwork for the international tour and new training initiatives that followed in 2026.
“It is life-changing. It's not just about the matches, it's about expanding their worldview.”
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