Champions on and off the Field: Celebrating the 2026 Urban Rugby Championships
On March 21, 2026, the city of Dallas, Texas hosted one of the most meaningful events on the rugby calendar: the 2026 Urban Rugby Championships. For the U.S. Rugby Foundation, watching these young athletes compete wasn't just exciting. It was a reminder of exactly why we do this work.
For five years, the U.S. Rugby Foundation has been proud to stand behind the Urban Rugby Championships, providing grants, financial support, and an unwavering belief in the power of rugby to change lives in under-resourced communities across America. What we witnessed in Dallas on March 21 affirmed that investment at every turn.
A Weekend of Extraordinary Competition
The 2026 Urban Rugby Championships delivered everything that makes this tournament special: fierce competition, exceptional talent, and the kind of heart and resilience that no stat sheet can fully capture.
In the Boys competition, Play Rugby USA battled through a loaded bracket, defeating Memphis Inner City Rugby in the semifinals before going on to claim the 2026 URC Boys Cup title. Leading the charge was Amir Haynes, whose exceptional play earned him Boys Player of the Tournament honors. Amir's performance was a testament to the dedication and skill that define this generation of urban rugby players.
On the girls' side, Memphis Inner City Rugby rose to the occasion in spectacular fashion, defeating Eagles Rugby to win the 2026 URC Girls Cup. Antrice Jamison was nothing short of brilliant throughout the event, earning Girls Player of the Tournament recognition for her standout performances and leadership on the field. To watch Antrice lead her team to a championship is to see the transformative potential of this sport made real.
Congratulations to Play Rugby USA, Memphis Inner City Rugby, Eagles Rugby, Withrow, ICRON, and every athlete and coach who competed in Dallas. You represented your communities with pride, passion, and extraordinary skill.
A Full-Circle Moment for Our Foundation
This championship carries special meaning for the U.S. Rugby Foundation for another reason. Shane Young, the founder and longtime CEO of Memphis Inner City Rugby, one of this year's championship programs, recently joined the U.S. Rugby Foundation as our new CEO.
Shane built Memphis Inner City Rugby from the ground up, transforming it into one of the premier urban rugby organizations in the country, the same organization that sent its Girls team to a championship podium in Dallas this weekend. His decades of work in the Memphis community exemplify the values the U.S. Rugby Foundation holds at its core: access, equity, perseverance, and the belief that sport can open doors that might otherwise remain closed.
Seeing the girls from Memphis Inner City Rugby lift a championship trophy on a field that Shane once could only have dreamed of building toward, that is the kind of legacy that inspires everything we do. We are honored to have Shane leading our organization into the next chapter.
Why the U.S. Rugby Foundation Invests in Urban Rugby
The Urban Rugby Championships is more than a tournament. It is a proving ground and a celebration, proof that when young people in under-resourced communities are given access to high-level coaching, competition, and opportunity, they thrive. The U.S. Rugby Foundation's mission is to ensure that rugby is not a sport limited by geography, income, or circumstance.
Over the past five years, our grants and funding have helped the Urban Rugby Championships grow into a national platform, one that showcases remarkable talent while reinforcing the values of discipline, teamwork, and community that rugby instills in every player who takes the field. Every dollar we invest is an investment in the next Amir Haynes, the next Antrice Jamison, young people who will carry these lessons far beyond the rugby pitch.
We are committed to continuing and deepening that investment. Urban rugby programs represent the future of the sport in America, and the U.S. Rugby Foundation will be there every step of the way, through grants, partnerships, advocacy, and the kind of hands-on leadership that Shane Young has dedicated his life to modeling.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 Urban Rugby Championships was another extraordinary chapter in a story that is still being written. To the players, coaches, families, and programs who made the trip to Dallas, thank you. You are what this movement is built on.
The U.S. Rugby Foundation looks forward to seeing you on the field again, and to continuing our work of building a rugby community that is open, equitable, and full of champions like the ones we celebrated in Dallas.
