NorthShore Rugby is excited to launch our inaugural Middle School Rugby Program for the 2026 season! We are recruiting players of all experience levels, body types, and athletic backgrounds—no rugby experience required.

2026 7th/8th Grade Teams for both Duluth and Two Harbors are cancelled this year due to registration numbers! Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns!

Who Can Play

4th* - 6th Grade Boys and Girls in the Twin Ports or Two Harbors areas!
No Experience Necessary!
*4th Graders 10 years of age and older are welcome to participate as non-competitive athletes in our practices.

2026 Teams*:

Duluth / Superior

5th-6th Coed
7th/8th Boys
7th/8th Girls

Two Harbors / Silver Bay

5th-6th Coed
7th/8th Boys
7th/8th Girls

*Team availability is subject to registration numbers. If minimums are not met by league required deadlines, participants may be offered a combined team option or a full refund.

No Experience Needed
Players do not need to know anything about rugby to participate. The season begins with fundamentals and skill development, gradually building toward competition in a supportive, age-appropriate environment.

Season Overview
March–April: Introduction to rugby, skill development, team building, and intra-club scrimmages

May: Saturday 7s tournaments across Minnesota

June 6: Minnesota Youth Rugby State Championship Tournament

The MNYR Junior High season includes traveling 7s tournaments hosted by clubs throughout Minnesota, eastern North Dakota, and western Wisconsin.

NorthShore plans to host at least one local tournament in the Duluth/Superior area and may also host a Duluth/Superior vs. Two Harbors/Silver Bay match.

Coaching and Safety

All NorthShore coaches are:

SafeSport certified

Rugby Ready & Rugby Safety certified

Concussion Management certified

Background checked through USA Rugby / U.S. Olympic standards

All contact rugby coaches are World Rugby Level 1 accredited, ensuring athletes learn proper technique with Olympic-level safety standards.


Practice Schedule:
- Duluth/Superior Teams:
April:
Assumed indoors for April
Tuesdays; 6:30-8:00pm
Thursdays; TBD
Indoors: Myer Willins
1027 N 8th Ave E, Duluth, MN 55805
Outdoors: TBD


- Two Harbors/ Silver Bay Teams:
April Until End of Season
Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30–7:00 pm
Indoors: Minnehaha Elementary Gym
421 7th St, Two Harbors, MN
Outdoors: Two Harbors High School Practice Field
1640 County Hwy 2, Two Harbors, MN

*Practice is assumed to be indoors in April unless otherwise notified. Schedule or location changes will be announced via the NorthShore Discord, Twin Ports RFC Facebook page, at practices and emails provided at registration.

Equipment Needed:

Practices:
-Athletic clothing
-Weather-appropriate layers
-Mouthguard
-Running shoes
-Cleats allowed only for outdoor practices

Competitions:
-Rugby shorts
-Rugby socks & cleats
-Mouthguard
-Weather-appropriate warm-ups
*Jersey provided

Registration: 2026 Registration!

Competitive Play Registration Fee: $80
This fee covers:
- NorthShore Rugby registration
- Minnesota Youth Rugby
- USA Rugby membership

4th Grade Non-Competitive Fee $0
- Access to NorthShore Practices

Each participant must be registered separately to ensure accurate records, though all registrations can be checked out together.

All players must be registered with USA Rugby’s Rugby Xplorer to participate in competition. A free registration link will be sent as your registration fee with us includes the USAR fee.

We work with local grants, donors, and sponsors to keep costs as low as possible. If you’re interested in supporting youth rugby in the Twin Ports area, please visit our Donation Page!