Morris Rugby raising money for cross-country trip

Delia Hellander doesn't know where the National High School Rugby Club Championships will be held this spring. But the Villa Walsh senior is certain Morris Rugby's high school girls team will receive an invitation, and the team needs to be prepared for a likely trip to the West Coast.

In the fall, Morris Rugby held a candy sale and potluck dinners and is selling blankets with the team crest. The players are also selling ShopRite gift cards, on which the team gets 5 percent back. Morris Rugby is hosting a chili cook-off at the Dover Moose Lodge on Jan. 17, a Riedel wine tasting on March 10, and several other spring events.

Morris Rugby received a $1,000 grant from Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities in recognition of its injury prevention efforts. The players have raised about $6,000 so far.

"It'll cost more money, and it'll cost more time for us to fly out and practice," said Hellander, a captain of Villa Walsh's volleyball team in the fall and part of the indoor and outdoor track and field teams.

"It's definitely a bigger commitment and a bigger trip than in past years. ... We're a really close-knit team. There's not as many teams, so we're representing the Northeast rugby high school girls."

With his team the New Jersey champion every year since it was relaunched in 2012, head coach Tom Feury is confident Morris Rugby will earn an invitation to nationals. The girls finished second in Division II in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, two years ago, then moved up to Division I and were seventh of eight teams in Pittsburgh last year. Morris Rugby, which ended last season ranked 11th by the Goff Rugby Report, will be competing solely against other club programs in the three-game tournament, which Feury expects to be in Seattle or San Francisco.

Morris Rugby players come from 18 towns in three counties and represent 13 high schools. Feury estimated funding the full roster — 22 players, plus a few extras just in case and the all-volunteer coaching staff — will cost about $20,000. Donations will cover flights, hotel rooms, rental cars and incidentals for Morris Rugby at nationals.

Though the team is already training once a week, the season really starts in mid-February, with Morris Rugby's first tournament on Feb. 28, then games every week until nationals. To improve its level of competition prior to nationals, Morris Rugby will host the Northeast Invitational in Denville in mid-April. The top two teams in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland are expected to attend. The New Jersey state tournament will be held Memorial Day weekend, one week after nationals.

To learn more about how to contribute, visit the “Morris Rugby Girls Trip to Nationals” page at GoFundMe.com https://www.gofundme.com/w5d28ru8.

Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@gannettnj.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/