Oped: Nate Dalena, CEO of Rugby NorCal
American youth rugby is entering the most important seven-year stretch in its history.
Rugby sevens will take the field at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, with Ilona Maher helping bring unprecedented attention to the sport. Three years later, the United States will host the Men’s Rugby World Cup for the first time. Then, in 2033, the Women’s Rugby World Cup will bring the world back to America.
The opportunity is bigger than three major events. The boys and girls entering youth rugby today could be the athletes competing on those stages. They will also become the coaches, referees, administrators, business leaders and lifelong supporters who shape the future of American rugby.
I am the CEO of Rugby NorCal, the largest State Youth Rugby Organization in the United States. I work alongside the players, parents, coaches, referees and volunteers building that future every weekend.
From where I sit, American youth rugby is not waiting for the world to arrive. We are building now to make the most of this moment.
Built Nationally, Delivered Locally
Youth rugby is nationally led by USA Youth & High School Rugby and delivered locally through State Youth Rugby Organizations.
The organization reported 55,411 members for the 2025–26 season, supported by 47 state organizations and more than 900 clubs. That network added 115 new clubs during the season.
Most youth rugby teams compete in the spring, with some states and competitions operating in the fall or winter. School calendars, weather and the local sports landscape help each state determine what works best for its communities.
Nate’s Take: The local nature of youth rugby is one of our greatest strengths. What works in Northern California may not work in Texas, Colorado, New England or Florida. Our national structure gives us direction, but the real work happens inside local clubs.
I see the passion behind this sport every weekend. Coaches, referees, parents and volunteers are not waiting for someone else to build rugby for them. They are building it themselves, based on what their communities need.
Making It Easier to Start
Traditional tackle rugby remains at the heart of the sport, but flag rugby and other non-contact formats give more young athletes an opportunity to learn the game. T1 Rugby, World Rugby’s non-contact format, can help schools and community programs introduce rugby in an accessible way.
These formats teach passing, movement, teamwork and decision-making. Most importantly, they are designed to be fun.
Nate’s Take: We are making it easier for a child to pick up a rugby ball for the first time. Not every player has to begin with tackle rugby, and not every family needs to understand the entire sport before getting involved.
If that first experience is fun, welcoming and well organized, we have a chance to create a lifelong connection.
The comparison I hear most often is that rugby today is where soccer was in the 1990s and lacrosse was in the early 2000s. I believe that comparison fits. We have a committed community, growing participation and expanding pathways. We are building greater awareness, creating more ways to play and strengthening local organizations to welcome the next wave of players.
The Girls’ Game Is Primed for Liftoff
The United States women will arrive at LA28 as Olympic medalists after winning bronze in Paris in 2024.
Ilona Maher became the world’s most-followed rugby player during those Games. Her rise has created a movement and brought incredible attention to our sport. She has shown millions of people that strength, confidence, personality and femininity belong together.
Female participants now represent nearly 23 percent of USA Youth & High School Rugby membership. Girls are not handed a reduced version of rugby. They play under the same laws, with the same scoring, positions, skills, tactics and physical commitment.
The college pathway is growing as well. Women’s rugby is an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, with participation increasing 250 percent over the past decade. Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton sponsor varsity programs, while other Ivy League universities offer club opportunities.
Nate’s Take: I believe the girls’ game is one of our biggest growth opportunities. Young girls can see someone like Ilona and immediately understand there is a place for them in rugby. They can also see a pathway through high school, college, international rugby and the Olympic Games.
We are already seeing players consider colleges they may not have previously viewed as options because rugby gives them a new way to connect with those institutions. That can change the direction of a young person’s life.
With LA28 and the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup coming to the United States, the girls’ game is primed for liftoff.
Turning Major Events Into Lasting Growth
The 2028 Olympics and the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups will create attention. Our responsibility is to turn that attention into lasting participation.
That will require more coaches, referees, school and community programs, strong local organizations, and greater investment in marketing and media. USA Youth & High School Rugby generated nearly 4 million social media views and another 280,000 YouTube views during the 2025–26 season.
Nate’s Take: Major events alone will not grow rugby. What happens before and after them will determine their legacy. When a young person watches rugby in the Olympics or attends a World Cup match, there needs to be a local club ready to welcome that player and family.
I believe the partners who enter rugby now have an opportunity to help shape what the sport becomes in America. The strongest partnerships will do more than place a logo next to an event. They will develop coaches, support local organizations, tell our stories and make it easier for young people to play.
We discuss many of these opportunities in Season 4 of The Rugby NorCal Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The season launches with USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren and a conversation about the state of American rugby and the years ahead.
Now Is the Time
American youth rugby already has passionate athletes, committed families, dedicated volunteers and local organizations doing the work. It now has a clear runway toward the biggest events in global rugby.
Nate’s Take: I have never been more excited about where American rugby is headed. We know there is work ahead, but we also know who is doing it. It is happening inside local clubs, schools and communities every week.
We will continue building locally, investing in people and creating more ways for young athletes to participate. The work we do over the next seven years will change American rugby forever.
The pathway is expanding. The world is coming. Now is the time to get involved.
About Youth Sports Business Report
Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
Youth Sports Business Report resources
- Newsletter: Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the most-read newsletter on the business of youth sports, delivering curated youth sports industry news and analysis to thousands of industry leaders every week.
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- Jobs: Browse the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive destination for careers in youth sports, with hundreds of active listings across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, and marketing.
- Services: Find vetted partners and solutions for your organization in the YSBR Services Hub, connecting youth sports operators, brands, and investors with verified providers across the industry.
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Check out Jr. Sports Marketing on YouTube or Spotify
Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
