Highland and United have made their marks on a national level in U19 rugby. Collegiately, Utah and BYU feature consistent top-five rugby clubs.
Now, the state's rugby players are taking aim at a higher level of play.
The Utah Warriors have joined the Rugby Super League (RSL) and will play their inaugural season beginning in the spring. The Warriors' first game is on March 19, and their home-opener is on March 26. They will play home matches at Rio Tinto Stadium.
The Super League is the premier rugby league in America, and the Warriors expect to be competitive as a first-year club. But just getting into the Super League is an accomplishment for Warriors owner Sean Whalen, coach Jon Law and a roster comprised almost exclusively of local players.
"This is a huge development for rugby in the state of Utah," said Law.
Whalen, the CEO of Property 23, a local radio host and MMA enthusiast, got involved with financing the team after casual conversation with a friend while at the gym. Rugby has grown on him, and he believes the sport will catch on among sports fans in Utah. He hopes to sell out each of the Warriors' home games at Rio Tinto and compete for a league championship.
Those are big plans for a team that will be competing against proven clubs that have been around for decades. The Warriors have started practicing and are getting to know each other, and they would be the first to admit they have a long way to go before they can compete with the Super League's top teams.
"We have some pretty steep hills to climb, but if it's easy there's no point in doing it," Whalen said.
On the field, Law is in charge of helping the Warriors climb steep hills. He is thrilled with his team's talent level, but knows it will take time for everything to come together.
"We understand we have a great deal of work to do," Law said. "We have a lot of work to do to make sure we're capable of competing at this level."
Two U.S. National Team players, Mike Palefau and Jason Pye, have joined the Warriors. The Super League consists of 12 teams across the country, and each team plays six regular-season games.
Law hopes the Warriors' presence will help rugby continue to grow in Utah. Participation is growing in the sport, thanks largely to the success enjoyed by Highland, United, Utah and BYU. Law said the number of youth teams has close to doubled in recent years.
Having a local team in the Super League will also benefit the state's elite players. They won't have to go overseas to play anymore, and they'll be able to prolong their rugby careers.
"We have guys who have put their heart and soul into this game, and no one has heard of them," Law said. "It's time they get celebrated. I think the state of Utah will find some heroes to follow. We've got a lot of local guys who now have the opportunity to play the game at its highest level."
Local rugby fans will now get to enjoy watching the sport at its highest level in person. The Warriors hope to attract some new fans to join the diehards. They want to turn games into events, and help new fans understand what's happening on the field. They plan on providing an energetic atmosphere for each home contest.
"Rugby is a game that can be accessible to everybody," Law said. "It's not just a barbaric game played by brutes."
Whalen is confident, 110 percent confident he says, that the Warriors will build a strong rugby fan base in Utah.
"You go to one rugby match and you're hooked — hooked," Whalen said. "But it's getting people out to see it. Once you do, it's done. You bring people out, give them that opportunity to kind of taste it, see it, and be a part of it, they'll keep coming back."
Whalen hopes to help grow the Super League into a household name. To do that, some changes need to be made. While the Warriors will play home games in an outstanding facility, one that Law says is the best rugby venue in the country, some other clubs in the league will play home matches in city parks.
"My vision is to get everybody on that same, even playing field," Whalen said. "If you do that, you're going to attract talent, you're going to attract sponsors, and there will be a lot of unique opportunities to grow the league."
e-mail: aaragon@desnews.com