Buckingham Helps Build Rugby League For At-Risk Youth

Recently David Buckingham, Wake Rugby Class of 2007, has been coaching and "mentoring" in a new Juvenile Justice Rugby League that he helped start. The league was created as an innovative response to the challenges faced by at-risk youth in the local community where Buckingham's home club, New Orleans RFC, plays. The league was founded this year by two NORFC Old Boys. "Rugby gives these young men a healthy outlet for their aggression, while at the same time builds the character and self esteem that can help with their positive development," says Tim Falcon, rugby coach and one of the founders of the new league. Buckingham says that ideally the program would have 60+ members who would go through a 2 week introduction to rugby. Then there would be a draft of sorts and the young men would be split into 7's teams. Each week, twice a week these teams would warm up and practice and then play 7's matches against each other. So far they don't have the numbers for that kind of set up and so this year they are looking to form one or two teams that will compete in a new Louisiana Under 19's 7's tournament as the culmination of their season on August 22nd. The restaurant and bar that Buckingham manages, The Rugby Pub (featured in this month's rugby magazine as one of the top rugby establishments in the country), held a fundraiser and raised over $700 for the league which will go to kit and equipment.