SIMSBURY/RIDGEFIELD, CT — Simsbury High School Rugby will celebrate a milestone anniversary with an opportunity to add another championship to its history when the Trojans compete in the Connecticut Division II State Championship this weekend in Ridgefield.
The Trojans, who are marking the program's 20th season as a club sport, will face Stamford Rugby Club in the Division II title match at 2 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Hollow Stadium on the campus of Ridgefield High School, 700 North Salem Road, Ridgefield.
The game is a rematch of last year's Division II championship.
Simsbury enters the championship unbeaten at 6-0 and returns to the state finals for the second consecutive season.
Founded in 2006, Simsbury Rugby has grown into one of Connecticut's established high school rugby programs.
More than 1,000 student-athletes have participated in the program over the past two decades, helping the Trojans compile an overall record of 81-52-1.
The program has also completed two international tours and traveled extensively throughout the East Coast.
A senior class of 20 players leads this year's team. Simsbury advanced to the championship game with playoff victories over Fairfield Prep in the quarterfinals and Ridgefield in the semifinals.
Head Coach Matteo said the current senior class has spent several years building toward this opportunity.
"This group has been putting the pieces together for several seasons," Matteo said. "They've worked hard, stayed committed to the program, and continued to grow as players and teammates."
Matteo pointed to the team's 2025 tour of Portugal as a significant step in the group's development.
The trip allowed players to compete against international opposition while strengthening team chemistry.
"The Portugal tour brought this group closer together and exposed them to a higher level of rugby," Matteo said. "It showed them what was possible and helped them understand the commitment required to compete at a championship level."
Regardless of the outcome, the championship appearance caps a landmark season for a program that has grown from its beginnings in 2006 into a fixture of Connecticut high school rugby.
The Connecticut Rugby State Championship event will begin at noon with the Froshmore Championship between Greenwich High School and Fairfield Prep.
The Division II championship between Simsbury and Stamford follows at 2 p.m., while the day concludes with the Division I title match between Greenwich High School and Trumbull High School at 4 p.m.
For more information on Saturday's championships, including ticket information, click on this link.
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