Registration is underway for fall rugby by Great Falls Youth Rugby and McLean Youth Athletics Inc. The two nonprofit amateur sports clubs are working together to give students in Northern Virginia the chance to play rugby.

Rugby is a crossover sport, with many of the same skills that can be found in other sports like basketball, football, soccer, according to Gary Coetzee, president of Great Falls Youth Rugby. During off seasons, players in other sports can stay fit, build endurance, and enhance skills through rugby, as verified by one of the best offensive linemen in Texas, Ian Reed, as spotlighted on the Great Falls Youth Rugby Facebook page. The agility and nature of rugby as a close-contact sport gave Reed and his teammates the edge on the gridiron, according to the recent Oct. 1 story in the Austin American Statesman by Rick Cantu. Reed is headed to Clemson to play on its football team.

Rugby also fosters virtues like humility, respect, dedication, confidence, and teamwork in its players. "All the required qualities that young people need while they stumble through life," said Coetzee.

Fall practices are held at Grange Field, 9818 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. and at Leo Field, 9830 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, on Saturdays from 2–3:30 p.m. For more information, go to http://www.greatfallsrugby.com/.