The game of rugby is seperated into two codes: League and Union. During the Spring and Fall, Union is played in the States from high school all the way to professional mens'. In Jacksonville, we have three union clubs: The UNF Rugby Club, the Jacksonville Men's Club and the Jacksonville Women's Club But during the Summer, Rugby League takes over. Alot of the players that play for the Union side focus their talents on League. Locally we have our own Rugby League team, the Jacksonville Axemen.
Rugby League gives a whole different perspective on the game. Teams dont have to wrap-up during tackles and they only get five touches on the ball before having to turn it over by kicking it to the opposition. In 2010, the Jacksonville Axemen won their first piece of hardware by winning the AMNRL National Championship with a perfect record throughout the season. After that season the AMNRL broke apart and formed a new league, the USARL. Few teams stayed with the AMNRL but the Axemen switched to the USARL.
This season should be one for the books. The Axemen look to get back into Championship form with the start of their training camp May 12th. During the camp, the men work on fundementals as well as conditioning to pick the top players for the season. Amongst the returning players are Fullback Josh Longenecker (pictured above), Prop Jonathan Defau and Dummy Half Dennis Y.; all who hail from the local UNF Rugby Club.
Anyone can come show what they got on the pitch. The Axemen are always looking for new, fresh talent to compete for a roster spot and push the current players. If you are interesting in playing, check out their website at http://www.jaxaxe.com/. Looking forward to seeing some smashing!