Kenneth Hepburn was introduced to rugby as a 17-year-old at Sam Houston State University. He was selected to play for the USA Junior Olympic team and went on to play in France, New Zealand and for Jamaica’s national team.


Ultimately, Hepburn ended up working for the Cy-Fair ISD athletic department. About four years ago, seven students asked to start a rugby team. Today, he is the head coach for 65 high school boys from across the district.


“The biggest testament to our growth is how much time these kids invest and how important it is to them,” he said.


While the team is not affiliated with CFISD, Hepburn said his boys put just as much effort into the game as any varsity player, practicing three days a week and playing games on the weekend against other area club teams from February through April.


Uniforms and equipment are all provided through donations and fundraisers. Coaches and parents volunteer their time, and players pay participation dues, coach Ed Brown said. He said while he does not receive a paycheck, watching the players’ progress is enough reward for him.


“A lot of [the players] aren’t affiliated with anything else,” Brown said. “When they find rugby, they immediately find a family. They start getting better grades than they ever had. The alumni go off to college to play and then come back and help coach. We’re a strong group.”


Brown coached at Rice University for 10 years, and when he was asked to help coach the Warriors, he welcomed the shorter drive from his Cy-Fair home. In a community so passionate about football, he is excited to introduce young players to rugby.


Football was derived from rugby, which entered American colleges in the late 1800s. Rugby is played without pads, so teaching players to tackle correctly leads to fewer injuries on the field, Brown said.


Hepburn said his goal is to build the program from an elementary league up to a men’s league. Brown said, for now, he hopes to win a state championship.


“We knocked on the door last year, so people know we’re around,” Brown said. “Other schools have been around for 20-plus years. We’re newcomers, but we have kids that learn quick.”


Keoni Francis, a senior at Cy-Fair High School, said he could not play football after showing up late to tryouts freshman year. From there, he was introduced to rugby for the first time, and the Warriors took him in. Now he is a Boys High School All-American.


“I didn’t even know what rugby was, but I’ve loved it since my first practice,” Francis said. “It’s a brotherhood you just don’t experience in other sports.”