PITTSBURGH, PA. – A fantastic season for several Warsaw rugby players got a little better after a weekend of high notes at the Challenge Cup Regional All-Star Rugby Tournament.

The Rugby Indiana varsity boys and girls clubs both fared well in pool play against teams from the eastern United States. The varsity boys team, a select group of players from all over Indiana, won all three of its pool play games and reached the finals, where it suffered a two-point loss to Florida. The varsity girls went 2-1 in pool play, ousted by the lone loss.

The boys squad, aided by Warsaw products Jason Taylor, Austin Taylor and Marcos Rodriguez, featured players from such rugby state powers like Penn, Indianapolis Cathedral and Brownsburg. Winning all three pool play games in convincing fashion, including a pair of lopsided shutouts against New York and New Jersey, pitted the Rugby Indiana club opposite Florida Juice, winners of its pool.

In the final, the Juice squad had just a little bit more bite in a 19-17 final.

On the girls varsity side, a 25-21 loss by the Rugby Indiana team to Ohio in the pool matchup put the Indiana squad at a disadvantage. Despite wins against New York and Maryland, the Indiana side were left out of advancement.

Part of the Indiana roster were several Warsaw area players, including Gabrielle Cretcher, Alexis Devenney, Hannah Garcia, Sydney Sargis, Mikaela Till, Tahya Bruce and Makinzie Hoagland.

Warsaw girls head coach Trevor Cracknell, who led the club side to a state runner-up finish, was on hand in Pittsburgh for the girls showing.

“This has been a phenomenal season, what a great group of kids,” Cracknell said, who noted Garcia was scouted during the regional and could receive a call to a national try-out. “All of these kids worked very hard all season. It’s a very tight unit with the boys and girls both supporting one another. We have good things to come.”

Also in Pittsburgh, the middle school division boys won the regional title by beating Virginia while the junior varsity boys from Indiana lost to Virginia in the finals, giving three Indiana teams at least a place in the final. No local players were on either of the two younger teams.