In a tradition as old as the parade and the July 4 5K Fun Run, the Park City Haggis Rugby squad will host a day of rugby action at City Park on the Fourth of July.
Games will be played on the City Park field starting at 10 a.m. with some mix-and-match competitions, culminating with the Haggis game at 2 p.m. and an Old Boys All Comers game for those 35 and older at 3:30 p.m.
Haggis Coach Jason Hoke said the entire team is excited for the holiday rugby action.
“Everybody looks forward to it,” he said. “It’s the Fourth of July in Park City, which is a wonderful atmosphere.”
Haggis will host Mana, a rugby club from Salt Lake. Hoke said Park City played Mana last year and enjoys competing against the Salt Lake squad.
“They’re always a really clean, hard-fought game,” he said. “They’re a standup team and a good group of guys.”
Following the Haggis game, Hoke and some of Park City’s older rugby players will take the field for the Old Boys game. Hoke said it’s nice to see old teammates and opponents gathering for an exhibition game.
“Most of the guys you know from playing 20 or so years of rugby with them,” he said. “It’s just fantastic. It’s a very special game.”
Adding to the festive atmosphere this year is a reorganization of the City Park activities. Hoke said the live bands will be much closer to the rugby field on Monday.
“They’re now at our end of the park,” he said. “We’ll take a couple-hour break for some live music, which will be fun.”
Though it’s not a league game for Haggis, Hoke said the Fourth of July game always draws a big turnout from players who enjoy playing in front of a park full of people.
“It brings a ton of energy to play in front of a knowledgeable crowd that loves rugby,” he said. “It’s going to be awesome.”