Buffalo – New York State Assembly Members Bill Conrad and Jon Rivera today, April 28, 2022, joined Buffalo Rugby Club President Jeff Qualey in announcing the imminent arrival of the 2022 Atlantic Super Regional Rugby Fest to Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora.

Buffalo Rugby Club is competing in this premier event, which is akin to NCAA’s Sweet 16 basketball tournament. The club is part of the Empire Geographic Union, one of four such “GUs” in the Atlantic North and Mid-Atlantic competitive regions, as governed by USA Rugby. Empire GU named the club host of the 2022 Atlantic Super Regional Rugby Fest to be held April 30-May 1.

Empire GU includes teams from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The regional tournament will feature the top 24 men’s and women’s teams from Empire GU, as well as New England GU, Eastern Penn GU, and Capital GU. Players from as far away as Norfolk, Va., will be competing here, with other represented cities to include Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

Three other regional tournaments are happening across the country, with the final four teams advancing to the 2022 USA Club Rugby XVs National Championships to be held next month in Atlanta.

The 2022 Atlantic Super Regional Rugby Fest will also feature two high school showcase matches: the Hamburg and Kenmore girls’ teams on Saturday, and the Canisius High School and Kenmore boys’ teams on Sunday.

Conrad played for Buffalo Rugby from 2002-2015 and is founder of Kenmore Rugby, for which he served as a youth coach. He was inducted into the Buffalo Rugby Wall of Fame in February 2022. Conrad and Rivera are members of the Assembly’s Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development.

Rivera, whose 149th Assembly District includes Buffalo Rugby Club Field in Delaware Park, is also chair of the Subcommittee on Regional Tourism Development.

Competition begins at 10 a.m. on both days of the tournament in East Aurora. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.

Assembly Member Bill Conrad said, “Rugby has played such an important role in my life, I am always eager for others to learn about, enjoy, support and participate in the sport. That Buffalo Rugby Club and Western New York were selected as the inaugural host for this prestigious tournament is a testament to rugby’s growing popularity here, and to the passion our local players, coaches and fans have for the game. And as a member of the Assembly’s Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, I am just as focused on the potential of the 2022 Atlantic Super Regional Rugby Fest to draw spectators from across the northeastern United States, so we can show them some of what Greater Buffalo has to offer.”

Assembly Member Jon Rivera said, “This premier rugby tournament will have an impact on our region well beyond the final game. It will bring scores of players, coaches and fans into Western New York, who will be able to witness firsthand the passion and enthusiasm we have for the game. It will also allow visitors an up-close and personal look at the natural wonders and stunning geography that grace our part of New York State.”

Aurora Town Councilman Joseph McCann said, “The Town of Aurora is pleased to be welcoming the Atlantic Super Regional to Knox Farm State Park, and we are hopeful the event will not only inspire new rugby fans’ interest in the game, but also visitors’ appreciation for the natural beauty and neighborly people of Western New York.”

Buffalo Rugby Club President Jeff Qualey said, “This weekend promises to deliver plenty of action and camaraderie. Three years ago, Western New York ranked the highest for per-capita rugby players in the United States, so we have a large community of rugby lovers, with youth, high school, college, and men’s and women’s clubs, making this an enthusiastically welcoming setting for the Atlantic Super Regional. I thank Empire GU, USA Rugby and the Town of Aurora for helping make this possible, and I thank Assembly Members Conrad and Rivera for their spirited support of sports tourism in our corner of New York State.”

About Buffalo Rugby

The club was founded in 1966. Delaware Park has been its home base since 1968. It will be playing Washington Rugby Club at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Knox Farm State Park soccer fields.