Warriors Announce Launch Of The Utah Warriors Rugby Foundation

Herriman, UT — The Utah Warriors today announced the launch of the Utah Warriors Rugby Foundation (UWRF) and the 501-c-3 non-profit’s goals and plans to grow the grassroots rugby community in Utah and the surrounding states.

The goal of the UWRF is to introduce more than 50,000 youth in Utah to rugby and provide opportunities for underprivileged youth through the sport. The foundation supports the Warriors’ pathway and plays an integral role in making an impact in the community with rugby by partnering with state rugby governing entities like Utah Youth Rugby and other sports and non-profit organizations like Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, VisitSLC, and others.

“The launch of the Warriors Foundation is something that has been a long-time coming,” says CEO and GM Kimball Kjar, “As we’ve worked to build out our Pathway and the opportunities for local rugby players, we wanted to ensure we can work more closely with the UYR and other sports and non-profit organizations to provide more playing opportunities to underprivileged kids across the state. Whether that’s at the Jr. Warriors level, the High School Academy, or even with the Selects, we want to get as many boys and girls playing this great sport as possible through the efforts of the Warriors Foundation.”

Leading the efforts of the UWRF is newly-appointed Director of Community & Business Development, Emily Harker. Harker, who first played rugby while at Brigham Young University and who helps coach the Provo Steelers Girls High School Team, started working with the Warriors on the ticket sales team in 2020 and is passionate about helping grow the sport at the youth levels through the Warriors Foundation efforts.

“It’s extremely exciting to be in a position to use rugby to change the lives of youth,” Harker said. “Rugby doesn’t just teach great values and work ethic, it opens doors for these kids. It’s a way for some of our youth to get a degree or to play at the professional level.”

Harker concluded by stating that Utah’s rugby community is uniquely positioned to grow and build opportunities for youth on and off the rugby pitch.

“The rugby community is a tight-knit family,” she said. “There is already a lot of support within Utah teams to grow this sport beyond its current setup, but we want to help spur that growth more aggressively through the efforts of the Warriors Foundation. I see the Utah Warriors Rugby Foundation creating staple programs and partnerships in Utah that will produce a strong pathway and network for players of all ages and backgrounds.”

The inaugural fundraising program for the UWRF is the Warriors Circle, a monthly or one-time donation group that will help build the Warriors Foundation’s goals of getting more kids playing the sport of rugby.

Following the establishment of the Warriors Circle fundraising plan, the Warriors Foundation will look to host a series of clinics and events throughout the year to support the goals of the UWRF.

Most notably, the UWRF will host the following key events in 2021:

• • Rugby Alumni Weekend & Old Boys Game: July 10, 2021, @ Zions Bank Stadium (Herriman, UT)
  • Rugby Golf Fundraiser: September 25, 2021, @ Mulligans Golf Course (South Jordan, UT)
  • Utah Rugby Hall of Fame Gala: TBD (Nov/Dec 2021)

Further details regarding these events will be provided in the near future. Please stay tuned for more information as it becomes available via the Utah Warriors’ website and social media accounts.

For more information on the Utah Warriors Foundation, please visit www.WarriorsRugby.com/foundation/. You can also email [email protected] or call 801-477-7652 to connect with Emily Harker and others about the Warriors Foundation.