“Crouch. Touch. Pause. Engage,” the referee yells, as players crash together. Opponents collide with each other and throw one another to the ground. Every so often, a player explodes past the other team’s backline in a burst of speed and places the ball down in the endzone for a tri, the equivalent of a touchdown in football.

The game may seem chaotic and disorganized to the untrained eye, but it is in many ways a fluid chess game, relying heavily on perfectly timed positioning and anticipation of the next play.

Rugby, which is an unfamiliar sport to many Americans, will be seen much more often in the coming months as the season begins..

Marin’s rugby community was completely turned on its head with the split in the Marin Highlanders, previously the only rugby team until last year. The new team, North Bay Rugby, is headed by a former Marin Highlanders coach who created his own team.

The Marin Highlanders Club, which was founded in 1980, has historically dominated Marin youth rugby. However, since the formation of North Bay Rugby, the Highlanders face new competition.

Depending on scheduling decisions of the league organizers, the two clubs may play each other for the first time ever, according to Sam Crolla, a senior who is currently trying to decide for which club to play.

“I have a lot of respect for the guys on both clubs,” said Crolla. “However, I know some North Bay players who have some animosity towards the Highlanders.”

“There is certainly some tension between the two clubs,” said Jackson Holscher, a sophomore on North Bay Rugby’s varsity team.

Although Marin Highlanders have historically been title contenders at Nationals, last year’s Highlander team did not qualify. North Bay placed third in the third tier division at Nationals in their first season as a club.

Senior Darius Collins, who is considered by many of his teammates to be the best tackler on the Redwood varsity football team, spoke optimistically of this year’s Highlanders team.

“Last year we lacked commitment, experience, and age,” said Collins. “But this year, with all our returning players, in all three things we were lacking, we have strength now.”

This year, the both teams will boast many more players than last year, including both veteran players and novice players.