Young athletes in Bridgeport are discovering how much fun rugby can be. Bob Ehlers started COBRA, the City of Bridgeport Rugby Alliance, which gives kids the chance to learn a new sport and new skills.
Young athletes in Bridgeport are discovering how much fun rugby can be.
"Who don't like to run the ball?" said junior Kaydon Rudd.
"I just love grabbing the ball and running," added senior Alex Torres.
Bob Ehlers started COBRA, the City of Bridgeport Rugby Alliance, which gives kids the chance to learn a new sport and new skills.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
"It's different than any other sport as in, it is viewed as a family," said Ehlers.
"The teamwork that you can build with your friends after playing for so long," said junior Dennis Salmond.
COBRA has been competing in the tri-state area for the last four years. The high school team welcomes students from Harding, Bassick and Central. Those high school athletes also help teach the younger kids, who get started as early as 8 years old.
Sports
"Ever since I've been here - this is my second season playing here, especially with COBRA - I felt welcomed off the rip," said Rudd.
"Truthfully, it was just to get out of the streets you know," said Torres. "It keeps me active and out of trouble."
"What's most gratifying to me is that they work together to accomplish something, which isn't always the case with everything that you see in Bridgeport," said Ehlers.
COBRA has about 40 youth participants and about 30 high school players.
"It's a brotherhood," said Torres.
"You pretty much need to hang out all the time, you're hitting each other all the time, it's sort of like you're siblings," said 7th grader Hunter Magoon.
"To bring kids together from all of those different schools, to come together and work together with a common goal to win, to achieve something, that was the goal and we're getting there," said Ehlers. "It's really fun."
