Published: Jun. 20, 2020 at 9:46 PM CDT
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG) - At the back fields of the Panama City Beach Sports Complex, rugby was going on. Men’s teams from Okaloosa and Mobile were scrimmaging, along with the Panama City Beach team.
“I think a lot of Rugby players were sitting at home during the lockdown, and they were looking forward to the first chance to play. Even during that time, we were making plans on how we could get something together. Whenever the lockdown got lifted, we started immediately contacting other teams,” captain of the Panama City Beach team, Brien Sharb.
Women's teams from Mobile, New Orleans and Panama City Beach were also out scrimmaging.
“It’s just a play-for-fun type thing. This is not a sanctioned rugby match or tournament. We are here just knocking the dust off since we have been out of commission since March. We’d be in the normal 7 season, so we are just trying to get ready for when we actually get the okay to start,” said captain of the women’s Panama City Beach Hurricanes Club, Sarah Cusick.
For more than 20 years, the Panama City Beach rugby clubs have hosted a large 7′s tournament in August for teams from all over, and they say they’re hoping sanctioned matches will be happening at least by then.
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Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@VisitPanamaCityBeach).
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