B-H GRAD RUGBY ALL-STAR

    Kyle Hoisington will have one more thing to add to his rugby resume on Saturday.
    The 2010 Britton-Hecla graduate has been selected to play for Midwest Thunderbirds Select, an all-star team chosen from amateur rugby squads across the upper Midwest from Pittsburgh, PA, to Fargo, ND.  The squad will play a single game against one of the better Division I teams in the country in Chicago on Saturday.
    Hoisington, the son of Tony and Shelley Hoisington of Britton, is a member of the Red River Ruffians of Fargo.  The Ruffians qualified for the Final Four in Division 3 rugby a year ago and this year have received a bid to play in the super regional in Springfield, MO, the first week of May.
    Being named to the Thunderbirds was a bit of a surprise for Hoisington.
    “I had been a part of the Thunderbirds player pool for three years but this is the first time I have been selected.  It was a little bit of a surprise and I’m very excited about it.  This is probably one of the last chances I would get to be on this team.  There is definitely a level difference between Division I and Division 3, but the Ruffians have played Division 1 teams in preparing for nationals and I’ve translated well when playing against them.”
    Hoisington wrestled for Britton-Hecla and also for four years at Dakota Wesleyan University.  When he graduated from college he was looking for something that he could do where he could still compete, and rugby fit the bill.  This is his 10th year playing the sport and fourth year with the Ruffians.
    At 5-11 and 240 pounds, Hoisington is one of the bigger guys on the field and in scrums he’s the one in front facing the other team.
    “For me there are no fancy passes or fancy plays, you just dig down and get dirty.”
    Due to the physical nature of his position, Hoisington, who turned 33 this week, is looking to phase out of the playing part of the sport and hopefully into a coaching position. He had hoped to be a sub and fill in as needed this season, but the team had some injuries and he was thrown back into the starting lineup.  Now, with his selection to the Thunderbirds, Hoisington looks at that as a blessing in disguise.
    “Hopefully I can bring back knowledge that I learn from some of those coaches of the higher up teams and help us improve.  I have also developed a pretty good network with colleges and helped organize the first Red River Rugby Skills Camp to help attract players.  As I learn more I can teach more and step more into that coaching role.”
    But for now, Hoisington will have a bunch of teammates cheering him on in Saturday’s contest.  Those fellow players put together an online graphic with a photo of Hoisington and their congratulations saying, “Kyle has been a staple of Red River Rugby for years and we couldn’t be more proud and excited for him!”
    Those teammates also came up with a new name for the All-Star – Stingray.
    “I told them the story of how my nickname in college was Poisonsin because it kind of sounded like my name,” concluded Hoisington.  “Instead, they came up with Stingray, and I like that better.”