After a short-lived run, the La Quinta High School unofficial boys’ rugby team, the Harlequins, has been disbanded due to lack of attendance and low morale. Their last member, Jonathan Labocania (10), attempted to renew the team to little success.

Financing the endeavor without any aid from the school and the team’s district unaffiliated rugby advisers, Labocania distributed hand-drawn flyers in his free time around school but became disheartened with the lack of interest.

“When I first told everyone about the sport, they were really excited about joining, but when it was time to do stuff, the very same people were suddenly really busy,” he said. A preseason potluck was held to bring awareness to Harlequin hopefuls, yet no one attended “even for the free food.”

LQ is the only school in the Coachella Valley with a rugby union program, making it especially difficult for the team to supplement its player base with students from other schools in the district.

In previous years, the majority of their players came after being rejected from other sports, mainly football and soccer, and joined for a place of belonging. “It sucks that the guys’ rugby team isn’t playing this year [as it is] such a great sport to play [due to the] bonding and sportsmanship of the game,” stated Labocania.

There lies some hope, though. The girls’ rugby team of the same name continues on with several able-bodied and willing participants, sustaining the legacy of the Coachella Valley’s little-recognized underdogs. “The girls’ team has always been [good] with players, so there are no worries,” said Labocania. “They’ll be on track to do big things this season.”