Search Underway For Trailer Stolen From Herriman Rugby Program

HERRIMAN, Utah — It’s been a long weekend for dozens of rugby players in the Herriman Rugby Program after their trailer was stolen from their training spot at Copper Mountain Middle School.

The team has won several awards, including a total of 12 state championships in all 3 age groups, but now they have a different challenge — figuring out how to play without their equipment. On Friday, the trailer that stored all of their equipment was taken.

“Rugby is a heartfelt sport,” said Herriman Rugby Captain Daxton McPeak.

Teens like Daxton have grown up in the program.

The program has three teams with 7/8^th graders, 9/10^th graders, and 11/12^th graders.

“Rugby is, oh, what’s the saying, it’s a bunch of hooligan’s playing a man’s sport,” said Daxton.

It’s on the field at Copper Mountain Middle School that Daxton said he developed a sense of purpose.

“It’s a game of respect,” he said. “I think that’s the greatest thing about it, is that not only your team is a brotherhood, but the whole rugby community is one family.”

That value system was something Coach Elvis Hansen hoped would translate off the field.

“The brotherhood is real, but teaching young men how to be young men and how to cope with life, because life’s hard you know,” said Hansen.

Today, there’s uncertainty as a major part of the team’s soul is missing.

“It’s not just us, it’s the whole Herriman Community that it’s getting stolen from,” said the teen rugby captain.

The team’s new trailer was snatched away early Friday morning. According to Program Director Jeff Wilson, the trailer was recently donated by a team parent. Wilson estimates $10-$12-thousand worth of equipment was stolen, including the trailer.

“I was heartbroken,” said Wilson. “Sets of jerseys in there, cones, everything we need to make this thing work.”

Surveillance cameras captured a white, newer model SUV driving off with the trailer around 1:30 a.m. near the practice field at Copper Mountain Middle School.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TRAILER? It had all of @HerrimanRugby's equipment and was stolen on Friday. Players are desperate to get it back, their next game is this week. Their story at 5 @KSL5TV. pic.twitter.com/TvoMnMmqoT

— Garna Mejia (@GarnaMejiaKSL) March 21, 2021

“To me, it’s just sad,” said Daxton. “We’re not funded by the school, like I said, so we have to pay for it ourselves.”

That’s the worst part — rugby isn’t a district-sanctioned sport, so the team has to finance itself.

“10 years of people’s efforts to help build this program and to sacrifice and to get us to where we are was just gone,” said Wilson.

Nevertheless, the team said they are up for a challenge.

“It’s that mindset like so what you know, let’s just make it happen,” said the coach.

They have a game coming up next week and said they’ll be ready for it.

“You know, you gotta practice, get on with it,” said Daxton. “We’ll figure that stuff out later.”

Program officials said the trailer had some pretty sophisticated locks that were disabled.

Anyone with information has been asked to call Herriman Police at 801-840-4000.

A GoFundMe* has been set up to help the players replace the stolen equipment.

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*KSL-TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.