Alliance Rugby Club seeks regular use of Keller Sports Park fields, raises safety concerns about new goalposts

Members of the Alliance Rugby Club met with the Keller Parks and Recreation Board on June 12 to ask for regular access to the newly remodeled Keller Sports Park for youth programming, college and adult tournaments and camps, and to raise safety concerns about recently ordered “combo” goalposts for the multipurpose fields.

The club’s Brad DeLong, an organizer who said, “I’ve been with the rugby club for 22 years,” described plans to restart youth programs now that new fields are coming online and to pursue hosting youth, college and adult regional tournaments. He told the board the club had about 75 young players across age groups before play stopped when the park was under construction.

The request matters because Keller’s new sports fields, park maintenance rules and scheduling will determine whether multi-sport events can be accommodated without harming turf or conflicting with priority users. “Youth recreational sports. Youth sports,” a Parks and Recreation official said during the meeting when explaining the park’s primary priority.

Club leaders described several near-term asks: permission to hold a 7-on-7 adult tournament on Sept. 13 if the field is available; clearer…