The rough and tumble sport of rugby is hanging by a thread at the high school level.

The Waterloo County Secondary Schools Athletic Association released the majority of its spring schedules this week and only three of 16 schools - Waterloo Collegiate, Forest Heights and KCI - are fielding teams in the senior boys rugby league. Participation at the junior level isn't much better with five schools participating - Waterloo-Oxford, Sir John A. Macdonald, Preston, WCI and KCI.

"Students are not participating in school sports the way they used to," said WCI head coach Reed Cressman, whose team has won the past two WCSSAA senior championships.

"We have seen this across the board in many different sports. Contact sports, mainly football and rugby, seem to be at the head of the curve."

The numbers crunch hasn't hit the WCSSAA girls rugby league and 12 schools, down from 14 last year, will field teams when that league begins play later this month.

Cressman has run a successful program at WCI for years and has about 75 students show up to compete for the school's senior, junior and bantam teams. The teams practise together daily and Cressman said his Grade 12 players make a point of getting to know the first-year players by name. He said he is also fortunate to have a significant number of athletes who play rugby outside of school and has a senior roster of about 35 players.

In its heyday, the WCSSAA league had 16 teams competing in its senior league, Cressman said. That number included Catholic schools that played in the circuit as guests. Last year, seven senior teams competed in the WCSSAA league.

By comparison, a full complement of 16 schools will field teams this spring in the WCSSAA senior boys and girls soccer leagues.

Meanwhile, the District 8 Athletic Association won't offer rugby leagues for the second straight year. St. Mary's High School will field junior and senior teams, as well as a girls team, and compete in tournaments and exhibition games.

Bluevale Collegiate teacher Eric Ciezar has run a strong program at his school and only a few years back had 80 to 90 boys playing rugby. His teams have won WCSSAA and Central Western Ontario (CWOSSA) titles and have twice been competitive at the all-Ontario (OFSAA) championship.

Last year, Ciezar was forced to shelve the junior program and focused on a senior team of about 30 players. This year, he had less than 10 players show interest in playing for the senior team and 10 to 12 bantam/junior-aged players.

"We are saddened by the fact that Bluevale went from WCSSAA, CWOSSA and even twice to OFSAA competitive teams to not having any boys' programs this year," said Ciezar.

Cressman and Ciezar, in separate email exchanges, are in agreement that a number of factors have combined to hurt the sport.

•Fear of injury: Both make a point of saying it's a safe sport - Rugby Canada has taken steps to improve in that area - but the risk of concussions are prompting students and parents to consider the risks.

•Sport specialization: More teenagers are playing just one sport and making it a year-round venture. Cressman points out how basketball has gone from being played at high school and two-week summer camps to being a seven- to nine-month commitment when top players hook up with club teams.

•Societal changes: Physical activity is at an all-time low because of video games and smartphone use. Ciezar, who doesn't own a cellphone, points to vaping as another disturbing trend that leads to lethargy and withdrawal.

•Commitment and field availability: Many students want to play games, but aren't interested in practice. Some don't want to train in a gymnasium and wait for nice weather to play outside. School fields usually remain closed until midway through their seasons.

The need for a larger roster than other sports (15 players are on the field at one time), a lack of strong student leaders and the cost of playing are also cited as reasons for the dwindling numbers.

Cressman said high school numbers are declining around the province but is hopeful the WCSSAA league will rebound next year to six or seven teams, which he expects will be the new norm.

Calling it an "inclusive sport" that places an emphasis on respect, Cressman can't say enough about his sport of choice.

"It values respect in all areas - see how players talk to refs compared to any other sport - and is the ultimate team game," he said.

"At the high school level, it has a position for almost any body type. Regardless of what you look like, rugby has a place and position for you, which is rare in youth sports. This is big, especially for females. Girls with endomorph body types often don't have a place in traditional sports but can now come out and play rugby."

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mbryson@therecord.com,

Twitter: @BrysonRecord