It’s called Jugger, and it is not the next dance craze like the ‘Dougie’ or ‘twerking’, but rather, it’s a live action game that’s played here in Colorado, and around the world.
“It was really popular here, and for a long time,” Doug Hanks, founder of the Colorado Jugger League (CJL) said. “As the years progressed, I had heard about some guys in Europe playing and then grabbed a couple of guys and said `hey, would you want to try this?’, the rest it’s history. ”
The league (CGL) is a group of around 25 members of all ages and genders, who regularly get together, practicing and playing the sport they’ve come to love, and be good at. A relatively young sport, the organization has grown swiftly, increasing their membership, playing games throughout the Denver-metro area, hosting their own tournaments, and securing a spot in the Irish International Jugger Tournament — a first for a United States team.
“It feels really neat, feels like it could be the start of something big here,” Miguel Alvarado, a CGL teammember said.
The team will take a full-roster, or eight members, to Ireland in early June, to play in the tournament in Dublin. To fund the $8,000 trip, the league has been fundraising through local restaurants and selling team water bottles, and will be doing a new fundraiser every month leading to the event.
“The guys in Ireland are helping us to get guys over,” Alvarado said. “They’re very excited about having a U.S. team represented.”
Jugger is a five on five sport that utilizes speed, skill, agility, and strategy to steal the ball (modeled on a dog skull) and secure it in the goal point.
“I think a lot of people, even as kids, had that one moment where they picked up a light saber and just had fun,” Hanks said. “This sport is for a modern age. Anybody from a LARP (Live Action Role Player) to a professional rugby player — anyone can play and enjoy this game.”
To learn more about Jugger, visit www.facebook.com/ColoradoJugger