Adirondack high school ruggers gather for a photo during a workout session at Fitness Revolution in Lake Placid prior to spring break. Front row from the left: Hailey Giles, Nora Glover, Lore’e Milgrim, Steve Snyder, Alex Garcia and Paige Foley. Back row from the left: Jason McComber (Fitness Revolution owner), Brooke Paries, Wyatt Martin, Isaiah Buckley, Hunter Lacey, Luke Favata, Dominic Whitson, Ian Bruce and Keegan Bombard (Fitness Revolution trainer). (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

SARANAC LAKE — Strength in numbers. Fun in numbers.

That could describe the type of season area high school rugby players could expect to have this spring.

This season, boys and girls representing Adirondack high school rugby will join forces with players from across the region to form combined squads that will compete in the Capital North League. Adirondack’s boys will team up with ruggers from Saratoga and Glens Falls and kick off their schedule on Sunday with a road match against Albany Academy. The boys will then participate in three tournaments in May on successive Sundays.

Adirondack’s girls will combine with players from Rutland, Vermont, and follow the same three-tournament schedule in May as the boys.

The Adirondack high school players and their teammates will be known as Capital North, a squad with the same name as their league. Other teams competing in the league are Albany Academy, and three Vermont squads — South Burlington, Essex and Rutland’s boys. Things are a bit different for the girls as Albany Academy only has a boys team and Rutland’s girls will be combined with Adirondack.

Adirondack’s ruggers are coached by Saranac Lakers Tammy and Katie Morgan and Kyle Alexanian.

The boys and girls began preseason training at Fitness Revolution in February in high-intensity workouts and have also started practicing outdoors.

Tammy Morgan said that forming a combined group enables Capital North to have two boys teams and two girls teams, which she described as following the growing trend across New York state of high schools fielding both varsity and junior varsity squads. Morgan said about 35 boys will play with Capital North and the girls numbers are expected to be just under 30.

“Our goal is to provide a maximum amount of playing time for kids with all levels of skill and experience in a safe environment,” Tammy Morgan said. “What’s really great about this setup is our kids are meeting new kids. They’re playing with new kids, and creating lasting friendships. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

While Adirondack’s players have been getting ready in the North Country, ruggers from Saratoga, Glens Falls and Rutland have been working out in their own backyards under their own set of coaches. And this Sunday those forces will be combined as the boys take on Albany Academy.

Since Capital North and Albany Academy are the only two teams from New York in the local league for the boys, one of those squads will eventually advance into the state high school championship tournament. Tammy Morgan explained that the side posting the most wins during the tournament season will be the one that moves on into the postseason. So obviously, both teams will be playing to win.

After Sunday’s match, the boys and girls will both be getting into the tournament mode. First up will be a competition on May 5 at Siena College, which will be followed by a tournament on May 12 in Saratoga.

Lake Placid will then host the final tournament of the spring on May 19, and it will be a day-long event that will see approximately 250 boys and girls rugby players competing at the North Elba Athletic Fields.

Overall, 20 boys and girls from the Tri-Lakes area will be playing high school rugby this spring Adirondack’s girls include Alison Hewitt, Brooke Paries, Hailey Giles, Lore’e Milgrim, Nora Glover, Paige Foley, Selestia Ordway and Zoe McNamara.

The Adirondack boys taking to the pitch are Alejandro Garcia de la Vega, Ardasherkhon Akrami, Benedict Nicola, Braden Baillargeon, Carter Hewitt, Dominic Whitson, Hunter Lacey, Ian Bruce, Isaiah Buckley, Luke Favata, Steve Snyder and Wyatt Martin.