Rugby Club
Est. 1967
Welcome
Founded in 1967, The University of Georgia Rugby Football Club is the oldest club sport at the University of Georgia. For 50 years, the UGARFC has been at the forefront of Southeast American rugby. Throughout our history, we have established a tradition of sportsmanship, academic achievement and athletic excellence. Our members, the coaching staff and the vast network of UGARFC alumni welcome all student athletes who are looking to join the club. No experience is needed. We are looking for current and prospective students who wish to compete in a physically demanding sport while embodying our core belief that academic excellence fuels the athletic spirit. At our club, everyone is welcome.
The Club
The UGARFC is dedicated to teaching and developing players of all experience levels to play and compete in both 15 man and 7 man rugby. We are a 100% collegiate team. During our season we compete within the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC). Each season we play what looks like a traditional SEC football schedule, culminating in a large league-wide tournament to determine which 4 SCRC programs will be featured on NBC and ESPNU's coverage of the collegiate rugby national championship tournament. Right now, our club goal is to be one of the 4 teams competing in this tournament.
What UGARFC offers:
-
A player-led environment focused on player development and growth on and off the field.
-
A competitive, team-oriented culture designed to foster a connection between the player & the game.
-
The opportunity to represent one of the oldest and most successful rugby clubs in the southeast.
-
To compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) and beyond.
-
A vast national and international network of active and engaged UGARFC Alumni.
-
The deep interpersonal bonds and true camaraderie that can only come from playing rugby at UGA.
-
A safe, team centric, social environment free from harmful initiation rituals and hazing.
Fifteens Rugby (15's)
The most traditional form of rugby, our fifteens season begins in the Fall with team training starting in late summer. Historically, our fifteen-man teams have been highly competitive around the Southeastern Conference. Our coaching staff remains committed to coaching and carrying on the traditions that built the UGARFC. If a player enjoys playing fifteens, the UGARFC is a great place to continue to develop a cohesive style of team-oriented play while honing individual skills.
Sevens Rugby (7's)
The newest form of Rugby, seven person rugby features shorter and faster games. With half the players on the pitch, Sevens matches is faster paced, featuring long, break away runs, abbreviated scrums and big open field tackles - giving it more mass appeal with American audiences. This mass appeal is making seven's the most marketable way to introduce rugby to a new global audience. There's no better example of the success of marketing sevens than the recent addition of sevens rugby to the Summer Olympic Games. Sevens is played in the Spring.
At UGA, we are committed to building our 7's program and our common goal is to compete in the Collegiate Rugby National Championship Tournament. If you are a competitive student-athlete and enjoy playing 7's, we are looking to build our program and begin a new legacy around your passion for the game.
If you are interested in playing rugby for UGA, please send us an email and we'll add you to our recruiting program.
Practice
The club plays rugby year-around, playing 15's in the Fall, and 7's in the Spring. Practices begin immediately with the start of each semester, and in both cases, the duration of the seasons align with the schedules set forth by the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC).
Practices times may vary year to year, but are typically held on Tuesday & Thursday nights from 7-9pm. We occasionally hold classroom sessions on Mondays, where we may do things like film review and whiteboarding.
During the summers and holiday breaks, we encourage our student-athletes to continue to train on their own. This may be an opportunity to branch out and practice with the local rugby club in their hometown. For student-athletes that stay in Athens during the summer, the coaching staff and other players may coordinate training sessions.
UGA RFC Pitch
This is where we have our practices and play the majority of our home matches. It is conveniently located on the edge of campus, within walking distance of UGA's Ramsey Student Center.
University of Georgia Intramural Field #1
110 Lake Herrick Drive
Athens, Georgia 30602
Join UGA Rugby
We are actively recruiting student-athletes of all ages and experience levels. Potential players DO NOT need rugby experience to join the club. Our coaches, our club leadership and the alumni association are well drilled in the art of teaching the fundamentals of rugby to student athletes of all ages. Our club's orientation to the game is carefully monitored by our coaching staff and everything we do revolves around personal safety.
We encourage incoming freshmen and new players to connect with our coaching staff in the off season to ensure our new players get linked to our off season training program, the rules of international rugby and our player handbook before they show up for their first practice.
If a player would like to join the club during the season, welcome! As a club we will do our best to get every new player oriented to the game and ready to play! New players will only take the field when the club leadership feels that player is fully prepared for the demands of the game.
If you are a student-athlete and would like to enter our recruiting program, send us an email.
Welcome to the UGARFC and GO DAWGS!
Supporting UGA Rugby
Supporting the UGARFC has never been easier.
Please contact our Director of Fundraising Andy Curl.
We are grateful for the Alumni, the many families of our players and our corporate donors who, through their generosity, fully fund the UGARFC. Without their continued support, we would not have the incredible facility, the equipment and the ability to aggressively recruit as we play all over the United States. We offer a huge "Thank You" to our many supporters.
Please be sure to check with your workplace. Many corporations offer matching programs to reward the generosity of their employees. You can find details about the tax status of our club by clicking this link.
From our players, their families and the University of Georgia Club Sports program, we thank you for your support.
UGA Recreational Sports
As a recognized member of the University of Georgia's Recreational Sports Department, we are guided by the Competitive Sports program.
Recreational Sports
210 Ramsey Student Center
330 River Road
Athens, GA 30602
706.542.5060 I recsports@uga.edu
