Playing Rugbyin Washington, DC
Washington Rugby Football Club — founded 1963, the District's oldest rugby clubPractice Tuesdays & Thursdays, matches Saturdays. Fall and spring 15s, winter workouts, summer 7s. No experience required.
What WRFC Is About
Newcomers and Natives, Since 1963
Started when diplomats posted to Washington and locals who wanted a club found each other. The squad is still that mix, which is why walking in knowing nobody is normal here.
Day Jobs, Then Boots On
Almost everyone here works full time, so practice starts when it says it will and the two hours count. Then people stay. The bar afterward is a good part of why they come back.
We Owe the City Something
WRFC started Washington DC Youth Rugby in 2004. It began with 7 kids and now reaches 100+ a year, free, in schools and neighborhoods across all four quadrants.
DC Rugby Training & Practice
Fields Around the District
WRFC uses several grounds around Washington, DC rather than one home pitch. Check the practice schedule for where the next session is.
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Games Saturdays
Evening practices twice a week so they are reachable after work, with matches at the weekend. Exact times shift by season.
Rugby All Four Seasons
Fall 15s, winter workouts, spring 15s and summer 7s. There is somewhere to turn up whatever month you find us.
Common Questions About Rugby in DC
Which rugby clubs are there in Washington, DC?
The DC area has several adult rugby clubs, and which one suits you depends on what you want. Washington Rugby Football Club (WRFC) is the oldest, founded in 1963, and fields Division 1, Division 3 and social men's sides. Other clubs in the area include Washington Irish, Potomac Athletic Club, NOVA and Baltimore-area sides, plus Old Glory DC, the region's professional Major League Rugby team. If you want a men's club that takes complete beginners and also has a competitive D1 side, WRFC is a reasonable first call. If you want women's rugby, the DC Furies and NOVA Women are the established options and we are happy to point you there.
What makes WRFC different from other DC rugby clubs?
The people and where the club came from. WRFC started in February 1963 when diplomats posted to Washington and locals who wanted a rugby club found each other, and the squad is still that combination — some moved here for a job, some grew up around the corner. That is why walking in knowing nobody is completely normal here. Day to day it looks like a group of people with real jobs who show up on time, train hard for two hours, and stay just as long afterward. A lot of them also coach free youth rugby across the city through Washington DC Youth Rugby, which the club founded in 2004. Strong coaching and being the oldest club in the District are both true, but they are supporting facts rather than why anyone stays.
Who plays for WRFC, and what is the club like?
Working professionals across the industries this city runs on, alongside students, people newly posted to DC, and people who grew up here. Ages run from early twenties to old boys still turning out at tournaments. The tone is serious about the rugby and not serious about itself — practice starts on time because everyone is fitting it around a job, and the bar afterward is much of why people come back. Turning up knowing nobody is the normal way to join.
Do I need experience to play rugby in DC?
No. A large share of WRFC players had never played rugby before joining, coming from football, soccer, wrestling, basketball or no sport at all. New players learn contact technique and the laws of the game from scratch before playing a match, and the club runs social and Division 3 sides specifically so beginners get real minutes instead of a season on the bench.
Where and when does WRFC train?
There is no single fixed time and place year-round. The general pattern is practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with matches on Saturdays, at fields around Washington, DC. The year runs in four blocks: a fall 15s season, winter workouts, a spring 15s season, and 7s through the summer. Venues and times move with the season, so check the practice schedule page or email welcome@washingtonrugby.org before heading out. Trainers and shorts are enough for a first session.
How do I join WRFC?
Fill in the membership form on this site or email welcome@washingtonrugby.org, and someone will tell you when and where the next session is. Because practice locations move through the season, checking in first beats turning up cold. Dues are paid once you decide to stick around, and the club will talk through options if cost is a barrier.
Who does WRFC play, and how often?
WRFC plays regional club sides from across the Mid-Atlantic and the wider East Coast, generally on Saturdays. The calendar runs as a fall 15s season, winter workouts, a spring 15s season, and 7s over the summer, which works out to roughly 30 matches between the sides. WRFC also hosts the Cherry Blossom Tournament each spring and runs an annual overseas tour.
Is WRFC a social club or a competitive one?
Both, deliberately. The Division 1 side trains and selects competitively; D3 and social exist so players who want the game without the D1 commitment still get regular minutes, and most people move between them over a season. The social side is not an afterthought — for a squad of people with full-time jobs it is much of the appeal. There are socials, an end-of-season banquet, the 30 Under 30 fixture and an annual tour, and plenty of members coach with DC Youth Rugby.
Come Down to a Practice
Practices run Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with matches on Saturdays. Get in touch and we will tell you where the next one is — trainers and shorts are enough for a first session.