According to Wikipedia, "Rugby union is a full contact team sport, originating in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m long and 70 m wide. At each end of the field is an "H" shaped goal. It is one of the most popular sports in the world, being played in over a hundred countries, on every continent."

Well, that description might be useful if you've just arrived on the planet and never seen the game before, but chances are that you might already have a passing familiarity with the sport, having caught a glimpse of it on some obscure cable sports channel, on YouTube or perhaps even in the flesh at your local park or playing field.

So, you probably already gathered that rugby is indeed a full contact sport, which is played at a fast pace, with a minimum of intentional interruptions. This means that the sport requires a certain degree of fitness to be enjoyed, and can be likened to soccer for its periods of continuous running play.

While you might imagine that size would be important to play rugby, the variety of specialist positions in the sport help to ensure that there is a position for almost every shape and size. For some positions (such as prop), explosive strength might be considered a premium over endurance and mobility, while for other (such as scrum half or wing), speed and agility would be valued over bulk. So whatever your particular physique, chances are there is a rugby position with your name on that you can learn and become competitive in.

Here in New England most people learn to play the sport while in college, where it is rapidly growing as a low-cost, athletically challenging sport that doesn't require as much equipment or infrastructure to play as say football or hockey. The sport is also growing at the high school level, as an off-season alternative for players of other contact sports. Many people are however still picking up the sport for the first time post-college, particularly those who have a background in contact sports but who have a hard time getting fulfillment from the typical offerings of co-ed kickball and ultimate frisbee that are available locally.

Thanks to the sport's initially shallow learning curve and minimal equipment requirements, it can be easy to pick up and enjoy, even if you're playing for the first time in your 20's or 30's. It also requires a level of teamwork that creates a strong camaraderie between players that can serve you well, both on and off the pitch. As this suggests, there is also a social side to the game that many enjoy as much as the sport itself.

If this sounds interesting to you, we suggest that you take a look at the International Rugby Board's "beginners guide" below (or download it here) to get some more background on the sport, then complete our Contact Form to let us know you're interested.

Typically the club trains on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with games on Saturday during the Spring and Fall. Ideally, if you're committed to the sport (or single, or both), you'll be able to make all training sessions. However, naturally commitment levels and availability can vary, and players are still welcome if they're only able to make occasional training or matches.