The Clayton Rugby Football Club is made up of players, of all skill levels, ages 18 and over. The club currently fields two full Men’s sides, an Old Boys (35 & over) side, and we have a U23 team in development. We also field two 7s teams during the summer with both competitive and social options for 7s players.
The Clayton RFC has grown quickly since our first game in 2014 and aspires to be a model club in the Carolinas and USA Rugby. We are one of the fastest growing clubs in the USA and we are led by an progressive Board of Directors with high aspirations. We aim to continue that growth well into the future as we expand our programs and offerings to our members.
We are also fortunate to have our own rugby facility. When complete the facility will include three pitches, bathrooms, pavilion, and playground. The Johnston County Rugby Park is scheduled to open in late 2019. Future additions to the park include a clubhouse which will make our club one of few clubs in the entire USA to have a full service rugby facility.
No experience is necessary to play. The Clayton RFC has a culture that encourages and welcomes brand new players to the sport of rugby.
The club is a member of the Carolinas Geographic Rugby Union as well as USA Rugby which is the governing body for the sport in the United States. Our XVs playing season begins in August and runs through April with a short break for the Holidays in December. During that time, we practice two night per week and play 2-3 games per month. Games are played on Saturdays. June and July is 7s season and our teams participate in multiple tournaments throughout the Summer.
Our 1st XV is the club’s competitive side. They currently compete in Division 3 of the Carolinas Rugby Union. During the 2017/2018 season and only their second season in Division 3, the squad reached the playoffs for the first time in club history.
We are actively recruiting players with experience, recent college grads, and athletes looking to challenge themselves with the goal of pursuing promotion to Division 2 in the coming years. Our club has a number of connections throughout the business community and can assist with job placement for recent grads or players interested in relocating to the area.
Our 2nd XV serves as our developmental team for new players, social players, and Old Boys. The 2nd XV currently plays in Division 4 of the Carolinas Rugby Union and against other B Sides and social teams in the Carolinas. Our #1 priority is that every single playing member of the Clayton RFC gets game time every weekend. Regardless of experience of skill level.
Our 2nd XV helps us provide our players quality game time against similar level competition while at the same time developing players that wish to pursue selection for our 1st XV.
Our #1 goal is to provide rugby for players of all ages and skill levels. We also aim to keep aging players involved in the club without the same time commitment that was needed earlier in their careers. To help achieve those goals, the Clayton RFC fields has added an Old Boys side.
Our Old Boys (Age 35+) schedule 2-4 social matches per season against other Old Boys teams and aims to enter into at least one Old Boys specific tournament per year.
The Clayton RFC has been active on the 7s circuit since the inception of the club. The club fields two separate 7s teams each summer with one competitive side and one social side. Our Bootlegger’s 7s teams compete in 4-5 tournaments each summer.
Our 7s sides welcome collegiate players and other guest players looking for a fun and competitive atmosphere.
The club also hosts one of the largest annual 7s tournaments in the region with matches being live streamed.
The Clayton RFC is working on developing a U23 side that provides players just out of High School the opportunity to transition into Men’s rugby without having to face off against older and more seasoned club rugby players. The U23 Academy will focus on developing players skills to prepare them for future opportunities.
We have a growing number of U23 players within our club and hope to have a full side up and running in the coming years. Our U23 side will aim to compete in social matches and against local collegiate teams until there is a formal U23 competition in the Carolinas.
The Clayton RFC offers social membership levels. A social membership is a great way to become involved with the club without the bumps and bruises that come with playing a contact sport. Our club has a fun and active social atmosphere with multiple events each year.
Social members can get involved in a number of ways. Whether that is coming out to the park to support our teams from the sidelines, joining up at one of our many social events, or getting involved as a volunteer. Our social members are some of the most active and productive members of our club.
Playing and Social members of the Clayton RFC have two options for paying dues.
Playing membership comes out to around $15/month (Active Players) or $5/month (Military/U23) which is a lot cheaper than joining a fitness club or gym. Our dues are also some of the lowest rugby club dues in the Carolinas.