Community & Rugby Shine at Clayton RFC’s 7th Annual Toys for Tots Rugby Festival
Community & Rugby Shine at Clayton RFC’s 7th Annual Toys for Tots Rugby Festival
Yesterday, the Clayton Rugby Football Club hosted its 7th Annual Toys for Tots Rugby Festival—a day where community spirit and grassroots rugby came together in a big way. Hosted at the Johnston County Rugby Park, this year’s festival expanded into a full celebration of giving with a Men’s 10s competition joining the traditional Clayton RFC Old Boys vs. Southern Pines Old Boys matchup, a youth flag rugby clinic, a canned food drive, and holiday visits from Santa Claus and The Grinch.
The expanded format delivered the largest donation total in club history. Players, families, and supporters filled five over-sized boxes with toys, all heading to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive. In addition, an entire SUV was completely packed with canned goods for the Town of Wilson’s Mills Share Shed, helping local families in need this holiday season.
Competition on the pitch was high-energy and full of the fun, passion, and camaraderie that define grassroots rugby. Four teams took part in the Men’s 10s competition—the Clayton RFC Bootleggers, Clayton Youth Alumni, Raleigh Vipers, and Tobacco Road.
The Clayton Youth Alumni squad put in an impressive showing, finishing the day 3–0. The Bootleggers battled hard and closed out the day at 1–2, with a strong win over Tobacco Road. Tobacco Road and Raleigh also finished the day with 1-2 records.
Due to the success and excitement of the format, the club is already working toward adding a 4-team Women’s Division in 2026.
In the annual Clayton vs. Southern Pines Old Boys match, the home side claimed bragging rights in a close and entertaining contest between longtime friends and rivals. Fittingly, the two clubs won’t remain rivals for long—they’ll be joining forces this March to compete together at the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Tournament.
After the final whistle, players, families, and supporters gathered along the touchline to share chili, laughs, and stories—proving once again that rugby may bring people to the field, but community is what keeps them there.
“There is a lot more to this club than just what happens on the pitch,” said Clayton RFC President Ted Hardy. “Yesterday was a great example of how our club blends community and rugby. Great rugby on the pitch, even better community off of it. That is who we are and I’m proud of that culture, those that have built it, and those that continue to carry it on. We collected a record number of donations yesterday which was the entire point. Fantastic job to all.”
The Clayton RFC extends its sincere thanks to every player, donor, volunteer, coach, cook, sponsor, parent, supporter, and guest who contributed to this year’s success. Because of you, the 7th Annual Toys for Tots Rugby Festival had a meaningful impact on children and families during the holiday season. We’d like to give special thanks to our event sponsors Paws and Claws Grooming and Bottom of the Ruck, a website dedicated to Grassroots rugby.
The club’s calendar remains full through December:
December 6 — Clayton RFC is one of the sponsors of Tinsel Tree Lane with the Town of Wilson’s Mills, including an entry in the tree contest.
December 14 — Clayton RFC Christmas Party at Deep River Brewing Company — open to all members, families, and friends.
Founded in 2013, the Clayton Rugby Football Club is a community-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to growing the sport of rugby while building connections that extend far beyond the pitch. The club fields Men’s, Old Boys, and Youth Flag Rugby programs and welcomes players of all experience levels, along with social members and supporters. Clayton RFC is one of the few clubs in the Southeast with its own dedicated rugby facility and continues to invest in creating a family-friendly home for rugby in Johnston County. At its core, Clayton RFC believes in the power of sport to unite people, serve the community, and create lifelong friendships.
