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Club History: The Only Division I Men’s Rugby in Philadelphia
Looking for Philadelphia Rugby? Schuylkill River Rugby is the club for you!

Schuylkill River Rugby was founded in 1995 and is the only Men’s Division I club that trains and plays in Philadelphia. The Club established a legacy of success early in our history when we secured the EPRU Division III championship in 1999 and advanced to the Elite 8 in the D3 National playoffs.

The following season, the club moved up to D2 and won the EPRU Division II Championship, and once again advanced to National playoffs, getting as far as the Division II Sweet 16. The back-to-back EPRU Championships gave Schuylkill a unique status in USA Rugby, as one of the few teams to advance from Division III to Division I in a two-year span.

The fall of 2001 saw Schuylkill surprise many by earning a second-place finish in Division 1, and in the spring of 2002, Schuylkill’s strong showing and fiercely competitive spirit showed that the Club was for real and that our success was no fluke. An unfortunate one-point loss in MARFU playoffs stopped the club from advancing to Nationals for three consecutive years, in three different divisions.

The fall of 2002 introduced Schuylkill to a tougher Division I comprised of MARFU Division I & Rugby Super League clubs. Since that time, the club has aspired to compete at the highest levels of domestic rugby and has an ongoing goal of returning to the National Championship playoffs.

Schuylkill has consistently sought to honor the players who built this legacy of success and the commitment that built it. The glory days of the club’s first decade provide motivation for us to continue pushing forward with a mentality that we accept nothing less than excellence. It was this mentality that led Schuylkill to the D1 National Championship playoffs in 2014 and a 5th place finish overall, and it is this mentality that enables us to maintain our status as a perennial MAC D1 playoff participant.

In addition to our success in 15s, we also have a strong 7s program. The program, launched in 2010, has now developed into one of the Club’s crown jewels. The Club’s Premier 7s side has qualified for the National Championship tournament every year since 2010 and was the National runner-up in 2011.

We are also invested in player development to enable our Club to compete at a high level for years to come. The Club began a U-23 Academy 7s team in 2016 that has won multiple MAC Conference Open Division championships, and we also partner with and support several local youth rugby programs.

In addition to the rugby programs that we support, giving back to our community and providing strong role models for Philadelphia youth as a whole is a major priority for us, and that is why we are proud of our ongoing relationship with the local Boys and Girls Club.

Schuylkill River is one of approximately 10 clubs in the United States who can say that they perennially qualify for Nationals in 7s and make the playoffs in 15s. We remain Philadelphia’s only D1 rugby team and the only team in the State of Pennsylvania fielding multiple sides in league play. This on-field success along with the youth work that we participate in, and the strong family atmosphere surrounding our Club is why we guarantee that if you join us, you’ll be “PROUD TO BE AN EXILE.”