Urban Rugby America began out of necessity.
The constant uphill battle for equitable access, opportunity, resources and support in rugby for under-represented, low-income populations in our country is impossible to fight alone. Leaders from America’s longest-standing and most impactful Urban Rugby programs set out with a shared mission to raise the tide for all ships and create experiences, opportunities and support that fill critical, long-standing gaps in our sport and in our country. With our inboxes full of outreach from programs across the country trying to get started in need of advice, as well as contact from well-established leaders for social change through rugby looking for collaboration, the time has come to unite, empower and advance our common goals together, and for the betterment of the kids that deserve it most.
Kevin Battle (Rugby LA), Shane Young (Memphis Inner City Rugby), Stuart Krohn (ICEF Rugby) and Devin O’Brien (Memphis Inner City Rugby) organized the 1st Urban Rugby Championships in Memphis in 2022 and began the journey towards launching Urban Rugby America in the fall of 2023.