jjray621

Long after the final whistle of their collegiate careers, the FGCU rugby experience didn't end for many former players. It simply changed venues. What started as a group of FGCU graduates getting together to play beach rugby evolved into something much bigger: an alumni rugby tradition that has brought former Eagles together for more than a decade, taking them from the beaches of Southwest Florida to tournaments thousands of miles away. From Beerfoot Beach Rugby in Fort Myers, Florida, to...

For more than a decade, rugby has been part of the athletic fabric of Florida Gulf Coast University. What began with the founding of the FGCU Men’s Rugby Club in 2011 and the Women’s Rugby Club in 2013 grew into a community built around competition, camaraderie, discipline, and a shared love for one of the world’s most demanding sports. Then, the world stopped. The COVID-19 pandemic changed sports at every level. Professional leagues suspended seasons, international competitions disappeared...