From the Pitch to the Future: The Rebirth of FGCU Rugby

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 from calendars, and college athletics were forced to navigate an unprecedented period of uncertainty. For collegiate club sports, the disruption was particularly difficult. Unlike major varsity programs, club teams often rely heavily on student leadership, player recruitment, volunteer coaches, university resources, membership dues, and the ability to compete regularly against other schools.

Rugby was no exception.

In March 2020, USA Rugby suspended sanctioned competition and activities, while the 2020 college championships were canceled as colleges and universities across the country shut down or restricted athletic activity. UUSA Rugby USA Rugby later emphasized that rugby's close-contact nature presented unique challenges during the pandemic, with competition and return-to-play decisions dependent on local health guidance and institutional policies. UUSA Rugby+1

For teams like FGCU Rugby, shutting down was more than simply missing a season.

It meant losing momentum.

It meant graduating players who never got the opportunity to finish their collegiate careers on the pitch. It meant incoming students never discovering the club. It meant leadership positions turning over, relationships with opposing teams becoming harder to maintain, and the institutional knowledge that keeps a student-run organization alive becoming increasingly difficult to preserve.

Across the country, college club sports faced similar struggles. Teams that had once operated with established rosters suddenly had to start over. Recruitment became difficult when students were learning remotely or spending less time on campus. Practices and competitions were interrupted, and many organizations had to rebuild their leadership structures from the ground up.

For rugby specifically, the effects were felt throughout the sport's organizational landscape. USA Rugby itself faced significant financial difficulties during the pandemic and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already disrupted rugby community. UUSA Rugby

The college rugby landscape also experienced significant changes during and after the pandemic, with programs navigating different competition structures and governing organizations. Today, collegiate rugby continues to rebuild and develop, with USA Rugby and the College Rugby Association of America announcing a new partnership in 2026 aimed at strengthening collegiate rugby, expanding participation, and creating a more sustainable future for college programs. UUSA Rugby

FGCU Rugby's Long Road Back

FGCU Rugby has been part of that larger story.

The men's program, founded in 2011, established itself as a competitive collegiate club in Florida. Historical records from the Florida Rugby Union show FGCU competing in collegiate competition as early as the 2012–13 season. RRugby Florida+1

The women's program followed in 2013, creating another opportunity for FGCU students to experience the sport and compete at the collegiate level.

For years, both programs represented more than just wins and losses. Rugby gave students an opportunity to find a team, develop leadership skills, compete against universities throughout the region, and become part of a community that extended beyond graduation.

But after the pandemic shutdown, rebuilding proved far more difficult than simply restarting practices.

A rugby club needs players. It needs leaders. It needs coaches, administrators, volunteers, competition, funding, and a reliable pipeline of new students willing to step onto the pitch. When those pieces disappear simultaneously, restarting a club can become an enormous challenge.

The result has been a difficult restart for FGCU Rugby — one that has ultimately led to the need to re-form the club itself.

But rebuilding is not the same as giving up.

It is an opportunity to start again.

A New Generation Has an Opportunity

The next chapter of FGCU Rugby will not be defined by what the pandemic took away.

It will be defined by the students who decide to bring the club back.

FGCU Rugby is actively recruiting students who want to become part of the effort to rebuild the men's and women's programs and return the university to the competitive collegiate rugby network.

That means the opportunity is much bigger than simply joining a sports team.

New players can become the foundation of the next generation of FGCU Rugby. Students interested in competition can help restore the club's place on the collegiate rugby calendar. Those interested in leadership, communications, event planning, coaching, fitness, or sports administration can play an equally important role in rebuilding the organization behind the scenes.

And, of course, players don't need to arrive at FGCU as experienced rugby athletes.

Rugby is a sport that welcomes athletes with different backgrounds and skill sets. Speed, strength, endurance, toughness, athletic intelligence, and a willingness to learn can all translate to the pitch. For newcomers, the club can be a place to learn the game while becoming part of a team.

Rejoining the Collegiate Rugby Community

The goal is straightforward: re-form FGCU Rugby and return to competitive collegiate play.

That means developing sustainable men's and women's programs, establishing consistent training, building strong rosters, developing student leadership, and reconnecting with the wider collegiate rugby community.

The timing could not be better for a rebuild.

Collegiate rugby in the United States is entering another period of growth and restructuring. USA Rugby and CRAA's 2026 partnership is specifically focused on increasing participation, strengthening competitions, supporting collegiate programs, improving the student-athlete experience, and creating a more sustainable model for the future. UUSA Rugby

At the same time, rugby's visibility in the United States continues to grow, with the country preparing to host the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and women's Rugby World Cup in 2033. UUSA Rugby

FGCU has an opportunity to be part of that growth.

The Future Starts With the Players

Every established rugby program started somewhere.

For FGCU, that beginning happened in 2011 with the men's team and 2013 with the women's team. The pandemic interrupted that history, but it did not erase it.

Now, the club is asking a new generation of students to help write the next chapter.

Rebuilding FGCU Rugby will take commitment. It will take players willing to show up, learn, compete, and eventually lead. It will take students willing to help organize the club and create the infrastructure necessary for it to thrive. Most importantly, it will take a community willing to believe that the program can return to where it once was — and eventually become something even stronger.

The pitch is waiting.

The next FGCU rugby team can be built now.

FGCU Rugby is actively recruiting men and women interested in helping re-form the club and return to competitive collegiate rugby. Whether you're an experienced player or completely new to the sport, this is an opportunity to be part of rebuilding something with a history — and creating its future.