North Carolina Youth Rugby Union

Grassroots rugbyfrom the ground up

NCYRU is the governing body for youth and high school rugby across North Carolina — supporting clubs, coaches, referees and families from the mountains to the coast.

Find a club near you New to rugby? Start here

Member clubs: 17
Registered players: 1,409
Years of NC rugby: 20

Next up

Level 1 Coaching Course

Nov 8, 2026 · Charlotte

Join us for a USA Rugby Level 1 Coaching Course on Sunday, November 8th, at the Charlotte Rugby Club! This full-day course is designed for individuals looking to earn their coaching certification and develop their skills in teaching and coaching rugby. Coaching certification is a requirement for those looking to coach this season. Registration is available through the Learning Center on Rugby Xplorer. We look forward to seeing you there!

All events & camps

Fixtures Documents

Ardrey KellCape Fear RugbyCapitals Rugby NCChapel Hill Highlanders RugbyCharlotte Cardinals RugbyCharlotte Catholic HSCharlotte TigersClayton Youth RugbyFalcons RugbyGreensboro RugbyMarvin Ridge RugbyNorth Raleigh Redhawks RugbyRaeford Youth RugbyRaleigh Rugby YouthSandhills SharksSouth Charlotte RugbySouth Meck RugbySouthern Pines Youth RugbyArdrey KellCape Fear RugbyCapitals Rugby NCChapel Hill Highlanders RugbyCharlotte Cardinals RugbyCharlotte Catholic HSCharlotte TigersClayton Youth RugbyFalcons RugbyGreensboro RugbyMarvin Ridge RugbyNorth Raleigh Redhawks RugbyRaeford Youth RugbyRaleigh Rugby YouthSandhills SharksSouth Charlotte RugbySouth Meck RugbySouthern Pines Youth Rugby

Why rugby

A hard game that makes
good people

We exist to make rugby accessible, safe and joyful for every young person in North Carolina. We sanction competition, certify coaches and referees, safeguard players, and build pathways from a child's first tag game all the way to the NC All Stars.

Safety first, always

Age-graded contact progressions, certified coaches, concussion protocols and an Emergency Action Plan at every match.

Everyone gets a game

Rugby has a position for every body type and every temperament. Nobody sits on the bench all season.

A real pathway

From a five-year-old's first tag session to the NC All Stars and collegiate rugby — the ladder is there.

Built by volunteers

Parents, coaches and referees run this Union. Everything here exists because someone showed up.

Find a club

18 clubs. One state.
Mountains to the coast.

Every dot is a member club running youth or high school rugby right now. Tap one to see what age groups they field.

Browse all clubs

WestEast

The pathway

From first tag to state colours

Rugby in North Carolina is built as a ladder. Each rung introduces one new thing, coached by people trained to teach it safely.

Touch
First touches of the ball. No tackling — running, passing, evasion and a lot of laughing.
First tackles, 7s
Contact starts here, taught as technique long before it is a contest. Seven a side, so everyone gets the ball.
Twelve a side
Bigger sides and more shape, with the game starting to look like the one on television.
The full game
Scrums, lineouts and full 15s. Players begin to find the position that fits them.
High school 15s & 7s
League competition, state championships, and a real shot at collegiate rugby.
NC All Stars
Selection into the state representative squads for regional and national competition.

The Union's tournament

Carolina Ruggerfest

6 & 7 March 2027Matthews, North Carolina

Two days, five age grades from U10 to U19, and one of the largest youth rugby tournaments in the country. Hosted by NCYRU, and the event that pays for much of what the Union does the rest of the year.

Visit the tournament site

Coming up

Registration opens 1 November 2026

Registration and forms

What's on