About Fond du Lac Rugby Inc.

Fond du Lac Rugby Inc. was created in 2004 in response to the rapid growth of rugby in the Fond du Lac area.  The formation of The Stoutmen high school boys rugby team in 1999 marked the beginning of our journey.  The popularity of rugby at this level led to rugby being added to the local middle school phy-ed curriculum, the formation of a men’s team in 2002 and  a girls high school team in 2005, and a U15 “flag rugby” league in 2006.

In 2007, a formal Board of Directors was formed to support the variety of rugby teams and coordinate fundraising activities, facilities & equipment planning, promotional events, community service activities, etc.

As a result of our ongoing dedication to the youth of our community, we have introduced hundreds of kids to the sport of rugby.  Our high school boys team has many success stories, including dozens of high school rugby stars who’ve represented Wisconsin at the annual USA Rugby Select Side Tournament in Colorado.  Even more impressive, 4 of our players were selected to the USA national team, playing in Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Trinidad.

Many of our high school graduates have gone on to play rugby all over the world at various colleges, men’s & women’s teams, and military teams.  However, many high school graduates remain in Fond du Lac to work and attend college...or return to Fond du Lac to re-join their former teammates.

Fond du Lac is quickly becoming known around the country as a true rugby success story, and has been referred to as “the model for how to develop a rugby program”.  Being centrally-located among the majority of rugby teams in the state of Wisconsin, Fond du Lac is becoming a regular location for state tournaments, union meetings, rugby camps, coaching and referee clinics, and elite player selection camps.

As a result, our community benefits from hundreds of visiting rugby players, coaches, referees, union officials, parents, media, and fans from all over Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the country.  Most of these visitors will spend money at local businesses, and many will stay overnight at our hotels, and leave with a positive image of our community.