What is the best way for someone like me to get involved, learn about, and actually play in organized rugby UNION games in the Chicago area? I checked out Chicagoruby.com, but it seems to be catering more to more established clubs in the area. I guess my question is: is there a league for beginner adults interested in playing rugby union in Chicago who are not necessarily experts/more advanced? If so, who can I contact? Thanks in adavnce for any relevant info on this topic. Living on the northside, I can generally see more cricket pickup games than rugby matches. It seems to me like looking for a needle in a haystack.
If you're interested in playing, hooking up with an established club is pretty much the only way to go. Most clubs are friendly and will welcome new players with no experience that are interested in getting started. If you go to a club's web site they'll usually list practice times and locations, and you can just show up, introduce yourself as a new guy, and they should get you started. - I play for a club here in St Paul, and we have several new guys every season with no experience that will come out and play.
Gracias. I'll try to do that--there seems to be a club in Lincoln Park, which is near where I live. Again, thanks for the input.
To amplify what LeperKhan says: Just about any team will be glad to have new members: clubs with nationally competitive senior sides that take the game really seriously are almost always big enough to field other teams for beginners and members who just want to get some exercise and hang out with the boys, and teams that aren't that big will always be glad to have new guys turn up. You pretty much can't go wrong. Have a good time. It's a fun game.
I agree with what's been said here. That's the wonderful thing about rugby, they're always happy to have new people come and play. They'll teach you the game and all that. We played the Chicago Griffens C team last fall and our forwards got rocked because we gave up 50-75 lbs. per man, but our backs ran through all day. They were great guys after the game, though. Have fun.