About the Wolfhounds

Kids age 6 through high school can play in the Hounds Youth Rugby program.  Kids generally play in age groups of 6-9 (U9), 10-12 (U12), 13-15 (U15), and high school.

For practices, all that is needed is shorts, a t-shirt, a mouth guard (required), and sneakers or cleats (preferred - molded plastic soccer cleats work best for youth rugby.  Rugby cleats cannot have a single center front cleat.).  For games, each player wears the "kit":  a Wolfhounds jersey, rugby shorts, rugby socks, cleats or sneakers, and a mouth guard.  Rugby shorts (about $25) and socks (about $10) can be ordered separately through our team supplier.  Please leave watches or jewelry at home.  Don't forget your water bottle!  See the Equipment section on our Play page.  

No problem!  Most kids come to our team without any kind of experience.  We welcome all newcomers to the sport!

Absolutely!  Girls are awesome ruggers, and colleges are increasingly recruiting women rugby players.  

While you don't have to be Irish to play on the Wolfhounds, it is certainly not frowned upon!  The men's team embodies the international nature of rugby, bringing together the closely linked communities of Boston and Ireland, with players from all over Ireland, the United States, New Zealand, England, Australia, Argentina, Canada, South Africa and Venezuela.  We embrace that diversity on the youth team as well! 

Flag rugby is played through the age of 12 and is touch only.    Tackling in rugby begins when kids turn 13 and is carefully taught to promote safety above all else.    

In flag rugby, players do not make contact with each and are not allowed to dive on the ground - even when attempting to score.    

All rugby coaches must undergo training certification developed by USA Rugby, the US governing body of the sport, which includes training on safety in the game.  

Middle school rugby begins to include some contact but still has modifications to the game to provide less contact for the younger players.  High school rugby is a contact game.  

With all contact games there is always some risk of injury. However, player safety is paramount. The laws prohibit deliberate contact with the head or neck of player, making contact with a player while the player is jumping other than to compete for the ball, and tacklers are responsible for the safety of the player they are tackling. Referees are empowered to sanction, sin bin or send off players they deem to be playing dangerously or recklessly. These same instructions are used all the way through rugby to highest professional levels.    

USA Rugby's SafeSport program was created with the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to provide guidance and rules for all who participate in rugby to keep kids safe on the field and off.