Knoxville Rugby Club

The Knoxville Rugby Club, founded in 1980, is an adult rugby union club serving the greater Knoxville area. The Possums compete in Division II of the South Territory of USA Rugby.

History

On December 12, 2003 The Knoxville Rugby Club celebrated its 24th year with the dedication of its own rugby park. The Possums recently completed a purchase of 13 acres in Carter, a small community just 10 miles east of downtown Knoxville. The property already contains a finished athletic field enabling the club to begin playing matches at their new facility immediately.

In 1988, the Knoxville Rugby Club created a land fund and kept the dream of owning their own field alive through the hosting of tournaments, the sale of hats and t-shirts, and general fundraising and penny pinching. Over the years, funds were stashed away in the hopes that one day the club could purchase land to call their home. When the opportunity to purchase the property was presented, the club was ready to act. Possum old boys and current players pooled personal donations with the existing land fund to form a limited liability corporation to purchase the land.

In 2001, the Possums were a founding partner of the [http://www.smacrugby.com local high school rugby union league] . In just six short years, the rugby playing population in the Knoxville area has grown to over 400 participants. The Knoxville Rugby Club has seen a jump in membership from 25 to over 50 active players, participants, and club members, including the creation of a separate Under 23 team, the Colts.

External links

* [http://www.knoxvillerugby.com Knoxville Rugby Club Website]