LEADERSHIP.

INTEGRITY.

COMMITMENT.

MICHIGAN RUGBY

Thank you for visiting the Michigan Rugby Foundation! Your support helps to provide stability and flexibility to the current UMRFC Men's and Women's teams, while investing in the long term growth and success of Michigan Rugby.

SUPPORT THE TEAM

To support the team, the Michigan Rugby Foundation is developing initiatives around four focus areas: team development and rugby competitiveness, academic excellence, service, and post-collegiate opportunities. Rugby is about more than just the 80 minutes on the field, and the MRF will help to prepare players for life, both on and off the pitch.

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MICHIGAN VISION

The University of Michigan Men's and Women's Rugby teams (UMRFC) are perennial national top competitors in the sport of rugby that provides an unparalleled leadership and character development experience for its student-athletes and enhances the standing of the University of Michigan.

History is made! Michigan Rugby alumna Alena Olsen helps propel USA Rugby to Bronze in Paris!

Congrats Alena and Team USA - what an incredible accomplishment!

Click here to read more from Michigan Athletics

“University of Michigan alumna Alena Olsen became the first rugby player in school history to claim an Olympic medal, earning bronze Tuesday (July 30) as the United States used a last-second score to defeat Australia 14-12 in the bronze-medal game at the Stade de France. It was the first-ever women's rugby Olympic medal for USA Rugby.”

Help support future M Rugby Olympians!

Donate Here!

University of Michigan Women's Rugby Repeat as NCR D1 National Champions

Celebrating the National Championship in December, 2023

BREAKING NEWS

Press Release: December 8, 2023

Ann Arbor, MI

The University of Michigan Women's Rugby Football Club has been crowned the Division 1 NCR Women's Rugby Champion for the second year in a row. The Wolverines XVs squad has continued its second undefeated march through the Big10 conference and Western region with its powerful style of balanced play, cool confidence, and teamwork.

Head Coach Jamie Frech reflected on the campaign: "This season we committed in August to pursue this goal. We did a SWOT analysis and really took a hard look at what worked for us in 2022 and how we could repeat our success in 2023. We knew we had some critical gaps to fill in personnel with the graduation of some core players, but the next generation really stepped up. Led by our field captain, Number 8 Maddie Bowers, and her co-captain, Flyhalf Katie Gale, we were able to recreate the magic and play our game".

Rugby at the University of Michigan is a club sport, so the second challenge we faced was financial. "Winning championships is expensive due to travel and the length of the season. This season we had to make cuts on development travel, and put 5 players in hotel rooms to make it work financially. We don't have access to the weightroom as a team, so when we see teams like UNI and NDC at the gym on social media, we do get discouraged, but we've been able to work it out, albeit far from ideal" says Frech.

The team plans to continue to focus on growth and success as they look ahead at 2024--the Wolverines love to win, they love to have fun and they will be back.