History

On a wet April evening in a smoky pub in Brussels, five people got together over a few drinks and put paper to pen to create a new rugby club. This club would be open to local Belgians and ex-pat’s from the world over, from traditionally rugby playing nations and from non-rugby playing nations, seasoned players and beginners.

That was back in 1998 and what a ride it has been since then!

The club has experienced the highs of promotion including a perfect league season with 18 wins out of 18 matches, one near-perfect season with a single league loss, victory in two national knock-out competitions, qualifying for the play-offs in our very first year in Division II and winning the Plate in a 7s tournament. Alas, we have more recently faced the lows of fieldlessness and relegation but with these hurdles now overcome (in style on the VUB campus) and indeed currently being reversed we feel we can rightly paraphrase the Terminator: we’ll be back. The men’s team has been on a yearly tour (not to be missed). The past 3 were to Rome, Porto and Granada. The club expects those that go on tour to proudly defend our 8 % record (Yes! Shamefully, we actually won last year L!) on distant sweltering rugby fields and 100% record in foreign bars, eateries and night-clubs! (After a record 31 participants on the tour to Porto this year we are traveling to Heidelberg with over 37 club members, ex and current!)

In 2005 a Touch rugby team was created. Touch is considered a summer sport in many countries but here in Brussels we play all year round. Touch grew rapidly from a small group of people that trained on the same pitch as the men’s rugby team to a large and important part of the club with female members (fondly considered The Great Leap Forward!) and even several club committee members.

In 2006 we started a Rugby School with an eye firmly on the club’s future. We already have U-17, U-15, U-13, U-11 & U-9 age groups that train every week and take part in regular league matches and tournaments. In less than four seasons the school has gone from non-existent to having over 100 active members of every nationality.

In addition to what we do with rugby balls we also have been holding large annual Balls ever since our 5th year anniversary in 2003. This complements our many other seasonal social activities such as fund-raising pub quizzes, Christmas club dinners, BBQs, trips to RBS 6 Nations or Heineken Cup matches, bar-hopping “recruitment drives”, etc.

So whatever your nationality or your experience with rugby balls, whether you want to play or just be part of the craic and if you want to join the most dynamic, fastest growing and newest rugby club in the Brussels area then you need to swing on by or contact us .

Brussels Celtic ... more than just a rugby club!