The Youth Club

At Pelican Rugby Club, our mission is to empower young athletes with the values of teamwork, respect, and personal growth through the sport of rugby. We are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where every child has the opportunity to develop not only as rugby players but as responsible and confident individuals. We welcome ALL youth from Age Divisions U10 through U19.

Pelican Youth Rugby is About Five Simple Principles:

1.  Safety: Safety is # 1. We provide trained, experienced, and verified coaches that care about safety as their TOP priority. Rugby has been proven, through independent studies, to be one of the safest contact sports worldwide. From the smallest of kids to those intimidating monsters all our youth players are safe on the rugby pitch due to the Pelican’s strong focus on safe techniques associated with both tackling and being tackled to avoid any injury.

2. Community: All sizes, backgrounds, and genders are welcome. This is KEY with not only with the Pelicans, but is a constant them with rugby worldwide. Rugby is about respect for the coaches, the players (on both teams), the referees, and the parents. Unacceptable aggressive, disrespectful behavior by anyone is not accepted in the rugby community. The comradery within the Pelican Youth Rugby Club and rugby worldwide is simply like no other.

3. Opportunity for Kids: We want to give your youth an opportunity to be part of something new where your child can quickly stand out from the crowd. Every position in rugby can run, catch, pass, and score! Your youth with gain confidence, while getting more fit than ever before. An talking about opportunity, with the Rugby World Cup coming to the USA in a few years, colleges are now offering more scholarships than ever for rugby players and some schools have more scholarships available than players!

4. Coordination and Fitness for OTHER Sports: One thing we hear over and over, is that Pelican Youth Rugby has not only helped kids with their fitness levels, but has also provided new skills resulting in those kids becoming BETTER at other sports they are involved in (e.g. football, track, soccer, etc)!

5.. Flexibility: Parents and their kids are busier than ever. We know that because WE ARE PARENTS TOO! Time is precious and funds are limited. Pelican Youth Rugby provides an alternative to expensive sports like soccer and time hoarding sports like baseball. We run two 1-Hour practices a week and matches on weekends to provide plenty of time for homework and sleep. PLUS, besides boots and a mouthpiece, there is very little equipment to buy and an extremely modest fee, most of which is associated with national rugby union dues.

As a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization we welcome any donations towards the club. Donations support the club and the game that we all love.

Practice Schedule

STARTING December 10th, come and join us every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30-7:30 pm on Pitch # 5, at Puryear Park in St. Petersburg. We provide experienced and approved coaching staff with an unparalleled commitment to SAFETY and RESPECT, unlike most other contact sports your child may be exposed to. There is NO EXPERIENCE necessary, and all shapes, sizes, genders, and fitness levels are WELCOME! So, grab your boots (what we call cleats) and a mouthpiece and give both you and your child an opportunity to come see and become a member of one of the fastest growing sports in the world!

FREE Upcoming Clinics Not sure you or your child is ready to try something new and join the rugby community? Well, SAVE THE DATE as our next FREE RUGBY CLINIC is scheduled for December 7th, 2025, from 10:00 am til 12:00 pm on Pitch # 5, at Puryear Park in St. Petersburg. We will have coaching staff, men’s club players, youth from previous season, and brand new parents and kids like you coming to check out the action. Just bring any pair of boots (i.e. cleats) and a mouthpiece and come have fun learning the basics of rugby. Please do bring water for your child, despite the fact we plan to have drinks, snacks, and a DJ making for an unforgettable experience!