Marin Highlanders Rugby Club

Marin Highlanders Rugby Club offers rugby programs that include Winter Season Youth Rugby, Summer 7's Rugby, Flag Rugby, Coed Tackle Rugby, Varsity Rugby, Junior Varsity Rugby, Middle School Rugby, and High School Rugby. Summer 7's rugby is played with 7 players per side on the same size pitch as winter rugby, with games played in a tournament style where each team could play 3 to 5 matches in a single day. Teams include U10 Coed, U12 Coed, Middle School Boys, Middle School Girls, High School Girls, High School Boys, U8 Flag Rugby, U10 Coed Tackle, U12 Coed Tackle, Boys Middle School, Boys High School Varsity, and Junior Varsity.

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Summer 7's season runs from Saturday May 9th through early July, and the Winter Season Youth Season runs from November through March.
• Price: Registration is $150, with a $25 discount for returning Winter season players.

Summer 7's kicks off Saturday May 9th at 10am, with the season running through early July and practices on Monday and Wednesday from 6pm to 7:30pm and Saturday from 10am to 12pm. Winter Season Youth home and away matches take place on weekends, on Saturday or Sunday depending on field availability. During the Winter Season, Under 8s practice on Wednesdays from 4pm to 5pm, Under 10s and 12s practice on Monday and Wednesday from 4pm to 6pm (or dark), Under 14s and Middle School players practice Tuesday and Thursday from 4pm to 6pm (or dark), Boys Junior Varsity practice Tuesday and Thursday from 4pm to 6pm, and Boys Varsity practice Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 4pm to 6pm.

The club offers rugby opportunities from ages 8 to 18 and operates under the national governing body, USA Rugby. The Marin Highlanders are organized as a not for profit charity managed by an elected President and Board of Directors, and 12% of all proceeds from the Marin Highlanders Rugby Club Apparel Store go directly to the club. Scholarships and financial aid are available for club registration so nobody misses out for lack of funds, and practices are open to all during Summer 7's with registration only required to play in tournaments. For U8–U12 players, Paladin rugby training jerseys are used as both training and match day jerseys, and for U14–U18 players, Paladin rugby training jerseys are the club training jerseys for the season.

The club’s mission statement says that the Marin Highlanders exist to develop the sport of rugby in Marin County and to instill in its players the values of fairness, camaraderie, discipline, and service. The club has compiled a high caliber coaching staff that includes several coaches who have played at the international level. Youth Rugby (U8–U14/Middle School) contact is James Thompson, Boys High School Rugby contact is Kim Stagg, the Head Coach is John Vantress, and the Board President is Mike McNeeley. The club’s leadership history includes First President after reorganization Malinda Cox and successive presidents Martin Blake, Randy Faccinto, Kevin Rowell, Debbie Kessler, and Mark Carrington, along with former and historical head coaches and assistants such as David Cingolani, Mateo Medrano, and Jim Murray.

The club’s history traces back to the Redwood Rugby Club, founded in the fall of 1980, which easily captured the Nor Cal Championship in its inaugural year. Redwood’s national championship squads of 1981 and 1982 won national championships and established Redwood as a perennial national powerhouse, and in 1982 the club recorded its first international victory by defeating Cantonian High School in Cardiff, Wales. In 1998 the name “Marin Highlanders” replaced “Redwood Rugby,” the Marin Youth Rugby Club was founded in 2005, and in 2008 Marin Youth Rugby Club merged its program into the Highlanders program, with the club described as now in its fourth decade. The club has produced High School All Stars, Collegiate All Americans, Regional All Stars, Pacific Coast Representatives, several USA National Team members, and several Major League Rugby professionals.

Founders of Marin Youth Rugby Club are listed as Patrick Farley, Gordon Wright, and Robert Lopez, and founders of Redwood Rugby Club are listed as Kerry Farley and Patrick Farley. Ghilotti Construction donated time and materials to help club members turn a wasteland behind the school into a grass rugby field that was later dedicated to community use. T & B Sports is the home of the Highlanders for training and supporters gear, and 12% of all proceeds from the Marin Highlanders Rugby Club Apparel Store go directly to the club. Team practice jerseys are available for pickup in late November when the order arrives, and families can take proof of registration to T & B Sports to pick up the Paladin rugby training jersey for ages U8–U14/Middle School, along with other rugby items such as scrum caps, hoodies, mouth guards, tape, and socks. Texting “Rugby” to 414-249-6080 provides updates, and the atmosphere at 7s tournaments is described as fast, exciting, and very spectator-friendly.

Last updated June 20, 2026.