INTERESTED IN PLAYING HIGH STANDARD CLUB RUGBY?
Then why not play at Maidstone Rugby – ‘THE County Town Rugby Club’!
2014-15 London 2 (SE) League Champions, London & SE Division Intermediate Cup Winners and RFU Intermediate Cup Champions
Maidstone Rugby is a traditional club with a friendly atmosphere. Located at “The Mote” on the edge of Mote Park close to Maidstone town-centre and its vibrant nightlife. The club runs 4 senior sides every weekend, with the 1st XV playing their rugby in London Division 2 (South) within the English Clubs Championship next season. In addiition they have been the London & SE Division, RFU Senior Vase and Intermediate Cup Champions in four of the last five seasons, reaching the National semi-finals of the Senior Vase competition in 2012 & 2013 and winning the national final of the Intermediate Cup at Twickenham in 2015.
The club’s 2nd XV (Mustangs) compete in London Premier 2 East and Barbarians XVs compete in the Rural Kent & East Sussex league structure that has now been absorbed into the Kent RFU Invicta League system. The club also runs a Veterans XV, which plays weekly fixtures. In addition, we have a thriving junior and youth section catering for U7s to U18s.
The club has a well-established coaching structure, as well as full physiotherapy and sports science support. Additionally the club has access to broad range of 'state of the art' fitness training facilities through one of the sponsors.
Training for the 2020/21 season takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 (prompt), and caters for all levels of ability.
The club is always looking for new talent and all are welcome regardless of age or previous playing experience.
Still interested? Then contact either the Director of Rugby via the contacts page.
Click Here to download an information form you can complete and email.
Overseas Players
Located in mid Kent with excellent links to London’s airports plus road & rail links to continental Europe, it is no surprise that over the years Maidstone Rugby has attracted a number of overseas players to the club, including players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji; although the traffic is not all one way with two of the club's players having played in New Zealand in the ITM Cup, in addition to one currently playing Super Rugby with the Blues.
Previous seasons have seen players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as part of the senior squad plus more recently players from Romania and Cyprus joining the club and making significant contributions, both socially and on the pitch. The club’s policy has proved to be mutually rewarding for both club and players alike. Maidstone has benefited from the added strength to the senior squads and the diversity of different playing styles and cultures. In return the players themselves have enjoyed being involved in a friendly and sociable rugby club that is committed to improving its playing standards.
To help our overseas players settle into the local area, the club use's a network of local contacts and businesses to assist in finding employment and accommodation and we are happy to provide this support to any potential 1st XV player moving to the Maidstone area.
Maidstone Rugby is the Kent county town’s rugby club and benefits from being approximately 50 minutes by train from Central London.
Interested overseas players are requested to ensure that they have the appropriate visas, work permits or other immigration documentation required.
Testimonials:
The rugby gave me many opportunities and it was a great honour to run out at Twickenham Stadium in Maidstone's colours. It is a home away from home and I'm grateful for the friends made and time I've spent with the club.
Everyone in the club has been very accommodating to me and my girlfriend, whom I travelled over to England with, and this helped us to settle in quickly.
It is not often that you find a club where the people behind the scenes play as big a role in your time away as much as the boys you train and play with. The club has a friendly and professional manner that is evident from the President down to the physios and bar staff. All of these people contribute greatly to the atmosphere at the club.
I have had a great year on and off the field.
Ivan Walkling (Australia): I starting playing rugby later in life I was immediately excited about the opportunities that this truly worldwide game had to offer. Maidstone Rugby presented me with the opportunity to travel, experience life in a different country and learn a different style of play to develop my own game.
Steeped in history and with great vision for the future I do not believe my experience would have been any better at any other club. Surrounded by beautiful Mote Park and with a traditional clubhouse, I instantly made 40 new mates at my first training session. All people involved in the club from the members of the committee, coaching, management, bar staff and players welcomed me as one of their own to make it feel just like home.
The coaching staff of Andy Foley, Lee Evans, Richard Weston and Jacques Van Vuuren all have a professional outlook on rugby and share a common goal of club promotion and player development. Evidence of this was shown by achieving promotion to London SE2 with four games to spare and huge success within the RFU Senior Vase competition. Also this year Maidstone was awarded Rugby World’s team of the month, a great honour and sign of club strength and progress.
I would gladly recommend Maidstone Rugby to any player who is looking for a friendly, professional and successful club to join.
