It's never too early to start thinking about January.
Every year, alumni and old boys from every era of Gators Rugby make their way back to Gainesville for Alumni Weekend. You'll see teammates you haven't seen since graduation, meet the current roster, and get one more run on the pitch that started it all. 2027 is shaping up to be the best year yet, and we want you there for it.
The Weekend at a Glance
- Thursday: UFRFC Team Practice at Hume Field, 6:00 to 8:00 PM, for anyone arriving early.
- Friday: Golf at Ironwood Golf Course and pickleball in the afternoon, followed by a Meet & Greet that evening.
- Saturday: The full day. UFRAA's board meeting kicks things off, followed by the Women's Rugby 7s round robin and the UFRAA business meeting on UF Rugby Pitch. Then it's game time: Alumni vs. the Men's college side, followed by Alumni vs. the Women's college sides. The evening brings the 1969 Society Reception for Endowment donors and their spouses, followed by the Alumni Dinner & Program at Heartwood Soundstage.
- Sunday: Breakfast for those awake and around.
Full details and hotel booking links are on the Alumni Weekend page. A quick note before you book: no alcohol is permitted on UF campus facilities, including the rugby pitch.
Before You Take the Pitch, Know Your Shorts
If you're lacing up for the Alumni Match, Masters Rugby plays by a different set of rules than the ones you remember, and they're built to keep everyone on the pitch and in one piece. Here's the quick refresher.
[ EMBED: Masters Rugby Playing Rules PDF (UFRAA Rules.pdf). Add here as a Webflow Embed element. Iframe code is in the Publishing Packet. ]
- Black shorts: Ages 35 to 60, or older at the player's discretion. Full contact: you can tackle and be tackled.
- Red shorts / yellow cap: Optional for players over 60, or anyone returning from injury. You cannot be tackled to the ground or pushed off your feet. If you're claimed and held, pass immediately.
- Gold shorts: No tackling, no touching, at all. You may run up to 15 meters before you have to pass, and that pass has to go to someone not wearing red or gold.
On the law variations:
- Scrums are uncontested
- No quick lineouts, and lineouts require 8 players in 15-a-side matches
- Kicking is only allowed from inside your own team's 22-meter area
- Ball carriers get 20 meters before they have to pass
- Substitutions are unlimited, and once you're subbed off, you can come back in at any time
And the physical stuff that keeps everyone friends afterward: no cleaning out, no sling tackles or lifting the ball carrier off the ground, and no vigorous counter-rucking or reckless diving into tackles.
Pick your shorts honestly, know the laws, and you'll be back for the 1969 Society Reception in one piece.
See You in Gainesville
Whether you're playing, watching, or just showing up for the stories at the Dinner & Program, Alumni Weekend is the one weekend a year the whole Gators Rugby family comes home. Book your hotel, mark the calendar for January 14-17, 2027, and get your shorts ready.
Let's Go Gators Rugby.
