All active duty, reserve and Air National Guardsmen are eligible to compete as members of the Air Force Rugby team. Players of all grades and AFSCs from all MAJCOMs are welcome.
To participate, fill out an AF Form 303 and run it through your local chain of command. Then submit it to your base's sports office. Your sports office will send the approved 303 to Air Force Sports. I recommend keeping signed copies of all paperwork.
How To Make The USAF Rugby Team
The USAF Rugby Program is one of several varsity USAF Sports directed by the USAF Sports Office (SVPAF), DSN 487-3471, of the USAF Services Agency, Randolph AFB, TX. Administration of the program is carried out by the Director of USAF Rugby along with the coaches. The selection of players to represent the USAF in the Armed Forces Rugby Championships held every October (location varies from year-to-year) is done by the USAF Sports Office based on recommendations by the Director and coaches of USAF Rugby.
To ensure an open and fair selection process to identify the best rugby players in the USAF, a trial venue is held once each year at a selected rugby tournament in the United States. The tournament is announced well in advance. Information is posted on the USAF Rugby Home Page, an announcement is mass emailed to all USAF Rugby Players who have registered through the USAF Rugby Home Page, and an announcement from the USAF Sports Office is made to all USAF Base Fitness Centers, worldwide.
The trial venue is composed of a two-day mini-camp and a two-day tournament. The mini-camp is usually held on a Thursday and Friday, two practices a day. The intent of the camp is to introduce the players to the USAF Rugby Game Plan and to evaluate the skills and knowledge of the rugby players. Two or three teams are entered into the tournament. The coaches evaluate every player under game conditions. At the conclusion of the trial venue and within 60 days, the Director of USAF Rugby provides each player an evaluation of their performance in the camp and the tournament. The players strengths, weaknesses, and an assessment of whether the player is yet ready for Select-level competition is provided. From the trial venue, a USAF Rugby Depth Chart is developed. It is from this depth chart that players are selected for the USAF Rugby Team.
There are two additional ways that players can possibly be selected to the USAF Rugby Team. One is to play and be evaluated at the U.S. Military Club Nationals held each May (location varies from year-to-year) and the other is to be recommended by a coach, sight unseen, with extremely strong credentials such as having been selected as a Collegiate All American the previous year, selected to one of the U.S. Territorial Teams that compete in the ITT's each year, a current member of the U.S. National 7's or 15's Team, the Eagles, starting A-side for one of the top 16 USA Rugby Football Union Division I Rugby Teams, or starting A-side for one of the top 4 USA Rugby Football Union Division II Rugby Teams. In every case, whether the trial venue, Military Nationals, or a recommendation, every player must complete an Air Force Form 303 and submit to the USAF Sports Office. Without a 303, a player cannot be selected to the USAF Rugby Team. The 303 is only valid for each calendar year.
For the trial venue, and until changed otherwise, USAF Sports pays for the lodging, in-town transportation, tournament entry fee, and provides the jerseys for the tournament. Each player must get themselves to the trial venue and pay for their meals and incidental expenses. Every effort is made to reduce cost to the player by staying on bases where possible.