Welcome to SBRFC (Santa Barbara Rugby Football Club), the 501(c)(3) non-profit for the promotion, encouragement, and extension of Rugby Union football in Santa Barbara County.
Our mission
The mission of the Santa Barbara Rugby Football Club is to promote the sport of rugby in our community by fostering athletic excellence, inclusivity, and personal development through teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we are committed to providing opportunities for youth and adults of all backgrounds to participate in and learn the game of rugby, supporting physical health, leadership, and lifelong community engagement.
Santa Barbara Rugby Football Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 93-4659131, incorporated in California in 2023. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
We pay for the parts of rugby that people cannot
Rugby has been played in Santa Barbara since 1978. SBRFC is the registered non-profit behind the sport in this county. We raise money for rugby here and put it back into coaching, into the clubs, and into individual players who would otherwise have to stop.
Where the money goes
- Season dues for players who cannot pay them. Dues run $250 at the men's club and $150 at the women's club. When a player cannot cover that, SBRFC does, and the conversation stays between that player and the treasurer.
- Scholarship places in youth rugby. No child in Santa Barbara should miss a season because of the registration fee, so the club backs scholarship support in the youth program.
- Coaching. Qualified, certified coaching across all three clubs, funded properly rather than leaned on until a volunteer burns out.
- Local player recruitment and retention. Finding people in this county who have never played, getting them to a first session, and keeping them in the sport season after season.
- Club infrastructure. The standing costs a season carries before a ball is kicked.
How we are run
SBRFC is run by a volunteer board and has no paid staff and no office. Money comes from players and their families, from local businesses, and from a group of long-standing donors through the '78 Club. The club files with the IRS and the State of California every year and publishes those filings, and the treasurer will send a financial summary to anyone who asks.
Three clubs, every age, no experience needed
Between them, the three clubs SBRFC supports put rugby on a field in Santa Barbara most weeks of the year, for players from U8 upwards. None of them ask for experience. Most of the adults on a Santa Barbara roster had never touched a rugby ball before they walked on, and the youth club is built for children who are new to the game.
They train at Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Road, and Chase Palm Park, 323 East Cabrillo Boulevard. Both are public parks, and anyone is welcome to come and watch.
The Grunion
Santa Barbara's men's club, playing since 1978 and open to anyone 18 or over. Division 2 rugby, training twice a week at Elings Park through a pre-season that starts in November, then a Saturday fixture list from January to April.
No tryout and no experience needed. Season dues are $250, and SBRFC covers them for players who cannot.
Grunion program details →The Mermaids
Competitive women's rugby for players 18 and over, open to women and nonconforming players from Goleta, Santa Barbara and the neighboring cities. The Mermaids compete in the Southern California Senior Women's Division II.
The club trains through the October to March season and keeps a lighter touch rugby program running over the summer. Dues are $150, with help available.
Mermaids program details →The Stingrays
Youth rugby from U8 to U18, coached by a USA Rugby certified staff who put player safety at the center of every session. New players and new families are welcome at any point in the year.
Pre-season training starts at Chase Palm Park in November and moves to Elings Park in December, with matches expected from mid-January.
Stingrays program details →Every dollar stays in Santa Barbara County
SBRFC has no paid staff. What comes in goes back out to coaching, recruitment, club costs and dues assistance for players in this county. Volunteer hours do the same work, and the club needs both.