Club rugby, not college rugby
Saturday league rugby for students in Cambridge, at a proper club with a clubhouse, ten minutes by bike from Anglia Ruskin, the colleges and the station. All abilities, first sessions free.
Whichever Cambridge you're in
Cantabs is the amateur club in south Cambridge, and students have always been part of it. Here's how it fits around what you already do.
Anglia Ruskin
Your BUCS side plays midweek. Cantabs is Saturday club rugby in the city, ten minutes down Hills Road by bike, with a clubhouse at the end of it. Plenty of players do both, and beginners are welcome either way.
Cambridge University
Want more than college rugby? Play Saturday league rugby for a town club against sides from across the Eastern Counties, meet people outside the bubble, and still be back for the evening. Homerton is a five-minute walk from the ground.
Medics, postgrads and researchers
The ground is next door to Addenbrooke's. If your week runs on the Biomedical Campus, training is the closest rugby there is, and the club has always been full of people whose hours don't fit a university timetable.
What you get that college rugby can't give you
Proper fixtures in the Eastern Counties leagues, home and away, September to April. The 1XV won the league and cup double in 2025/26.
Three men's XVs from top-grade county rugby to your first ever game, and a women's team new this season. The coaches will find where you fit.
Bar, Thursday club meal for everyone who trained, an annual beer festival, a tour, and a social calendar that runs all season.
Graduate and stay in Cambridge? You already have a club. Move away? You've got a hundred people to come back and see.
International students who've never held a rugby ball turn up every year. Nobody expects you to know the rules on day one.
Concessionary rates are available for students, and your first sessions cost nothing while you decide. Message us and we'll talk it through.
Before you come down
My university already has a team. Can I still play for Cantabs?
Yes. University sides play midweek BUCS fixtures; Cantabs plays Saturdays in the Eastern Counties leagues. Many students do both. If you're not sure how league registration works alongside your university side, message us and we'll sort it.
How do I get there without a car?
Bike: about ten minutes from East Road or the colleges, straight down Hills Road. Bus: anything towards Addenbrooke's, get off at Long Road. Train: Cambridge station is about a mile away. See the find us page for the map.
Do I have to commit to a whole season?
No. Come for a session, come for a term, see how it feels. There's nothing to sign before you've trained, and your first sessions are free.
I've never played rugby.
Good, neither had half the 3rd XV once. Turn up in trainers and something you don't mind getting muddy, and the coaches will look after you.
Is there a women's team?
Yes. Cantabs Women is new for 2026/27 and recruiting founding players, students very much included.
When do I turn up, and who do I ask for?
Tuesday or Thursday at 6:45pm, Sedley Taylor Road, CB2 8PW. Message us on WhatsApp first and someone will be expecting you, or just walk in and say you're new.
Bring a mate. Or don't. You'll leave with some.
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:45pm, all season. Message us and we'll make sure someone's expecting you.