About the Crusaders Rugby Club
The Crusaders Rugby Club is the largest rugby club in North America – and a registered non-profit club dedicated to the promotion of, and participation in, sport in our community. Our club, often referred to as The Cru or the Oakville Crusaders, is a community of more than 1,400 from age 4 to 74. The club’s broader community of alumni, non-playing members and supporters is in the region of 7,000 people. The Crusaders Rugby Club is a non-profit, volunteer-based club to which our board directors, coaches, parents and players donate significant amounts of their time. We most gratefully rely on commercial sponsors, municipal government support, donors and volunteers to be able to offer all we do.
Rugby has a unique culture that underlines the values of honour and respect for opponents, teammates, coaches and referees. The sport’s culture is founded in camaraderie, mutual respect, teamwork, and sportsmanship – key life lessons for youth. The club is committed to providing a program for all players to develop their rugby skills, develop personally and grow their love of the game of rugby.
Born out of a group of expats, we officially came together as the Crusaders Rugby Club in 1968. We’ve been growing and have been playing quality rugby ever since and are now the largest rugby club in North America, with a successful Junior program of over 240 players, many of our athletes representing Ontario and Canada. The Canadian National Sr. Men’s team currently boasts 4 players from Oakville, all who played their junior rugby with Crusaders and there is one club member on the Canadian National Senior Women’s team, the youngest player ever to represent Canada at the national level.
Many of our players go on to pursue professional rugby careers in Canada and overseas – which is a point of pride for the club – but not really all that we are about. At its core, the Crusaders Rugby Club is a family-oriented rugby club and very much more than just a rugby club to its members.
Our members include players from the age of four, boys and girls, of all shapes and sizes, no experience required.
“We’ve been members for years and couldn’t have chosen a better club to raise our family with. The opportunities it has provided for our kids are like nothing we could have ever imagined. And the best part is, our friends at the club have become family. #gocrugo” – JB, Dec 2019
“Great club. Awesome coaches. Awesome social side. And people that care.” – ZR, June 2019
“Great local club with a big social side. High quality rugby at all levels and age grades for both boys and girls.” – RW, Feb 2019
Year-Round Rugby
We’ve come a long way since 1968, today boasting three quality pitches and one of the top clubhouses in Canada set in 26 acres of parkland on Ninth Line in Oakville. We operate a complete, year-round program for our athletes:
- April – June: preseason outdoor training
- June – August: Rugby Ontario fifteens season
- September – November: Rugby Ontario sevens season
- November – April: indoor strength & conditioning program and indoor skills training program