The Dallas Athletic Rugby Club is one of the larger clubs in Texas. It has two men’s teams, a women’s team, and a youth program. The club also plays sevens rugby through the summer.
The club’s nickname is DARC, and the men’s teams have adopted the moniker of the DARC Knights. The women’s team are known as DARC Dames.
Where Are The Dallas Athletic Rugby Training Fields?
Training is usually on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Check out their Facebook group with the latest news about training.
The club has put immense effort into securing dedicated practice fields. The new home facility is named The Rugby Gardens.
The address is 2929 Elm Grove Road, Wylie, TX 75098.
Dallas Athletic Men’s Teams
The DARC have men’s teams in two divisions. The senior fifteens team played in the second division (D2) in the 2016/17 season. They have played more recently in D3.
The truncated season of 2019/20 saw them finish mid-table. The Dallas Reds and the Dallas Harlequins were the two local rivals in this Texas division.
The club has a social or development team in D4. This facilitates veteran players who are winding down in their training commitments. But it’s also a good fit for new club members without a rugby background.
DARC welcomes all new members regardless of skill level or rugby experience. The club has a tradition of international tours, and have travelled to Antwerp, Brussels, and Cologne – just to name a few European destinations.
Dallas Athletic Women’s Rugby
The DARC Dames were formed in 2016 and have been competing in the D2 division.
The Dallas Reds are the most local rivals, while the San Antonio Riveters and the Austin Valks are two very hard teams to beat.
You don’t need rugby experience to join the club, and they’ll welcome you to a practice session. Be sure to bring a mouth guard as the minimum equipment. Check out our article with tips on the gear you’ll need for your first rugby session.
You may also want to ease into rugby through playing Sevens or Touch Rugby with the club in the summer.
Plano Rugby Club For Youth
The club have a strong involvement with the Plano Rugby Club, which provides youth rugby to children from kindergarten to High School. All are welcome to join.
The younger ages play touch rugby, and are taught safe tackling technique at older age levels. Boys and girls play together until middle school age.
The club was originally founded in in 2000 to form a high school boys team. They have since developed a very successful girls team in the high school league.
History Of The DARC
Dallas Athletic Rugby Club was formed in 1999 when two established clubs decided to join together.
Both the Dallas Blues and Dallas Our Gang were playing in the D2 division at that time. They agreed to form a new combined club together as the DARC.
Takudzwa Ngwenya – Renowned Former Player
Takudzwa Ngwenya lit up the 2007 Rugby World Cup with some glorious tries for the Eagles.
Perhaps the most famous was when the speedster arced round the great Springbok wing, Brian Habana, and beat him to the try line.
Ngwenya went on to play for years at club level for French giant, Biarritz.
Ngwenya’s story started in Zimbabwe, but he moved in his teens to Dallas.
He joined the Plano Rugby Club, which we’ve already mentioned in this article. The Plano club had only been formed in 2000 for high school players. Ngwenya joined the 2003 roster as a center.
The Dallas Athletic coaches brought him into the senior club. Ngwenya played several seasons for the DARC.
Online Presence And Social Media
You can check out their club website.
But their public Facebook group is the best choice for the most up-to-date news on schedules.