Information for New Players

We hear from lots of our new players that they were very nervous about joining a sports club - and many of our players have never played organised sport or rugby before joining the Chargers. Because of this reason, we are especially good at introducing new players to rugby and to a team sport culture. We've put together some information below about the best way to join in with the fun.

If you have any questions or you're ready to sign up for training, let us know!

Contact Us

The best way to get involved is to meet us at training

The best way to get involved is to get in touch with us and come down to a training session. 

• Get in touch with us to let us know you're interested
• Come down to training and meet the team - we'll allocate you a buddy for your first few sessions and make sure you meet your new team mates
• If you like training with us, we'll help you organise access to our TeamApp and a club membership

You can join the Chargers at anytime throughout the year, but we do have some times in the year when we host special introductory events. Follow us on social media or sign up to our email newsletter if you would like to recieve updates.

Sign Up for Training

Frequenty asked questions

Do I need to have any rugby experience?
No, you don't need any rugby experience or team sport experience to join up and see if you like rugby. We welcome anyone who has an interest in getting fit, learning new skills in a team environment and making new friends regardless of experience on the rugby field.

Do I need to be big?
No. It's a pretty common misconception that rugby players are all huge! A rugby team has 15 players - with many of the roles suiting bodies of different shapes and sizes. The forward positions usually suit bigger players wheras the back positions tend to suit faster, more agile players. In the forwards and backs there are positions for taller and shorter players too.

What is it like to be a new player?

Honestly, it can be pretty chaotic. You'll be learning new skills, new vocabulary and working on your fitness all at the same time as meeting a whole lot of new people. A lot of new people feel nervous about remembering our names but we don't stress about it. That said, we think our training sessions are a lot of fun, and very rewarding to take part in.

We have a lot of support for our new players, including two Team Managers and two Player Liaison committee members. They should be the first point of call with any questions about training.

Am I fit enough to join the team?
We do a lot of work on fitness and conditioning throughout the year. There are lots of our players who started out very unfit and are now playing 80 minutes every week. Coming down to training and working hard is a great way to build up that fitness - and it's zero committment. No need to commit to playing until you feel you're ready.

Do I need to be gay to join?
No, the Chargers pride ourselves in being an inclusive club that welcomes anyone regardless of orientation. You might, however, want to be comfortable playing in a team where the locker room talk might be who was eliminated from Drag Race this week.

Are trans guys welcome? What about non-binary gender identities?
Yes. We have a specific policy that enshrines our inclusion of trans and gender-diverse players. Everyone who wants to join is welcome on the basis of their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth. We will ensure the Chargers is a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

Note the Chargers currently fields a rugby team in a men's competition. We have friends who play, coach and support women's rugby, so if that better suits your vibe, let us know and we'll see what we can do to introduce you to a team.

Is it too late to join?
Definitely not! It's best to join up early in the year so you can get the most out of our pre-season training. But you are welcome to join at any time - even the off-season (we'll still have social events and touch rugby worth doing!)

How long is the season?
The Victorian Rugby season usually extends from March or April through to August or September. The Chargers start our pre-season training in January, and we usually host recruitment events and an Open Day in February. On alternating years we travel to either a Purchas Cup or Bingham Cup tournament. The next Bingham Cup is in August 2022 in Ottawa, Canada. The next Purchas Cup will be held in September 2023 in Perth.

What kind of time committment do I need to make?
You can commit to as much or as little of our club's schedule as you like - but to get the most out of your journey we recommend you attend all training sessions. Generally we train twice per week for around two hours, and matches will take up a good chunk of most Saturdays between April and August. We also have a pretty active social and events calendar which we hope you'll want to join in with us on.

How much does rugby cost?
To play rugby in our season, you need to become a member of the Chargers ($30) and pay for subs in our host club (about $400). You will also need boots for your position ($50-150) and a mouthguard ($20-50 depending on your dental insurance). You might also need a pair of club shorts and socks for matches (about $50). Other equipment is optional, but you might like to check out some online stores for stuff like headgear, extra padding etc.

If you join the squad you will be encouraged to tour with the team. Usually the club fundraises to meet as much of the players' expenses for tournaments - but you could expect to pay for your own flights and accommodation if you want to attend. We plan tours months out and you will have plenty of time and notice to get ready, should you wish to come.

If you have concerns about these costs you shoudl be aware that there are lots of ways we can help out with the costs - including a special fund that was established to help remove barriers to participation for our players. Talk to us about your circumstances.