One of the most important teams in the domestic rugby tournaments of the United States of America is Florida. With success in almost all levels of rugby competitions in both men's and women's sections over the years, the county has occupied a significant position in the rugby map of the United States.
The Florida Rugby Union, the governing body responsible for the spread of the game and its development in the province, deserves much of the credit for the team's improvement in recent times. The administration looks after men's rugby, women's rugby, rugby at the college and the youth levels.
The local tournaments in Florida are divided into different league structures. The Men's rugby league has four divisions- Division I, Division II, Division III and Social. There is also the Women's league and the College Sides under the Florida Rugby Union. The College leagues are called the Collegiate Men Division I and Division II. The Women's collegiate leagues are also divided into Divisions I and II.
Some of the main teams that constitutes the Mens Club Division I are Boca Raton, Daytona Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami Tridents. Bay Area Pelicans, Brevard Old Red Eye, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando and Exile Sport and Social Club are the teams in the Division II of men's rugby league in Florida. In Division III, the competing clubs are Gainesville, Tampa Bay Area Krewe, Treasure Coast and Palm Beach while Key West Man and Lakeland are the two Social Clubs. Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale, Gainesville, Naples and Orlando also have women's rugby section in the clubs and compete in women's rugby league.
The college rugby sides in Florida are known for their strength and proficiency in the game. The University of Florida is the strongest among the college sides and participates in the Collegiate Men Division I. Florida Atlantic University, Florida State University, University of North Florida and University of South Florida are the sides appearing in Division II of Collegiate Men section where the other competitors are Eckerd College, Florida International University, University of Central Florida and University of Miami. University of Central Florida, University of Florida and Florida State University also feature in Collegiate Women Division I while the teams in Division II of the same section are the University of South Florida, Florida Rugby Foundation, Florida Rugby Referees Society and The Rugby Academy of South Florida.
The excellent coaching and brilliant facilities in the province has helped rugby players from Florida scale new heights in the game over the years. The state has also contributed in the betterment of rugby in the country. A number of players hailing from Florida has joined both the men's and women's national team and made their marks also in the international level. The Florida Rugby Union would like to maintain its performance to emulate its excellent records.
