About the Club
Forged in the North.
The Escanaba Berserkers Rugby Football Club is building rugby across Michigan's Upper Peninsula through competition, community, and opportunity.
Our Story
Building rugby in Escanaba from the ground up.
The Escanaba Berserkers Rugby Football Club was founded to establish organized rugby in Escanaba and help grow the sport throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula. What began as a small group of athletes on a Ludington Park field has grown into a club with structure, coaches, jerseys, and a plan — a new tradition being built one practice at a time.
Our players come from every background: experienced ruggers who missed the game, former football and hockey players looking for a new challenge, and complete beginners who had never touched an oval ball until the day they put on the red and black. Every one of them belongs here.
This club was not handed to us. It is being built — practice by practice, match by match, sponsor by sponsor — by people who believe the U.P. deserves rugby of real quality. If you're willing to work hard, support your teammates, and grow with us, there's a spot on this side for you.
Our Mission
To build a lasting rugby culture in Michigan's Upper Peninsula by developing players, welcoming newcomers, serving the community, and creating opportunities for athletes of every experience level.
Our Values
Six things every Berserker carries.
Brotherhood
You will never carry the ball alone. What we build on the pitch travels home with you — teammates become family.
Respect
For the referee. For your opponent. For the jersey and the men who wore it before you. Rugby's oldest tradition, and ours.
Discipline
Show up on time. Train hard. Recover. Hold the line. Discipline is the difference between a team and a group of men in matching shorts.
Courage
Rugby doesn't reward hesitation. We teach players to run at contact, protect their teammates, and trust their preparation.
Community
The Berserkers exist for the U.P. Every match, every practice, every fundraiser is built to give something back.
Growth
From your first tackle to your hundredth, there is always more game to learn. We coach the player you'll be next season.
Why Rugby?
A game that changes the people who play it.
Rugby is the most honest team sport there is. Fifteen players, one ball, no timeouts, no hiding. You either commit to your teammates or you don't — and the game will tell you which one it was.
It builds real fitness — the kind you earn over eighty minutes, not the kind you post about. It builds mental toughness, because the whistle keeps blowing and the game keeps moving. It builds sportsmanship — win or lose, both teams shake hands and share a drink afterward. That's not a marketing line. That's the culture.
And unlike almost every other contact sport, every body type has a position. Short and strong? You're a prop. Fast and fearless? You're a winger. Tall? Lock. Cerebral? Fly-half. Rugby has a place for you.
Teamwork
Respect for Officials
Fitness
Mental Toughness
Sportsmanship
Community
The Upper Peninsula
We wear the U.P. on our chest.
Representing the U.P. matters. This region raises tough, humble, hardworking people — and that's exactly the kind of rugby we want to play. When we travel down-state or across state lines, we carry the North with us.
The Berserkers draw from Escanaba, Gladstone, Marquette, Iron Mountain, Houghton, Menominee, and every small town in between. Our jersey belongs to every one of those communities.
We are building something the entire Upper Peninsula can stand behind.
- Escanaba
- Gladstone
- Marquette
- Iron Mountain
- Houghton
- Menominee
- Delta County
Our Vision
We envision a future where rugby thrives across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. From young athletes discovering the game for the first time to competitive men's and women's teams representing the U.P. throughout the Midwest, the Escanaba Berserkers are committed to building a lasting legacy of teamwork, respect, resilience, and community. Every practice, every match, and every new player helps build that future.
Join Us
Become a Berserker.
Whether you've never picked up a rugby ball or have years of experience, there's a place for you here. The Escanaba Berserkers Rugby Football Club welcomes players of all backgrounds who are ready to learn, compete, and help grow rugby across Michigan's Upper Peninsula.