Birmingham-area women, if you’ve ever thought about playing rugby, here’s your chance. The Steel is Birmingham’s newest women’s rugby club. Never played? No worries, this new team welcomes everybody, and they’ll teach you. Keep reading to find out how to get involved.

Meet Steph Robinson, coach of The Steel women’s rugby club

Steph Robinson has been playing rugby since the beginning of her sophomore year at The University of Alabama, almost 12 years ago.

After college, she moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she taught science for a few years at a charter school. At that school, she coached a youth rugby club and started the San Antonio Riveters Women’s Rugby team.

In 2018, she moved to Birmingham to attend Physician Assistant school at UAB. Then, in January 2019, she started coaching the newly-forming UAB Women’s Rugby team. According to Robinson, “we had a solid year of building until COVID restrictions and students returning home as classes went online eventually led to the team falling apart.”

From collage to club sport: The Steel women’s rugby club

Ready to start again, Robinson and a group of students did what everyone’s had to do in the age of COVID—they pivoted.

In the fall of 2021, the group decided to open up women’s rugby in Birmingham to anyone, whether they were a college student or a non-college (club) player. This opening led to the birth of The Steel.

All are welcome—how you can get involved

Rugby Club — If you’ve ever wanted to try rugby, here’s your chance. Graphic via Birmingham Vulcans Rugby’s Facebook

The group is very new and is actively recruiting players.

“We welcome any and everyone to come out and join us. There are no official try outs. If you come to practice, you are on the team. We don’t expect anyone to have prior experience. We teach each person how to play when they attend our trainings.”
Steph Robinson, Coach, The Steel women’s rugby team

The team represents the entire city of Birmingham, and will be playing other teams across the Southeast, including:

Atlanta
Baton Rouge
Chattanooga
Huntsville
Knoxville
Little Rock
Memphis
Mobile
Nashville
New Orleans
and others

women's rugby in Birmingham — Women’s rugby. Photo via Steph Robinson

Free beginner rugby clinic:

When: Sunday, January 30, 2-4PM
Where: Krebs Field, Erskine Ramsay Park, 3601 Country Club Road, Birmingham, AL 35213
Who’s invited: men, women, teens, children 7+—anyone who wants to learn more about rugby
Registration not required—just show up
Afterparty: Steel Gastropub in Lakeview

Regular practices: