Cincinnati Kelts Rugby Football Club

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Cincinnati Kelts Rugby Football Club

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The Cincinnati Kelts Rugby Football Club consists of a Men's and Women's team and plays and practices in the Cincinnati area.

The Cincinnati Kelts consist of a men's and women's rugby team. The men's team competitive in Division III while the women compete in Division II. The Kelts play in such cities as Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Lexington, among others. The teams play two seasons per year. The fall season runs from September through early November, while the spring season encompasses March through early June. The Cincinnati Kelts men's team was formed in 1994 with the goal of organizing a rugby team for all types and levels of players. The club boasts an active roster of well over 50 players from many different countries and many different levels of ability. We have several players who have also been selected to compete at higher levels of play, such as the Midwest Select Side Team. The Kelts women’s team was originally a combined side of Cincinnati and Dayton formed in 2000, but as of the fall 2006, Cincinnati has been an independent team from Dayton and is part of the Cincinnati Kelts Rugby Football Club. Since its inception, the team has enjoyed many accomplishments, having several times won the league championships, Midwest Regional Championships and twice having placed second in the National Championships while a combined side, and seventh at the National Championship as the Kelts Women. Together, the men's and women's teams foster a sense of camaraderie, teamwork and friendship. We are very involved in the community, where we are closely associated with high school and university rugby programs. The purpose of this is to promote rugby in the greater Cincinnati area by developing youth programs which stress athletic development, mentoring and respect. Additionally, we are also committed to being involved in many philanthropic endeavors, such as participating in the Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In addition, we host the annual breast cancer fund raiser.

10/20/2026

The Cincinnati Kelts Women traveled to Dayton for our final game of the season, joining them for their Tackle-A-Thon. Both teams showed up in pink, and the Kelts walked away with a 49–10 win. Dayton came out strong scoring first, but the kelts locked in and took care of business. Caitlyne was our forward player of the pitch — A powerhouse with four trys on the day! Kinsey was our back player of the pitch — Came out of retirement this season and got more playing time than she bargained for, holding down the back line with poise and showed she never missed a beat. We’re incredibly proud of this team and everything we’ve built this season. The growth, the grit, and the fight this team brings week after week make us excited for what’s next. Post season wrap up is in the works and will be out soon so keep an eye out for that! We will have information about winter activities and ways you can join even though we will be in our off season!

This week, we’re hosting a friendly with UC Rugby because we just can’t get enough. We’re committed to growing the game, building relationships, and helping UC get valuable reps as they gear up for what we hope will be a great post season run!

The season may be wrapping up, but there is a lot more in store.

Once a kelt, always a kelt *

UP THE KELTS ❤️💚💙

10/18/2026

And that’s curtains on the Kelts Men Fall D3 season! Men put on a great performance against a solid Cleveland Rovers Rugby side on the road. Hard nosed rugby, leads being traded back and forth, with the Rovers landing the final blow late to seal the win. Cheers to the Rovers for a great match and best of luck in the next round!

As was mentioned at the social, there is a special thread that connects our two clubs. From the Cincinnati Kelts family where it’s , we send our best wishes Dale Linville, Kelts founding member and current coach of the Rovers, as he continues climbing sunshine mountain on his road to physical health recovery.

Kelts Men will be back in force next Fall Season that’s for sure! A full men’s season recap and what to look forward to from the Kelts over the winter and into Spring coming soon. 🔴🔵🟢

10/16/2026

The Cincinnati Kelt’s women’s side is heading north to take on Dayton Women’s Rugby this Saturday. Our kelts are ready to finish the season off strong! Kickoff is at 11am at DARC rugby grounds! We hope to see you there!

10/16/2026

The weather is getting colder, the leaves are turning colors, you know what that means. It’s time for bonus rugby! Kelts Men back at it again this weekend in the first round of the D3 Midwest Playoffs against familiar foe Cleveland Rovers Rugby . Squad is set to ship up north to Cleveland for what is assured to be an absolute battle. There’s nothing like Kelts playoff rugby! See you lovelies at Impett Field for a 1:00 PM kickoff. 🔴🟢🔵

10/13/2026

A bit delayed in posting our men’s weekend recap once more.

This past Saturday your Kelts Men hosted the Columbus Castaways Men’s Rugby outfit in a match with meteoric playoff implications. Both teams traded punches and leads from the first whistle to the dying moments. Ultimately, in a reversal of fortunes from last regular season’s finale, the Castaways walked away with a 46-33 victory and atop the league table for the Fall season. Well played, gents! Equally commendable was our Man of the Match Sherlock who had a two try performance and flashed his trademark lockdown defense.

Initially, what this result meant for the Kelts Men was unclear as we had cast our lot with the Rugby Gods. As the games concluded elsewhere and the playoff picture solidified, we can now confirm that your Kelts Men ARE BACK IN THE PLAYOFFS BABY! The lads emerge from the proving ground that is the Ohio (and some of Kentucky) League which saw 5 of 6 teams ranked in the Midwest Top 10 at some point this season. For the second consecutive year the Kelts Men have bonus rugby!

Fill up the gas tank, grab some snacks, and come along with Kelts who will travel to Cleveland Rovers Rugby this Saturday for a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal classic! Specific match details to follow shortly.

🔵🔴🟢

PC: OnTheLine Photography

10/12/2026

The Cincinnati Kelts Women’s side continues to grow week after week, and this weekend was a reminder of just how far we’ve come. Having so many alumni show up to support us made this match extra special. The sideline was packed, the cheers were loud, and the support was felt from start to finish. And something pretty incredible happened this weekend: two women’s sides from Cincinnati fielded a full roster of 23. While the final score didn’t fall in our favor, losing 38-5, there is so much more to this team than what the scoreboard says. We continued to build on the things we’ve been working toward all season, took another step forward, and showed what this team is made of. More importantly, we picked each other up, supported one another, and showed a lot of resilience. This week, we’re doing something a little different and recognizing FOUR Players of the Pitch! Instead of selecting just one, we chose two backs and two forwards who made their presence known through attacking play, defensive stops, and that never-give-up grit we love to see. Three cheers for Colleen, Autumn, Jessie, and Anna! We couldn’t be prouder of these four for the impact they made on the pitch this weekend. They put in the work, made the plays, and embodied the fight this team is building.

To our alumni who came out, our supporters who brought the noise, and every player who continues to put in the work: THANK YOU. This is bigger than one match, and we’re just getting started. We would also like to thank OnTheLine Photography for capturing so many special moments for our team this season, we appreciate you so much!

Once a kelt always a kelt*

UP THE KELTS ❤️💙💚

10/09/2026

Simple. ! Anything less, it’s up to the rugby gods. This weekend your Kelts Men welcome Columbus Castaways Men’s Rugby to Kellogg Field for a do-or-die final round of league play, with both teams needing a win book a ticket to the D3 Midwest Playoffs. The boys were locked in this week at training, and here is the match day roster for this regular season conclusion. Kickoff at Kellogg is at 1:00 PM. Come catch the Kelts Women in the Cincinnati Derby at 11:00 AM. Join both sides at Hap's Irish Pub for post-match social, and then come spend your evening with the Kelts at HighGrain Brentwood for the annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser. See you lovelies at Kellogg! 🟢🔴🔵

10/09/2026

To kick off the double header this weekend the women’s team will be taking on the newest addition to the Cincinnati rugby scene, the Cincinnati Rugby Football Club

Come out and watch this highly anticipated match as our women ruck it out on the field. The social will follow at the field to support the men’s team - keep an eye out for their roster (we heard it was a tough one this weekend for selections.) If we won’t be seeing you at the game we’ll see you at our annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser Saturday night.

❤️💙💚

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

Come join us this Saturday at HighGrain Brewing Co. for our 23rd annual breast cancer fundraiser!!

Address

Cincinnati, OH
45226

Website

http://linktr.ee/cincinnatikeltsrfc

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