Rugby recruitment guides
Practical guides on getting recruited, recruiting well, and understanding what rugby deals actually look like. Written by the Rugby Unlocked team.
How to get a rugby trial abroad
What overseas rugby clubs check before they invite a player to trial: footage, verifiable history, passports and timing. A practical guide for players.
Rugby recruitment for clubs: vacancies that get applications
How rugby clubs write vacancies players actually apply to, assess overseas players remotely, and plan recruitment around visas and season timing.
Semi-pro rugby contracts and stipends explained
What semi-pro rugby actually pays, how stipends, match fees and housing packages are structured, and what to check before signing with a club.
Ways to play rugby abroad: programmes, agents and platforms compared
Gap-year programmes, placement packages, club-pays databases and free platforms for playing rugby abroad, with what each one costs in 2026 and who it suits.
Playing rugby in Australia: season, leagues, visa and what clubs offer
How a UK or Irish player gets a season of club rugby in Australia: when it runs, the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup, the working holiday visa, the six-foreign-player and AUD 500 match-fee rules, the transfer clearance, and what clubs actually provide.
Playing rugby in Ireland: the All-Ireland League, provincial leagues, visas and clearance
What a player from Britain or further afield needs to play club rugby in Ireland: the 2026/27 season dates, the five All-Ireland League divisions and the provincial leagues below them, the one-overseas-player rule, the visa position for UK and non-EEA players, and the World Rugby clearance.