While many began their weeks reeling from the clocks ‘springing forward’ to Daylight Savings Time, members of the Pittsburgh Forge Rugby Club chose to counter the biannual clock change with an even more powerful phenomenon: transatlantic jetlag.
The Forge, Pittsburgh’s oldest and largest rugby club, traveled across the Atlantic for an unforgettable 9-day tour through London, Oxford, and Edinburgh to kick off their Spring 2026 season! The touring group consisted of both men’s and women’s teams, along with a strong group of supporters, all of whom ensured the trip was great mix of competitive rugby, sightseeing, and team bonding.
The tour began Saturday in London where the group stepped off the plane and right into rugby history with an afternoon tour of Twickenham Stadium, the Home of England Rugby. Walking through the hallowed stadium grounds, down the players’ tunnel, and through the World Rugby Museum gave everyone a true appreciation for the scale and tradition of the sport in rugby’s largest cathedral.
Allianz Stadium Twickenham, The Home of England Rugby. The touring party visited Twickenham shortly after arriving in London, taking a tour of the premises which culminated in a visit to the historic and hallowed pitch.
Tour players gather for a photo outside of Allianz Stadium Twickenham. The statue depicting a lineout is inscribed at its base with the core values of rugby: Teamwork – Respect – Enjoyment – Discipline – Sportsmanship.
Over the next few days in London, the group immersed themselves in all the sights and sounds on offer throughout the historic city. In addition to taking in the must-see London attractions, our 60+ person crew spread out across town, hitting up Camden + Borough Markets, West End shows, museums, countless pubs, and an Arsenal match. Many G’s were split (albeit with far more attempts than successes), countless sausage rolls consumed, and a great deal of fun was had by all.
Leaving the capital city on Tuesday morning, The Forge traveled north into the English countryside, exploring a few iconic sites before settling in Oxford, where the following day they would lace up their boots for the first matches of the tour! The first stop was a pilgrimage to the town of Rugby, the birthplace of our sport, where the group toured the Webb Ellis Museum and gathered for a photo with the statue of William Webb Ellis, who in 1823 first created rugby! The Forge also paid a visit to Warwick Castle, walking through one of the country’s most impressive medieval castles and marveling at the nearly 1000 year old landmark!
On Wednesday evening, following a laidback day exploring Oxford, it was time to take to the pitch against the men of the Gosford All Blacks and women of the Didcot Valkyries. Both clubs brought great energy to the field for a fantastic evening of rugby under the lights at Stratfield Brake Sports Ground. The Forge men secured an impressive 42-12 victory, setting a strong tone for the rest of the trip. The Forge women played a hard-fought match and came up just short, losing a tight one-score contest by a score of 17-22. After followed a great social hosted at Gosford’s clubhouse, with delicious food and great atmosphere. Approximately 400 small foam Gosford rugby balls were chucked around the room (mostly harmlessly), as we celebrated the Men + Women of the Match awards. A few enterprising youngin’s headed into central Oxford for some English college town revelry, while the rest of the crew kept the Hampton’s bar staff working, enjoying well won beverages in the lobby.
The alarms came early Thursday for an undoubtedly sore tour party, as they were on the road north to Scotland a mere 12 hours after the final whistles blew! It was on to Edinburgh, where on just two days’ rest, the Forge would boot up again to face the Corstorphine Cougars in a Saturday morning clash! Friday was spent exploring Edinburgh and its Old Town, and taking care of serious business (Kangaroo Court), all precursors to the main event. Saturday brought an action packed itinerary for the final day of the tour. In their morning matches against Corstorphine, the Forge men notched their second tour win by a score of 38-30, finishing their UK campaign undefeated! The Forge women delivered a spectacle for their supporters in a high-scoring second match! With injuries befalling both sides, the sides agreed to play 10s, and after initially falling behind by 21 points, the Forge women battled their way back with dominating performances by several players, scoring on the final play of the game to secure an incredible draw at 41-41.
After a quick post-match turnaround thanks to Corstorphine’s changing facilities, it was off to perhaps the biggest highlight of the trip: attending the Men’s Six Nations match between Scotland and France, each of which was still vying for the 2026 title in the penultimate week of the competition. The atmosphere was unforgettable, as a bagpipe rendition of “Flower of Scotland” kicked off the event accompanied by a sea of acapella Scots! The Forge were sat a mere 8 rows from the pitch, and were up close and personal for an action-packed match! As the clock struck 80-minutes, it was Scotland who emerged victorious by a 50-40 margin, and a few members of the group were even lucky enough to meet Scottish international star Huw Jones after the match
The Forge attended the Scotland vs. France Six Nations match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, seated up close and personal to the action packed match that saw Scotland emerge victorious 50-40 over the French.
Forge players gather pitch-side alongside Huw Jones, Scotland and British and Irish Lions centre, following Scotland’s thrilling 50-40 victory over France in the Six Nations matchup.
One final evening in Edinburgh followed, with the city abuzz following the electric Scottish victory! Sunday morning the group boarded their flights back to the US, with a lifetime of memories to show!
The tour was an incredible experience, blending exciting competition on the field, classic rugby shenanigans off of it, and plenty of unique exploration in between! Whether it be the club karaoke at the hostel, singing rugby songs together on the bus post-match, several spirited chugging competitions, a women’s gift exchange, or a men’s team bonding session, everyone arrived home with countless unforgettable memories!
Such opportunities to experience rugby culture in some of the sport’s most historic places are rare, and the players and supporters who took part in this trip are forever cemented in Forge history!
