Rugby in Phuket: Phuket Rugby Football Club & How to Join 2026

Rugby has deeper roots on this island than you'd expect. Phuket Rugby Football Club has been pulling in players from across the expat community for years — Australians, South Africans, British, French, Irish, New Zealanders, and an increasing number of Thai players who've caught the bug. If you play rugby or want to start, or you just want the social circle that comes with a rugby club, here's what you need to know.

Phuket Rugby Football Club (PRFC)

PRFC is the island's primary rugby club and has been active for well over a decade. It operates as an inclusive, social-first club — you do not need to be a high-level player or even particularly experienced to join and enjoy training. The club has historically fielded teams in regional Thailand rugby competitions and tours within Southeast Asia.

The club's culture is genuinely welcoming, which is partly why it's survived and grown through the expat population's natural turnover. People come and go on the island, but PRFC consistently finds new players and maintains an active, friendly training environment. If you're new to Phuket and wondering how to meet people quickly, showing up to a rugby training session is one of the most reliable routes on the island.

How to Join PRFC

The simplest approach: find PRFC on Facebook and either message them directly or simply show up to a training session. First visits are always informal — turn up, introduce yourself, join in. No contract, no obligation. If you like what you find, formal membership is straightforward and typically runs 1,500–2,500 THB for a year, covering club events and training costs.

Training locations have varied over the years as pitch availability on Phuket changes — the Facebook page is the authoritative source for current training venue and schedule. Training typically runs two to three sessions per week in season.

The Phuket Rugby 10s Tournament

This is Phuket's flagship rugby event and one of the most celebrated rugby 10s tournaments in Southeast Asia. Held annually, typically in late January or February to coincide with high season, it draws teams from Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and beyond. Corporate teams, touring sides, and competitive teams all enter.

The tournament is as famous for its social atmosphere as its rugby. The venue hosts multiple matches simultaneously across a full day, with stands, food, beer tents, and the kind of atmosphere that makes it a genuine annual highlight even for non-rugby people. Tickets are inexpensive and it's a spectacular day out — the Phuket Expat community almost universally attends.

PRFC typically enters teams at various levels — contact the club if you want to be involved as a player. Even if you're not playing, attending the Phuket Rugby 10s is simply a great day on the island.

Touch Rugby in Phuket

Not everyone wants the full-contact version, and that's well-catered for. Touch rugby sessions run regularly in Phuket, typically on weekday evenings or weekend mornings — the specific schedule rotates but is usually findable via the expat Facebook groups or through PRFC directly.

Touch rugby is genuinely accessible regardless of age, gender, or athletic background. Sessions are mixed and social. It's particularly popular with expat partners and family members who want to be part of the rugby community without playing the full game, and with older expats who want to keep active but are past the years of heavy tackles.

Format	Contact Level	Who It's For	Find Via
Full XV rugby	Full contact	Experienced players, competitive	PRFC Facebook
Touch rugby	Non-contact	All abilities, mixed gender	PRFC / expat Facebook groups
Phuket Rugby 10s	Contact (tournament)	Teams of 10, Jan/Feb	PRFC / annual event pages
Social/training	Mixed	New arrivals, all levels	Show up to training

Watching Rugby in Phuket

Phuket has a solid sports bar scene that covers major rugby events. Six Nations, Rugby World Cup, Premiership rugby, Super Rugby Pacific, and URC/United Rugby Championship all get coverage at the island's sports-watching venues. The Bang Tao area has the best concentration of sports bars with multiple screens and good hours coverage of early morning Southern Hemisphere matches.

For specific match viewing, the rugby community itself is the best guide — ask on the PRFC Facebook page or Phuket expat groups which venue is showing the particular game you want. The community consolidates around a handful of regular spots that change by season.

Rugby for Children and Youth in Phuket

BISP (British International School Phuket) in Bang Tao has an active rugby programme — arguably the strongest school rugby setup in Southern Thailand. The school competes in regional tournaments and has sent students to national level. Other international schools on the island have varying levels of rugby provision — worth asking directly if your child plays.

PRFC also has youth programmes — details via the club's Facebook page. Phuket's rugby community is acutely aware that building a junior player base makes the sport sustainable long-term on the island, and youth development is a priority. For expat families, this can be a valuable community connection for children as well as adults.

For more on international schools in Phuket, see our Phuket international schools guide, which covers BISP, UWC Thailand, and other options across the island.

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