Aarhus Rugby Klub (ARK; also written Århus Rugby Klub) is an amateur rugby union club in Aarhus, Denmark, with its seat in Aarhus Municipality. The club relies on sponsorship to make rugby thrive in Jutland and in Denmark. It fields a men's fifteens team, a women's sevens team, youth and mini rugby, veterans and a touch rugby group, and its men played in the 2026 Danish men's championship (DM Herrer) as Aarhus RK.
History
Aarhus Rugby Klub was established in 1973, after Jens Toyberg watched a Denmark v Sweden international at Aarhus Stadion, which Denmark won 12–7. Inspired by the match, Toyberg gathered a group of interested people, who met and formed the club in February 1974. The founding meeting was on 14 February 1974.
The club sent its first side to a national tournament in 1978. It has had its own clubhouse since 1994, a youth section since 2000 and a women's section since 2014–2016, and new changing rooms were built between 2019 and 2021.
In spring 2026 the men played the five-match group stage of DM Herrer. On 18 August 2026 Aarhus RK were third in the combined table, with 17 table points and 134 points scored against 99 conceded. Under the format, the eight best-placed teams qualify for the autumn ranking matches.
Honours
- Danish champions (DM Herrer), men: 1994, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017
- Danish sevens champions, men: 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014
- DM bronze medal, men: 2024
- DRU sevens tournament bronze medal, women: 2021
The first title came in 1994, against RK Speed, followed by titles in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017; in another account, 2006 is not among them. In another account of the men's sevens, the titles came in 2004, 2006–2008, 2012, 2014 and 2019. In 2008 the club won a triple of the fifteens championship, the cup and the sevens title. The 2021 bronze was the women's team's first medal. In the 2025 Danish sevens championship the men finished fifth and the women sixth.
Ground
The club plays and trains at ARK Park, Vårkjærvej 75, 8260 Viby J, where it has a clubhouse. In winter, from November to February, the men's Tuesday training moves to an artificial pitch at Halmstadgade 11.
Teams and training
The club offers a men's fifteens team, and its women's team plays sevens. The youth section is for boys and girls under 18, in age groups from U6 to U18, or from U8 to U16 in another account. Tumlerugby (toddler rugby) is for children aged 1–5. Aarhus Touch Rugby returned in 2026. The Oldboys are former active players aged 35 and over, including Old Ladies.
As of August 2026, the training times were:
| Team | Training |
|---|---|
| Men | Tuesday and Thursday 18:30–20:30, Vårkjærvej 75 |
| Women | Tuesday and Thursday 17:30–19:00, ARK Park |
| Youth (U6–U16) | Tuesday 17:00–18:30 (or 17:30–19:00 for U8–U14) |
| Touch rugby | Thursday 19:00–20:30 |
| Tumlerugby | Sunday 09:30–10:30 |
The club calls itself a very social club where everyone is welcome whatever their rugby or fitness level, and newcomers can simply drop in to training; the first tumlerugby session is free. The club's motto is that rugby is a sport for everyone, regardless of experience, origins or fitness level. The women's training is usually held in English. The club's website is in English.
Fees include 800 kr a year for the Oldboys and 100 kr a month for tumlerugby.
Club life
ARK Venner is a support group of former players, parents and supporters. As of August 2026, its members pay 250 kr a year, which is spent on improvements that benefit the whole club.