Erritsø GIF Rugby is the rugby section of Erritsø Gymnastik- og Idrætsforening (Erritsø GIF), a sports association with about 3,300 members across ten sports, based in Erritsø on the southern edge of Fredericia, in the Region of Southern Denmark. The section has youth teams, a senior men's side, women's rugby, oldboys and supporting members, and its men played in the 2026 Danish men's championship (DM Herrer) as Erritsø RK.
History
Erritsø GIF's rugby section was started in late summer 1984 by Paul Michael Kjærgaard, who was its first chairman from 1984 to 1987. The section first played on the pitch at Bakkeskolen and in 1987 moved to the pitches at Erritsøhallen, where it had its own clubhouse. That clubhouse was demolished when Erritsøhallen (EIC) was extended in 2023, and the section then received a new clubhouse and pitches on the other side of the railway, next to the football pitches.
The section grew quickly, and by the club's count, within a few years its youth teams in the boys' and junior grades had won Danish championships. The senior team was promoted for the first time in 1989 to the country's top league, then the 1. division. After 1994 came a single season in the second tier, whose points total the club calls a Danish record. In the 1997 cup final the club lost 3–10 to Comet/Hamlet.
From the start of 2024 the club has been part of Danish rugby's elite programme, with a Talentcenter Øst in Copenhagen and a Talentcenter Vest centred on the club in Erritsø; a four-year elite-sport agreement with Fredericia began at the same time. In April 2026 the club counted 24 men's internationals among its players in its almost 42-year history.
On 11 April 2026 Erritsø Rugbystadion hosted Denmark U18 against Cheshunt RFC U18 and Denmark against Czechia in the Rugby Europe Trophy. It was the third men's international the club had hosted in eighteen months, played with a dispensation from Rugby Europe because the stadium's capacity did not yet fully meet Trophy requirements.
In 2026 the men's season was four regional group matches and one seeded match against a team from east of the Great Belt, followed by an intermediate stage before the summer break and play-offs in the autumn. On 18 August 2026 Erritsø RK were eighth of ten in the DM Herrer combined table, with 5 table points and 60 points scored against 192 conceded. Under the format, the eight best-placed teams qualify for the autumn ranking matches. By June 2026 the men had qualified for the autumn 2. division.
Honours
Honours by the club's count:
- Promoted to the top division (1. division), men: 1989
- Cup final runners-up, men: 1997 (lost 3–10 to Comet/Hamlet)
- Danish champions, boys' and junior grades: within a few years of the section's founding
- Danish champions, U14: once, won by the club's 2021–2023 age group
- Danish champions, U16: twice, won by the same age group
Five of the club's members have been named Leader of the Year (Årets Leder) in Danish rugby, and the club calls itself the only Danish club that can claim this.
Ground
The club has a rugby stadium, rugby pitches and a 120 m² clubhouse at Snaremosevej 67 in Erritsø, and uses the changing rooms at Erritsø Idrætscenter. The ground is known as Erritsø Rugbystadion. In 2026, under the heading "Danmarks Rugby Nationalstadion" (Denmark's national rugby stadium) the club was raising funds for a future 500-seat stand, LED floodlights and TV towers, a project that by the club's count needs millions of kroner.
Teams and training
The club has children's and youth players aged 5 to 17, all of whom are very welcome. There are women's teams in many places in Denmark, either as club teams or as combined teams with women from other clubs, and women's rugby includes a national sevens tournament and training matches with nearby clubs. In June 2026 the club had a budding women's team that had played at two tournaments. The oldboys form the veterans' circle Fratres Ovalibus, and the club is a member of the European Veteran Rugby Association (EVRA).
As of August 2026, the training times were:
| Team | Training |
|---|---|
| Seniors | Tuesday and Thursday 18:00–20:00; outdoors on the pitches at Snaremosevej 67 from February to October, indoors at Erritsø Idrætscenter from November to January |
| U6–U10 | Thursday 17:00–18:00 |
| U12, U14 | Tuesday and Thursday 17:00–18:00 |
| U16–U18 | Tuesday 18:00–20:00 with the men; Thursday 17:00–18:00 |
New players are welcome at trial training whether or not they have played rugby before. Seniors pay 1,000 kr a half-year, with half price for students under 25 in education from autumn 2023; oldboys pay 500 kr a year, passive members 150 kr a year, and youth players 500 kr a half-year, collected in September and March. As of August 2026, the club had about 200 members by its own count; in another account, from June 2026, it had passed 250 members some months earlier.
Club life
The club's colours are blue, red and green. Its motto, "Venskab uden kendskab" (friendship without acquaintance), stands for a club where everyone is welcome regardless of gender, age, social status, sexuality, nationality or religious belief; members are also expected to contribute to the community under the saying "Den der har evnen, har pligten" (whoever has the ability has the duty). The rugby section's values are passion, togetherness, respect, discipline and fair play.
As of June 2026, after-school (SFO) rugby and "Sunday Funday" sessions are the main way children and families come to the club. Stewarding at concerts is a crucial part of the club's finances and has allowed it to keep membership fees low and stable for many years. The club's hall of fame includes its chairmen since 1984, players of the year since 1984/85, appearance milestones from 100 to 500 matches, internationals in fifteens, sevens and youth rugby, honorary members and its annual "skulderklap" award.
In 2025 the club set out a Vision 2028 of remaining a well-run club, with youth teams in every age group, after-school and school rugby, and at least ten coaches.