Amsterdam Student Rugby Club Ascrum

We are incredibly proud to introduce Michael Maytham and Kas Eelman as the new Director of Rugby and Assistant Coach of A.S.R.V. Ascrum. Both gentlemen bring a wealth of experience from the very highest level, spanning their time with the Stormers, Exeter, and Bath!

Some clubs are born from a plan. Ascrum started with a sign-up sheet on a noticeboard and a man who, after his very first tackle, decided right then and there that rugby wasn't for him.

Every year, a select group of six to ten young players between the ages of 18 and 25 head out on an intensive rugby placement. These are our rising stars, the players with the potential and the drive to take their game to the next level. For six weeks, they train in Stellenbosch at a level of intensity you simply won't find anywhere in the Netherlands. They come back completely transformed as rugby players. So, if you join Ascrum and you have the ambition and the talent, that path is wide open for you. This isn't just a vague promise; it's a proud tradition we bring to life year after year.

Ascrum has never been the biggest club, and that’s perfectly fine. Because what we do have is a steady stream of players who have made it to the absolute top. From a Frenchman with 47 international caps, to guys who arrived here without a single tackle to their name and grew into internationals. This is what happens when you play rugby with Ascrum.

Long before any records were kept, Ascrum was already a regular provider of players for the national student team, historically alongside DSR-C, RSRC, USRS, and LSRG. These five clubs formed the backbone of Dutch student rugby, and they still do today.

At Ascrum, you don't just train and play anywhere. Here, you'll play on the best rugby pitches in the Netherlands, train in our very own gym, and celebrate your wins (or toast your losses) in our dedicated clubhouse. This is where you belong.

Photo of the 2016 board

You can order official Ascrum merchandise directly from our shirt sponsor, O'Neills.

Every rugby club goes on tour. Some manage it once every five years, others every two. At Ascrum, we pack our bags every single year. No skipped years, no exceptions—just hopping on a bus, boat, or plane season after season.

Eventually, the knees go. Then the back. The liver holds out surprisingly well, but even that will eventually refuse to get up early for an away game in the pouring rain. Everyone stops playing eventually. But you never have to stop being part of Ascrum.