Boston Ironsides RFC is holding its Spring 2008 rugby "bootcamp" on Saturday, April 5 at Franklin Park in South Boston from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. No previous rugby experience is required. Join us for a day of rugby fundamentals, fitness, and camaraderie! All men ages 19 and up are welcome.

Training will begin promptly at 9 am, so please be there and ready by 8:45. There's no need to sign up in advance; just show up and have fun! The cost to participate in bootcamp is $10, newbies receive an Ironsides t-shirt and all are provided lunch (a vegetarian option will be available, but if you have special dietary restrictions, please bring your own food). You also get free beer at the drink-up afterwards! Please bring cash or a check payable to Boston Ironsides RFC. Sorry, we can't accept credit cards.

After bootcamp, we will reconvene at The Alley in Downtown Crossing for beer and pizza.

We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email us at info@bostonironsidesrfc.org.

WHAT TO BRING

A copy of your health insurance card.
Please bring a photocopy of your health insurance card. Rugby is a fundamentally safe sport — if it wasn't, there'd be no one left to play! — but please keep in mind that, as with all sports, there is a small element of risk involved. While we will make every effort to keep your brain in your skull, the occasional bloody nose does occur. Basic medical care, if required, will be available throughout the day.

A mouthguard.
If you wear or bring nothing else, wear a mouthguard, preferably one of the shock-absorbing ones, which you can buy at any sporting goods store. They are easy to use and make life much more pleasant.

Cleats.
These are also known as "boots" (in rugbyspeak). If you don't own any boots, sneakers are OK. Long socks are nice because they protect your shins a little bit (not much, but better than nothing).

Your contact lenses.
League regulations prohibit the wearing of any kind of glasses or jewelry during matches — and you probably don't want to risk breaking your glasses during tackling drills, anyway. If you have contacts, please wear them; if you don't have contacts, you may have to "play blind" for at least part of the day.

A towel.
You will work up a sweat. You might also want a change of clothes for afterwards if you don't want to go home before the drink-up (see below). Also you can bring a few favorite snacks or chewtoys, Gatorade, etc. (Hint: Dried fruit is good for energy.)

Ten dollars cash money.
We supply the training, lunch, t-shirt, beer, and wicked good time. All we ask in return is for $10 to help us offset our costs. So go ahead, dig deep into those pockets! (We also take personal checks; sorry, we can't accept credit cards.)

Attitude.
This is going to be one hell of a great day — expect to learn a lot, play lots, work like a farm animal, sweat buckets, and laugh till you (hopefully not...) wet your pants.

DRINK-UP (Free Beer for all the Ruggers!)

The traditional rugby drink-up will follow an hour or two after the conclusion of our boot camp. All members (new and old) should show up at the Alley for beer and food (and beer) at 4 pm. The pain of a good workout can only be healed by the power of beer, so please make plans to join your new mates for several pints and silly songs.

• Directions to The Alley Bar