Historic Rugby is planning to bowl you over with its 2024 season, starting with their 3rd annual Irish Road Bowling Tournament!
Thursday, March 14, Historic Rugby’s tours will resume and the Commissary, print shop, and art gallery will reopen. Then on Saturday, March 16, Rugby will celebrate their reopening with the Irish Road Bowling Tournament, food, beer, live music, and other surprises.
Irish Road Bowling is simple: Teams compete to toss a small cannonball along a predetermined course in the fewest number of throws. The game is always full of surprises (and searches for lost balls in the brambles!) and it’s a great way to make new friends.
“I love seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces when they’re playing,” says tournament organizer Robb Goldwire. “Many of the players have never spent time in Rugby before, but once they see our historic village and meet the people who live here, they tend to come back over and over again. It’s always a fun and exciting event.”
Here’s a rundown of tournament events for Saturday, March 16. Do note all events are on Eastern time.
• 11 a.m. to noon: Meet in front of the Harrow Road Cafe for a demonstration and practice for those new to Irish Road Bowling or looking for a refresher.
• Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Head over to the Visitor Centre to register if you haven’t already and pick up your T-shirt (available for purchase online or when you arrive), score card and cannon ball.
• 1-3 p.m.: The tournament begins at the Clear Fork Area Volunteer Fire Department (near RM Brooks Store) and winds its way back to the Harrow Road Canteen.
• 3:30 p.m.: Award winners announced. The winning team is determined by the fewest number of throws to complete the course.
The divisions are as follows (one winner per division):
• Men
• Women
• Co-ed
• Youth — all members ages 13-17
• Family — at least one player must be 12 or under
• 70-plus (all team members are ages 70-plus)
• A couple of fun surprise divisions
Adding to the festivities, The Canteen & Cottage Catering and MoCo Brewing Project will serve fish and chips and beer and Lucas McCoy will perform live music. St. Patrick’s Day attire is encouraged for the tournament, but not required. You can register your team and order your Rugby Irish Road Bowling T-shirt at HistoricRugby.org, under the Events tab.
Those coming to Rugby for the tournament might as well make a weekend of it! Here’s a list of other activities planned for the opening weekend, March 14-17. (Again, all events are in Eastern Time.)
• Thursday through Sunday: Guided tours of Rugby’s historic buildings. Tours start at the Visitor Centre at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
• Saturday, 10 a.m.: Guided hike led by Holly Taylor, assistant state naturalist for TDEC, will leave from the Visitor Centre to view the awakening of the early spring wildflowers along some of the surrounding trails. No registration is required.
• Sunday, 12:15 p.m.: Eric Wilson Memorial Hike — Meet at the Visitor Centre at 12:15 p.m. to honor the late Eric Wilson on his birthday on a hike along the trails Eric helped build and maintain. No registration is required.
• Thursday through Sunday: Visit the Village’s historic print shop, art gallery, and Commissary, featuring a unique assortment of local handcrafted items.
All proceeds help support the year-round preservation and educational efforts of Historic Rugby.
Rugby, TN, was founded in 1880 as a British colony. It’s adjacent to the Big South Fork National Recreation Area and is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Nashville and a little over an hour away from Knoxville. Overnight lodging is available at historicrugby.org. For more information about Historic Rugby, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.