A.S.R.V. Ascrum

A.S.R.V. Ascrum (Amsterdamse Studenten Rugby Vereniging Ascrum) is a Dutch student rugby club based in Amsterdam. Founded on 1 November 1962, it has grown into the largest and most prominent student rugby association in the Netherlands, and with five senior men's teams it is also the country's largest senior rugby club. The club was originally to be called simply "Scrum", but the founders changed the name to Ascrum to affirm its ties to the Amsterdam Student Corps (A.S.C.). At its founding Ascrum consisted of 20 men, all members of the Amsterdam Student Corps; today it fields more than six teams spanning the top Ereklasse down to the 4th class, and its membership is no longer dominated by members of the parent corps, though it retains traditions dating back decades. Ascrum is known for a rich set of traditions. It makes an annual trip abroad to play local clubs, takes part every year in the Ameland Beachrugby tournament, and sends talents on a five-week training camp to South Africa with Western Province, the youth academy of the Stormers Super Rugby club. Members are known as Ascrummer or Ascrumice. Unusually among Dutch student rugby clubs, Ascrum owns its own clubhouse, the IJzeren Huisch, located at Sportpark de Eendracht by the Nationaal Rugby Centrum Amsterdam, giving members a place to gather and socialise after training and matches. The club's first men's team competes in the highest national league, the Ereklasse, and plays for the national title. The Second, Third and Fifth teams play in the first, third and fourth classes respectively, while the fourth team is made up of reunists, the Amsterdam Academicals (often shortened to AA), who also represent Ascrum in the third class. Because Ascrum is represented from the highest to the lowest class, all members can get playing time regardless of their level. There is also a team for students new to rugby, the "Jonghe Honden" team, whose players learn the basics during a six-week clinic before facing other beginner student rugby players from Dutch cities. The club's colours are red, black and white. Red and white reflect the ties to the A.S.C. and Amsterdam, while black was chosen for convenience because in the early years almost all members played in black hockey shorts. The standard match kit is a shirt with successive horizontal red, black and white stripes; the Amsterdam Academicals play in checked shirts in the same colours, and both are worn with black shorts and socks striped in the club colours. First-year members play in a long-sleeved red polo with a white collar, and a new trip shirt and socks are released each year. The club's crest is a shield divided into four fields by white lines, with a white outline and four red fields: a black Maltese cross in the upper left, a white bunch of grapes in the upper right, a white unicorn with a red mane in the lower left, and the three crosses of the Amsterdam coat of arms on a black band in the lower right. On the field, Ascrum has recently returned to the Ereklasse: after an unbeaten season in the 1st class, Ascrum I won its promotion/relegation match against Breda 57-10 on 30 May 2026. For the 2026-2027 season the club announced Michael Maytham and Kas Eelman as its new Director of Rugby and assistant coach. The club continues to combine student life, top-level sport and a close brotherhood in Amsterdam, on and off the pitch.

A.S.R.V. Ascrum was founded on 1 November 1962 as the Amsterdamse Studenten Rugby Vereniging. The club was initially to be named simply "Scrum", but the founders changed it to Ascrum to affirm its ties to the Amsterdam Student Corps (A.S.C.). At the time Ascrum consisted of 20 men, all members of the Amsterdam Student Corps. Over the decades the club grew into the largest and most prominent student rugby association in the Netherlands, and with five senior men's teams it also became the country's largest senior rugby club. While today far fewer members belong to the parent corps, the club has retained traditions dating back decades. Ascrum is rich in traditions. It makes an annual trip abroad to play local clubs, participates every year in the Ameland Beachrugby tournament, and sends talents on a five-week training camp to South Africa with Western Province, the youth academy of the Super Rugby club the Stormers. Members are known as Ascrummer or Ascrumice. Unusually among Dutch student rugby clubs, Ascrum owns its own clubhouse, the IJzeren Huisch, located at Sportpark de Eendracht by the Nationaal Rugby Centrum Amsterdam, providing members with a place to gather and socialise after training and matches. The club fields multiple teams. Its first men's team competes in the highest national league, the Ereklasse, and plays for the national title. The Second, Third and Fifth teams play in the first, third and fourth classes respectively. The fourth team consists of reunists, the Amsterdam Academicals (often shortened to AA), who also represent Ascrum in the third class. Because Ascrum is represented from the highest to the lowest class, all members can get playing time regardless of their level. There is also a team for students new to rugby, the "Jonghe Honden" team, whose players learn the basics during a six-week clinic before facing other beginner student rugby players from various Dutch cities. The club's colours are red, black and white. Red and white reflect the ties to the A.S.C. and Amsterdam, while black was chosen for convenience because in the early years almost all members played in black hockey shorts. The standard match kit is a shirt with successive horizontal red, black and white stripes; the Amsterdam Academicals play in checked shirts in the same colours, and both are worn with black shorts and socks striped in the club colours. First-year members play in a long-sleeved red polo with a white collar. A new trip shirt and socks are released each year. The club's crest is a shield divided into four fields by white lines, with a white outline and four red fields: a black Maltese cross in the upper left, a white bunch of grapes in the upper right, a white unicorn with a red mane in the lower left, and the three crosses of the Amsterdam coat of arms on a black band in the lower right. In recent sporting history, after an unbeaten season in the 1st class, Ascrum I won its promotion/relegation match against Breda 57-10 on 30 May 2026 to return to the Ereklasse. For the 2026-2027 season the club announced Michael Maytham and Kas Eelman as its new Director of Rugby and assistant coach.

• A.S.R.V. Ascrum founded in Amsterdam as a student rugby club with 20 members, all from the Amsterdam Student Corps

• Name changed from the intended 'Scrum' to 'Ascrum' to affirm ties with the A.S.C.

• Ascrum I beats Breda 57-10 in the promotion/relegation match to return to the Ereklasse after an unbeaten season in the 1st class

• Michael Maytham and Kas Eelman announced as Director of Rugby and assistant coach for the 2026-2027 season

The largest and most prominent student rugby club in the Netherlands, combining student life, top-level sport and a close brotherhood in Amsterdam.

• Ascrum I

  First men's team competing in the Ereklasse, the highest national league, playing for the national title

• Ascrum II

  Second team competing in the 3rd class

• Ascrum III ('Het Derde')

  Third team competing in the 4th class

• Amsterdam Academicals (AA)

  Fourth team made up of reunists, also representing Ascrum in the 3rd class

• Jonghe Honden

  Team for students new to rugby, learning basics in a six-week clinic before facing other beginner student teams

• IJzeren Huisch

  The club's own clubhouse at Sportpark de Eendracht by the Nationaal Rugby Centrum Amsterdam

1. 1Rugby in Amsterdam - A.S.R.V. Ascrumascrum.com
2. 2ASRV Ascrum - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3ASRV Ascrum - Wikipedia (Dutch)nl.wikipedia.org