John H. Tucker, Special to The Washington Post

World Cup soccer has head-butted its way into hibernation, but Washington sports fans with rowdy dispositions have another European sport to turn to. August marks the opening of rugby season in the nation's capital, and as fall temperatures tackle the summer heat, rugby matches will sprout up on pitches throughout the region.

The area is a rugby haven, with nearly a dozen official clubs. And for men and women who think they might have a knack for juking and hitting (or at the very least drinking), fall is the best time to grab a pair of cleats, attend a practice and give it a shot.

Don't let ghastly photos of eye-gouging and finger-chomping fool you. According to Robb Stout, president of the West Potomac Rugby Club, the sport isn't as violent as it appears. "People have preconceptions that rugby is this hyper-barbaric game where people break their bones all the time, but it's really not that dangerous," he says.

Developed in early 19th-century England, rugby pits two teams of 15 players against each other on a pitch, or playing field. Players lateral (a backward toss) the ball to each other while dodging tacklers, vying to score "tries" -- like a touchdown in football -- by carrying the ball into the opposing team's "in goal area."

Fortunately, Olympian talent is not a prerequisite. "There are some very good athletes on rugby fields, but unlike soccer, it's okay to be clumsy in this game," says James Thompson, president of the Washington Irish, noting that each club fields both "A-side" and "B-side" teams -- akin to varsity and junior varsity squads. "You don't have to be able to throw a ball 95 mph or hit it out of Fenway Park," he says. "If you can make a five-yard pass and run your butt off, you can play rugby."

It's no fluke that the region has become one of the largest rugby breeding grounds in the country. According to Stout, it all stems from the 1960s, when European embassies began forming their own clubs, sparking the interest of bemused residents unfamiliar with the game. "Washington teams were able to survive when rugby was still a novelty in America," says Stout, whose club was founded in 1963 by British students enrolled in the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Now, Washington and New York are the only cities in the United States that each have two teams within the Rugby Super League, which is made up of the country's top 16 squads.

Because Washington is a highly transient town, rugby attracts many newcomers looking to break into a foreign city. "At the very least you'll make a few friends," says Jocelyn Richards, a member of the women's D.C. Furies team, noting that people shouldn't be dissuaded by fear of injury or lack of knowledge. "It's not like we're going to invite people out and use them as tackling bags on their first practice," she says. "We ease people in slowly, and we're very focused on education."

"Out-of-towners can immediately latch onto an established network of people in the area and join a social brotherhood," Stout says.

Social indeed. No rugby afternoon is complete without the essential post-match drinking session, where players and fans of both teams unite at the home club's sponsor bar, and rivalry transforms into revelry. Typically, food and drinks are on the house.

"It's 80 minutes of beating each other up on the field, and as soon as the final whistle blows, both teams go to the bar, have a beer and bury the hatchet. It's a unique tradition that's held from the club level to the World Cup," says Stefan Hankin, president of the Potomac Athletic Club.

Despite its rough-and-tumble nature, rugby is considered a family game, and parents are encouraged to arrive at the pitch with their kids in tow. Ruggers often take time to interact with fans during games, teaching children how to lateral or educating adults on the rules.

In Washington, fall is devoted to the regular season, and playoffs are in the spring. For Washington's two Super League teams (PAC and Washington RFC), the spring season encompasses both the regular season and the playoffs. The age range for most teams is 20 to 45, and nearly every club fields an "old boys" team, with players as old as 65. Most clubs maintain alumni networks and participate in charity work throughout the year. Newcomers are encouraged to try out at any point during the season.

There is no formal breakdown between divisions I, II and III rugby squads. Division I is the highest level of competition; Division III is more focused on the social aspect of the sport. Newcomers are encouraged to join any team. The best way to feel it out is to attend a few practices. Each team has about 30 to 45 players. Games are Saturdays, typically through October. Dues are annual.

MARYLAND EXILES 202-907-9539. www.marylandexiles.com. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 at Silver Spring Boys Club, 1300 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Home pitch: Burning Tree Elementary, 7900 Beech Tree Rd., Bethesda. $50.

NOVA RFC 703-597-1099. www.novarugby.org. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 at Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Rd., Vienna. Home pitch: Gravelly Point Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway (adjacent to Reagan National Airport), Arlington. $80.

POTOMAC ATHLETIC CLUB 202-659-9414. www.pacrugby.com. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 at Randall Recreation Center, South Capitol and I streets SW. Home pitch: Wallenberg Field, 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. $85.

WASHINGTON RFC 800-686-9732. www.washingtonrugbyclub.org. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7. Home/practice pitch: Hyde High School, 101 T St. NE. $125.

WASHINGTON IRISH 571-426-7530. www.washingtonirish.org. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 at Randall Recreation Center, South Capitol and I streets SW. Home pitch: Accokeek Neighborhood Park, 16100 Livingston Rd., Accokeek. $135.

WASHINGTON RENEGADES 202-331-4471. www.dcrugby.com. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:45 at Stead Recreation Center, 1625 P St. NW. Home pitch: various. Dues unlisted.

WEST POTOMAC RFC 202-669-4617. www.dcrugby.org. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays; location and times to be determined. Home pitch: Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr. SE. Rookie dues waived.

D.C. FURIES 301-444-2499. www.dcfuries.com. Practices Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 at Jefferson Junior High School, Seventh and G streets SW. Home pitch: Colmar Manor Park, 3200 37th Ave., Bladensburg. $60; financial aid available.

MARYLAND STINGERS 202-549-6503. www.marylandstingers.org. Practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 at Duvall Field, 9119 Rhode Island Ave., College Park. Home pitch: Heurich Park, Hyattsville (directions on Web site). $45.

NOVA WOMEN'S RFC 703-715-6888. www.novawrfc.org. Practices Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 at Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Rd., Vienna. Home pitch: Gravelly Point Park, George Washington Parkway (adjacent to Reagan National Airport), Arlington. $48.