Pattaya Panthers Rugby Football
Club.

Pattaya Panthers Rugby Football Club

Overview

Pattaya Panthers Rugby Football Club is Pattaya's only rugby organization — a social rugby club playing both contact and touch rugby formats that's most famous for organising the annual Pattaya Tens tournament held in May. The Pattaya Tens has become a fixture on the Asian rugby social tournament calendar, attracting Thai-based teams alongside international touring teams (typically men's social rugby with the multi-day weekend format that defines social rugby tournaments globally).

Rugby in Thailand is niche but established — the Bangkok Rugby Union scene includes Southerners Sports Club, British Club Bangkok rugby, Bangkok Patana International School rugby, and various social clubs. The Bangkok International Rugby Sevens (founded 1995) has grown to 16 international teams, anchoring Thai rugby's competitive calendar. Pattaya Panthers fits into this ecosystem as the resort-city's social-rugby anchor, hosting the May Pattaya Tens that complements the Bangkok-based competitive tournaments.

For Pattaya residents from rugby-playing nations (UK, Australia, NZ, South Africa, Argentina, France, Wales, Ireland, Pacific Islands) and traveling rugby tourists during the Pattaya Tens weekend, the Panthers are the entry point for organised rugby in the city. The club welcomes both serious rugby players and total beginners — touch rugby provides accessible entry without contact-tackle commitment.

Position in the Pattaya Sport Clubs Market

Pattaya's expat-tradition sport clubs:

Pattaya Panthers' specific position: the only Pattaya rugby option — which makes it the default for any rugby player in the city.

Rugby in Thailand

Why Rugby Is Niche

Like cricket, rugby in Thailand is predominantly an expat sport:

• British / Commonwealth heritage drives most participation
• Thai schools rarely teach rugby beyond a few international schools
• Thai national rugby team exists (mid-tier Asian rugby)
• Bangkok-centric competitive scene
• Pattaya / regional cities have social clubs but limited competitive rugby

Demographics

Pattaya Panthers players come from:

• British / Australian / NZ / South African expats — primary base
• Welsh / Irish / Scottish expats — strong rugby heritage countries
• Argentine expats — Latin American rugby tradition
• French expats — French rugby tradition
• Pacific Island expats (Fijian / Samoan / Tongan) — rugby DNA
• Thai players who've adopted the sport (smaller but growing)

Skill Distribution

• Former club / professional players from home countries
• University rugby alumni
• Recreational social players — most common
• Touch rugby specialists — who don't want contact
• Total beginners — welcome at touch rugby

The Pattaya Tens — Annual Flagship

What "Tens" Means

Rugby Tens is a 10-a-side rugby format:

• Halfway between full XV (15-a-side) and Sevens (7-a-side)
• 10 minutes each half typical
• Scrum + lineout elements retained
• More running space than 15s, more structure than 7s
• Tournament-friendly — multiple matches per day per team
• Common social-rugby format in Asia

When & Where

The Pattaya Tens runs annually in May:

• Multi-day tournament (typically 2-3 days)
• Saturday-Sunday peak with Friday warm-ups
• Pattaya host venues — varies by year
• Thai-based teams as primary participants
• International touring teams add to atmosphere
• Social weekend with beach time, dinners, drinks alongside rugby

Why It Attracts Tourists

Social rugby tournaments globally attract rugby-playing travellers who plan vacations around tournaments:

• Hong Kong Sevens, Dubai Sevens, Singapore Sevens — major scaled
• Bangkok International Rugby Sevens — Thailand premier
• Pattaya Tens — Thailand social tier
• Saigon Tens, Bali Tens — regional alternatives

For UK / Australia / NZ rugby fans, Pattaya Tens combines rugby + Thailand vacation in a way that home-country club rugby can't.

Touch Rugby vs. Contact Rugby

Why Both Formats

Pattaya Panthers offer both contact and touch rugby:

Contact Rugby

• Full tackling + scrums + rucks + mauls
• Traditional 15s or Tens format
• Higher injury risk — bring your medical
• Serious rugby players dominant demographic
• Hot-weather considerations — scrums + heat is brutal

Touch Rugby

• No tackling — touch with hand to stop play
• Faster pace — continuous play
• Lower injury risk
• Mixed-skill participation
• Beginner-friendly entry
• Growing globally as accessible rugby format

The dual-format offering makes Pattaya Panthers accessible to total beginners alongside serious players.

Training & Match Days

Schedule (Typical)

Pattaya Panthers operates on a flexible schedule:

• Training nights typically Tuesday and/or Thursday evenings
• Match days Saturdays primarily
• Touch rugby sessions less formal, often Wednesday
• Off-season December-March (cooler) is heavy training period
• In-season April-November includes Pattaya Tens (May) and other tournaments

Where They Play

• Local Pattaya rugby pitches (varies by season / availability)
• Bangkok travel for fixtures vs. Bangkok-based clubs
• Tournament hosting for Pattaya Tens

Membership Cost

Typical social rugby club pricing:

• Annual membership: ~฿2,000-5,000
• Match fees: modest, often ~฿200-500 per fixture
• Tournament entry: ~฿1,500-3,500 per player for major events
• Tour costs for traveling fixtures
• Equipment: boots, kit, mouthguards, scrum cap (own responsibility)

Pros

• Pattaya's only rugby club — by default the choice
• Both contact + touch rugby formats
• Pattaya Tens annual tournament — major event
• Beginner-friendly with touch rugby entry
• British / Commonwealth + multi-country demographic
• Bangkok rugby scene integration
• Year-round playing with seasonal intensity adjustment
• Social culture — beyond just on-field play

Cons

• Niche sport in Thailand — small community
• Hot weather during May Pattaya Tens makes contact rugby brutal
• Limited online presence vs. mainstream sports
• Equipment required for contact play
• Bangkok travel for some fixtures
• Schedule via member networks for newcomers
• Smaller playing base than UK / Aus club rugby

Best For

• British / Commonwealth expats with rugby background
• University rugby alumni wanting to keep playing
• Touch rugby enthusiasts — accessible format
• Social-tournament travellers during Pattaya Tens (May)
• Long-stay residents seeking community
• Pacific Island / Argentine / French expats with rugby DNA
• Total beginners wanting touch rugby intro
• Rugby-playing nation visitors during May tournament

Not Best For

• Pure tourists without multi-week stay during May
• Off-season visitors for serious rugby commitment
• Walking Street based preference — rugby pitches require transport
• Anti-contact-sport preference (though touch rugby option exists)
• Pure American football background — different sport entirely

Quick Reference Card