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Old Glory DC will have a new home turf for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. Having used Cardinal Stadium at Catholic University during their exhibition campaign in 2019 and their two home games in 2020, the team will move to the newly-constructed Segra Field.
Located in Leesburg, Virginia, Segra Field opened in August 2019 and is currently the home of two professional soccer teams. Loudoun United, the USL affiliate of DC United, is the primary tenent while the Washington Spirit, of the National Women’s Soccer League, are part-time residents.
The 5,000-seat facility boasts a full-size field with an artificial turf surface. Cardinal Stadium’s narrower field dimensions were a concern for Old Glory while the visible football lines caused confusion for viewers on television broadcasts.
DC owner Paul Sheehy included a statement in the official release:
“We understand this will be a longer drive for some, especially Marylanders like myself. It was a difficult decision to leave the wonderful experience Old Glory fans have enjoyed for two seasons at Cardinal Stadium. The question is – is the drive worth it?
“We believe that answer is yes. With 5,000 seats, tailgating areas, endless additional fields, metro close by and a legitimate rugby pitch for our players welfare and for coach Douglas’ expansive style, OG fans will now have one of the premier venues in MLR. We deserve this!”
Chairman Chris Dunlavey also addressed the move:
“Catholic University and in particular its Athletic Department have been unbelievably supportive partners to us as we launched our organization. What a great University and a class group of people. We look forward to maintaining a long-term relationship with the institution and hope to work together in growing the sport of rugby in the future.
“But, especially in this year impacted by COVID-19, it seemed clear we shouldn’t try to jam our own schedule and demands into the complex situation the University is facing in solving for its impacted Athletics schedule, overall enrollment management, and campus safety protocols.”
