Rugby union is a growing sport in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands national rugby union team is ranked 53rd in the world, with 2,256 registered players.^[1]

The governing body is Cayman Rugby, which is a member of the International Rugby Board, and the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association NACRA.^[1][2]

Although there has been interest in the game in the Cayman Islands for decades, it only became properly organised in 1972, when the Cayman Islands RFC was founded.^[3] This team faced the challenge of having no rugby ball, pitch, and no clubhouse, for several years, and their nearest opponents were in Jamaica 600 miles away.^[3] In 1975, however, Jeff Butterfield, a former England player acquired the rights to a piece of pine forest, which was turned into their pitch.^[3]

Nowadays, the islands have their own men's team, and also a [[Cayman Islands women's national rugby union team|women's team] , which was established in 2004. There is also a national Sevens team. A schools development programme is also now in force allowing the development of an under 18/19 national team.^[4]

The Cayman Islands compete in the Caribbean Championship, a tournament which includes Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Martinique, Jamaica, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Guyana.^[5]