Washington D.C. Slayers

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Washington D.C. Slayers

The Washington D.C. Slayers were a rugby league team based in Washington, D.C. They played their home games at Duke Ellington Field near Georgetown Hospital, which could hold about 3,000 fans.

Founded in 2003, they were created as an expansion team of the American National Rugby League (AMNRL) along with the Connecticut Wildcats. They competed in AMNRL from 2003 to 2010, making the playoffs six times and reaching the semi-finals in their first year.

In 2011, the Slayers left AMNRL to form the new USA Rugby League (USARL). They joined with six other teams, and later that year merged players from the Fairfax Eagles to strengthen the club. The team finished second in the 2011 regular season but lost to the Philadelphia Fight in the playoffs.

In 2012, the Slayers played an international friendly against the Hurricanes Rugby League from Jamaica in Kingston, losing 66–29—the first international club match on Jamaican soil.

Team colors were red, white, and blue. Home uniforms were predominantly red, and away uniforms were predominantly white. They had a partnership with the St George Illawarra Dragons of Australia's NRL.

The Slayers’ practice field was Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park in downtown Washington, with the home ground at Duke Ellington Field. The club exited in 2016. The team was led in its early years by coach and founder Martin O’Donoghue, with later coaches including Justin Barlogio and Danny Hanson, and captain Dave Parmiter.