Bill Brownley began his rugby career at the age of 13 at the Loretto School in Scotland and continued playing with various clubs, both in the Mid-Atlantic states and abroad until retiring from playing at age 58. 

Bill's coaching career began with high school rugby; during his first four years of coaching, his teams reached the Virginia State Finals twice, winning one title. His early success led him to coach at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), where he was instrumental in transforming UMW from a “social” team to a powerhouse. In his tenure with UMW, the rugby team won four Cardinal Conference Championships and reached the National Championship playoffs twice. 

After departing UMW in 2015, Bill founded the Griffins (which merged with West Potomac in 2019), a U-23 team for college-age players who weren’t attending a college or university. Over the course of four years, the Griffins won big victories over many top-level college teams and finished either second or third in the conference all four years. Bill’s dedication to player development on and off the field assisted 13 players in earning college rugby scholarships, as well as professional opportunities for several other players.

Bill is also very active outside of his clubs. He founded the Rugby Virginia High School All Star program, which flourishes to this day, and actively coaches the Virginia Cardinals select side teams. 

Coach Bill considers rugby to be the ultimate team sport and believes good rugby teams are families, an o'hana, and works hard to create those relationships.