NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Rugby union in the United States

Rugby union in the United States is a growing national sport. It is played at the youth, high school, club, semi-professional, and international levels. The United States is a second-tier rugby nation. The game was first introduced to the United States in the 1870s. The sport gained popularity throughout the late Nineteenth Century, however it started to decline from the early 1900s. Its growth collapsed in the country after the 1924 Olympics, and did not re-emerge until its renaissance in the 1960s. The United States of America Rugby Football Union (now known as USA Rugby) was formed in 1975. For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Youth (disambiguation) Youth is defined by Websters New World Dictionary as, The time of life when one is young; especially: a: the period between childhood and maturity b: the early period of existence, growth, or development. ... For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... A sports club, athletics club or sports association is an eclectic institution oriented to multiple sports, which fields many teams and has varied sports departments in several sports, working under the same umbrella organization. ... A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid money to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the... First international Australia 12 - 8 United States (September 16, 1912) Largest win Barbados 0 - 91 United States (July 1, 2006) Worst defeat England 106 - 8 United States (August 21, 1999) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1987) Best result One win in 1987 and 2003 USA Rugbys mens...

The United States national rugby team, the Eagles, competed in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. They compete annually in the Churchill Cup. The semi-professional domestic Super League was established for the country's top clubs. In 2006, the International Rugby Board (IRB) sponsored North America 4 competition was introduced, with two American teams participating. The women's United States national team was established in 1987, and is a world power; winning the Women's World Cup in 1991, and finished runners up in 1994 and 1998. First international Australia 12 - 8 United States (September 16, 1912) Largest win Barbados 0 - 91 United States (July 1, 2006) Worst defeat England 106 - 8 United States (August 21, 1999) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1987) Best result One win in 1987 and 2003 USA Rugbys mens... For the rugby league competition, see Rugby League World Cup. ... Mens (right) and womens (left) Barclays Churchill Cup trophies The Churchill Cup (referred to as Barclays Churchill Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament contested by representative mens and womens teams from Canada, England, and the United States, with three invited teams (originally... For other articles with similar names, see Super League. ... The IRB logo. ... The United States womens national rugby union team represented the United States in womens rugby union. ... The Womens Rugby World Cup is the premier international competition in Rugby union for women. ...

There are over 60,000 players registered with USA Rugby; including over 20,000 high school students. The 570 clubs in the United States are governed by seven Territorial Unions and 37 Local Unions.

History

The history of rugby union follows from various football games played long before the 19th century, but it was not until the middle of that century that rules were formulated and codified. ...

1870-1960

Rugby football was first introduced to the United States by English soldiers and colonists in the mid-1800s. To wit, in 1872 rugby clubs were established in the San Francisco Bay Area, which mainly comprised British expatriates. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Bay Area is a common term to refer to a metropolitan area situated around a bay. ... An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is someone temporarily or permanently in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing and/or legal residence. ...

The first recorded rugby match in the United States occurred on May 14, 1874 between Harvard University and McGill University. May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... McGill University is a publicly funded, co-educational research university located in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

In 1876, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, a competition based on the traditional rules of rugby union. Around the same time, the aforementioned British rugby players of San Francisco introduced rugby to the University of California, Berkeley. Year 1876 Pick up Sticks(MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Yale redirects here. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ...

The unfamiliar and complex gameplay hampered initial growth on the East Coast. Controversy arose in 1905 when photographs of a match between Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania were published. The pictures were used to depict rugby as a "harsh game." Rugby union grew on the West Coast, however, and as many as 26,000 spectators regularly attended matches between the University of California and Stanford University. For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... A photograph (often just called a photo) is an image (or a representation of that on e. ... Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,450 students. ... This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. ... â€œStanfordâ€ redirects here. ...

In 1908 and 1909, the Australian national team visited the U.S. as part of an international tour. The US-Australia matches marked the United States' first international tests. 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... First international Australia 13 - 3 British Isles (24 June 1899) Largest win Australia 142 - 0 Namibia (25 October 2003) Worst defeat South Africa 61 - 22 Australia (23 August 1997) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1991, 1999 The Australian national rugby union team is the representative...

In 1910, a combined Universities rugby team comprised mostly of players from Cal, Stanford, and the University of Nevada went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. The underdog American side upset both Rotorua RFC and Auckland RU, which came as a great surprise to the international rugby community Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada or UNR) is a university located in Reno, Nevada, USA, and is known for its programs in agricultural research, animal biotechnology, and mining-related engineering and natural sciences. ...

In 1912, the Wallabies returned to America; this tour was the first and only America-specific tour by Australia to date. The 1912 tour of the United States saw the United States national team play their first international test, which they lost 12-8. 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... First international Australia 12 - 8 United States (September 16, 1912) Largest win Barbados 0 - 91 United States (July 1, 2006) Worst defeat England 106 - 8 United States (August 21, 1999) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1987) Best result One win in 1987 and 2003 USA Rugbys mens...

After a promising start on the international stage, the Americans were thrashed a year later by the All Blacks, 51-3. This test was organised by former Cal president Benjamin Ide Wheeler in an attempt to popularize rugby among his students. First international Australia 3 - 22 New Zealand (15 August 1903) Largest win New Zealand 145 - 17 Japan (4 June 1995) Worst defeat Australia 28 - 7 New Zealand (28 August 1999) World Cup Appearances 6 (First in 1987) Best result Champions, 1987 The All Blacks are New Zealands national rugby... Benjamin Ide Wheeler Benjamin Ide Wheeler (1854 â€“ 1927) was a Greek and comparative philology professor at Cornell University as well as President of the University of California from 1899 to 1919. ...

The national team won their first test in 1919, defeating Romania. In 1920, rugby union was a fixture at the 1920 Summer Olympics, and a United States team ended up winning gold after money was raised in San Francisco to send them there. In 1924, rugby union was again included in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. An American side were invited to participate, and the team surprised spectators by landing a place in the final with the hosts - the French. An estimated 50,000 turned up to Colombes Stadium to watch. The United States defeated France for the Gold. 1924, was however the last time rugby was a fixture at the Olympics, making the 1924 United States team, the last to win the medal. Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. ... For other uses, see Rugby (disambiguation). ... The Games of the VIII Olympiad were held in 1924 in Paris, France. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

1960s-present

In the 1960s, the game started to see some form of growth. In 1975, the United States of America Rugby Football Union was formed. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 753 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (2375 Ã— 1890 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 753 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (2375 Ã— 1890 pixel, file size: 2. ...

In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held, and the United States was invited to participate. The following world cup, the 1991 tournament, saw invitations abolished in favour of a 32-team qualifying tournament, that saw the United States successfully gain entry. They were in a pool with New Zealand, England and Italy -- all strong rugby powers. The first Rugby World Cup took place in New Zealand and Australia in 1987, and was won by New Zealand. ... This article is about the mens Rugby World Cup held in 1991. ...

In 1996, the Rugby Super League was created by the 14 major governing bodies of the sport in the United States, with the intention of creating a competitive and national competition. 1997 saw the inaugural season of the competition. There were 14 teams competing, which were divided into two seven-team divisions; the Western-Pacific Conference and the Midwestern-East Conference. Aspen won the first championship. For other articles with similar names, see Super League. ...

After missing out on the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, the national side qualified for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales. They subsequently qualified for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, finishing fourth in their pool, winning one game against Japan. The US recently qualified for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, beating Uruguay home and away to clinch the Americas 2 spot. The 1999 Rugby World Cup, the first to be held in rugby unions professional era,[2] was hosted by Wales, with some matches also played in England, France, Scotland and Ireland. ... The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth rugby union world cup. ... The 2007 Rugby World Cup is the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. ...

Although coming away from the 2007 World Cup in France without a win they acquitted themselves honourably with commendable performances against both England and South Africa (tier 1 nations in contention for the Webb Ellis trophy). One of the high points for the team was the unearthing of a gem, in the (originally Zimbabwean) pocket rocket winger Takudzwa Ngwenya, who scored a scintillating try against the South Africans by completely outpacing South African speedster Bryan Habana on the outside and dotting down for a try under the poles that brought the crowd to their feet. Other notable performances came from Mike Hercus(c) and Todd Clever respectively. The campaign can be considered a success due to the commitment and effort shown by the players and coaching staff, with a great team spirit shown in their 4 performances. By CW

Governing Bodies

Rugby union played anywhere is governed by the IRB, which is based out of Dublin, Ireland. It is the governing and law-making body for rugby globally. There are over 100 member unions of the IRB, with USA Rugby being the member union of the United States. USA Rugby is responsible for overseeing rugby union domestically and training the various national teams that they put on the pitch. The Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (MARFU) is an association of youth, high school, collegiate, and adult mens and womens rugby teams in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. ... The Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union (EPRU) is the Local Area Union (LAU) for rugby union teams in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware and parts of New Jersey. ... The Chicago Area Rugby Football Union (CARFU) is the Local Area Union (LAU) for rugby union teams in the Chicago metropolitan area. ... The Northeast Rugby Union (NRU) is the Territorial Area Union (TAU) for rugby union teams playing in the Northeast. ... The Metropolitan New York Rugby Union governs more than 80 mens and womens clubs, college, high school and youth rugby teams in the Greater New York metropolitan area, covering parts of the states of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. ... The NERFU Logo The New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) is the Local Area Union (LAU) for rugby union teams in New England. ... The Southern California Rugby Football Union (SCRFU), is the governing body of rugby in Southern California, and represents the union of clubs at the USA Rugby level. ... The Western Rugby Football Union (WRFU) is the Territorial Area Union (TAU) for rugby union teams playing in the Western portion of the United States. ... Missouri Rugby Football Union logo The Missouri Rugby Union (MRFU) is the Local Area Union (LAU) for rugby union teams in Missouri and parts of Illinois. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ... The sport of rugby in the United States has always had a close relationship with the sport of American football. ...

Within USA Rugby, there are seven territorial area unions (TAU's) that are charged with governing a specific region of the country. Within these TAU's, there are also Local Area Unions (LAU's), which are responsible for governing a specific region within their respective TAU's. A complete list of TAU's and their respective LAU's are as follows:

Popularity

Over 60,000 citizens are registered with USA Rugby (One needs to be certified by USA Rugby to participate in most matches and tournaments), and 18 teams are entered in the premier domestic competition, the Rugby Super League, for 2007.^[3]^[4] There are 815 referees within USA Rugby.^[4]

There are over 1,200 pre-teens currently playing organized rugby union (1,097 male, 197 female).^[4] There are over 20,000 high school athletes playing rugby union for their schools or U19 clubs (14,875 male, 6468 female).^[4] Preteen or pre-teen is a stage of human development during childhood. ...

College

A BCRFC match at Boston College Collegiate club rugby (a collegiate version of rugby union) is played throughout universities in the United States of America. ...

Club and semi-professional

Competitions

Rugby Super League

The Rugby Super League is a semi-professional competition that was created in 1996 by the major TAU's within USA Rugby with the intention of creating a competitive national competition. There are currently eighteen teams in the competition competing in three conferences. The inclusion of some sub-par clubs and the exclusion of top-performing clubs has been a controversial issue since the inception of the Super League, calling into question whether it is really USA's "premier" competition. USA Rugby Premier Division is another US competition. For other articles with similar names, see Super League. ... A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid money to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

North America 4

North America 4 is an elite-level IRB-financed tournament , which was introduced in 2006. The competition is contested between four teams, two from both the United States and Canada. The 2006 event will take place over two stages; the first in British Columbia and the second in Columbus, Ohio. North America 4, also known as IRB North America 4 is a North American rugby union competition launched in 2006. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State Counties Franklin, Delaware, and Fairfield Government - Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D) Area - City 212. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Greater Cleveland Area Ranked 34th - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 kmÂ²) - Width 220 miles (355 km) - Length 220 miles (355 km) - % water 8. ...

National Teams

Collegiate All-Americans

The following is the current (as of 7 May 2006) list of Collegiate All-Americans. is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Arkansas State University student union, Jonesboro, Arkansas Arkansas State University (A-State) or (ASU) is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the states second largest college system. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA or Air Force),[1] located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... , Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and is THE university in Utah. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of California, Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Arkansas State University student union, Jonesboro, Arkansas Arkansas State University (A-State) or (ASU) is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the states second largest college system. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA or Air Force),[1] located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Clemson University is a public, coeducational, land-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Dartmouth College is a private, coeducational university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. Incorporated as Trustees of Dartmouth College,[6][7] it is a member of the Ivy League and one of the nine colonial colleges founded before the American Revolution. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Ohio. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA or Air Force),[1] located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the state-related university. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tonga. ... Southern Utah University, or SUU, is located in Cedar City, Utah. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the state-related university. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the university in San Luis Obispo, California. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the university in San Luis Obispo, California. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU), located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tonga. ... , Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, is the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and is THE university in Utah. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Louis Stanfill (born 30 May 1985) is an American rugby union player. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ...

USA Eagles

USA Rugby's national team is nicknamed the Eagles. The National Men’s Team first took the field in 1976. Competing in international tournaments like the Churchill Cup and the Pan American Championship, as well as specially scheduled matches against rugby powers such as France and Ireland, the Eagles have qualified for four of the five Rugby World Cups, most recently at the 2007 Rugby World Cup held in France. The United States are currently a tier-2 rugby nation, through professionalism the Eagles have been making improvements in coaching, management and player development, and as a result have improved on the field. First international Australia 12 - 8 United States (September 16, 1912) Largest win Barbados 0 - 91 United States (July 1, 2006) Worst defeat England 106 - 8 United States (August 21, 1999) World Cup Appearances 4 (First in 1987) Best result One win in 1987 and 2003 USA Rugbys mens... Mens (right) and womens (left) Barclays Churchill Cup trophies The Churchill Cup (referred to as Barclays Churchill Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament contested by representative mens and womens teams from Canada, England, and the United States, with three invited teams (originally... The 2007 Rugby World Cup is the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. ...

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