Louisiana State University rugby

Last updated
Louisiana State
LSU Athletics logo.svg
Full nameLouisiana State University Rugby Football Club
Union USA Rugby
Nickname(s)Tigers
Founded1970;54 years ago (1970)
Location UREC Field Complex,
Baton Rouge, LA
Region Louisiana
League(s) Southeastern
Kit left arm goldborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body goldcollar.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm goldborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit
Official website
lsurugby.com

The Louisiana State University Rugby Football Club, often referred to as LSU Tiger Rugby, represents Louisiana State University in college rugby and rugby sevens. The team is part of the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) and they play their home matches at the UREC Field Complex on LSU's campus. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The LSU Rugby team dates back to 1970, [2] founded by Rob Haswell, Jay McKenna and Hal Rose. [3] LSU won the 1976 college rugby unofficial national tournament. [4]

LSU Rugby became a member of the Texas Rugby Union in 1996. LSU Rugby competed at the 1998 Western Rugby Collegiate Championships, led by Head Coach Steve Triche. [5]

In 2005, Scott McLean was named head coach of the LSU Rugby team. In the 2008-09 season, the team won the SEC rugby title in the fall, and in the spring advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division I national rugby tournament. [2] During the 2009-2010 season, LSU went to its second consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, [6] [1] but lost to Penn State 31–25. LSU players Adam Ducoing, Bobby Johns, and Cody Cadella were named to the Collegiate All-American teams at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season. [7]

LSU Rugby joined the College Premier Division (later named Division 1-A), [8] where they played in the Mid-South conference against teams such as Texas A&M and Oklahoma. LSU competed at the 2011 Collegiate Rugby Championship, a tournament held at PPL Park in Philadelphia and broadcast on NBC. [9] LSU finished in ninth place, winning the consolation bracket with victories over Boston College, North Carolina, and Notre Dame. [10] [11]

LSU Rugby joined the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference in 2011. In 2012, Bob Causey was named head coach of the LSU Rugby team, [12] following the retirement of Scott McLean. [13] In 2012, LSU were the SCRC West Division champions and advanced to the SCRC playoffs, [14] before losing to Florida in the SCRC semifinals. [15] LSU flyhalf Allen Alongi led the SCRC Conference in points scored during the 2012 season. [16]

In 2013, LSU won the West Division of the SCRC Conference, finishing with a 5–1 conference record, before losing to South Carolina in the SCRC playoffs. [17]

LSU had a successful 2014 season, going undefeated in conference play to become the SCRC West Division champions, before losing to South Carolina in the SCRC finals. [18] LSU secured a berth in the 2014 national D1-AA playoffs, where they faced Central Florida in the Round of 16. [19] LSU Rugby was suspended in November 2014 due to a violation of the school's alcohol policy, [20] but the team was reinstated in January 2015. [21]

Head coaches

TenureCoachYearsRecordPct.Accomplishments
1970–1973Rob Haswell3
1979–1983David5
1984–2001John Staub8
2002–2006Steven Triche5
2007–2011Scott McLean5Collegiate Rugby Championship, 9th place (2011)
2012–2021Bob "Red" Causey10SCRC West Division champion (2012, 2013, 2014)
2022Harry Higgins1
PresentChris Riedel

Players and Alumni

Many current and former players have been selected to Regional and National Select Sides, and several LSU Tigers contributed to the victory of the Louisiana (LA) U-19 All-stars in national competition. In addition, former LSU players have been team members of the USA U-19 Eagles in international competitions and have participated in the Down Under Rugby training program in Australia.

U.S. national team

The following LSU players have been called up to play for the United States national rugby union team:

All Americans

LSU Rugby Hall of Fame

Championships

YearChampionship
2012SCRC — West Division
2013SCRC — West Division
2014SCRC — West Division

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Conference</span> Collegiate athletics conference operating primarily in the southeastern United States

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members include the flagship public universities of 12 states, three additional public land-grant universities, and one private research university. The conference is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The SEC participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I in sports competitions. In football, it is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Volunteers</span> University of Tennessee athletic teams

The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In January 2021, Danny White was introduced as the Volunteers' Director of Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide</span> Intercollegiate sports teams

The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Spirit Squads compete in the UCA and UDA College National Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Wildcats</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 students attend the university. Historically, the women's teams and athletes were referred to as the "Lady Kats", but all athletic squads adopted the "Wildcats" nickname in 1995. Collectively, the fans of the Kentucky Wildcats are often referred to as the Big Blue Nation. Their main and most intense rival is the University of Louisville. The Wildcats are composed of 25 varsity teams that compete nationally—23 in NCAA-recognized sports, plus the cheerleading squad and dance team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers</span> Athletic program of Louisiana State University

The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSU Tigers football</span> Collegiate football team representing Louisiana State University

The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Gamecocks</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of South Carolina

The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in New Orleans</span>

New Orleans is home to a wide variety of sporting events. Most notable are the home games of the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), the annual Sugar Bowl, the annual Zurich Classic and horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course. New Orleans has also occasionally hosted the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal game and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University at Buffalo Rugby Football Club</span> Rugby team

The University at Buffalo Rugby Football Club (UBRFC) is run through the State University of New York at Buffalo Recreational and Intramural Services. The Sports Club Program at UB is under the management of the Student Association. The club participates in the sport of rugby union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Privateers baseball</span> Athletic team of the University of New Orleans

The New Orleans Privateers baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The team is a member of the Southland Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at Maestri Field at Privateer Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Privateers are coached by Blake Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division 1-A Rugby</span> Highest level of college rugby in the USA

Division 1-A Rugby is the highest level of college rugby within the United States and is administered by USA Rugby. Division 1-A rugby is modeled after NCAA athletic competitions, with the 40 D1-A rugby schools divided into seven conferences: East, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, California, Big Ten, Lonestar River, and Independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference</span>

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) is an annual college rugby competition played every spring among 10 universities from the Southeastern Conference.

This is a list of results and records for the USA Rugby National Collegiate Men's Rugby Championships, which began in 1980. The 1984–1988 and 1990 editions were played in conjunction with the Annual Pebble Beach Rugby Classic. In 2010, several of the top college teams agreed to form the College Premier League, now known as Division 1-A Rugby to begin play in spring 2011. This list does not include records from the breakaway invitational Varsity Cup Championship held between 2013 and 2017, nor from the rival National Collegiate Rugby Organization's D1 championship that began in 2021.

The Lindenwood Lions men's rugby team represents Lindenwood University in college rugby. Lindenwood plays in Division I-A in the Mid-South conference. The team is coached by Josh Macy. The Lindenwood men's rugby team won the 2012 USA Rugby Division II national championship in its inaugural season, and finished second in Division I-AA for the 2012-13 season. Following the 2012-13 season, Lindenwood moved up to Division I-A for the 2013-14 season. Lindenwood has also had success in Sevens. The Lions won the D1 7s National Championship in 2015 & the Red Bull University 7s Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACRC Bowl Series</span>

The Bowl Series Rugby, formerly American Collegiate Rugby Championship (ACRC) Bowl Series, was an annual college rugby competition featuring top national teams playing fifteen-a-side rugby. The inaugural event was held in Charlotte, N.C. in November 2014; this 20-team bowl competition occurred at Charlotte’s Rugby Athletic Center, a sports and events venue located three miles from downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College rugby in the United States</span> Sport

College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the auspices of the NCAA and are instead governed by National Collegiate Rugby and USA Rugby, two nationwide governing bodies. 27 women's programs participate in the NCAA.

Robert Causey is an American former international rugby union player.

References

  1. 1 2 "Louisiana State College Rugby". USA Rugby. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  2. 1 2 3 "Local flavor leads LSU Rugby to Sweet 16" [usurped] , Sports NOLA, Ken Trahan, April 16, 2009.
  3. Louisiana State University, American Collegiate Rugby Championship Sevens, March 18, 2015.
  4. "Interview of LSU’s Bob Causey", Texas Rugby Union, April 4, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  5. "RUGBY PLAYERS GET DOWN AND DIRTY", Lawrence Journal-World, Chris Koger, April 5, 1998. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  6. "ASU rugby team heads west for Sweet 16 in USA Rugby Tournament playoffs", Arkansas State University, April 13, 2010.
  7. "2009-10 Deep South Season Report", Deep South Rugby, March 15, 2011.
  8. "LSU Rugby embraces 40th anniversary" [usurped] , Sports NOLA, October 1, 2010.
  9. Massive Day One at the 2011 Collegiate Rugby Championship
  10. "2011 MEN'S CRC SCORES", Rugby Today, June 4, 2011.
  11. "2011 USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship: BC Eliminated Early, Dartmouth Wins Title", BC Interruption, Brian Favat, June 5, 2011.
  12. "Intro to Rugby 1001: LSU club". The Daily Reveille. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  13. "SCRC POLL HAS LSU, TENNESSEE AT TOP" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine , Rugby Today, February 4, 2012.
  14. "Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference final four set in Montgomery this weekend", AL.com, Natalie Wade, April 12, 2012.
  15. 2012 SCRC Championship [usurped] , Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference, April 15, 2012.
  16. "2013 Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference Preview", This Is American Rugby, Ted Hardy, January 31, 2013.
  17. "SCRC Digest", This Is American Rugby, March 29, 2013.
  18. Louisiana State University, American Collegiate Rugby Championship Bowl Series. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  19. "COLLEGE PLAYOFF BRACKETS ARE SET", Gift-Time Rugby Network, April 17, 2014.
  20. "LSU rugby team suspended after violating alcohol policy, newspaper says", NOLA.com, Quincy Hodges, November 24, 2014.
  21. "LSU Rugby Reinstated", Goff Rugby Report, Alex Goff, January 21, 2015.
  22. "Apartheid, Bob “Big Red” Causey, & the Springbok’s 1981 Tour", Deep South Rugby, Tom Crosby, March 11, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  23. Bob Causey Test Matches, ESPN. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  24. Boyd Morrison Test Matches, ESPN. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  25. "FALCON LEADS U20 LINEOUT DOMINANCE", Rugby Today, Alex Goff, September 6, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2015.