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Rugby union in the United States is played at youth, high school, college, amateur, professional, and international levels and governed by USA Rugby. There were over 125,000 players registered with USA Rugby as of 2016. Over 2,500 rugby union clubs exist around the country, including those who are part of college rugby. Professional club competition has existed as Major League Rugby (MLR) since 2017.
The New York Athletic Club Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in New York City that is affiliated with the New York Athletic Club.
Tom Billups is an American former rugby union rugby player, who played for the USA Eagles as an international and Blackheath Rugby Club, Harlequin F.C., and Pontypridd RFC as a professional. After retiring as a player in 1999, he joined the staff of the United States national team and was the head coach from 2001 to 2006. In addition to coaching the Eagles, Billups managed the U.S. national sevens team program and coached the 2005 U.S. sevens team. In 2015 Billups was inducted into U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame, and was the first person to be inducted as both a player and coach. In 2018 Billups became the 14th recipient of the Craig Sweeney Award which was first award in 1979 in memory of former United States national team member and captain, Craig Sweeney. The Sweeney Award is presented to a former national team player who has contributed significantly to the game while displaying exemplary character on and off the field.
Mike MacDonald is a retired rugby union footballer who previously played for Leeds Carnegie in the RFU Championship and English Premiership. He represented the United States national team and predominantly played at the prop position.
William Brazier is an American rugby league player who plays for the United States national rugby league team, USA Falcons, Old Blue Rugby Football Club in the Rugby Super League (US) and the Connecticut Wildcats in the American National Rugby League. His position of choice is at prop or hooker.
The Princeton University Rugby Football Club is the college rugby team of Princeton University. The team currently competes in the Ivy Rugby Conference, an annual rugby union competition played among the eight member schools of the Ivy League.
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 46 D1-A rugby schools divided into eight conferences: East, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, California, Big Ten, Red River, PAC, and Independent.
Karl Franklin Svoboda is a Canadian former rugby union footballer of Czech descent. Svoboda began his rugby career as the Belleville Bulldogs hooker and then played representative rugby with the Ontario Junior XV. In 1981 he scored a try in the final of the Canada Summer Games. He then played with the Ontario Senior Men's Rugby XV, captaining many of the games. Two notable victories came in the national championship over the British Columbia Provincial XV in 1982 and 1995. In 1995, the Ontario Provincial Rugby Team, with Svoboda as captain, was named co-winners of the Ontario Provincial Team of the Year, along with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Mike Tolkin is a rugby union coach who served as head coach of the United States national team from 2012 until 2015. He was the head coach for Rugby United New York for the Major League Rugby 2019 Season. He is the current General Manager of Premier Rugby Sevens.
Kirk Khasigian is an American former rugby union player. He attended Jesuit High School, which has featured a number of rugby players who went on to play for the USA. He was a collegiate all-American in 1996, 1997, and 1998 when he played college rugby with UC Berkeley. He played hooker for the United States national team from 1998 to 2003, earning 37 caps with 28 starts. He played in seven matches for the US in the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups, scoring one try. After retiring, he worked as a real estate manager.
The Dartmouth Rugby Football Club is the men's college rugby team of Dartmouth College.
Ockert Jacobus Jacques du Toit is a South African professional rugby union player for Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship, and previously for Bath in Premiership Rugby. His regular position is hooker.
Joseph Soosemea Taufeteʻe is an American rugby union player who plays as a hooker and prop for the Houston SaberCats in Major League Rugby (MLR). A converted American football player, Taufeteʻe has also previously represented the United States by serving as captain of the USA Selects. He also plays for the United States national team.
Phaidra Knight is an American former rugby union footballer who was a member of the United States national team from 1999 to 2017. She participated in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, and won All-World Team honors in the first two World Cups.
John Kurtis Weaver is a Rugby union match official for World Rugby and USA Rugby competitions. He has refereed men's and women's international matches for World Rugby and professional and top-level club matches and National Championships for USA Rugby.
The first recorded match between two colleges in game played in United States using rugby union code rules occurred on May 14, 1874 between Harvard University and McGill University. Predating rugby using the rugby union rules were rugby union style "carrying games" with use of hands permitted including a game between Harvard College Freshmen and Sophomores at a game played at Harvard campus in 1858. Harvard varsity interscholastic rugby team was not founded until December 6, 1872
Shin Hasegawa is a Japanese former rugby union player who played as prop and hooker. Currently forwards coach of Yamaha Júbilo.
Psalm Fa'afoisia Pulemagafa Wooching is an American rugby union player who plays for the United States men's national team. He formerly played for the San Diego Legion in the Major League Rugby (MLR).
Peter Malcolm is an American rugby union player who plays hooker for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team.
Robinson M. Bordley is an American former rugby union player who played as a fly-half and fullback for the United States men's national team. He served as captain of the national team in its first two modern-era test matches in 1976.
References
- 1 2 Adams, Bruce (August 9, 2005). "Welsh Valley teacher Matt Wyatt hooked on role as USA rugby squad's hooker". Mainline Media News.
- ↑ Daeche, Josh (March 23, 1999). "In sickness or in health, ruggers advance". The Daily Collegian .
- ↑ "Ten to debut for USA 'A'". ESPN.com . July 8, 2003.