In the summer of 1977, a group of former LSU rugby players, and couple of imports from elsewhere in the US and beyond, banded together to form the Baton Rouge Rugby Football Club. Rugby had not been introduced in the South until 1962, and whatever rugby that was played was usually contested between university sides, some with more than a few surprisingly mature looking “students”. However, by the 1970’s rugby clubs were springing up in Southern cities away from the university campuses and there was competition at the men’s club level from teams in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and closer to home, New Orleans and Shreveport. The Baton Rouge club quickly rose to prominence and by 1979, was a regional power and featured at least one player who played for the US National Team, the Eagles.
Much of the founding group was still active for the 1985 season. In that year, Baton Rouge reached the pinnacle of Southern rugby and in the process claimed its first major championship as they defeated the Atlanta Renegades in the Southern US semi-final and Atlanta Old White RFC in the final and thereby earned the honor of representing the region at the Eastern Rugby Union Finals in Philadelphia.
By the late 1980’s US rugby began to consolidate. Many of the clubs that formed in the 1970’s merged into other clubs or folded entirely. Disparities in talent and resources between the big city clubs and everyone else began to become more evident on the field of play. Baton Rouge left the premier US division and moved into Division II. The move paid dividends right away as the club made the US Division II Final Four in Austin in 1994, losing a heartbreaker to the defending national champions, Santa Rosa (California) RFC.
In the late 1990’s, Baton Rouge moved from the Deep South Union into the Texas Rugby Union to play against higher caliber competition on a more regular basis. The club still competes in the Texas Rugby Union today against Division I and Division II foes from Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Shreveport.
Baton Rouge’s standard of play has been consistently good in the new millennium. In 2007, the Club claimed it’s first Texas Rugby Union Division II Championship and advanced to the Western US Championship semi-finals. Baton Rouge has made previous appearances in the Western US Championships after finishing as the Texas Rugby Union runner-up in 2003 and 2004.
Brad Hudson, a former LSU coach & player,
has taken over the reins of Head Coach from
Douglas Schooling. He is ably assisted by Jim Brugh, who was a founding member of the Club in1977.
Over the past thirty years, hundreds of players have come and gone, but the Baton Rouge Rugby Club is as strong now as it has been at any time in recent memory. Many former players come out to the matches and social functions and still actively support the Club. As we enter our fourth decade, we do so with a great sense of pride, confidence and optimism.
