USA Rugby
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This article is about the national governing body for United States rugby union. For the article about rugby union in the United States, please see: Rugby union in the United States.
USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States of America. It is divided into eight territorial Unions: Independent, Mid Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, USA Rugby South and West. The headquarters for USA Rugby are now located in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Rugby administers the United States national rugby union team and sponsors College rugby. Rugby Super League is organized and sanctioned by USA Rugby as the Premier Level of Men's Club competition in the USA.
Former England captain and scrumhalf Nigel Melville has been appointed CEO and President of Operations on October 11, 2006.
[edit] History
Beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s the sport of rugby union enjoyed a renaissance in the USA. This created the need for a national governing body to represent the USA. In 1975 four territorial organizations (Pacific Coast, West, Midwest and East) gathered in Chicago, Illinois to form the United States of America Rugby Football Union (now known as USA Rugby).
USA Rugby joined the International Rugby Board in 1987 after being invited to take part in the inaugural World Cup.
In 1993 the Southern California RFU, a local area union of the Pacific Coast RFU, applied to become a separate territory. This was an impetus for others around the country to do the same changing the make-up of USA Rugby which now has seven territories (Pacific, Southern California, West, Midwest, South, Northeastern, and Mid-Atlantic) .
USA Rugby lobbied for several years for a stop on the IRB Sevens Circuit and finally was awarded it for 2004-6 and the venue chosen for the initial event is the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
As of the summer of 2006 the USA 7s tournament will be moved to Petco Park in San Diego.
[edit] See also
- Rugby union in the United States
- USA national rugby union team
- Super Powers Cup
- Churchill Cup
- College rugby
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Arkansas State University, First University to offer Rugby Scholarships in the United States
| Federation: | USA Rugby |
| National team: | United States national team • United States women's national team |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Churchill Cup • Super Cup • North America 4 • Rugby World Cup Sevens • IRB Sevens World Series • USA Sevens |
| Domestic Competitions: | Super League • College rugby • USA Rugby Premier Division |
| NA4 Teams: | USA Falcons • USA Hawks |
| Super League teams: | Belmont Shore • Boston RFC • Boston Irish • Charlotte • Chicago Lions • Dallas Harlequins • Denver Barbarians • Kansas City Blues • New York Athletic Club • Old Blue • Old Mission Beach • Old Puget Sound Beach • Philadelphia Whitemarsh • Potomac Athletic Club • Santa Monica • St. Louis Bombers • San Francisco Golden Gate • Washington |
| First tier Argentina • Australia • England • France • Ireland • Italy • New Zealand • Scotland • South Africa • Wales |
| Second tier Canada • Fiji • Japan • Romania • Samoa • Tonga • United States |
| Third tier Andorra • Arabian Gulf • Austria • Bahamas • Barbados • Belgium • Bermuda • Bosnia & Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Cameroon • Cayman Islands • Chile • China • Chinese Taipei • Colombia • Cook Islands • Côte d'Ivoire • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • Georgia • Germany • Guam • Guyana • Hong Kong • Hungary • India • Israel • Jamaica • Kazakhstan • Kenya • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Madagascar • Malaysia • Malta • Moldova • Monaco • Morocco • Netherlands • Nigeria • Niue • Norway • Papua New Guinea • Paraguay • Peru • Poland • Portugal • Russia • St. Lucia • St. Vincent & the Grenadines • Serbia & Montenegro • Senegal • Singapore • Slovenia • Solomon Islands • South Korea • Sri Lanka • Swaziland • Sweden • Switzerland • Tahiti • Thailand • Trinidad and Tobago • Tunisia • Uganda • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Venezuela • Zambia • Zimbabwe |
