Boston RFC

Rugby team
teamname = Boston RFC


fullname = Boston Rugby Football Club
union = USA Rugby
country

url = www.brfc.org
founded = 1960
ground = Franklin Park
capacity = 500
president = Tom Kelleher
coach = Eugene Mountjoy
league = Rugby Super League
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Boston Rugby Football Club (also known as BRFC) is a rugby union team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The club competes in, and is governed by, the New England Rugby Football Union (their LAU), the Northeast Rugby Union (their TAU), and USA Rugby.

The club was established in 1960, but they would not be recognized as a nationally competitive club until they were accepted into Super League, the premier division of club rugby in the United States. The club has also contributed numerous international players to the United States national side.

History

1960-1998

BRFC was formed in 1960 but was not considered a nationally competitive club until 1996 when Beacon Hill Rugby Football Club, a spawn of BRFC that separated from the parent club in 1968, rejoined BRFC to ensure depth and competitiveness. [http://www.brfc.org/About.asp Official BRFC history] ] Prior to the merge, the club had been one of the top regional clubs in New England. From 1970 through 1998, the club won twenty-two New England Rugby Football Union championships, but it was never able to attain consistent success at the national level. During that same time period, it reached the national competition four times and earned fourth place finishes in both 1983 and 1985. [http://www.brfc.org/About.asp Official BRFC history] ] During the 1970s and 1980s, Boston RFC was the home club for many forwards, particularly locks, who played for the USA Eagles in international tests.

1998-present: The Super League Years

The Super League was formed in 1996 by USA Rugby to create a national competition amongst the premier clubs in the United States. During its first expansion in 1998, Boston RFC was one of two teams invited to join the competition (the other being Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC). [ [http://www.premier-rugby.com/template.php?sid=131 Official Super League History] ] Since joining the competition, Boston has been one of the weakest clubs in Super League play. The club has amassed a 19-40-2 record as of the beginning of the 2007 season. From 2004 through 2006, Boston recorded a 2-18-0 record, and was outscored by 598 points (an average of thirty points per game). Other clubs that compete in the Premier Division have fared much better than Boston against Super League clubs during that period. [ [http://www.usarugbysuperleague.com/template.php?sid=131&sub=190 Official Statistics - 2004] ] [ [http://www.usarugbysuperleague.com/template.php?sid=131&sub=246 Official Statistics - 2005] ] [ [http://www.premier-rugby.com/template.php?sid=8 Official Statistics - 2006] ] Despite failing in the Super League competition, BRFC has remained one of the better clubs in regional competitions and tournaments since entering the Super League. They have won four New England Rugby Football Union Division I Championships since becoming a member of the Super League. The club fields four sides, which compete at various regional and national levels. The third XV has been met with some success at the national level, having won the USA Rugby National Third Division Competition in 2000.

International Tours

Since 1977, BRFC has embarked on several international tours, the most recent being to the Cayman Islands in 2000. They have also toured Great Britain (twice), Ireland (three times), Wales, France (three times), New Zealand, and Australia. [ [http://www.brfc.org/About_Internationals.asp BRFC International Tours] ]

Honors

"For the complete list, please see List of Boston RFC Honors"

Boston RFC has been recognized with many regional honors. In the club's forty-six year history, Boston has won twenty-five NERFU championships. They have also attained moderate national success, reaching the USA Rugby Premier Division Competition four times, most recently in 2000.

ponsorship

Boston RFC has individual sponsorships, such as Pioneer Investments, Harpoon Ale, as well as others. These consist of several secondary sponsorships from local and regional businesses. [ [http://www.brfc.org/Sponsors.asp Official BRFC Sponsors] ]

Notable Players

The following is a list of former and current BRFC players that have earned caps for international tests [ [http://www.brfc.org/About_Internationals.asp List of BRFC players with international caps] ]

=Australia=

*Bob Egerton, wing, nine international caps [ [https://www.classicwallabies.com.au/member/memberprofile.asp?id=104 Bob Egerton Player Profile on Classic Wallabies] ]

=Canada=

*Jim Yeganagi, flanker, two international caps [ [http://talk.scrum.com/stats/rugby_stats_05.asp?ID=CYE1 Jim Yeganagi Player Profile on scrum.com] ]

=England=

*Frank Sykes, wing, four international caps

=USA=

=Wales=

*Mike Roberts, lock, eight international caps. [ [http://www.wru.co.uk/114_6348.php WRU - "International Legends Celebrate WRU Landmark" 15 December 2005] ] [ [http://www.sportstat.co.uk/mediaguide/MikeRoberts.html Mike Roberts Player Profile on SportsStat] ]

References

ee also

* Boston College Rugby Football Club
* USA Rugby

External links

* [http://www.brfc.org Official Site]
* [http://www.premier-rugby.com Super League]
* [http://www.usarugby.org USA Rugby]