Missouri Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The Missouri Rugby Union (MRFU) is the Local Area Union (LAU) for rugby union
teams in Missouri
and parts of Illinois
. MRFU is part of the Western Rugby Football Union
(WRFU), which is one of the seven Territorial Area Unions (TAU's) that comprise USA Rugby
.
The honor of creating the Missouri Rugby Football Union belongs largely to Harry Langenberg. In 1933 Harry arrived back in St. Louis after attending Princeton University, where he was introduced to rugby. Harry not only played rugby, but also served as an assistant coach for a school club. In St. Louis, Harry joined forces with Edmond St. John Hoogewerf and Hugo Walther to form the Missouri Rugby Football Union.
Shortly after the formation of the Missouri Rugby Football Union, Harry founded the first club to become a member, the Ramblers. The Missouri Rugby Football Union is now one of the oldest of the 39 territorial unions operating within the USA Rugby Union
, and one of the oldest sports organizations in the St. Louis area. The Ramblers Rugby Club is the second oldest surviving independent rugby club in the United States. The Ramblers were Missouri Rugby Football Union champions in 1947.
Grand Rec.
Grand Rec was the first team allowed to keep the Missouri Rugby Football Union trophy for winning the championship three years in a row, in 1950. During its last years a younger team, the Grand Rec Juniors, was formed and also played. After winning permanent possession of the championship trophy, Grand Rec disbanded, and the juniors became just Grand Rec. Paul Birchfield from Grand Rec became coach of the juniors, now Grand Rec, and coached them to a championship. Bill "Terrible" Turk was the only Grand Rec player who played on as a member of the juniors, now just Grand Rec. Among Grand Rec's original team was Rudy Bukich (see Wikipedia entry). All the Missouri Rugby Football Union games during this time were played on the pitch in Forest Park, St Louis, Missouri. During the original Grand Rec's reign the champion of the Missouri Rugby Football Union played Princeton for the Missouri Challenge Cup. This series was discontinued when Princeton returned the cup, after having won the game the previous year, saying the scheduled date interfered with studying for exams.
in St. Louis County.
Men's Division III
Multi-School Programs
High School Girls
St. Louis Sirens
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and parts of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. MRFU is part of the Western Rugby Football Union
Western Rugby Football Union
The Western Rugby Football Union is the Territorial Area Union for rugby union teams playing in the Western United States. It is one of seven TAU's that govern specific regions of USA Rugby. It was established in 1975 and is a Founding Member of USA Rugby.-Local Area Unions :The WRFU is...
(WRFU), which is one of the seven Territorial Area Unions (TAU's) that comprise USA Rugby
Rugby union in the United States
Rugby union in the United States is a growing national sport. It is played at the youth, high school, club, semi-professional, and international levels. The United States is a Tier 2 rugby nation, as defined by the International Rugby Board, which means that it is not currently competitive at the...
.
History
Early History.The honor of creating the Missouri Rugby Football Union belongs largely to Harry Langenberg. In 1933 Harry arrived back in St. Louis after attending Princeton University, where he was introduced to rugby. Harry not only played rugby, but also served as an assistant coach for a school club. In St. Louis, Harry joined forces with Edmond St. John Hoogewerf and Hugo Walther to form the Missouri Rugby Football Union.
Shortly after the formation of the Missouri Rugby Football Union, Harry founded the first club to become a member, the Ramblers. The Missouri Rugby Football Union is now one of the oldest of the 39 territorial unions operating within the USA Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, and one of the oldest sports organizations in the St. Louis area. The Ramblers Rugby Club is the second oldest surviving independent rugby club in the United States. The Ramblers were Missouri Rugby Football Union champions in 1947.
Grand Rec.
Grand Rec was the first team allowed to keep the Missouri Rugby Football Union trophy for winning the championship three years in a row, in 1950. During its last years a younger team, the Grand Rec Juniors, was formed and also played. After winning permanent possession of the championship trophy, Grand Rec disbanded, and the juniors became just Grand Rec. Paul Birchfield from Grand Rec became coach of the juniors, now Grand Rec, and coached them to a championship. Bill "Terrible" Turk was the only Grand Rec player who played on as a member of the juniors, now just Grand Rec. Among Grand Rec's original team was Rudy Bukich (see Wikipedia entry). All the Missouri Rugby Football Union games during this time were played on the pitch in Forest Park, St Louis, Missouri. During the original Grand Rec's reign the champion of the Missouri Rugby Football Union played Princeton for the Missouri Challenge Cup. This series was discontinued when Princeton returned the cup, after having won the game the previous year, saying the scheduled date interfered with studying for exams.
Gateway Ruggerfest
The MRFU has hosted the Gateway Ruggerfest Tournament annually since 1948. The tournament was traditionally scheduled on Easter weekend in Forest Park and was known as the Easter Ruggerfest. In recent years the tournament has been scheduled the week after Easter and has outgrown the capacity of Forest Park. The 62nd annual Ruggerfest will he held on April 10–11, 2010 at Creve Coeur Lake Memorial ParkCreve Coeur Lake Memorial Park
Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park is a St. Louis County park located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, United States. The park is the largest in the St. Louis County Parks system and includes Creve Coeur Lake, an oxbow lake which is the largest natural lake in Missouri...
in St. Louis County.
Senior Men's
Men's Division II- St. Louis BombersSt. Louis Bombers Rugby Football ClubThe St. Louis Bombers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based out of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The Bombers are former members of the SuperLeague, the premier league in the United States.-History:...
- St. Louis RamblersSt. Louis RamblersThe St. Louis Ramblers Rugby Football Club is a division II rugby union team based out of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Missouri Rugby Football Unionas well as the Western Rugby Football Union.-History:...
- St. Louis Royals
Men's Division III
- Ft. Leonard Wood
- Kohlfeld Scorpions
- St. Louis Hornets Rugby Club
- Rowdies Rugby Football ClubRowdies Rugby Football ClubThe Rowdies Rugby Football Club is a Division III rugby union team based out of Belleville, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Missouri Rugby Football Union and the Western Rugby Football Union. As such, it plays rugby in the Greater St...
- Springfield Celts Rugby ClubSpringfield Celts Rugby ClubThe Springfield Celts Rugby Club is a Division III rugby union team based in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It is currently an At-Large Independent Club.-History:...
- Sunday Morning
Collegiate Men
Collegiate Division II- Lindenwood UniversityLindenwood UniversityLindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
- Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...
- Principia CollegePrincipia CollegePrincipia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
- Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
- Southeast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
- Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
High School
Single School Programs- Christian Brothers College High SchoolChristian Brothers College High SchoolChristian Brothers College High School , is a Lasallian Catholic college preparatory school for young men in St. Louis, Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis and is owned and operated by the De La Salle Christian Brothers Midwest District.-Early years :The school...
(CBC) - De Smet Jesuit High SchoolDe Smet Jesuit High SchoolDe Smet Jesuit High School is a Jesuit Catholic, college preparatory high school Creve Coeur, Missouri in western St. Louis County. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.The school began classes in the fall of 1967...
Spartans - Fox High SchoolFox High SchoolFox High School is a high school located in Arnold, Missouri. Fox's enrollment is approximately 2,000 students. The school is part of an accredited school district. Fox graduates 98.4 percent of its students, and 88 percent of its students continue to college or technical schools. Fox has received...
Warriors - Saint Louis University High SchoolSaint Louis University High SchoolSt. Louis University High School , a Jesuit Catholic high school for boys founded in 1818, is the oldest secondary educational institution in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, and one of the largest private high schools in Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint...
Druids - Saint Louis Priory SchoolSaint Louis Priory SchoolThe Saint Louis Priory School, a Roman Catholic secondary day school for boys, is located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, within the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The school is run by the Benedictine monks of Saint Louis Abbey as part of their religious ministry.- History :The school was...
Multi-School Programs
- Eureka High SchoolEureka High School (Missouri)Eureka High School, located in Eureka, Missouri, is a secondary school in the Rockwood School District.-Student body:Eureka has a co-educational student body of nearly 2000...
- Jefferson City Nightmare
- Kirkwood High SchoolKirkwood High SchoolKirkwood High School is a secondary school in Kirkwood, Missouri. It is located at 801 W Essex Ave, Kirkwood, MO. The school is part of the Kirkwood R-7 School District. The current principal is Dr. Mike Havener who replaced Dr...
- ParkwayParkwayThe term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
United
High School Girls
St. Louis Sirens