The USA Rugby Super League, usually known as the Super League or RSL, was a national rugby union competition which ran from 1997 to 2012, contested by nine clubs in the United States by its last year. In the 2013 season, it was replaced by the USA Rugby Elite Cup.
 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| First season | 1997 |
| Ceased | 2012 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |  United States |
| Last champion(s) |  New York Athletic Club (2012) |
| Most titles |  Belmont Shore NYAC (4 titles) |
| Official website | Premier-Rugby.com |
USA Rugby, the sport's national governing body sanctioned the Super League competition. It was the premier level of rugby union in the country until its reformation into the Elite Cup.[1][2]
RSL was developed in 1996 due to the increased demand for greater visibility and a higher competitive structure for rugby union in the United States.[3] The management structures of the 14 best rugby organizations in the United States, created RSL and regular competition started in 1997.[3] In 2007 and 2008 the total number of competing RSL clubs peaked at 18. In the 2011 season, the 11 teams competing were divided into two conferences, Red and Blue. The league's 2012 season and final season saw 9 teams, again divided into Red and Blue conferences. Following the 2012 season most of the remaining Super League teams entered the USA Rugby Elite Cup competition.
Teams
edit| Season | # Teams | First Season | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 14 | Belmont Shore Chicago Lions Dallas Harlequins Denver Barbarians Gentlemen of Aspen Golden Gate Kansas City Blues Life Old Blue Old Blues (CA) OMBAC OPSB Potomac Athletic Club Washington RFC |
— |
| 1998 | 16 | Boston RFC Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC |
— |
| 1999 | 16 | — | — |
| 2000 | 16 | — | — |
| 2001 | 16 | — | Old Blues (CA) |
| 2002 | 17 | NYAC Olympic Club RFC |
Life |
| 2003 | 16 | — | — |
| 2004 | 16 | — | — |
| 2005 | 16 | — | Gentlemen of Aspen |
| 2006 | 16 | St. Louis Bombers | Kansas City Blues |
| 2007 | 18 | Boston Irish Wolfhounds Charlotte Rugby Club Chicago Griffins Santa Monica |
— |
| 2008 | 18 | — | Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC St. Louis Bombers Washington RFC |
| 2009 | 16 | Life (re-joined) | Belmont Shore Santa Monica |
| 2010 | 14 | — | Boston Irish Wolfhounds Charlotte Rugby Club OMBAC Potomac Athletic Club |
| 2011 | 11 | Utah Warriors | Chicago Lions Utah Warriors |
| 2012 | 9 | — | Chicago Griffins* Dallas Harlequins* |
| *Clubs did play in the 2013 USA Rugby Elite Cup. | |||
History
editSeasons 1997 to 2000
editRugby Super League formed at a time when there was a need for expansion of the highest level of competitive rugby in the country.[3] The 1997 season was the inaugural season with 14 teams competing into two seven-team divisions, the Western-Pacific Conference and the Midwestern-East Conference.[3]
The original competing sides in the 1997 season were as follows: Belmont Shore RFC, the Chicago Lions, the Dallas Harlequins, the Denver Barbarians, the Gentlemen of Aspen, the Kansas City Blues, Life, Old Blue, Old Blues Rugby Club (CA), Old Puget Sound Beach RFC, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC, the Potomac Athletic Club RFC, Golden Gate Rugby Club and Washington RFC.[3] Aspen won the first championship, defeating Old Blue 22 points to eight in the final which was played in San Diego.[4]
The league expanded in 1998, with two more sides gaining entry into the competition, Boston RFC and Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC.[3] Both teams joined the eastern conference and Harlequins move to the Western conference.[3] This expansion saw two fifteen-team conferences.
Seasons 2001 to 2007
editIn 2001 USA rugby recognized the competition as the premier club rugby union competition in the United States, distinguishing it from USA Rugby Division 1.[3] In 2002, the league expanded again, with the inclusion of New York Athletic Club via promotion from Division and Olympic Club RFC, who gained entry through a merger with the Old Blues Rugby Club (CA).[3]
The 2002 season saw major changes to the competition, with the dissolution of the "East and West divisions" in favor of a national competition.[3] The format reverted to the division-associated fixtures in 2005. Super League celebrated a decade of competition in 2006, with OMBAC defeating Belmont Shore 36–33 in the final in Santa Clara, California. Following the 2006 season Rugby Super League would be expand from 15 teams to 18 for the 2007 season. Santa Monica Rugby and Charlotte Rugby Club accepted invitations to join Super League, as did the 2006 Divisions I and III runner-ups Boston Irish Wolfhounds.[5] In 2008 the Chicago Griffins joined RSL, replacing the Kansas City Blues, who self-relegated to the USA Rugby Division I men's club competition.[3]
2008 to 2012: Contraction and demise
editIn the 2008 season ESPN Classic showed a live broadcast of the RSL final between NYAC and Belmont Shore. It was a hard-fought match with NYAC winning 31–28 in sudden death.
The league contracted and featured 16 teams in two conferences in the 2009 season. The Philadelphia Whitemarsh, Washington RFC, and the St. Louis Bombers did not return to the competition, while Life University returned after a six-season absence.[3] In part due to the Great Recession, longtime RSL powers Belmont Shore decided to only compete in Southern California's Division I competition for the 2010 season. In response to this, Santa Monica also decided to self-relegate, dropping the number of RSL teams to 14. To rebalance the conferences, Dallas was shifted to the Red (West) Conference. In August 2010 the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, and Charlotte RFC also relegated themselves.[3]
In the fall of 2011, PAC Rugby withdrew from the competition and the Utah Warriors, based in Salt Lake City, entered the competition.[3] The Chicago Lions and Utah Warriors withdrew prior to the 2012 season.[6] The Chicago Griffins announced their withdrawal following the 2012 season.[7] With the exit of several teams over a number of years, the 2012 season was the last season for the Rugby Super League.
2013: Relaunch as Elite Cup
editWith eight teams remaining in two divisions, the RSL was relaunched as the USA Rugby Elite Cup for the 2013 season. The Elite Cup ran for just one season before folding at the end of 2013.[8]
Teams (2012)
edit| Team | City | Stadium | Joined | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Conference | |||||
| Denver Barbarians | Littleton, CO | Shea Stadium | 1997 | Jason Kelly
| |
| Old Puget Sound Beach | Seattle, WA | Magnuson Park | 1997 |  Evan Haigh
| |
| San Francisco Golden Gate | San Francisco, CA | Rocca Field | 1997 | Paul Keeler
| |
| Blue Conference | |||||
| Boston RFC | Boston, MA | Franklin Park | 1998 |  Eugene Mountjoy
| |
| Dallas Harlequins | Dallas, TX | Glencoe Park | 1997 | Michael Engelbrecht
| |
| Life University Running Eagles | Marietta, GA | International Sports Complex | 1997; 2009 (re-joined) |  James Isaacson
| |
| New York Athletic Club | Travers Island, NY | Travers Island | 2002 | Mike Tolkin
| |
| Old Blue | New York City, NY | Pier 40 | 1997 |  Marty Veale
| |
Championship Results (1997–2012)
editResults by club
edit| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years losing finalist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont Shore | 4 | 5 | 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007 | 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008 |
| NYAC | 4 | 0 | 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 | |
| Aspen | 3 | 1 | 1997, 2001, 2002 | 2000 |
| San Francisco Golden Gate | 2 | 2 | 2009, 2011 | 2004, 2010 |
| Life | 1 | 2 | 2000 | 2009, 2011 |
| OMBAC | 1 | 2 | 2006 | 2001, 2003 |
| Denver Barbarians | 1 | 0 | 1999 | |
| Old Blue | 0 | 2 | 1997, 1998 | |
| Chicago Lions | 0 | 1 | 2007 | |
| Old Puget Sound Beach | 0 | 1 | 2012 |
References:[29]
Player Statistics
editTop scorers
edit
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Notable players
edit
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "About Rugby Super League". usarugbysuperleague.com. Retrieved 31 August 2006.
- ^ Thisisamercanrugby.com. "Rugby Super League President Discusses Elite Cup". Thisisamercanrugby.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "USA Rugby SuperLeague - Overview". US Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Aspen clubs Old Blue for pro rugby crown". SF gate. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Boston Irish Wolfhounds To Join USA Rugby Super League". rugby-rugby.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2006.
- ^ "Utah Warriors dropped from Rugby Super League". DeseretNews.com.
- ^ Junior Blaber. "USA Super League Rugby At Cossroads". Rugby Wrap Up.
- ^ "The Fallout From The Elite Cup Demise - What Next For D1". Last word on sports. 19 January 2014.
- ^ "United States - Major League Rugby". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "United States - Rugby Super League". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Life College crowned Super League Champions". espnscrum. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "United States - Rugby Super League". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Gents unstoppable in claiming sixth straight U.S. title". Aspen Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "United States - Rugby Super League". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "United States - Rugby Super League". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "United States - Rugby Super League". Rugby Archive Net. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "OMBAC rallies for Super League crown". Gainline US. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "OMBAC wins first ever Super League championship". espnscrum. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Belmont Shore, Hayward Griffins snatch national crowns". Gainline US. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "NYAC outlasts Belmont Shore". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "San Francisco Golden Gate Wins RSL Title". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "New York Athletic Club 28 San Francisco Golden Gate 25 (halftime: NYAC 10-8)". Gainline US. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Personal Best: Rugby coach sees action on the field, in the home". SF Examiner. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "HSU alumni comes up short in national rugby championship". Times Standard. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Life Loses in Rugby Championship". Patch. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "SFGG Claims 2011 Super League Title". Rugby America 1. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Home". www.rugbymag.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "USA Star Matt Hawkins Reviews NYAC vs OPSB Super League Final". Rugby Wrap Up. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Past Champions". Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "2002 Player Stats". Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "2003 Top 10's". Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "2006 Top 10". Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b "2009 Top Scorers". Rugby Super League. Retrieved 13 September 2024.