The 1979 National Rugby Championships were a series of tournaments organized to determine a national champion in several divisions for United States rugby teams. The divisions included College, Military, Sevens, Interterritorial, and Men's/Women's Club.
Men's Club
The 1979 National Club Rugby Championship was sponsored by Michelob and took place at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri on May 12 and 13.[1] The teams featured in the tournament were the champions of the four sub unions of USARFU. The Berkeley Old Blues won the title defeating St. Louis in the final after beating their New York namesakes in two overtime periods in the semifinal.[2]
Territorial Semifinal
Territorial Final
National Semifinal
National Final
April 28 - San Francisco, CA
Old Blues
26
April 29 – San Francisco, CA
Old Puget Sound
12
Old Blues
6
April 28 - San Francisco, CA
BATS
3
BATS
20
May 12 – Kansas City, MO
Los Angeles
15
Old Blues (CA)
7
April 29 - Washington, D.C.
Old Blue (NY)
3
Old Blue
21
April 29 – Washington, D.C.
Norfolk City Blues
9
Old Blue
24
April 29 - Washington, D.C.
Baton Rouge
0
Baton Rouge
15
May 13 – Kansas City, MO
Whitemarsh
6
Old Blues (CA)
14
April 21 – St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Falcons
6
St. Louis Falcons
16
April 28 – Denver, CO
Oklahoma U.
13
St. Louis Falcons
6
April 22 – Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque Aardvarks
3
Albuquerque Aardvarks
25
May 12 – Kansas City, MO
Houston Heathens
12
St. Louis Falcons
21
April -
Akron (OH)
7
Third place
Akron
April –
May 13 – Kansas City, MO
Akron
17
Old Blue (NY)
22
April -
Chicago Lions
13
Akron (OH)
9
Chicago Lions
Semifinals
12 May 1979
St. Louis
21–8
Akron
Try: Tom McDonough 10' c
Con: Bob Cronin Pen: Bob Cronin
Kansas City, MO
12 May 1979
Old Blues (CA)
7–3 (OT)
Old Blue (NY)
Try: Art Ward 97' Pen: John Dixon 19'
Pen: Malcolm Kimble
Kansas City, MO
Third place
13 May 1979
Old Blue (NY)
22–9
Akron
Kansas City, MO
Final
13 May 1979
Old Blues (CA)
18–6
St. Louis Falcons
Try: Blane Warhurst Bailey Grisch Pen: John Dixon Drop: Armstrong
Try: Buster DelaRoche c Con: Bob Cronin Pen: Malcolm Kimble
Kansas City, MO Attendance: 1400 Referee: Peter Jones (ERU)
Women's Club
The 1979 Women's National Rugby Classic took place on September 1–2 at Lutheran Home Fields in Arlington Heights, IL.[3] The tournament was co-sponsored by the Chicago Women's Rugby Football Club and Michelob beer. The format was two round-robin groups with group winners playing for the championship.[4] The team from Florida State won the championship with four victories. The Heathen Hearts of Houston took third place by defeating holders, Portland.
Standings
Rank
Team
Pld
W
L
F
A
FSU
POR
HOY
CHI
DEN
1.
Florida State
3
3
0
20
7
X
4:3
8:4
X
8:0
2.
Portland (ME)
3
2
1
17
4
3:4
X
X
10:0
4:0
3.
Hoyden Park (GA)
2
1
1
8
8
4:8
X
X
4:0
X
4.
Chicago
3
1
2
4
14
X
0:10
0:4
X
4:0
5.
Denver
3
0
3
0
16
0:8
0:4
X
0:4
X
Standings
Rank
Team
Pld
W
L
F
A
MAD
HEA
BOS
COL
1.
Madison (WI)
3
3
0
20
7
X
10:4
6:3
4:0
2.
Heathen Hearts (TX)
3
2
1
10
10
4:10
X
6:0
W:L
3.
Boston
3
1
2
19
16
3:6
0:6
X
16:4
4.
Colorado State
3
0
3
4
20
0:4
L:W
4:16
X
Ninth Place: Denver. Seventh Place: Chicago 4-0 Colorado State Fifth Place: Hoyden Park 16-4 Boston[5] Third Place: Houston def. Portland[6]
The 1979 college championship was won by Palmer College of Chiropractic, who defeated Navy in the final, 24–6, in Williamsburg, Virginia.[8]
Military
The 1979 Combined Services Rugby Championship was held May 5-6 on Stilwell Field at Fort Campbell.[9]
Standings
Rank
Team
Pld
W
L
F
A
FTC
SAV
FBO
FBF
FTP
1.
Ft Campbell All Blacks
3
3
0
51
6
X
30:0
13:6
8:0
X
2.
Savannah Rangers
4
2
2
41
64
0:30
X
10:17
11:7
20:10
3.
Ft Benning Old Boys
3
2
1
43
23
6:13
17:10
X
X
10:0
4.
Ft. Benning Flyers
3
1
2
11
19
0:8
7:11
X
X
4:0
5.
Fort Polk
3
0
3
0
18
X
0:4
0:10
0:4
X
Sevens
The 1979 National Sevens Rugby Tournament was hosted by the Hartford Wanderers and took place on June 23, 1979, at Sterling Field in West Hartford, Connecticut.[10] The twelve team tournament was won by the Denver Barbarians.[11]
Semifinals
Final
June 23 - Hartford, CT
Denver Barbarians
24
June 23 - Hartford, CT
Scioto Valley (OH)
6
Denver Barbarians
12
June 23 - Hartford, CT
University of Rhode Island
10
University of Rhode Island
11
Hartford Wanderers
7
ITT
The Inter Territorial Tournament involved the four regional rugby unions comprising the United States RFU: Pacific Coast RFU, Western RFU, Midwest RFU, and the Eastern Rugby Union. The region teams are formed from selected players from the sub regional rugby unions. Subsequently, the USA Eagles are selected from the four regional teams after the ITT concludes. The 1979 edition was held on the polo fields of the International Sports Core in Oakbrook, IL.[12] won by the Pacific Coast RFU.[13]Pacific Coast's Mike Fanucchi and Jack Clark were most valuable back and most valuable forward respectively.
Results:
26 May 1979 2:00PM
Eastern
0–21
Pacific Coast
Try: Del Chipman Rick Bailey Kelleher Del Chipman Con: Dennis Jablonski Pen: Dennis Jablonski
Oakbrook, IL
26 May 1979 3:00PM
Midwest
28–18
Western
Try: Larsen Larsen Mosser Del Chipman
Try: Bob Arnold Parker
Oakbrook, IL
27 May 1979 2:00PM
Pacific Coast
21–3
Western
Try: Tommy Smith
Drop: Milt Bennett
Oakbrook, IL
27 May 1979 3:00PM
Midwest
31–11
Eastern
Oakbrook, IL
28 May 1979 11:00AM
Eastern
34–3
Western
Oakbrook, IL
28 May 1979 1:00PM
Midwest
9–22
Pacific Coast
Try: Jeff Lombard Mike Fanucchi c Mike Fanucchi c Con: Dennis Jablonski Pen: Dennis Jablonski
Oakbrook, IL
Team
W
L
F
A
1
Pacific Coast RFU
3
0
64
12
2
Midwest RFU
2
1
68
51
3
Eastern RU
1
2
45
55
4
Western RFU
0
3
24
83
References
^"First Major Rugby Tourney". (May 12, 1979). The Daily News, p.7 col.1-3
^"California Team Tops St. Louis Club For Championship". (May 14, 1979). Kansas City Times, p.4C
^"Weekend Kicks Off With Women’s Rugby". (August 31, 1979). Chicago Tribune, s.4 p.12 col.2
^Cohen, Edie (September 1, 1979). "Rugby Classic Opens In Arlington". The Daily Herald, s.3 p.5 col.3-5
^Kusek, Joe (September 2, 1979). "Rugby Invades Suburbs". The Daily Herald, s.4 p.1
^Kusek, Joe (September 3, 1979). "Florida State Rules Rugby". The Daily Herald, s.3 p.5 col.3-6
^"Longwood Lass And FSU Mates Grab National Championship". (September 9, 1979). The Little Sentinel, p.1
^"Palmer College Rugby Champions". Retrieved May 2, 2024 – via YouTube (at 2:58). PCC took Navy 24-6 in the finals for the championship.
^Carlson, Kenneth N. (February 1984). "National Championships". Rugby Football Scorebook (1st ed.). Lynwood, WA: Rain Belt Inc. p. 6. ISBN0-938428-04-7.
