Louisiana State University Rugby

Louisiana State University Rugby

The LSU Rugby Football Club was born in the early 1970s by members of the LSU community interested in developing a club among the student population. Among the fathers of the club, history records Rob Haswell and Hal Rose as being the initiators of the program on campus. Rose, who transferred to LSU in 1970, sought the aid of the LSU Athletic Department in securing a field for practices and a dedicated match pitch. During the fall registration of this same year, Rose sought recruits among students at the LSU Student Union using stories and photos of his experiences with the Austin RFC to entice prospective players. Larry Richardson and David Terry were the first official members and are credited with building the original goal posts.

While Rose was recruiting, Haswell – a visiting Geology instructor from South Africa – and Jay McKenna were playing in a campus flag football league. Haswell recounts that as he was running for a touchdown, McKenna followed and voiced his support of the run. McKenna’s cry of “With you!” signaled to Haswell, who played rugby in South Africa, that he was not the only rugger on the field. Coincidentally, McKenna had played for the University of Maryland. United by the interest of playing rugby in Baton Rouge, the two contacted the LSU Athletic Department who put them in contact with Rose. From this point, the club began to develop with Haswell acting as the club’s original coach and Rose performing the duties of a referee. In the early days, both contributed on the field as players as well.

The club grew quickly under the guidance of Rose and Haswell and soon had enough members to field multiple sides. The Tiger Ruggers met their first opposition in a match at Tulane University and in this contest secured the fledgling club’s first win in a 15-5 victory. Following this victory over the Green Wave, the LSURFC continued to grow around the principles of disciplined fitness and dedicated practice which facilitated the aggressive, attacking style of play that Coach Haswell sought to develop in the club. Haswell’ s philosophy of explosive and persistent offense is still evident in the team’s play in recent years. After his stay in Baton Rouge, Haswell returned to South Africa and went on to hold a seat in Parliament.

After its inaugural season, borne on early success, the team went on to win 17 consecutive matches in its 1971 season. Such success has been repeated throughout the club’s history, as double-digit streaks followed in 1976, 1983, 1991, and 1997. The ’97 season saw 22 straight victories in a 25 game season. The Tigers have posted winning seasons every year and have earned top honors in many of the nation’s most competitive tournaments. The club has been able to claim championships in the Louisiana, Deep South, and Texas Unions on numerous occasions throughout its history. Additionally, LSU won two unofficial collegiate national championships in the mid-1970s.

The club as a whole has toured England and the Bahamas, and has hosted teams from England, Wales, France, Australia, and several other countries. Visits to and from some of the top collegiate sides in the U.S. have become a yearly occurrence.

In recent history, 1990 saw a stumble for a club accustomed to winning. The Tigers secured only second place in both the Mardi Gras Tournament and Deep South RFU Collegiate Championships. In the following years, LSU won two straight Mardi Gras Championships in 1991 and 1992 and began a run of four straight Deep South Collegiate Championships. Seeking more challenging competition, the LSU Rugby Club transferred to the Texas Rugby Union in 1996 and earned second place honors in its first year. In the following year, the club posted a perfect 8-0 record in TRU play in a 22-0 season, easily clinching the regular season division title. In the championship tournament, however, LSU narrowly missed a victory in the final game, falling to Rice University, the Tigers’ main rival. This loss, determined by a single score, was heralded by spectators as one of the finest matches they had ever witnessed.

LSU captured its first TRU Championship in the 1997-98 campaign, compiling a 30-1-1 overall record having gone undefeated in Union play. In this year the Tigers won the Mardi Gras Tournament for the third consecutive year. LSU advanced to the Western Collegiate Tournament, but fell to Colorado State 13-12 in the first round. Adding to the team’s success was the honor of having Coach Steve Triche named as the Western Collegiate Mustangs coach along with 9 LSU ruggers selected to the final Western Squad.

The LSURFC opened the 21st century with appearances at Westerns before taking a downward turn in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Poor performance in the TRU during these years kept the club out of postseason play. However, the 2005 fall semester saw a rebound to customary levels of play which continued in the following spring. Despite the commotion caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for the team’s many Southern Louisiana natives, the Tigers finished second in TRU play (3-1, 8-4 overall) and qualified once again for Western Playoffs. LSU finished 1-2 and did not advance beyond the first round.

In addition to these accomplishments on the field in ‘05-’06, the team moved to its current pitch at the LSU Sport & Adventure Complex. Under the leadership of former president Mark “Whitey” Sweeny (Fall 2005 – Spring 2007), the club was able to secure over $1800 from the LSU Student Government for the purchase of a new scrum sled and to defray travel costs of the 2005 Fall Tour the 2006 Western Playoff. LAMAR has been very generous in the donation of over $2700 in team warm-ups and completely funded the 2006-07 Rugby Season Promotional Poster.

Coach Scott Mclean took the reins as head coach in the 2005 Fall Semester and his tenure has seen a continued climb in club participation and morale. Most recently, LSU finished fifth overall in Western Playoffs, defeating Nebraska and Oklahoma State but falling to Wyoming. This finish capped off a season that witnessed a second place TRU finish and national rankings in the top 20. Buoyed by these accomplishments, the Tigers are hungry for victory and thirsty for success.

Many current players have been selected to Regional and National Select Sides, and several Tigers contributed to the victory of the LA U-19 All-stars in national competition. Notably, Sophomores Adam Ducoing and Eric West recently traveled with the USA U-19 Eagles to Ireland and Seniors Josh Chauvin, Jimmy Rehkopf and graduated Senior Chris Cook participated in the Down Under Rugby training program in Australia. Their experiences will contribute greatly to the team’s performance in the coming season. The faces and names have changed since 1970, but the spirit and winning attitude that has characterized the club from its inception is as strong as ever.