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1979 National Rugby Championships

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1979 National Rugby Championships
Tournament details
Tournament format(s)Various
Date1979
Tournament statistics
Final
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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

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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 SemifinalTerritorial FinalNational SemifinalNational Final
 
              
 
April 28 - San Francisco, CA
 
 
Old Blues26
 
April 29 – San Francisco, CA
 
Old Puget Sound12
 
Old Blues6
 
April 28 - San Francisco, CA
 
BATS3
 
BATS20
 
May 12 – Kansas City, MO
 
Los Angeles15
 
Old Blues (CA)7
 
April 29 - Washington, D.C.
 
Old Blue (NY)3
 
Old Blue21
 
April 29 – Washington, D.C.
 
Norfolk City Blues9
 
Old Blue24
 
April 29 - Washington, D.C.
 
Baton Rouge0
 
Baton Rouge15
 
May 13 – Kansas City, MO
 
Whitemarsh6
 
Old Blues (CA)14
 
April 21 – St. Louis, MO
 
St. Louis Falcons6
 
St. Louis Falcons16
 
April 28 – Denver, CO
 
Oklahoma U.13
 
St. Louis Falcons6
 
April 22 – Albuquerque, NM
 
Albuquerque Aardvarks3
 
Albuquerque Aardvarks25
 
May 12 – Kansas City, MO
 
Houston Heathens12
 
St. Louis Falcons21
 
May 6 -
 
Akron (OH)7 Third place
 
Akron
 
May 6 – May 13 – Kansas City, MO
 
 
 
Akron17Old Blue (NY)22
 
May 6 -
 
Chicago Lions13 Akron (OH)9
 
Chicago Lions22
 
 
Pittsburgh3
 

Semifinals

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12 May 1979
St. Louis21–8Akron
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

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13 May 1979
Old Blue (NY)22–9Akron
Kansas City, MO

Final

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13 May 1979
Old Blues (CA)18–6St. 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

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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]

Final

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2 September 1979
Florida State6–0Madison
Try: Candy Orsini 55' c
Con: Renata Brady
[7]
Arlington Heights, IL

College

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The 1979 college championship was won by Palmer College of Chiropractic, who defeated Navy in the final, 24–6, in Williamsburg, Virginia.[8]

Military

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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

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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]

 
SemifinalsFinal
 
      
 
June 23 - Hartford, CT
 
 
Denver Barbarians24
 
June 23 - Hartford, CT
 
Scioto Valley (OH)6
 
Denver Barbarians12
 
June 23 - Hartford, CT
 
University of Rhode Island10
 
University of Rhode Island11
 
 
Hartford Wanderers7
 

ITT

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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
Eastern0–21Pacific Coast
Try: Del Chipman
Rick Bailey
Kelleher
Del Chipman
Con: Dennis Jablonski
Pen: Dennis Jablonski
Oakbrook, IL
26 May 1979
3:00PM
Midwest28–18Western
Try: Larsen
Larsen
Mosser
Del Chipman
Try: Bob Arnold
Parker
Oakbrook, IL
27 May 1979
2:00PM
Pacific Coast21–3Western
Try: Tommy SmithDrop: Milt Bennett
Oakbrook, IL
27 May 1979
3:00PM
Midwest31–11Eastern
Oakbrook, IL
28 May 1979
11:00AM
Eastern34–3Western
Oakbrook, IL
28 May 1979
1:00PM
Midwest9–22Pacific 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

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  1. ^ "First Major Rugby Tourney". (May 12, 1979). The Daily News, p.7 col.1-3
  2. ^ "California Team Tops St. Louis Club For Championship". (May 14, 1979). Kansas City Times, p.4C
  3. ^ "Weekend Kicks Off With Women’s Rugby". (August 31, 1979). Chicago Tribune, s.4 p.12 col.2
  4. ^ Cohen, Edie (September 1, 1979). "Rugby Classic Opens In Arlington". The Daily Herald, s.3 p.5 col.3-5
  5. ^ Kusek, Joe (September 2, 1979). "Rugby Invades Suburbs". The Daily Herald, s.4 p.1
  6. ^ Kusek, Joe (September 3, 1979). "Florida State Rules Rugby". The Daily Herald, s.3 p.5 col.3-6
  7. ^ "Longwood Lass And FSU Mates Grab National Championship". (September 9, 1979). The Little Sentinel, p.1
  8. ^ "Palmer College Rugby Champions". Retrieved May 2, 2024 – via YouTube (at 2:58). PCC took Navy 24-6 in the finals for the championship.
  9. ^ Carlson, Kenneth N. (February 1984). "National Championships". Rugby Football Scorebook (1st ed.). Lynwood, WA: Rain Belt Inc. p. 6. ISBN 0-938428-04-7.
  10. ^ "Rugby Tournament". (June 23, 1979). Hartford Courant, p.27 col.1
  11. ^ Paterno, Karen (June 23, 1979). "Ruggers Get Gas, Get Here, Get With It". Hartford Courant, p.1C
  12. ^ "Territorial Tournament". Rugby. Vol. 5, no. 2. April 30, 1979. p. 4.
  13. ^ Carlson, Kenneth N. (February 1984). Rugby Football Scorebook (1st ed.). Lynwood, WA: Rain Belt Inc. pp. 63–68. ISBN 0-938428-04-7.