Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC
Encyclopedia
The Las Vegas Blackjacks Rugby Football Club (Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC) is a rugby union
team based in Las Vegas, Nevada
. They are members of the Southern California Rugby Football Union
and compete in the Senior Men's 1st (Red) Division of USA Rugby
. The highest Nevada
-based rugby club on the United States ladder, they play their home games games at Sunset Park
in southeastern Las Vegas.
The Blackjacks finished in fourth place at the USA Rugby Nationals - Division I Tournament and won their first SCRFU Regular Season title in 2008. The Blackjacks won the regular season again in 2009 and made it to the National Final where they lost to the Gentlemen of Aspen. Redemption was found in 2010 as the boys claimed the nations top prize with a win in the national final against Belmont Shore.
In 2010, LVRC signed a player development agreement with Top 14 side, Montpellier Hérault RC
. The agreement with Montpellier will have the French side sending young players to play with LVRC during France's offseason, while allowing amateur players with the Blackjacks the opportunity to play top-level professional rugby.
The Blackjacks have been in talks to field a rugby league
team in the American National Rugby League
(AMNRL) as part of the league's westward expansion.
The Blackjacks were suspended from competition in the Southern California Rugby Football Union
for the remainder of the 2010-11 season on March 17, 2011 as a result of Blackjack player Nafe Sitake's attack on a touch judge during a B-side match against the Santa Monica Rugby Club
on February 26, 2011. Sitake has been been given a lifetime suspension and the Blackjacks will be on a two-year, no-tolerance probation once they are readmitted to play on September 1, 2011.
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...
team based in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. They are members of the Southern California Rugby Football Union
Southern California Rugby Football Union
The Southern California Rugby Football Union , is the governing body of rugby in Southern California, and represents the union of clubs at the USA Rugby level...
and compete in the Senior Men's 1st (Red) Division of USA Rugby
USA Rugby
USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. It is divided into seven territorial Unions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, South, and West...
. The highest Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
-based rugby club on the United States ladder, they play their home games games at Sunset Park
Sunset Park, Las Vegas
Sunset Park, one of the largest parks in Las Vegas, is located near McCarran Airport in the southeast part of town. The park is bordered by Sunset Road on the north, Eastern Avenue on the west and Warm Springs Road on the south.-History:...
in southeastern Las Vegas.
The Blackjacks finished in fourth place at the USA Rugby Nationals - Division I Tournament and won their first SCRFU Regular Season title in 2008. The Blackjacks won the regular season again in 2009 and made it to the National Final where they lost to the Gentlemen of Aspen. Redemption was found in 2010 as the boys claimed the nations top prize with a win in the national final against Belmont Shore.
History
The Las Vegas Rugby Club was established in 1976, following a newspaper advertisement to recruit players for a local rugby club. The Blackjacks have reached the National Final 4 competition three times since 2006 and were the national runner-up in 2009.In 2010, LVRC signed a player development agreement with Top 14 side, Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault RC
Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club is a professional French rugby union, based in Montpellier the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir in 2007...
. The agreement with Montpellier will have the French side sending young players to play with LVRC during France's offseason, while allowing amateur players with the Blackjacks the opportunity to play top-level professional rugby.
The Blackjacks have been in talks to field a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team in the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...
(AMNRL) as part of the league's westward expansion.
The Blackjacks were suspended from competition in the Southern California Rugby Football Union
Southern California Rugby Football Union
The Southern California Rugby Football Union , is the governing body of rugby in Southern California, and represents the union of clubs at the USA Rugby level...
for the remainder of the 2010-11 season on March 17, 2011 as a result of Blackjack player Nafe Sitake's attack on a touch judge during a B-side match against the Santa Monica Rugby Club
Santa Monica Rugby Club
Santa Monica Rugby Club is a rugby union club from Santa Monica, California. The team, also known as the Dolphins, compete in Division 1 of the Southern California Rugby Football Union . The Division 1 SCRFU competition is arguably the top level of club rugby in the United States...
on February 26, 2011. Sitake has been been given a lifetime suspension and the Blackjacks will be on a two-year, no-tolerance probation once they are readmitted to play on September 1, 2011.
Season-by-season record
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, D = Draws, Pts = Points, PF = Points for, PA = Points against| Season | W | L | D | Pts | PF | PA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2003 | 4 | 7 | 0 | - | 174 | 283 | 5th, Division I | |
| 2004 | 2 | 6 | 0 | - | 130 | 278 | 6th Division I | |
| 2005 | 2 | 7 | 1 | - | 142 | 226 | 7th, Division I | |
| 2006 | 9 | 4 | 0 | - | 347 | 174 | 2nd, Division I | |
| 2007 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 219 | 250 | 5th, Division I | |
| 2008 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 375 | 130 | 1st, Division I | National Quarterfinals |
| 2009 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 192 | 45 | T-1st, Division I | National Finalists |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 309 | 115 | 2nd, Division I | National Champions |
Sponsors
The Blackjacks are sponsored by several different companies, including McMullan's Irish Pub, Bugsy's Bar and Grill, and the Megapixel Cafe. Kukuri Sports is the official merchandise supplier of the team.Club Championships
- USA Rugby Premier Division
- Champions - 2010
- 2nd Place - 2009
- 4th Place - 2006
- SCRFU Division I
- Gainy Cup Champions - 2009
- Regular Season Champions - 2008
- Playoff Champions - 2008