New Haven Old Black RFC
Encyclopedia
The New Haven Old Black Rugby Football Club is a rugby
club in New Haven, Connecticut
. They play in Division I of the New England Rugby Football Union
(NERFU).
Founded in 1986, they play at Boulevard Field in New Haven. The club's colors are black, green and gold.
graduates, led by Robert Chester, applied for membership of the NERFU. The NERFU accepted the petition and the club was allowed to play on a probationary basis.
After initially feeling the strain of a minimum of two games a week, Old Black went on to have a highly-successful inaugural season, culminating in the win of the Connecticut Cup by upsetting Providence
in the final. They were awarded full membership of the NERFU in the Fall of 1986.
, Crusaders scrum-half Andrew 'Tui' Osborne, Eagles
wing/fullback (one cap)
) as well as the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department, Atlas Chiropractic and William Raveis Real Estate.
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...
club in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. They play in Division I of the New England Rugby Football Union
New England Rugby Football Union
The New England Rugby Football Union is a stand-alone union for rugby union teams in New England.NERFU had been a local area union , and part of the Northeast Rugby Union , which is the governing body for three LAU's The New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) is a stand-alone union for rugby...
(NERFU).
Founded in 1986, they play at Boulevard Field in New Haven. The club's colors are black, green and gold.
1980s
Prior to the start of the club in the Spring of 1986, there was no rugby in the Greater New Haven area. A group of Southern Connecticut State UniversitySouthern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University is one of four state universities in Connecticut, and is located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut...
graduates, led by Robert Chester, applied for membership of the NERFU. The NERFU accepted the petition and the club was allowed to play on a probationary basis.
After initially feeling the strain of a minimum of two games a week, Old Black went on to have a highly-successful inaugural season, culminating in the win of the Connecticut Cup by upsetting Providence
Providence Rugby
The Providence Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1969, the club consist of both a men's and women's rugby teams...
in the final. They were awarded full membership of the NERFU in the Fall of 1986.
1990s
The year 1993 saw a restructuring of the club, owing to the retirement of a number of the club's early members. That season, Old Black returned to Division II, having been promoted to Division I a couple of years earlier. They elected to remain there for the next 10 years, and it was seen as a wise move. In 2002 they won the NERFU Division II title; three years after their return to Division II.2000s
In 2000 they qualified for the Elite 8 of Division II, followed by a Sweet 16 appearance in 2001. 2002 was the year the club won the national Division II title and was again promoted to Division I, where they currently play.Notable former players
Kahn Fotuali’iKahn Fotuali’i
Kahn Fotuali’i is a New Zealand rugby union player for the Ospreys in the RaboDirect Pro12 having signed from Crusaders of the Super 14 competition in the Summer of 2011. He plays as a scrum-half and fly-half....
, Crusaders scrum-half Andrew 'Tui' Osborne, Eagles
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
wing/fullback (one cap)
- Jacko Ah Hoy, EaglesUnited States national rugby union team (sevens)The United States National Rugby Union Sevens team competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, World Games, and Pan American Games. The Team will also represent the United States in the Summer Olympics beginning in 2016. Under current head coach Al Caravelli the Eagles have...
sevens
Honors
- USA Rugby Second Division:
- 2002
- NERFU Division II:
- 1996
- Connecticut Cup:
- 1986
Sponsorship
New Haven Old Black RFC has several sponsors in Bud Light, Hammer + Sickle Vodka, Core Fitness, and Christopher Martins Restaurant and Pub, all of whom appear on the club's jerseys (manufactured by KooGaKooGa
KooGa is an Australia-based rugby apparel company. It was established in December 1999. The company is headquartered in Labrador on the Gold Coast of Queensland, with other Australian offices as well as a UK office in Rochdale, Greater Manchester....
) as well as the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department, Atlas Chiropractic and William Raveis Real Estate.