Olympic Club RFC

Olympic Club Rugby

Full name	Olympic Club Rugby Football Club
Union	USA Rugby
Nickname(s)	N/a
Founded	N/a
Ground(s)	N/a
President	N/a
Coach(es)	N/a
League(s)	Pacific Rugby Premiership
Team kit
Official website
www.ocrugby.com

The Olympic Club RFC is a Pacific Rugby Premiership team based in San Francisco, California.

History

Rugby is another fine example of the Olympic Clubs inherent commitment to foster amateur athletics. The history of rugby at the Club is a rich one. The Winged O ruggers have helped to expand the Olympic Clubs reputation for athletic excellence around the world.

The Olympic Club rugby story began in 1880s when Edgar Pomeroy, an Englishman, helped introduce the sport to the Bay Area. Edgar believed that the game was superior to American-style football and lobbied for the high schools and colleges to adopt rugby. In 1906, citing injury concerns, college replaced football with rugby for a brief period. From 1907-1914, rugby not football was played in the Big Game between Stanford and California. Pomeroy joined the Olympic Club in 1907 and went on to be one of the most enthusiastic rugby devotees that have ever been connected to the Club. In addition to being a player, commissioner, author, and supporter of rugby for 50 years, he was also recognized as the father of soccer in the Bay Area.

In 1908, with the enthusiastic support of Club President William F. Humphrey and the board of directors, the rugby team was launched at the OC with Douglas Erskine as its first commissioner. The schedule for the Olympic Club the first year included California, Stanford, University of Pacific and the Barbarian rugby club. It didnt long take for the Winged O ruggers to excel as they won the local league championship in 1909.

Through the efforts of Olympians Pomeroy and Joseph Hickey, at the time officials of the California Rugby Union, the famed New Zealand All Blacks were invited to the Bay Area and matches were organized. On October 4th, 1913, in front of a large crowd at Saint Ignatius Field, the Olympic Club Rugby team squared off against the legendary All Blacks. The Olympians lost 19-0, but they played the All Blacks much closer that the USA National team which was beaten 51-3 a month later in Berkeley. New Zealand player, Jim Wylie, found his visit so enjoyable that he stayed in the Bay Area. He later became a member of the OC and helped coach the ruggers.

American football regained favor with the colleges in 1914 at the expense of rugby. The 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp offered those still playing the sport an opportunity to compete for the United States. The best rugby was being played on the west coast, which left the selection of the team up to the California Rugby Union. Most of the players chosen came from the Bay Area. Despite being a huge underdog, the United States defeated France 8-0 to win the gold medal. Nine players on the U.S. team were members of the Olympic Club at the time or joined the Club shortly thereafter.

Four years later the French were still smarting from their embarrassing defeat to the Americans in Antwerp. The 1924 Olympic Games in Paris offered the French a chance at redemption. Unfortunately, rugby had fallen even further behind football in the States and it appeared that the US was not going to send a team. The French apparently questioned the American manhood, and as a result, the Californians scrambled to put a team together. The move appeared to be in vain as the US Olympic Committee denied the request for the funds to make the trip. Demonstrating the Olympic Clubs strong support for amateur athletics, OC President Humphrey hosted a meeting of local business leaders at the St. Francis Hotel and within 20 minutes the $25,000 needed for the trip was raised. Incredibly again, 14 of the players named to the US team were Olympic Club members or later joined the Club.

At the Paris Games, the French and Americans again met in final for the gold medal. A crowd of 40,000 (mainly French) showed up at the Colombes Stadium believing their #1 world ranked French team would trample the Americans and gain redemption. The Paris book makers had set the odds at 20-1. The French squad was one of greatest ever assembled and included the legendary Adolphe Juarraguy, said at that time to be the fastest rugby player alive.

The Americans did not buy into the hype. The US team was made up of great athletes, many whose primary sport was not rugby but American football or basketball. Although their rugby skills could not match the French, the Americans were physical players that could tackle well. This attribute proved to be critical. As team manager Sam Goodman later described the match, The French were 20-1 favorites for about five minutes.

Shortly into the contest, Frances star Juarraguy received a pass on the wing and the crowd roared as he headed for the American line. Out of seemingly nowhere came Lefty Rogers, Stanford basketball captain and future Olympic Club member, who leveled the famed Frenchman with a tooth-rattling tackle. On the next play Juarraguy was again hit hard by Rogers. Finally, it was the turn of Rhodes Scholar Alan Valentine who hurled his bulk into the off-balanced Juarraguy. And that was the end of him commented fellow player Charlie Doe (another OC Member). Oblivious even to the sound of the howling crowd, Juarraguy was carted off the field, like a sack of potatoes according to Doe.

When the final whistle blew, the Americans had pulled the upset 17-3. The French was crowd showed their displeasure with the startling defeat by beating several American fans unconscious in the stands. The American team rushed off the field to avoid thrown debris and didnt hear the US National Anthem over of the cacophony of booing and catcalls.

Distinguished OC members of the 1920 & 1924 Olympic rugby teams included Dink Templeton the famed Stanford and OC track coach, George Dixon - one of Cals and the OCs greatest basketball players, Harry Maloney - longtime Stanford coach and OC Athletic Director, and Santa Claras Rudy Scholz who served during both World Wars and played rugby for the OC well into his 40s.

Rugby died down after the Olympics, but was revived in the early 30s under the coaching of Jack Patrick. Patrick was a standout rugby and American football player for the Olympic Club. He played on the 1920 Olympic rugby team and was Captain of the Clubs football team that broke Cals nearly six-year undefeated streak in 1925. The 1934 Winged O squad under Patrick was one of the best the Club ever fielded. The OC team won the California Rugby Union with a 12-0 record and was the only undefeated rugby team in the history of the Club.

The teams of the early 50s were strong. Under the coaching of 1924 Olympic rugby team member Ed Mush Graff, the Winged O ruggers won the Northern California Rugby Union title in 1952 and 1953. In 1954, the New Zealand All Blacks returned to San Francisco. On March 20, 1954, eight Olympians led a team of California All Stars against the famed Kiwi side at Saint Ignatius Field.

Arguably the Olympic Clubs best teams in its history were those of the 60s. In 1960, the Winged O ruggers won the prestigious Monterey Tournament which was recognized as the top tournament in the country. It is interesting to note that Olympic Club member Paul Boomer Andrew launched the famed tournament in 1959. Under Pauls leadership, along with Tournament Chairman (and Olympian) Steve Yost, the Monterey Tournament enjoyed a run as the countrys top rugby event until 1991. The last twenty-one years were played in Pebble Beach. Those who participated fondly remember the strong competition, great organization and beautiful facilities in Monterey.

The 1966 season was one of highs and lows. The Winged O first team was embarrassed at the Monterey Tournament losing several matches, including a loss to the Clubs second side (which then became the darlings of the tournament and finished fourth). However, the first side rebounded by winning the championship at the International Rugby Tournament in Boston, which was the first US-hosted event of its kind. At the tournament, the Club defeated the Boston Rugby Club 15-0 and the Racing Club of France 11-3. The Winged O Ruggers were awarded a 3-foot-high trophy that previously was on display at the City Club.

The 1967 season saw the team embark on an epic 30-day tour to Ireland, Wales, England and France. The team chartered a World Airways 707 fanjet and roughly 165 players, alternates, members, and family supporters flew to Dublin. During an 11 match schedule, the Winged O ruggers showed the world that American rugby was not to be taken lightly. The Club went 7-2-2 in its matches against top British, Irish and French clubs. Victories included wins over Old Belvedere in Ireland 14-6, the Glamorgan Wanderers in Wales 11-6, Rosslyn Park in England 11-0, and the Racing Club in France 16-9. The Racing Club (the worlds largest athletic club at the time) match was played in front of 10,000 fans. Olympians from the team that can still be seen around the Club include Bill Breslan, John Doughty, and Ed Marr. Mickey Ording, John Rosekrans and Commissioner George Reppas also contributed to the success of the trip.

The 1967 Tour highlighted the competition and camaraderie that exist in the sport of rugby. Members of the tour party recall the trip as one of the best experiences of their lives. Almost 40 years later, the positive impact made by the Olympic Club overseas is still felt. The Rossyln Park Rugby Club visited San Francisco in the 2000s. Officials of the Rossyln Club still remembered fondly the OCs visit in 67.

The 1968 season was another great year as the Winged O finished with an 18-3-1 record. The team placed third 3rd in the Monterey Tournament and then claimed the National Championship by beating the East Coast Champs Old Blues of New York 27-3 at the International Tournament in Boston. The Old Blues of NY had been featured in Sports Illustrated as the top team in the country before they were thrashed by the Olympic Club.

In 1971, the OC compiled a 9-1 record in NCRFU competition and finished 4th in the Monterey Tournament. The season was the teams last playing under the Olympic Club banner. A dark period for sports at the OC followed and rugby was absent for 20 years.

In 1991, the Olympic Clubs rugby program was reborn through the efforts of coaches Mark Carlson, Mark Lambourne and Commissioner, Jim Glugoski. The team quickly moved from the 3rd to the 2nd to the 1st Division of local competition. Several of the US National Teams most decorated players were part of the rebirth of rugby at the Olympic Club during this period including Mark Williams and Vaea Anitoni

In 1999, the Club restarted the tour tradition and embarked on an 11-day tour to the UK and Ireland. The OC went 2-1-1 in competition with a huge victory over Blackheath of England 23-8. The Blackheath Club is recognized as the oldest rugby club in the world. Interesting to note, the 1924 US Olympic Games rugby team played Blackheath in a warm-up match for the Paris Games. In 2003, the OC toured Australia during the Rugby World Cup. The team competed against top local Aussie clubs from Sydney and the Gold Coast. In 2007, the Club travelled to France and defeated local clubs near Montpellier. Another tour is scheduled for September of 2011, when the Club will travel to New Zealand and play several matches against Kiwi clubs during the World Cup.

In the early 2000s, strong leadership and hard work by Commissioners Shawn Dahlem, Mike Strain and Kevin Barth helped further develop the program and put the OC in a position to regain its place among the top rugby clubs in America. The Clubs 7s program lead by Andy Tamayo and Mark Vera moved the Olympic Club back into the rugby spotlight by nearly winning the National Championship in 2002, 2003, 2004. In 2006, the 15s program improved with the hire of Ray Lehner, a former Cal and US National Team player to coach the program. Ray brought intensity, focus, and a detailed plan. In his debut season, the OC advanced to the Elite 8 of the National Championships, a first for the Club. In 2011, the OC enjoyed the best season in its history, progressing all the way to the National Final. In a fiercely competitive match, the OC went down by one point, but proved it has what it takes as a club to compete at the highest level.

Today, anything less than a spot at the National Championships would be considered a disappointment. Commissioner James Brandon and a talented executive committee provide the off-the-field leadership and players including Captains Rikus Pretorius and Kegan Engelbrecht are spearheading the drive on the field. A young and talented group of recent college graduates who have joined the Club could be the final piece to the puzzle of winning the Clubs first modern era Championship.