Mystic River Rugby Club
| Full name | Mystic River Rugby Club (MRRC) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | USA Rugby | ||
| Founded | 1974 | ||
| Ground(s) | Pine Banks Park Malden, MA (Capacity: 1000) |
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| Coach(es) |  Josh Smith Jake Sprague Glen Mannering |
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| League(s) | NERFU Division 1 NERFU Division 2 |
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| Official website | |||
| www |
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The Mystic River Rugby Club is a New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) club, founded in 1974, located in Malden, Massachusetts and Melrose, Massachusetts, who field teams in Division 1 and Division 2 Rugby Union in the United States.
Their home field is located at Pine Banks Park. Their primary sponsor is Coors Light.
Contents
History
The Early Years (1970's)
The Mystic River Rugby Club was founded in 1974 by 32 members of the Boston Rugby Club, who in true revolutionary spirit, took a great step forward in exercising their independence. These men had long since functioned as a ‘club within a club’ and had developed a distinct style of play both on and off the field. These members were experienced rugby players and immediately the Mystics established a schedule within the first division of New England. They soon became a sought after fixture by teams from all over based on a reputation for hard, fast rugby and an aggressive “joie de vie”.[1]
The club evolved throughout the 1970s with the influx of younger players and Tours to Wales and the former Soviet Union highlighted these years. In 1978, the Mystics became the first American rugby team to be invited to play rugby in the Soviet Union.[2] In the early 1980s the club saw a major turnover, a somewhat generational change, when several new players were attracted from local colleges. Old Boys rugby began to take shape and several of the original Mystics began playing a schedule of "over 30's" rugby. In 1986 the Mystics returned to Malden, Massachusetts where they were originally incorporated in 1976.[1]
The 1990’s: The Birth of a Dynasty
With several of the club’s players regularly representing New England and the East Coast in representative side play, the Mystics were committed to championship level rugby. Their reputation earned them respect overseas as well, with touring sides, such as the Glamorgan County RFC, seeking a challenge at top level rugby.
In 1989, Mystic River defeated their parent club Boston to win the first of seven straight New England championships. They would go on to win the Northeast Championship that same year. In 1992 the Mystic finished second in the US, losing to the Old Blues from California in the National Finals. The Mystics had established themselves as a force within the national rugby community.[3]
The 2000's
The 2007 season saw the Mystics win their first New England title after twelve years, moving on to take the Northeast Championship in 2008 and a spot in the National Division 1 Sweet 16. In their 2009-2010 season, Mystic River again took both the New England and Northeast Championships, making it through to the quarter-final round of the USA Rugby DI National Championship Series as well as making their first ever appearance in the National Sweet 16 in 7s competition. 2010 also marked the expansion of the Mystic River Youth Rugby Program and the addition of the U-19 Mystic Eagles, who saw success in both 15s and 7s tournaments in their inaugural season.[1]
2014 Merger with Middlesex
In 2014, Mystic River merged with cross-town rivals, the Middlesex Barbarians, in an effort to develop the game of rugby in the area. While the details of the merger allowed the forty-year-old rugby club to retain their name, Middlesex coach Josh Smith took over head coaching duties for the combined club, with former Eagle prop Jake Sprague as forwards coach, and Glen Mannering directing the backs.[4][5] As the 2014-2015 season came to a close, the newly formed Mystics went undefeated at the top of the Division 1 table going into the playoffs. Post season wins against White Plains RFC and Kansas City earned them their first trip to the USA Rugby D1 Final Four tournament since 1992, while in D2 the Mystic Barbarians took the NERFU D2 Championship against division rival New Haven, eventually losing to New York Rugby Club in the USA Rugby D2 Round of 16 beginning a new era for Mystic Rugby.
The Mystics also saw success in 7s, qualifying for the 2015 USA Rugby Club 7s (USARC7) Championship Series for the second time in club history, losing in the Semifinal round to eventual tournament winners Seattle Saracens, but coming away with the bronze medal.[6]
American Rugby Premiership (2015—present)
Beginning in the 2015-2016 season, Mystic River became a "defacto" member of the American Rugby Premiership (ARP), joining Life Running Eagles and fellow Atlantic North D1 clubs Boston RFC, NYAC and the Boston Irish Wolfhounds in the reformatted elite competition.[7]
National Team Representatives
USA Eagles
This is a list of Mystic River players who have represented their country with the United States national rugby union team, also known as the Eagles, in rugby fifteens or sevens. Not represented in this list are the many Mystics who have been named to the Eagles' player pools over the years.
| Player Name | Year(s) | Caps | Pts | Debut | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimitri Efthimiou | 2010 | 1* | 0 | 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series | 21 January 2010 |
| Pono Haitsuka | 2013–2014 | 5* | 49 | 2013–14 IRB Sevens World Series | 29 November 2013 |
| Alec Montgomery | 1986–1989 | 6 | 0 | United States v Canada | 8 November 1986 |
| Anthony Purpura | 2010 | 1 | 0 | United States v Russia | 5 June 2010 |
| Richard Tardits | 1993–1999 | 24 | 10 | United States v Australia XV | 2 October 1993 |
| Jake Sprague | 2009 | 1 | 0 | United States vs Uruguay | 14 November 2009 |
For Rugby sevens players, (*) denotes tournament appearances such as World Rugby Sevens Series
Junior Eagles (U-19)
- Alex Brussard (2008)
- Trevor McKenzie (2007)
- Chris Tofte (2005-2006)
Collegiate All-American Rugby Team
Honorable Mention
- Steve Dazzo — XV's, Dartmouth College (2015)[8]
- Dimitri Efthimiou — 7s, Northeastern University (2013)[9]
USA Maccabi Rugby
- James Calmas (1997*, 2001*, 2005*)
- Jon Fonvielle (2015-present )
- Guy Matisis (2013)
- Dave "Buzzy" Rudzinsky (1989, 2013-present*)
- Michael Rudzinsky (2013-present)
(*) As coaching staff
USA Hawks (Rugby League)
- Lance Gaines (2009)
- Derrick Roma (2009-2010)
Other Nations / Provinces
This is a list of Mystic River players who have represented other nations in rugby fifteens or sevens.
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David Barry — Austria
Declan Brady — Ireland (Rugby League)
Steve Brain — England
Joseph Lusse — Uganda (U-19)
Molibi Maphanyane — Botswana
Guy Matisis — Israel
Herman Mostert — South Africa
Mikhael Shammas — Lebanon (Rugby League)
Edwin Shimenga — Kenya
Alatasi Tupou — Samoa
Alfred Uluinayau — Fiji
Kyle Winter — Indonesia
Provincial Representation
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- Rory Gleeson — Leinster Juniors
- Anthony Hughes — Connacht (U-21)
- David Joyce — Munster Juniors
Etuini Pongi — Pacific Islanders
Wayne Underhay — Aukland (New Zealand)
Championships
Fifteens (Division 1)
- New England Champions (1989–1995, 2009, 2015)
- Northeast Champions (1989, 1991, 2007, 2009–2012, 2015)
- Eastern Champions (1991)
- National Playoff Appearances:
| Playoff Round | Appearances | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Sixteen | 8 | 1989, 1991, 2008 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 |
| Quarter Finals | 5 | 1992, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 |
| Semi Finals | 2 | 1992, 2015 |
| National Finalist | 1 | 1992 |
Fifteens (Division 2)
- New England Champions (2015)
| Playoff Round | Appearances | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Sixteen | 1 | 2015 |
| Quarter Finals | 0 | |
| Semi Finals | 0 | |
| National Finalist | 0 |
Sevens
| Year | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sweet Sixteen | Did not place |
| 2015 | Semifinals | Bronze |
Youth rugby
Mystic River founded their Youth Rugby program in 2005. It was originally aimed more at introducing local children in the surrounding community to the sport of rugby, via American Flag Rugby (AFL) and later USA Rugby's newly developed "Rookie Rugby", a non-contact flag variant of the sport for younger children. In 2010, the Mystics expanded the program to include competitive U-17 and U-19 teams. Both levels saw immediate success, quickly becoming perennial contenders and medalists in such competitions as the Bay State Games.[10]
The Mystics also field a Collegiate Select Side which selects stand out local collegiate rugby talent and plays teams both in the United States and abroad. In 2015, several former members of the Mystic Youth program would go on to receive collegiate All Conference honors.
References
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External links
- Official Mystic River Rugby Club Site
- American Rugby Premiership
- New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) Site
- USA Rugby Site
- World Rugby Site
