The University of Michigan Rugby Football Club (UMRFC) is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

. The UMRFC currently plays in the Big Ten conference at the D1A level, the highest level of collegiate play under USA Rugby. The Wolverines largely rely on talent drawn from within the United States; however, foreign students will often add valuable contributions while studying abroad in Ann Arbor. Many players join with little or no previous experience in rugby. Despite this, the UMRFC has won a number of championships and produced several athletes that have gone on to play rugby at a professional level. According to their Player Handbook, UMRFC's mission is "to develop upstanding student athletes and men through the sport of Rugby. To play the game with inspiration, cultivate a close knit family within the club, and promote commitment, discipline, and respect on and off of the field." Reinforcing these values, the Wolverine's work a variety of community service and charity events.

History

The team began as the Michigan Rugby Football Club, founded in 1959. The club was composed of U of M undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and alumni as well as Ann Arbor community members, maintaining this composition for 40 years. In January 2000, the University of Michigan Rugby Football Club was formed and restricted to current undergraduate (and in some cases, graduate) students at U of M.

Club honors

Collegiate Rugby Championship The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) is an annual college rugby sevens tournament. The CRC is the highest profile college rugby sevens competition in the United States, with the tournament broadcast live on NBC from 2010–2017, on ESPN News an ...

Quarterfinalists: 2014, 2015 * Midwest championship and National Quarter-Finalist: 2007-2008 * Midwest Championship and National Semi-Finalist: 2004-2005 * Senior Men National Championship: 1995 * National Third Place: 1980

Results

''Full results since 1959''
See the current schedule at the team's official website.

Past and current captains and presidents

Notable alumni

* Sequoyah Burke-Combs - Seattle Seawolves (

Major League Rugby Major League Rugby (MLR or USMLR) is a professional rugby union competition and the top-level championship for clubs in North America. In the 2022 season it was contested by thirteen teams: twelve from the United States and one from Canada. Off ...

) * Cole Van Harn - Seattle Seawolves (

) *

Peter Donnelly Sir Peter James Donnelly (born 15 May 1959) is an Australian-British mathematician and Professor of Statistical Science at the University of Oxford, and the CEO of Genomics PLC. He is a specialist in applied probability and has made contrib ...

- professor of statistical science *

Harvey Schiller Harvey Wallace Schiller (born April 30, 1940) is an American sports executive whose many varied positions have included Executive Director of the United States Olympic Committee, Chief Executive Officer of YankeeNets, President of Turner Sports, ...

- sports executive *

Bob Woodruff Robert Warren Woodruff (born August 18, 1961) is an American television journalist. Since 1996, he has served as a reporter for ABC News. Woodruff co-anchored ABC World News Tonight in 2006 alongside ABC News journalist Elizabeth Vargas. He was ...

- television journalist

References

External links

* {{University of Michigan Rugby, men's Rugby union in Michigan