Fairfield University Men's Rugby Football Club (or FURFC) is a men's

college rugby College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States of America. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the ...

team based at

Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...

Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the New York metropolitan area ...

. The nickname for the FURFC is the Red Ruggers. The Red Ruggers compete in the Division 1-A Liberty Rugby Conference which is governed by

USA Rugby USA Rugby (officially the United States of America Rugby Football Union, Ltd.) is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. Its role is to achieve and maintain “high levels of quality in all aspects of rugb ...

. The club's motto is ''Consensio, Contributum et Fidelitas'' which captures the club's philosophy to emphasize teamwork, contribution, and loyalty to the club and each other.

History

The FURFC celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2018. The FURFC was established in 1963 and is the longest continuously running sport club at

. The club has grown considerably over the past 10 years, and now includes over 60 students. The Red Ruggers successfully concluded the Fall 2008 season with an 8-1 record winning the MET NY RFU Division 2 Title and advancing to the Northeast RFU Division 2 Semifinals. During the Spring 2008 season, the Red Ruggers split two matches with the Bahamian national team on the '08 spring break rugby tour in

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...

and participated in the Beast Of The East tournament in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

. The rugby club's longtime moderator Paul I Davis was a key figure in rugby club history (1930–2008). After winning the Division II Tri-State Rugby Conference in 2015, the Red Ruggers moved to the Division IAA East Coast Rugby Conference in 2016. In 2017, the Red Ruggers moved to the highest level of college rugby when it joined the Division 1-A Liberty Rugby Conference. 2019 Stats are 4-2 Former Red Ruggers

Paul Sheehy Paul Sheehy (born August 14, 1963) is an American former Rugby union footballer for the United States. He started four matches for the U.S. in 1991–1992, including two starts at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. His position was fullback. Sheehy was ...

'81 competed for the

USA Eagles The United States men's national rugby union team represents the United States in men's international rugby union. Nicknamed the Eagles, it is controlled by USA Rugby, the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United Stat ...

at the

1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France: at the time, the five European countries who participated in the Five Nations Championship. This was ...

and Will Brazier '05 competed for the

United States national rugby league team The United States national rugby league team represents the United States in international rugby league football competitions. The team is managed by the USA Rugby League (USARL). The United States competed with little success in some internat ...

at the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup.

Paul I. Davis oral history

The following conversation with longtime club supporter and moderator Paul I. Davis occurred on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the Fairfield University Rugby Club. An

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

, it captures the late Davis's historical knowledge and perspective of the rugby club. The interviewees include former players and longtime club supporters Mark Feeley, Chris Grauert, Tom Connor, and Kurt Schlicting. The interview was conducted at Alumni House on the campus of Fairfield University on October 24, 2008. PID FURFC Plaque

Paul I. Davis Interview Part 1 of 6Paul I. Davis Interview Part 2 of 6Paul I. Davis Interview Part 3 of 6Paul I. Davis Interview Part 4 of 6Paul I. Davis Interview Part 5 of 6Paul I. Davis Interview Part 6 of 6

Accomplishments

Rugby pitch

The home Rugby Pitch of the Red Ruggers is the Lt. Hans Grauert Memorial Field. Christopher Grauert, '68 and his mother, Leila B. Grauert, donated the rugby pitch to Fairfield in 2003 in honor of his brother Lt. Hans Grauert, who was a naval aviator lost at sea during the Vietnam War. During the dedication ceremony at the FURFC 40th Anniversary Celebration, Grauert read a letter written by his mother to honor the players and the esteemed tradition of hard efforts on and off the field of the Red Ruggers. In the letter, Grauert's mother wrote, "Like everyone else in this room, Hans possessed the traits which personify every rugger—athleticism, good sportsmanship, and a zest for life. This rugby pitch resides in the softest part of my heart and will always remain 'God's Little Acre' to me!"

People

Hall of Fame

*Doug Ciacci (1965) - co-founder of the Fairfield University Rugby Football Club as an undergraduate during the Fall of 1963 *Paul Davis - longtime club supporter/moderator since 1963 and Professor Emeritus of History *Christopher Galvin (1972) - two-time team MVP who served as team captain and player-coach from 1971 to 1972

Notable alumni

* Will Brazier '05 - plays for the

USA Tomahawks The United States national rugby league team represents the United States in international rugby league football competitions. The team is managed by the USA Rugby League (USARL). The United States competed with little success in some internat ...

USA Falcons The USA Falcons was one of two national representative rugby union teams from the United States that competed in the North America 4 Series. History Formation The Falcons were founded in 2005 by the NA4 Committee. The NA4 Committee is made up o ...

Connecticut Wildcats Rugby league has been played in the United States by club teams since the 1970s. In that time a number of amateur and semi-professional clubs have been established and ended up going defunct. American National Rugby League *Aston Bulls (1998–2 ...

and Old Blue Rugby Football Club *Tim Kreen '67 - cofounded the Essex Rugby Club (later became the OMEX Rugby Club); cofounded the Ridgewood RAYS Rugby Association *

- played for the

at the

; member of the Washington Rugby Football Club Hall of FameWashington Rugby Hall of Fame
/ref> *Brad Troup '03 - played for the

Annual record

References

External links

*
Friends of Fairfield
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfield University Rfc Fairfield Stags Rugby union teams in Connecticut