The Shreveport Rugby Football Club (RFC) recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking a significant milestone for the oldest continuously-run sports club in the area. If you attend a match expecting just a simple sporting event, you will quickly learn that there is so much more to rugby. The commemorative game, which took place January 21, showcased the Club’s athleticism, while the other events allowed equally important principles of camaraderie, inclusivity, commitment, diversity, encouragement, tradition, and leadership to surface.
A number of social events led up to the January 21 match against the Dallas Diablos, drawing current and former members of the Shreveport RFC family from across the country. On Thursday, January 19, the anniversary celebration kicked off with the “Gary Kennedy Memorial Beer Toss” at downtown Shreveport’s Crystal Stairs. Kennedy, who passed away in 2015, was a founding member of the Shreveport RFC in 1977, along with Steve “Sooto” Timmons. According to Drew Tomsak, current President and Coach of the Club, Kennedy was “a great man whose legacy continues through current members helping the next generation of players learn the values he stood for: honor, family, and determination.”
These sentiments were echoed by others throughout the weekend. Shreveport RFC veteran player John Cush spoke specifically to the determination needed to succeed, and also to the strong sense of community among players, under the backdrop of vintage footage of past games. “I’ve played for 20-something years, I was captain for a long time, and I’ve coached for a long time. What I’ve tried to explain to the boys is there’s a spot for everybody, if you want it. You can do as well as you can do and we’ll help you do at least what you think you can, and probably help you do [things] you could never even imagine. It’s communal. The funny part about rugby is, if you’re around it, it doesn’t have to be promoted. It promotes itself. Very rarely will you ever find rugby players telling other people, ‘You can’t do this.’ It’s always, ‘Yes you can, there’s a spot for everybody.’ You have to figure out your spot and then you have to try your best and excel at it.”
On Friday, January 20, friends and family met at Crystal Stairs for the NWLA Rugby Foundation and Sooto Productions 40th anniversary kickoff event. With live music and guests reminiscing about every decade of the Club’s history, the well-attended event was part celebration and part fundraiser, benefitting the NWLA Rugby Foundation. Donations and raffle ticket sales supplement the sponsorships provided by area businesses, including Red Ball Oxygen Co., Eco Mulch & Sod, Horseshoe Casino, Eagle Distributing, the Noble Savage Tavern, Colonial Life, and Pepsi, as well as assistance from the Caddo Parish Commission. These contributions support various functions of the Club, including travel costs and the cultivation of new members, particularly area youth.
Some of these next generation players could be seen in action on Saturday morning, as the men’s game was preceded by Captain Shreve High School versus Brother Martin High School (New Orleans). Shreveport now has two area high school teams, with coaching provided by current players on the Shreveport Men’s Club. Tomsak explained, “The planning [for the high school program] began in 2014 but didn’t get kicked off. . .until last year. Shreveport Area Rugby Club (SHARC) is for all youth and high school players and as schools get enough players, [there will be] spinoff programs.” The high school program currently boasts 60 players, with an additional 100 youth and middle school players engaged in “Rookie Rugby.” In addition to the high school program, there are also current and former players helping to coach at Louisiana Tech, Letourneau University, Stephen F. Austin State University, and East Texas Baptist University.
At 2:00pm, the main event kicked off, with Shreveport ultimately remaining undefeated in an 83-0 victory against the Diablos. The Club has two seasons, October through May, including 15a player rugby, which Tomsak describes as “more physical and brutal,” as well as 7a player rugby, “the faster wide open play that was showcased at the Olympics this last year,” and only five games remain in this season. The team continues to lead their division, adding a third shut-out to their current four-win record. Both teams are two of the five competing in the Red River Conference North division, with the full conference covering all of Texas, northern Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Shreveport RFC is not unfamiliar with victory, having seen their most successful season in 2008-2009, when the Club made it to the final 16 nationally under the coaching leadership of Timmons, eventually being defeated by Los Angeles.
The weekend culminated in a post-game social event at the Noble Savage Tavern, where many of the 45 active players and 75 “Old Boys” were able to host the visiting team for celebration and libations. Welcoming out-of-towners is not an unusual phenomenon for the Club, as the membership itself is comprised of 40% local members, 40% military members, and 20% foreign members, hailing from Australia, Ireland, England, and New Zealand. The Dallas Diablos, established in 2002, showcased a similarly diverse membership, specifically focusing on “recruiting players of all ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations.”
The team was also joined by members of Shreveport Women’s Rugby, which currently has four registered players and five members practicing to be game-ready, all of whom are engaged in non-contact training drills alongside their male counterparts. Nancy Campbell, Senior Member, is a Level 300 Certified Coach who began playing rugby in 1984 at Florida State University and has been a member of the Shreveport group since 2014. Campbell explained that while new local members are being developed, current players have joined with the Dallas Harlequins Women’s Rugby Football Club, competing in the Red River Conference Division I League. According to Campbell, “This iteration of women’s rugby in Shreveport started in 2015. . .[as a] concerted effort to organize women in Shreveport to play more rugby and expose more women to the sport.” Campbell added that, “The men of Shreveport Rugby have been very welcoming and receptive to having women practice with them and attend club social events. Rugby is a very inclusive sport. We also enjoy attending their games and supporting their club. . .[T]he social aspect of rugby is a unique component to this sport that is also very important.”
Tomsak, who began playing rugby in 1996 at Louisiana Tech, has been a member of the Shreveport RFC since 2000. He emphasized that rugby is beneficial to our community, a perspective that became apparent while attending the various events. “We help with high school prep for rugby in college and recruit players in college to choose Shreveport, [connecting them] with local business[es] looking for recent graduates.”
Campbell shared similar views. “[R]ugby is an asset in any community because of its inclusiveness, body positivity, and positive impact on health and fitness. No player is turned away, and in playing the sport, you realize that everyone on the team has a unique role and a valued skill set. It’s a huge boost of self esteem and the rugby community is very tight-knit and supportive of each other. Rugby. . .welcome[s] people of all body types. . .[and] all potential players, with or without experience.”
Shreveport RFC’s next game will be at home against the Alliance Rugby Club on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at 2:00pm at A.C. Steere Park. A full schedule is available on their website and updates are also posted on the Club’s Facebook Page.
For more information on joining the Shreveport RFC: Come to trainings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm at A.C. Steere Park
For more information on Shreve Gators High School Rugby: Greg Baswell, 318-218-4542
For more information on SHARC: Sam Brock, 318-208-9434
For more information on Shreveport Women’s Rugby: Contact via Facebook at Shreveport Women’s Rugby
For more information on sponsorship opportunities: www.shreveportrugbyclub.com
Author’s Note: In addition to those quoted, special thanks to Rick Turner and Lee Slack for their assistance in developing this article.