1967....When it all began

Austin Rugby Football Club was founded in the spring of 1967, the first club in the Southwestern United States and later that year played the first match in Texas, defeating Baylor Medical School of Houston. Austin RFC has since gone on to record many other rugby "firsts" in the 29 years following the inaugural match: 1969, hosted the first tournament, now in it's 28th consecutive year; 1971, founding member of the Texas Rugby Union; 1972 hosted the first touring side to Texas - Club Champagnat of Buenos Aires; 1978, became the first rugby club in the United States to purchase its own grounds; 1985 built a clubhouse and is still one of only two rugby clubs in the United States with their own clubhouse and grounds.

Austin RFC fields two sides in the Texas Rugby Union first division, a social third side, and organizes occasional Over 35's veterans matches (Waterloo). Austin RFC has won Texas Rugby Union championships in 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1984. For the 1994-1995 season, Austin's 1st XV, the blacks, were third in the Texas RFU's first division league play, while the Golds (Austin's second XV) took second place in the league. The Austin RFC colors are black and gold.

Austin is known for it's hospitality and is a venue for most tours to Texas and the Southwestern U.S., having played more than 60 foreign touring sides. Austin players have been tourists, as well as hosts, with rugby tours to Canada in 1976, England , Wales and Scotland in 1984, Grand Cayman Island in 1990, and again in England and Wales in 1995. In 1997 Austin is planning a major South American tour.

In July 1992, Austin RFC incorporated and began a reorganization of the club structure and perspective, seeking to expand its stature within the community. No longer satisfied with being simply a competitive social rugby club, the club by 1994 has created a truly corporate organization focused on community activities, charitable work and a closer corporation and involvement with the business community in Austin. In August 1994, Austin installed its first water sprinkler system on field 1 with the goal of a similar irrigation system for field 2 and 3 within the next 2 years. Our current goals are to remodel and improve the interior of our clubhouse as to provide a professional and comfortable environment suitable for corporate picnics and other community recreational activity use such as soccer, lacrosse, little league football, etc.