Bay Area Pelicans
Encyclopedia
The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club (RFC) is a men's rugby
club in the Tampa Bay Area
. The team was founded in St. Petersburg
, Florida
in 1977.
The team consists of non-professional players and is sanctioned by USA Rugby to compete in men's Division II. The Pelicans have won the Florida Cup several times (the last in 2004), and competed in the USA Rugby national championships on many occasions. The team is currently coached by Malakai Tubavuya (Malakai Delai) who has played for the USA Eagles at XV and 7's.
About Pelican Rugby Football Club Inc
Pelican Rugby Football Club Inc is dedicated to the promotion and development of the sport of rugby football in the greater Tampa Bay area.
PRFC, founded in 1977, is the oldest active rugby club in Florida. The team attracts many players with and without rugby playing experience who enjoy the club's close-knit social fellowship and enthusiastic level of play. PRFC train new ruggers from scratch and regularly fields a ‘B’ team men’s side, a Summer 7’s team, an Olde Boys (35 and Older) side, an U19 youth team and plans are in place to start a women’s team. The club is registered with the national governing rugby body, http://membership.usarugby.org/PublicRosterRpt.aspx, and competes in the Florida Rugby Union (FRU)] Division 2, which includes clubs throughout Florida.
Membership
All PRFC members are dues paying at all levels; Active Full, Social, Family, etc
The club has diverse mix of nationalities with the majority being from the USA along with members from South Africa, Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, France and New Zealand.
Community Service & Social Events
Volunteers to support the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and has adopted the PCF as the clubs official charity.
Family Day & BBQ at Ft DeSoto Park, AGM, Awards Night, Host Gulf Coast 7's Tournament, Host Gulf Coast 10's Tournament
Club Organization:
Chairman - Peter Gibson
Secretary - Russ Boring
Treasurer - Craig Chalmers
Manager - Nick Fraser
Recruiting Officer - Mark 'Speedy' McDonough
Fixture Secretary – Gill Heagy
Tournament / Events Director - Mark 'Hawkeye' Hawkins
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club in the Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
. The team was founded in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1977.
The team consists of non-professional players and is sanctioned by USA Rugby to compete in men's Division II. The Pelicans have won the Florida Cup several times (the last in 2004), and competed in the USA Rugby national championships on many occasions. The team is currently coached by Malakai Tubavuya (Malakai Delai) who has played for the USA Eagles at XV and 7's.
About Pelican Rugby Football Club Inc
Pelican Rugby Football Club Inc is dedicated to the promotion and development of the sport of rugby football in the greater Tampa Bay area.
PRFC, founded in 1977, is the oldest active rugby club in Florida. The team attracts many players with and without rugby playing experience who enjoy the club's close-knit social fellowship and enthusiastic level of play. PRFC train new ruggers from scratch and regularly fields a ‘B’ team men’s side, a Summer 7’s team, an Olde Boys (35 and Older) side, an U19 youth team and plans are in place to start a women’s team. The club is registered with the national governing rugby body, http://membership.usarugby.org/PublicRosterRpt.aspx, and competes in the Florida Rugby Union (FRU)] Division 2, which includes clubs throughout Florida.
Membership
All PRFC members are dues paying at all levels; Active Full, Social, Family, etc
The club has diverse mix of nationalities with the majority being from the USA along with members from South Africa, Australia, England, Scotland, Wales, France and New Zealand.
Community Service & Social Events
Volunteers to support the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and has adopted the PCF as the clubs official charity.
Family Day & BBQ at Ft DeSoto Park, AGM, Awards Night, Host Gulf Coast 7's Tournament, Host Gulf Coast 10's Tournament
Club Organization:
Chairman - Peter Gibson
Secretary - Russ Boring
Treasurer - Craig Chalmers
Manager - Nick Fraser
Recruiting Officer - Mark 'Speedy' McDonough
Fixture Secretary – Gill Heagy
Tournament / Events Director - Mark 'Hawkeye' Hawkins