Belmont Shore RFC
Encyclopedia
Belmont Shore Rugby Football Club is a United States
rugby union
team named after the Belmont Shore
neighborhood of Long Beach, California
, which has a tradition of amateur rugby.
team in 2005, and to the San Diego
-based Old Mission Beach Athletic Club
team in 2006.
Belmont Shore dropped out of the Rugby Super League in October, 2009.
and Dr Pepper
/7Up. Also DCL Direct (Direct Container Line) and Kudu Rugby.
(which has made the National Final Four on four occasions),
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rugby union
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...
team named after the Belmont Shore
Belmont Shore, Long Beach, California
Belmont Shore is a neighborhood in Long Beach, California. It is home to many shops, restaurants, salons and business offices.-Geography:Belmont Shore spans 2nd Street and Ocean Avenue near the southernmost part of the city between Bluff Park on the west and Naples Island on the East...
neighborhood of Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, which has a tradition of amateur rugby.
History
The Belmont Shore team was founded in 1974, and was one of the original US Rugby Super League teams in 1997. The team has been in the Super League Finals in seven of the past ten championships. They have been league champions four times, most recently in 2007. They were runners-up to the New York Athletic ClubNew York Athletic Club RFC
The New York Athletic Club Rugby Football Club is a SuperLeague rugby union team based in New York City. As the team name suggests, NYAC RFC is affiliated with the New York Athletic Club.-Sponsorship:...
team in 2005, and to the San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
-based Old Mission Beach Athletic Club
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC
Old Mission Beach Athletic Club Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in San Diego, California. OMBAC RFC is directly affiliated with the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club...
team in 2006.
Belmont Shore dropped out of the Rugby Super League in October, 2009.
Club honours
- Rugby Super League Champions: 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007
- Rugby Super League Runner-up: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008
- US Men's Division I National Championship Runner-up: 2010
- US Men's 7's National Championship: 2009
- US Men's 7's National Runner-Up: 2008, 2010
Teams
Belmont Shore features adult and youth divisions. The adult division competes in Division I; the youth division features 6 teams - U-9 through U19.Sponsorship
The SuperLeague's primary sponsor is Michelob Amber Bock, with each individual team receiving a portion of those revenues. In addition to Amber Bock, Belmont Shore has individual sponsorships. Notable primary sponsors include CP ShipsCP Ships
CP Ships was a large Canadian container shipping company, prior to being taken over by Hapag Lloyd in late 2005. CP Ships had its head office in the City of Westminster in London and later in the City Place Gatwick development on the property of London Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex.The...
and Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
/7Up. Also DCL Direct (Direct Container Line) and Kudu Rugby.
Current Eagles
- Mike HercusMike HercusMike Hercus is a retired American rugby union footballer who played at fly-half for the USA Eagles and several top level professional clubs around the globe....
, fly-half, thirty-six international capsCap (sport)In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, 387 international points. - Chris Ostentowski, prop, eight international caps
- Francois ViljoenFrancois ViljoenFrancois Viljoen is an American rugby union fullback. He is a member of the United States national rugby union team and participated with the squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.-References:...
, fullback, thirteen international caps (63 points in international tests)
Other Notable Players
- Craig Wells,centre,Australia U21 - 1990,91, NSW Waratahs - 1991,92(10 x caps),Australian Wallaby Squad & Australia "B" - 1991,ACT Brumbies Super 12s - 1998,99(2 x caps),Australian Classic Wallabies - 1999,New Zealand NPC 1st Division - 1999 (Southland),Holland National Champion - 2004(Castricum),USA Super League National Champion - 2004,07(Belmont Shore),USA Classic Eagles - 2008
Other rugby teams in Long Beach
Besides Belmont Shore RFC, there is the Belmont Shore Women's Rugby Football Club (nicknamed the "Landsharks", they have two national championships), Coast Women's RFC, and a mens club team at Long Beach StateCalifornia State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
(which has made the National Final Four on four occasions),