The Boston College Rugby Football Club, or BCRFC, is a collegiate 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 that represents Boston College

Boston College

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...

. It competes in the New England Rugby Football Union

New England Rugby Football Union

The New England Rugby Football Union is a stand-alone union for rugby union teams in New England.NERFU had been a local area union , and part of the Northeast Rugby Union , which is the governing body for three LAU's The New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) is a stand-alone union for rugby...

 (NERFU). Like other Boston College athletic teams, BC ruggers are called the Eagles

Boston College Eagles

The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...

. With over 90 members, BC Rugby is one of the largest athletic teams at Boston College.

History

The Boston College Rugby Football Club celebrated its Centennial Season in 2005, making it one of the oldest rugby teams in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The Club was formally organized in its present state in 1968. BCRFC's stated mission is to commit to the highest level of achievement on the pitch, in the classroom, and after graduation. In recent years, an additional emphasis on community service has reinforced the Club's commitment to the University's Jesuit ideals. Many BCRFC alumni go on to participate in BC's Old Gold Rugby Football Club.

Records & highlights

BC Rugby has consistently performed well, most recently going undefeated for an unprecedented three seasons in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Highlights of 2006 included capturing a Jesuit Invitational crown in Fairfield, Connecticut

Fairfield, Connecticut

Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...

, going 2-1 at the 40th annual Cherry Blossom Tournament in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, and advancing to the NRU semifinals in Batavia, New York where they were defeated by Harvard. BCRFC finished 8-2 on the 2006 season, placing 3rd in the Northeast Rugby Union

Northeast Rugby Union

The Northeast Rugby Union is the Territorial Area Union for rugby union teams playing in the Northeastern United States . It is one of seven TAU's that govern specific regions of USA Rugby.-LAU's:...

. The Eagles' undefeated play in the NERFU's White League gave them 1st place in the league.

Also in 2006, Joe Hughes, BC ’03, was selected for the United States National Rugby Team

United States national rugby union team

USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...

, to compete in the Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....

 in 2007.

Academics & community service

Although it competes at the highest intercollegiate level, Boston College Rugby is officially a club sport as determined by the Boston College Athletics Association. Membership is open to any Boston College undergraduate. As such, BCRFC membership reflects the diversity of Boston College and embodies the University's motto, "Ever to Excel

Ever to Excel

"Ever to Excel" is the English translation of the Ancient Greek αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν . It has been used as motto by a number of different educational institutions.-History:...

". The Club's emphasis on academic achievement is evident in an average GPA of 3.4. Members of the Club partake in the University's Honors Program, and many have been inducted into honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Nu

Alpha Sigma Nu

Alpha Sigma Nu was founded at Marquette University in 1915 by John Danihy, S.J., Dean of Journalism. In his travels and reading, Father Danihy had encountered and admired honor societies...

. Several have won Fulbright scholarships and other prestigious post-graduate fellowships and awards. In addition to their many academic accomplishments, the BC ruggers fulfill regular service commitments to the Special Olympics

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....

, The American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

 and Nativity Prep, a tuition-free Jesuit middle school for inner-city students in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

.

Facilities

BCRFC's historic home pitch is St. John's Field on Boston College's Brighton campus. In the fall of 1994, owing to misunderstanding with the University administration, use of St. John's Field was suspended. During the subsequent 11 years, BC Rugby made use of other facilities including BC's Newton Soccer Complex, Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at John Shea Field, and Alumni Stadium

Alumni Stadium

Alumni Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, approximately sixmiles west of downtown Boston. The stadium lies within the city limits of Boston, although its postal address is Chestnut Hill. It is the home of the Boston College Eagles...

, as well as several off-campus locations. These arrangements proved unsatisfactory, and in the fall of 2005, use of St. John's Field was restored.

In addition to St. John's Field, BCRFC still makes occasional use of Shea Field. The annual Alumni Game is held in Alumni Stadium.