Charlotte Rugby Club, nicknamed the "Old Originals", are a 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 based in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

. They currently play in USA Rugby

USA Rugby

USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. It is divided into seven territorial Unions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Coast, Southern California, South, and West...

 Division I, and are members of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (MARFU), the organizational body for rugby in the Mid-Atlantic States

Mid-Atlantic States

The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...

, though they are in the geographical territory or USA Rugby South

USA Rugby South

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

. As such they are affiliated with both the Virginia Rugby Union and the North Carolina Rugby Union. They play home games at Skillbeck Athletic Grounds.

Charlotte Rugby Club was founded in 1971. In the ensuing decades they became one of the most dominant teams in the region, often competing for state and regional championships. As a result of their success they were invited to join the Rugby Super League, the country's highest level of rugby union competition, in 2006. They competed in the Rugby Super League from 2006–2010.

History

Charlotte RFC formed in 1971 by former college rugby players living in the Charlotte area. In 1974, some of the players decided to leave and form a separate club, the Charlotte Gargoyles. The succession prompted Charlotte RFC to adopt the nickname "Olde Originals" to distinguish themselves from the other Charlotte team. Charlotte joined the Rugby Super League in 2006; in 2010 they announced they would not compete in the 2011 Super League season.

Grounds

The Olde Originals play their matches at the Skillbeck Athletic Grounds located in Coulwood, Charlotte. Built in 1988, the grounds includes a 5,800 ft² clubhouse with a 900 ft² deck overlooking the pitch. The grounds also has an apartment for the players and a bar room for social events. When it was first built, it was considered to be one of the finest rugby facilities in the country.

External links

• Official site
• Super League
• USA Rugby
• The Skillbeck Athletic Grounds is at coordinates 35.317384°N 80.950195°W