The Las Vegas Blackjacks Rugby Football Club (Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC) was a rugby union team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were members of the Southern California Rugby Football Union and competed in the Senior Men's 1st (Red) Division of USA Rugby.[1]
 | |||
| Full name | Las Vegas Rugby Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | USA Rugby | ||
| Nickname(s) | Blackjacks | ||
| Founded | 1976 | ||
| Ground(s) | Charlie Frias Park | ||
| President | Thomas Carter | ||
| Coach(es) | Herve Mazzocco | ||
| League(s) | SCRFU Division I | ||
| |||
| Official website | |||
| www | |||
The Blackjacks finished in fourth place at the USA Rugby Nationals - Division I Tournament and won their first SCRFU Regular Season title in 2008. The Blackjacks won the regular season again in 2009 and made it to the National Final where they lost to the Gentlemen of Aspen. Redemption was found in 2010 as the boys claimed the nations top prize with a win in the national final against Belmont Shore.
History
editThe Las Vegas Rugby Club was established in 1976, following a newspaper advertisement to recruit players for a local rugby club. The Blackjacks have reached the National Final 4 competition three times since 2006 and were the national runner-up in 2009. The club finally reached the mountain top as they edged Belmont Shore for the 2010 National Championship.
In 2010, LVRC signed a player development agreement with Top 14 side, Montpellier Hérault RC. The agreement with Montpellier will have the French side sending young players to play with LVRC during France's offseason, while allowing amateur players with the Blackjacks the opportunity to play top-level professional rugby.[2]
Season-by-season record
editNote: W = Wins, L = Losses, D = Draws, Pts = Points, PF = Points for, PA = Points against
| Season | W | L | D | Pts | PF | PA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2003 | 4 | 7 | 0 | - | 174 | 283 | 5th, Division I | USA Sweet 16 |
| 2004 | 2 | 6 | 0 | - | 130 | 278 | 6th Division I | |
| 2005 | 2 | 7 | 1 | - | 142 | 226 | 7th, Division I | |
| 2006 | 9 | 4 | 0 | - | 347 | 174 | 2nd, Division I | National Semifinalist |
| 2007 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 219 | 250 | 4th, Division I | Lost in Round of 32 |
| 2008 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 375 | 130 | 1st, Division I | National Quarterfinals |
| 2009 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 192 | 45 | T-1st, Division I | National Finalists |
| 2010 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 309 | 115 | 2nd, Division I | National Champions |
| 2011 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 285 | 323 | 5th, Division I | DNQ |
Sponsors
editThe Blackjacks were sponsored by several different companies, including McMullan's Irish Pub, Bugsy's Bar and Grill, and the Megapixel Cafe. Canterbury of New Zealand is the official merchandise supplier of the team in 2012.[3]
Honors
editClub Championships
edit- USA Rugby Premier Division
- Champions - 2010
- 2nd Place - 2009
- 4th Place - 2006
- SCRFU Division I
- Gainy Cup Champions - 2009
- Regular Season Champions - 2008
- Playoff Champions - 2008
References
edit- ^ "2008 Schedule and Results". Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
- ^ Mita, Hepi (May 15, 2010). "Vegas rugby club enters into player agreement with French pro team". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "Sponsors". Las Vegas Blackjacks RFC. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
External links
edit- Official Site
- SCRFU Official Site
- USA Rugby
- Las Vegas Rugby League Facebook
- Las Vegas Rugby Union Facebook
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