Building Champions The LSU Rugby Football Club was born in the early 1970’s by members of the LSU community interested in developing a club among the student population. Among the fathers of the club, history records Rob Haswell and Jay McKenna as being the initiators of the program on campus.

Haswell, a visiting Geology instructor from South Africa, and Jay McKenna were playing in a campus flag football league. Haswell recounts that as he was running for a touchdown, McKenna followed and voiced his support of the run. McKenna’s cry of “With you!” signaled to Haswell, who played rugby in South Africa, that he was not the only rugger on the field. Coincidentally, McKenna had played for the University of Maryland. United by the interest of playing rugby in Baton Rouge, the two contacted the LSU Athletic Department who put them in contact with Hal Rose.  Rose, who transferred to LSU in 1970, had also been recruiting players that same year.  From this point, the club began to develop with Haswell acting as the club’s original coach and Rose performing the duties of a referee. In the early days, both contributed on the field as players as well.

The club grew quickly under the guidance of McKenna, Rose, and Haswell and soon had enough members to field multiple sides. The Tiger Ruggers met their first opposition in a match at Tulane University and in this contest secured the fledgling club’s first win in a 15-5 victory. Following this victory over the Green Wave, the LSURFC continued to grow around the principles of disciplined fitness and dedicated practice which facilitated the aggressive, attacking style of play that Coach Haswell sought to develop in the club. Haswell’ s philosophy of explosive and persistent offense is still evident in the team’s play in recent years. After his stay in Baton Rouge, Haswell returned to South Africa and went on to hold a seat in Parliament.

After its inaugural season, borne on early success, the team went on to win 17 consecutive matches in its 1971 season. Such success has been repeated throughout the club’s history, as double-digit streaks followed in 1976, 1983, 1991, and 1997. The ’97 season saw 22 straight victories in a 25 game season. The Tigers have posted winning seasons every year and have earned top honors in many of the nation’s most competitive tournaments. The club has been able to claim championships in the Louisiana, Deep South, and Texas Unions on numerous occasions throughout its history. Additionally, LSU won two unofficial collegiate national championships in the mid-1970s.

The club as a whole has toured England and the Bahamas, and has hosted teams from England, Wales, France, Australia, and several other countries. Visits to and from some of the top collegiate sides in the U.S. have become a yearly occurrence.

In recent history, 1990 saw a stumble for a club accustomed to winning. The Tigers secured only second place in both the Mardi Gras Tournament and Deep South RFU Collegiate Championships. In the following years, LSU won two straight Mardi Gras Championships in 1991 and 1992 and began a run of four straight Deep South Collegiate Championships. Seeking more challenging competition, the LSU Rugby Club transferred to the Texas Rugby Union in 1996 and earned second place honors in its first year. In the following year, the club posted a perfect 8-0 record in TRU play in a 22-0 season, easily clinching the regular season division title. In the championship tournament, however, LSU narrowly missed a victory in the final game, falling to Rice University, the Tigers’ main rival. This loss, determined by a single score, was heralded by spectators as one of the finest matches they had ever witnessed.