Maud’s History – Part 1 – Tulane’s Beginning

The Early Years of Rugby in Louisiana:

The Tulane University and New Orleans Clubs, and Union Affiliations

PART 1:  Tulane University

 

Peter J. Maud

 

 

The following is an attempt to document the early history of the sport of rugby in the State of Louisiana primarily documenting the contributions of the Tulane University Club, the New Orleans Rugby Club and early union affiliations. This report is based upon the personal recollections of the author, some published media reports, and copies of official club and union files which were retained by the author following his departure from the New Orleans area. (Some original data was sent to Ed. Lee, Secretary of the Eastern Rugby Union.) Unfortunately records are incomplete and any reader who can supply missing data is encouraged to contact the author in order to update this report. The author was a member of the Tulane University Club from 1967 to 1970, of the New Orleans Club from its initial year of formation in 1973 to 1979, and the founding president of the Louisiana Rugby Union. In the Fall of 1979 he departed New Orleans due to professional advancement opportunities.

The first rugby game to be played by a Louisiana team occurred in the Spring of 1967.  The Southeast Louisiana University Rugby Club from Hammond played either one or two games that Spring, evidently just prior to the formation of the Tulane University Club.

History of Tulane University Rugby Club – 1967 to 1970

 

The first games played by the Tulane Rugby Club team took place in the spring of 1967 against the Baylor Medical College club and, as the majority of the Tulane team was from the medical school, the game was billed as “the battle of the young doctors”. Evidently Baylor was victorious. The Tulane club had primarily been founded by two medical students, Michael Keyes and Howard Goldberg, who had the initial intention to found a field hockey team. Evidently, according to an article written by Keyes in the Hullabaloo, the Tulane student newspaper, “a lack of money, competition and coaching practically precluded starting a hockey squad, so it was decided to play rugby instead”. (1)

The club, shortly after its founding, was fortunate enough to enlist the help of Arnold DuPisani, a member of the South African consular office in New Orleans, to coach and play scrum half for the team. Other early members besides Keyes and Goldberg, included medical students Bill Terry, the team captain, Jay Scully, Pete “the boot” Anderson, Brian Travis, Mike Maffet, Joe Chiapella, George Stelling, and Pat Schow, ably assisted by Nick Price (architecture), Fred King (law), Randy Starett (Business), Pat Kelly ( LSU Med. School anatomy professor) and Peter Maud (Tulane faculty) who took on the coaching responsibility after DuPisani’s departure for his home in South Africa. Others from the 1967 – 1970 era included Stan Smith, Ken Roy, Tim O’Mara, Bob Urann, Howard Sheridan, Nick Mantus, Brian Francis and probably the first undergraduate to play, Bob Edmundson, followed by John Howe. Apologies are extended to those whose names do not appear. Nobuo Hayashi (Tulane faculty) became the Tulane coach for the club beginning in the Fall of 1970.

Club team records for the 1967- 68 are not available but are for the second (1968 – 1969) season where the club first team had a 14 – 4 – 0 record, out scoring their opponents by 226 points to 91. The newly formed second team played four games, winning 3 and losing 1. For the third season (1969 – 1970) the first team record was 11- 9 – 1, (285 points for versus 162 against) with the second team only playing one game which they won.

                         Tulane University Rugby Club, 1967 – 1968 Season         

 No records available.                  

           Tulane University Rugby Club, 1968 – 1969 Season

                                                   

                                                                                       Results

 

                                                                                   “A” Team

Date                         Opponent                                 Venue                      Result                      Score

10/27/68  Southeastern Louisiana College                                Away                         W                          11 – 8

11/02/68  Memphis Wanderers                                                Home                          W                          16 – 0

11/03/68  Memphis Wanderers                                                Home                          W                          21 –10

11/09/68  Pensacola                                                 Home                            W                        21 – 3

11/17/68  Southeastern Louisiana College                               Home                          W                          26 – 10

12/07/68  Memphis Wanderers                                                Away                          L                             3 – 8

12/08/68  Memphis Wanderers                                                Away                         W                          12 – 0

02/02/69  Pensacola                                                 Home                          L                             3 – 8

02/15/69  University of Denver*                                             Home                          W                            8 – 3

02/15/69 Baylor Medical School*                           Home                          W                            6 – 5

02/16/69  University of Wisconsin*                        Home                          W                          12 – 0

03/09/69  Southeastern Louisiana College                               Away                          W                          20 – 0

03/16/69  Pensacola                                                 Away                          W                            3 – 0

03/29/69  Rice University                                        Away                          L                             6 – 13

03/30/69  Baylor Medical School                             Away                          L                             3 – 17

04/13/69  Southeastern Louisiana College                               Home                          W                          20 – 0

04/19/69  Springhill College                                     Home                          W                          19 – 0

05/10/69  Southeastern Louisiana College                               Away                          W                          16 – 6

                                                                            “B” Team

Date         Opponent                                                 Venue                      Result                      Score

03/16/69  Pensacola                                                 Away                          L                           3 – 5

04/20/69  New Orleans Blues**                                              Home                          W                          17 – 8

04/26/69  Springhill College                                     Away                          W                            8 – 5

05/10/69  New Orleans Blues**                                              Away                          W                          17 – 8

*  Tulane Mardi Gras Tournament

**First year of the New Orleans Blues club formation.                    

Tulane University Rugby Club Results, 1969 – 1970 Season

                                                    

                                                                                      Results

 

                                                                                   “A” Team

Date                         Opponent                                 Venue                      Result                      Score

10/05/69  New Orleans Blues                                    Home                       W                           39 – 6

10/12/69  Springhill College                                     Away                         W                           11 – 0

10/19/69  Pensacola                                                 Home                         W                           16 – 6

10/25/69  Notre Dame University                            Home                         L                            12 – 17

11/02/69  Hammond*                                              Away                         W                           15 – 0

11/16/69  Pensacola                                                 Away                         L                            10 – 13

11/22/69  Memphis State University                        Home                         W                           42 – 3

11/23/69  Pensacola                                                 Home                         W                           15 – 13

12/07/69  Memphis State University**                    Away                         L                              3 – 6

12/08/69  Huntsville**                                            Away                         W                           26 – 0

02/07/70  Holy Cross University***                       Home                         L                              8 – 13

02/07/70  University of Wisconsin “B”***                             Home                         W                           25 – 0

02/08/70  Denver Barbarians***                             Home                         W                              8 – 3

02/28/70  Pensacola                                                 Home                         L                            11 – 21

03/01/70  Springhill College                                     Home                         W                           21 – 8

03/08/70  Hammond*                                              Away                         L                               6 – 11

03/21/70  Pensacola                                                 Away                         L                            Forfeit

04/04/70  Springhill College                                     Away                         L                               3 – 11

04/05/70  Hammond                                                                Home                         W                              8 – 5

04/11/70  Freeport (Bahamas)                                 Away                         L                               6 – 26

04/11/70  Freeport “A” (Bahamas)                          Away                         T                                   0 – 0

                                                                           

“B” Team

Date         Opponent                                                 Venue                      Result                      Score

10/25/69 Springhill College                                     Home                         W                           8 – 5

* The Southeastern Louisiana College Club became a city team for some time.

**The Liberty Bowl Rugby Tournament

***Tulane Mardi Gras Tournament