Rugby Shorts
Rugby has a long history in the United States and it was on this day in rugby history in 1912 that the U.S.A. Eagles played their first international match taking on the Australia Wallabies in Berkeley.
The visitors won the match 12-8.
The match was a part of the Wallabies tour of the U.S. and Canada. During the trip, Australia also played Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley and probably featured more partying as playing. The Wallaby team found lodging in college fraternity houses and Bob Adamson said of the trip, “We were never in bed. That was the trouble. I’ve never had such a time in my life.”
It was no surprise that the first international match was played in California as the state was a hotbed, and really one of the few places with organized rugby union, for the sport.
Rugby Birthdays
1973 – Brendan Laney, Scottish rugby player
1982 – Jannie du Plessis, South African rugby player
