On a dark Sunday morning, in 1974, four veteran players from a North St. Louis rugby club and Harry Langenburg, a rugby enthusiast, met in Forest Park. The player’s pockets were empty, but Harry was willing to put up the money to start a new club -- The Sunday Morning Rugby club. Procuring players from other teams plus a few upstart rookies, they banded together to form a “competitive” team.
The Sunday Morning Rugby Club has continuously maintained a strong rugby presence in the city of St Louis since the club’s inception. SMRC is the only rugby club in the city of St Louis to own and maintain a clubhouse. The current clubhouse, on Gravois Avenue in the Bevo area, was a dilapidated building in part of the distressed but now resurging Southside neighborhood. The club members and their supporters have renovated the building helping to enliven “their neighborhood” and further strengthen their bond to the community, each other and love of Rugby.
Annually, the team holds a golf tournament in memory of the team’s members who have passed away. The proceeds are donated to charity. Traditionally the proceeds have gone to another Southside institution, the Southside Daycare which provides community support through income moderated child-care.
The team travels internationally to promote rugby and good-will. Past trips have included England, Wales, Spain, Jamaica and Ireland in 2008. Argentina is the next planed international trip slated for 2010.
Since the inception of Sunday Morning Rugby Club the team has maintained a "Club House" for social events and conducting team business. Over the years this has developed into the Club side of Sunday Morning Rugby which members include retired players, present players, and those who have a love of the sport rugby. more here
Information on the more detailed story of how the club was started are being gathered now...
Legends of the club soon to follow...
