Black Sheep Rugby Club

In the mid 1970's, St. Louis Missouri was a hotbed of Rugby Union play. The Missouri Rugby Football Union had experienced growth to the point of organizing three divisions of Rugby and Clubs representing both geographic and demographic diversity. Games were played in Forest Park on Sundays from early February through May. A major tournament was hosted every Easter. As many as 48 teams from around the country competed on three levels during the Easter Ruggerfest weekend.

In the elite First Division of Missouri Union play, the rivalry between the Falcons, the St. Louis Bombers, and the Ramblers was spirited and intense. The Falcons were the physical presence; many of their starting fifteen were only available during daylight hours and with the permission of their parole officers. They were as likely to bite you in the stomach, as they were to knock out several of your teeth. Their backs had enough speed to score easily after their pack had softened up the opposition. They competed successfully on the national level finishing second in the nation in two consecutive years. They were always competitive and dangerous, to opposing Rugby players and underage girls.

The Bombers were the largest club in St. Louis. Well organized and well coached they were adaptable and arrogant. Dressed in black they always looked impressive. Their inability to beat the Falcons should have tempered this arrogance but somehow they were able to ignore the annual defeats and remains aloof. Intelligence marked some of their members and they were able to converse in English at most times. The women who hung around the Bombers had all been recycled at least twice. Most had dated a back first and then one of the pack and most likely had married at least twice before they turned 24. They were not opposed to changing partners at the half.

The Ramblers Club tried to have a touch of class with sideline picnics, champagne toasts and unscarred chins. Their women, however, were hideous, and an indication of the shallowness of their gene pool. They would compete with the Falcons or Bombers but never win.

The next tier of clubs included the Norsemen (North St. Louis), the Highlanders, and the Hornets. These clubs were distinguished by differing social attributes. This being the 70's, drug use was one of these identifiers along with the early indications of more diverse sexual orientations. For these clubs this diversity did not center just on gender but also other species. While competing in Division I they would never threaten the top teams, and in fact would limp off the field after playing them, cursing the MRFU, blaming the referees, and pledging a life of sobriety and chastity. Like a Division I Championship, these were goals they would aspire to, but never achieve

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