30+ Years of Championships

By Emilito (Emil Signes)
Rev. 2007-06-09

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Although rugby in the US can be traced to the 19th century and "modern" clubs began with the New York Rugby Club's founding in 1929, the official national body "USA Rugby" was not founded until 1975, which happened to coincide with the first year (1974-75) in which Emilito coached (maintaining at that time his status as player).

Emilito is proud that - with the exception of 1977 - when a potential winning penalty kick that bounced off the crossbar denied his team a second-straight upset EPRU championship - he has coached at least one championship team in every year since the 1975 founding of USA Rugby.  These include men, women, club, college, invitational, all-star and national teams.

Two lists follow.  In the first exactly one championship team per year is selected.  Following that is a supplemental list in which Emilito tries to recounts other championships in years in which more than one team he coached won a championship.

Emilito admits that this is completely self-aggrandizing, but urges you to check it out nonetheless.


Blue = men; pink = women
* = one of multiple championships that year
# = assistant coach
Normal font = club/college, Italic = Invitational or All-Star team, underlined italic =  official USA Rugby All-Star team
Bold = National Championship
ALL CAPS = International Championship for USA

Year        15s/7s     Event (Champion)
1975        15            Lehigh Valley Tournament Champions (15s) (Bethlehem Hooligans)
1976        15            East Penn Cup Champions (15s) (Bethlehem Hooligans) #
1977        15            [none] East Penn Cup Finalists (15s) (Bethlehem Hooligans)
1978        7              Ontario Sevens Champions (Bethlehem Hooligans)
1979        7              Hibernian Sevens Champions (Bethlehem Hooligans)
1980        15            East Penn Champions (15s) (Bethlehem Hooligans) *
1981        15            Mid Atlantic Champions (15s) (Bethlehem Hooligans) *
1982        7              Hartford National Invitational Sevens Champions (Bethlehem Hooligans) *
1983        7              Schaefer Tournament Champions (7s) (Maulie Maguires) *
1984       15            North-South U-23 Champions (15s) (ERU North U-23)
1985       7              National All-Star Sevens Champions (East)
1986       7              National All-Star Sevens Champions (East) *
1987        7              ERU Sevens Champions (Bethlehem RFC) *
1988       7              HONG KONG SEVENS PLATE CHAMPIONS (USA) *
1989       7              National All-Star Sevens Champions (East)
1990        15            East Penn Champions & Undefeated Season (15s) (Bethlehem RFC) *
1991       7              Saranac Lake Can-Am Sevens Champions (US Invitational All-Stars)
1992        7              Benidorm Sevens Champions (Atlantis Women) *
1993       15           Women's National All-Star Champions (15s) (East) #
1994       7              National All-Star Sevens Champions (East, 1st and 2nd) *
1995        7              Benidorm Sevens Champions (Atlantis Men) *
1996        7              Cape Fear Sevens Champions (Atlantis Men) *
1997        7              Cape Fear Sevens Champions (Atlantis Women) *
1998       7              National All-Star Sevens Champions (Collegiate All Stars) *
1999       7              National Club Sevens Champions (Philadelphia-Whitemarsh) *
2000        7              Havana Sevens (Atlantis Men) *
2001        7              Magnificent Sevens, Ontario (Atlantis Women) *
2002        7              Brazil Winter Sevens Champions (Atlantis Women) *
2003        7              Caribbean Sevens, Trinidad (Atlantis Women) *
2004        15            East Penn Collegiate Champions (15s) (Princeton Women) *
2005        15            Ivy League Champions (15s) (Princeton Women) *
2006         7             Benidorm Sevens Plate Champions (Atlantis Men) *
2007         7             Benidorm Sevens Plate Champions (NOVA Men) *


Multiple championships include but are not limited to the following:

1980:       7              Hibernian Sevens (Bethlehem Hooligans)
                                                other sevens?
1981        7              Hibernian Sevens (Bethlehem Hooligans)
                                                other sevens?
1982        7              Rockaway Sevens (Bethlehem Hooligans)
                                                other sevens?
1983        15            Keystone Games (PA State Games) (15s) (PA Region 2) *
                7              Rockaway Sevens (Bethlehem Hooligans)
1984        7              Bethlehem Sevens (Maulie Maguires)
                7              Bethlehem Sevens (Bethlehem Hooligans) <or Bethlehem RFC?>
                15            Keystone Games (PA State Games) (15s) (PA Region 2) *
1985        7              Bethlehem Sevens (Maulie Maguires) 
1986        7              Virginia Beach Sevens (Atlantis Men)
                7              Hartford Sevens (Atlantis Men)
                7              Hibernian Sevens (Bethlehem)
1987        7              National All-Star 7s Champions (East, 1st and 2nd)
1988        7              National All-Star 7s Champions (East 1)
                7              Celtic Classic, Bethlehem (Atlantis-Cougars)
1989                        ?
1990        7              East 7s East Penn Champions (Bethlehem)
1991                        ?
1992        15            National All-Star 15s Co-Champions (East Women) – Tallahassee #
                7              National All-Star 7s Champions (East, 1st and 2nd) – VA
1993                        ?            
1994        15            National All-Star 15s Champions (East Women) – NOLA #
                                Cape Fear Sevens (Atlantis Men)
 1995       15            National All-Star 15s (East Women) – Nashville #
                7              Sofia International Sevens (Atlantis Men)
                7              National All-Star 7s Champions (East 1)
1996        7              Hong Kong International Club Sevens (Atlantis Women)
                7              New York Sevens (Atlantis Women)
1997        7              New York Sevens (Atlantis Women)
                7              End of the World Sevens, Ushuaia, Argentina (Atlantis Men)
1998        7              MAGNIFICENT SEVENS, Toronto (USA)
                7              MARFU 7s (Philadelphia-Whitemarsh)
                15            MARFU 15s (Philadelphia-Whitemarsh) #
1999        7              Cape Fear Sevens (Atlantis Women)
                7              Magnificent Sevens, Toronto (Atlantis Women)
2000        7              Magnificent Sevens, Toronto (Atlantis Women)
                7              Hibernian Sevens (Philadelphia-Whitemarsh)
                7              National Women's Invitational Sevens Champions (Atlantis Women) *
2001        7              Magnificent Sevens, Toronto (Atlantis Women)
                7              Havana Sevens – Atlantis Men
                7              Caribbean Sevens (Atlantis Women) <others?>
2002        7              West Highland and Island Sevens (Scotland) – Atlantis Women
                7              Lehigh Valley Sevens – Atlantis Women
                7              Magnificent Sevens, Toronto (Atlantis Women)
                7              Brazilian Winter Sevens (Atlantis Women)
                7              Singapore Cricket Club Sevens, Bowl Championship (Atlantis Men)\
                7              Caribbean Sevens (Atlantis Women)
2003        7              Lehigh Valley Sevens (Atlantis Women)
2004        7              Lehigh Valley Sevens (Atlantis Women)
                7              Cheese Steak Sevens (Lehigh Valley Men) #
                7              Cheese Steak Sevens (Lehigh Valley Women) #
                7              Caribbean Sevens (Atlantis Women) <others?>
2005        15            East Penn Collegiate Champions (15s) (Princeton Women)
2006        7              Caribbean Sevens (Atlantis Women)
2007        7              Lehigh Valley Sevens - Atlantis Women



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