history
| southern illinois wrfc |
Thursday, April 20th, 2000
Two friends had indulged in a few to many ice cold beverages of choice and began to philosophize on
the future of the siuwrfc. Recruiting and finances were in dire need of improvement if the club was to
continue. The discussion focused primarily on the possibility of a fall tournament. It had been brought
up in passing a few times before but since they both had their thinking caps on they started to write
down details. A tournament would help the club in many ways but its primary benefit would be to
introduce the sport to the students and university in a fall kickoff event.
With the rapid growth of rugby in the US, more clubs were hosting events so the competition was
fierce to establish a unique concept. To accomplish this, the founding board focused on several key
ideas, keeping long term goals in mind.
1.) Produce an event to kickoff the fall season for all teams.
a. Held early enough in the season, a multi-game format with a 3 match minimum
would serve as a warm-up to fall league play.
b. Many teams have had only a few weeks of practice and have rosters without full
b-sides. Participating in an early season tournament serves as a scrimmage for
those growing teams.
2.) Minimize cost to participating clubs without sacrificing essentials.
a. Raise funds and sponsors through event program, website, alumni contributions
and tournament concessions.
b. Offer incentive registration rates to encourage early commitment.
3.) Provide additional entertainment for spectators creating a unique event by combining music
and rugby.
a. Headlining act, Dave Matthews Band.
b. Promote local music scene.
c. No cost concert to students, community and participating teams.
The board broke down every aspect of running the event; advertising signs, field paint, medical
supplies, hamburger buns, referees, etc. Continuing a tradition started by the men’s team in providing
unique awards proved to be an interesting task. That same night, the idea of the lawn gnome trophy
was born. In order to keep operating costs down, it was suggested that we wouldn't even have to
purchase the gnomes but set out on a quest to “rescue” each gnome from a local lawn. A rugger
known for being the voice of reason suggested it probably wasn’t the best idea and the plan officially
got the kah-bosh. It wasn’t until the night of the tournament that the name “Mojo” was bestowed upon
our beloved gnomes by one of the original participating teams and coincidently the first men’s division
champion, the South Side Irish RFC.
Until you plan a tournament it’s difficult to visualize all of the details that need attention. Every
decision is focused of producing a worthwhile event for everyone involved. To this date, details are
still being worked out to incorporate live music into the budget. Our eighth year is upon us and
Ruggapalooza has morphed into one of the most successful tournaments in the Midwest. Participants
appreciate the attention to detail, personalized approach, quality competition and skilled officials.
With each year that passes, the club learns from its experiences so as to mold Ruggapalooza into the
Midwest’s premier Rugby event.
Two friends had indulged in a few to many ice cold beverages of choice and began to philosophize on
the future of the siuwrfc. Recruiting and finances were in dire need of improvement if the club was to
continue. The discussion focused primarily on the possibility of a fall tournament. It had been brought
up in passing a few times before but since they both had their thinking caps on they started to write
down details. A tournament would help the club in many ways but its primary benefit would be to
introduce the sport to the students and university in a fall kickoff event.
With the rapid growth of rugby in the US, more clubs were hosting events so the competition was
fierce to establish a unique concept. To accomplish this, the founding board focused on several key
ideas, keeping long term goals in mind.
1.) Produce an event to kickoff the fall season for all teams.
a. Held early enough in the season, a multi-game format with a 3 match minimum
would serve as a warm-up to fall league play.
b. Many teams have had only a few weeks of practice and have rosters without full
b-sides. Participating in an early season tournament serves as a scrimmage for
those growing teams.
2.) Minimize cost to participating clubs without sacrificing essentials.
a. Raise funds and sponsors through event program, website, alumni contributions
and tournament concessions.
b. Offer incentive registration rates to encourage early commitment.
3.) Provide additional entertainment for spectators creating a unique event by combining music
and rugby.
a. Headlining act, Dave Matthews Band.
b. Promote local music scene.
c. No cost concert to students, community and participating teams.
The board broke down every aspect of running the event; advertising signs, field paint, medical
supplies, hamburger buns, referees, etc. Continuing a tradition started by the men’s team in providing
unique awards proved to be an interesting task. That same night, the idea of the lawn gnome trophy
was born. In order to keep operating costs down, it was suggested that we wouldn't even have to
purchase the gnomes but set out on a quest to “rescue” each gnome from a local lawn. A rugger
known for being the voice of reason suggested it probably wasn’t the best idea and the plan officially
got the kah-bosh. It wasn’t until the night of the tournament that the name “Mojo” was bestowed upon
our beloved gnomes by one of the original participating teams and coincidently the first men’s division
champion, the South Side Irish RFC.
Until you plan a tournament it’s difficult to visualize all of the details that need attention. Every
decision is focused of producing a worthwhile event for everyone involved. To this date, details are
still being worked out to incorporate live music into the budget. Our eighth year is upon us and
Ruggapalooza has morphed into one of the most successful tournaments in the Midwest. Participants
appreciate the attention to detail, personalized approach, quality competition and skilled officials.
With each year that passes, the club learns from its experiences so as to mold Ruggapalooza into the
Midwest’s premier Rugby event.
upcoming dates
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
by August 31st
Late registration $425
Freak of the week:
| Helmets Removed |
Freak of the week:
