The USA Rugby Super League, usually known as the Super League or RSL, was a national rugby union competition which ran from 1997 to 2012, contested by nine clubs in the United States by its last year. In the 2013 season, it was replaced by the USA Rugby Elite Cup.
USA Rugby, the sport's national governing body sanctioned the Super League competition. It was the premier level of rugby union in the country until its reformation into the Elite Cup.[1][2]
RSL was developed in 1996 due to the increased demand for greater visibility and a higher competitive structure for rugby union in the United States.[3] The management structures of the 14 best rugby organizations in the United States, created RSL and regular competition started in 1997.[3] In 2007 and 2008 the total number of competing RSL clubs peaked at 18. In the 2011 season, the 11 teams competing were divided into two conferences, Red and Blue. The league's 2012 season and final season saw 9 teams, again divided into Red and Blue conferences. Following the 2012 season most of the remaining Super League teams entered the USA Rugby Elite Cup competition.
Rugby Super League formed at a time when there was a need for expansion of the highest level of competitive rugby in the country.[3] The 1997 season was the inaugural season with 14 teams competing into two seven-team divisions, the Western-Pacific Conference and the Midwestern-East Conference.[3]
The original competing sides in the 1997 season were as follows: Belmont Shore RFC, the Chicago Lions, the Dallas Harlequins, the Denver Barbarians, the Gentlemen of Aspen, the Kansas City Blues, Life, Old Blue, Old Blues Rugby Club (CA), Old Puget Sound Beach RFC, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC, the Potomac Athletic Club RFC, Golden Gate Rugby Club and Washington RFC.[3] Aspen won the first championship, defeating Old Blue 22 points to eight in the final which was played in San Diego.[4]
The league expanded in 1998, with two more sides gaining entry into the competition, Boston RFC and Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC.[3] Both teams joined the eastern conference and Harlequins move to the Western conference.[3] This expansion saw two fifteen-team conferences.
In 2001 USA rugby recognized the competition as the premier club rugby union competition in the United States, distinguishing it from USA Rugby Division 1.[3] In 2002, the league expanded again, with the inclusion of New York Athletic Club via promotion from Division and Olympic Club RFC, who gained entry through a merger with the Old Blues Rugby Club (CA).[3]
The 2002 season saw major changes to the competition, with the dissolution of the "East and West divisions" in favor of a national competition.[3] The format reverted to the division-associated fixtures in 2005. Super League celebrated a decade of competition in 2006, with OMBAC defeating Belmont Shore 36–33 in the final in Santa Clara, California. Following the 2006 season Rugby Super League would be expand from 15 teams to 18 for the 2007 season. Santa Monica Rugby and Charlotte Rugby Club accepted invitations to join Super League, as did the 2006 Divisions I and III runner-ups Boston Irish Wolfhounds.[5] In 2008 the Chicago Griffins joined RSL, replacing the Kansas City Blues, who self-relegated to the USA Rugby Division I men's club competition.[3]
In the 2008 season ESPN Classic showed a live broadcast of the RSL final between NYAC and Belmont Shore. It was a hard-fought match with NYAC winning 31–28 in sudden death.
The league contracted and featured 16 teams in two conferences in the 2009 season. The Philadelphia Whitemarsh, Washington RFC, and the St. Louis Bombers did not return to the competition, while Life University returned after a six-season absence.[3]In part due to the Great Recession, longtime RSL powers Belmont Shore decided to only compete in Southern California's Division I competition for the 2010 season. In response to this, Santa Monica also decided to self-relegate, dropping the number of RSL teams to 14. To rebalance the conferences, Dallas was shifted to the Red (West) Conference. In August 2010 the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, and Charlotte RFC also relegated themselves.[3]
In the fall of 2011, PAC Rugby withdrew from the competition and the Utah Warriors, based in Salt Lake City, entered the competition.[3] The Chicago Lions and Utah Warriors withdrew prior to the 2012 season.[6] The Chicago Griffins announced their withdrawal following the 2012 season.[7] With the exit of several teams over a number of years, the 2012 season was the last season for the Rugby Super League.
With eight teams remaining in two divisions, the RSL was relaunched as the USA Rugby Elite Cup for the 2013 season. The Elite Cup ran for just one season before folding at the end of 2013.[8]
References:[29]