Club History
On July 17, 1998, the Houston Herricanes, Houston Rugby Football Club, and the Houston Old Boys Rugby Football Club agreed to merge into one Club, the Houston Athletic Rugby Club (HARC). The purpose was to leverage their strengths and promote rugby in the Houston area. On August 24, 1998, HARC was born.
Following a successful inception in the late ’90s, the club established itself among the top clubs in the region. Despite a good start the club failed to attract new talent and would have to go through a rebuilding period during the mid-’00s.
HARC currently has two Men's sides (D2, D4) and two Women's sides (D1, D2)
Men Team Honors
2008 - 4th Place in Western Rugby Union
2009 - 2nd Place Texas Rugby Union, USA Rugby Sweet 16 Berth
2010 - Undefeated 1st Place Texas Rugby Union, Loss in USA Rugby Round of 32
2018 - 2nd place Texas Rugby Union Division 2
Women Team Honors
2022 - 2nd Place Texas Rugby Union/Frontier Division 1
2023 - Texas Rugby Union/Frontier Division 1 Champions, Loss in National Semi-Finals
2024 - D1 Gulf Coast Regional Champions
Following a successful inception in the late ’90s, the club established itself among the top clubs in the region. Despite a good start the club failed to attract new talent and would have to go through a rebuilding period during the mid-’00s.
HARC currently has two Men's sides (D2, D4) and two Women's sides (D1, D2)
Men Team Honors
2008 - 4th Place in Western Rugby Union
2009 - 2nd Place Texas Rugby Union, USA Rugby Sweet 16 Berth
2010 - Undefeated 1st Place Texas Rugby Union, Loss in USA Rugby Round of 32
2018 - 2nd place Texas Rugby Union Division 2
Women Team Honors
2022 - 2nd Place Texas Rugby Union/Frontier Division 1
2023 - Texas Rugby Union/Frontier Division 1 Champions, Loss in National Semi-Finals
2024 - D1 Gulf Coast Regional Champions
Houston Herricanes - Formed 1990
In 1989, a group of women decided to form another rugby team in Houston.
These ladies included former Houston Hearts, former Texas A&M players and women who had never had a chance to play rugby before. After a few games in 1989, they knew they needed a team name other than “that group from Houston”, so they chose the HERRICANES.
Many people saw the Houston Herricanes play in green jerseys and assume the team color was green. That is only half true. The Houston Herricane team colors were pink and green.
The selection of this combination comes from a sale at a rugby warehouse some years ago. It is believed an equipment distributor had several sets of jerseys made in Caribbean colors for the summer rugby season.
After the big push, the distributor was left with pink and green jerseys that he could not sell at full price. He reduced the price to fire sale costs. Being a newly formed team, the Herricanes leaped at the chance to get low cost, high quality jerseys, and had also selected the team colors.
The Herricanes have had success on the field as the TRU Champions and have represented the TRU at the Western Championships many times.
The Herricanes made their way to the National Championship in 1995 in the Plate Division. Many Herricanes players and alumni are West Select Side players and a few have been selected to the US Eagle Player Pools.
In 1989, a group of women decided to form another rugby team in Houston.
These ladies included former Houston Hearts, former Texas A&M players and women who had never had a chance to play rugby before. After a few games in 1989, they knew they needed a team name other than “that group from Houston”, so they chose the HERRICANES.
Many people saw the Houston Herricanes play in green jerseys and assume the team color was green. That is only half true. The Houston Herricane team colors were pink and green.
The selection of this combination comes from a sale at a rugby warehouse some years ago. It is believed an equipment distributor had several sets of jerseys made in Caribbean colors for the summer rugby season.
After the big push, the distributor was left with pink and green jerseys that he could not sell at full price. He reduced the price to fire sale costs. Being a newly formed team, the Herricanes leaped at the chance to get low cost, high quality jerseys, and had also selected the team colors.
The Herricanes have had success on the field as the TRU Champions and have represented the TRU at the Western Championships many times.
The Herricanes made their way to the National Championship in 1995 in the Plate Division. Many Herricanes players and alumni are West Select Side players and a few have been selected to the US Eagle Player Pools.
Houston Rugby Football Club - Formed 1969
In 1969, Nat Davis had returned to Houston after graduating from Notre Dame in 1964, where he had been captain of the rugby team, and after spending another four years in the Navy where he played for the Olympic Club in the Northern California Rugby Union.
One afternoon, however, while driving through Memorial Park he happened upon John Savage (a South African) who was practicing kicking a rugby ball. After trading experiences they decided that there might be more players interested in forming a team.
By the fall of 1969 they had located a handful of people and formed what was known as the Houston Rugby Football Club. At the time several clubs had also been formed at Rice University, Austin, Dallas, and Galveston. Some of the original Houston RFC members include: Nat Davis, John Savage, Sydney Gail Borden Tennant, Bill Sanvico, Lee Garner, Buck O’Gilvie, Kevin Gardner, Wayne Baxter, Alan Port and Chuck Ehrhardt.
In later years, the club was in the hands of Jim Cornelius. Jim was club President for more than 12 years.
Houston Old Boys Rugby Football Club - Formed 1972
The Houston Old Boys Rugby Football Club was founded on August 27, 1972 by Mr. William Sonvico and Mr. Lee Garner. Bill Sonvico, in his youth, played rugby in Argentina before moving to the United States and Houston. Lee Garner played his early rugby in St. Louis for the Ramblers, later for Old Blue of New York City and finally in Houston, where he met Bill Sonvico.
The name, Houston Old Boys, was chosen by Sonvico out of respect for his father who had previously formed a championship soccer club in Argentina. The name of his father’s club, the “Old Boys."
Bill Sonvico was elected the first President of the club, with Lee Garner elected the first coach. The Old Boys first captain and vice-captain were Jim Zettel and Glynn Morris. In the club’s first year, coach Lee Garner molded a championship caliber team with only a few players that had experience in rugby union. The 1972-1973 club won the Southern Division of the Texas Rugby Union and was a semi-finalist in the TRU Championship Tournament.
Over the years the Houston Old Boys RFC has enjoyed much success on the field. Frequent competitors in the Texas Rugby Union championships, TRU champions in 1977 and 1980. The Old Boys were finalists in the 1980 Western RFU tournament and finished fourth in the West in 1993.
Former Old Boys players include two Eagles: Barry Waite (1978) and Skip Niebauer who captained the Eagles in the early ’80’s.
In 1969, Nat Davis had returned to Houston after graduating from Notre Dame in 1964, where he had been captain of the rugby team, and after spending another four years in the Navy where he played for the Olympic Club in the Northern California Rugby Union.
One afternoon, however, while driving through Memorial Park he happened upon John Savage (a South African) who was practicing kicking a rugby ball. After trading experiences they decided that there might be more players interested in forming a team.
By the fall of 1969 they had located a handful of people and formed what was known as the Houston Rugby Football Club. At the time several clubs had also been formed at Rice University, Austin, Dallas, and Galveston. Some of the original Houston RFC members include: Nat Davis, John Savage, Sydney Gail Borden Tennant, Bill Sanvico, Lee Garner, Buck O’Gilvie, Kevin Gardner, Wayne Baxter, Alan Port and Chuck Ehrhardt.
In later years, the club was in the hands of Jim Cornelius. Jim was club President for more than 12 years.
Houston Old Boys Rugby Football Club - Formed 1972
The Houston Old Boys Rugby Football Club was founded on August 27, 1972 by Mr. William Sonvico and Mr. Lee Garner. Bill Sonvico, in his youth, played rugby in Argentina before moving to the United States and Houston. Lee Garner played his early rugby in St. Louis for the Ramblers, later for Old Blue of New York City and finally in Houston, where he met Bill Sonvico.
The name, Houston Old Boys, was chosen by Sonvico out of respect for his father who had previously formed a championship soccer club in Argentina. The name of his father’s club, the “Old Boys."
Bill Sonvico was elected the first President of the club, with Lee Garner elected the first coach. The Old Boys first captain and vice-captain were Jim Zettel and Glynn Morris. In the club’s first year, coach Lee Garner molded a championship caliber team with only a few players that had experience in rugby union. The 1972-1973 club won the Southern Division of the Texas Rugby Union and was a semi-finalist in the TRU Championship Tournament.
Over the years the Houston Old Boys RFC has enjoyed much success on the field. Frequent competitors in the Texas Rugby Union championships, TRU champions in 1977 and 1980. The Old Boys were finalists in the 1980 Western RFU tournament and finished fourth in the West in 1993.
Former Old Boys players include two Eagles: Barry Waite (1978) and Skip Niebauer who captained the Eagles in the early ’80’s.
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