Princeton Athletic Club History

The Princeton Athletic Club Rugby Football Team was first conceived in the spring of 1974 by Tom Pirelli and Jay Gore, graduates of Princeton University. They were joined by Allan Hill, Ken Taylor and Haydn Harris. But, five players do not a rugby team make. In November of that year, Neville O'Reilly, a South African, advertised in a local paper for players to fill out a side in a match he had scheduled against Rutgers. He had already recruited two Frenchmen, some Australians and various others. The game was never played, but, there was a party. On December 20, 1974 the Princeton Internationals RFC was founded. This was the last that was seen of Neville O'Reilly, and the end of the Princeton Internationals.

However, the opportunity to act out every weekend was too good to pass up and momentum was maintained.  On January 17, 1975 a "meeting" was held to elect club officers: Tony Hamer - Captain, Chris Gallagher President, Haydn Harris - Treasurer, Tom Pirelli - Match Secretary. Hamer and Gallagher quickly resigned, but Harris collected dues and Pirelli scheduled a full season of matches for the reconceived Princeton Athletic Club. That first season ended with a victorious road trip to Montreal and an even 5 - 5 won-loss record.

From that humble beginning the Princeton Athletic Club has been fielding competitive teams, some more competitive than others, for each of the past 27 years. The team originally was a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union. However, in 1996, club members finally tiring of road matches to the nether regions of Pennsylvania; petitioned the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union for membership. The application was accepted, and PAC has competed in the Met ever since.

Today the Princeton Athletic Club has over 100 members, both active players and less than active Old Boys who attend social functions and play in the occasional "over 35" match. The club has several certified coaches and referees on its roster.

Princeton Athletic Club Milestones

Significant Tours Taken

International Teams Hosted:

Significant Club Championships

Rugby in the United States

The Princeton Athletic Club is a member of the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union, which consists of 21 Men's Clubs, 4 Professional Schools, 17 Men's Colleges, 4 High Schools, 9 Master's Clubs (over 35), 4 Women's Clubs, and 10 Women's Colleges. The Metropolitan New York Rugby Union is a member of the Northeast Rugby Union.

The Northeast Rugby Union  is one of seven Territories in the United States of America Rugby Football Union, the governing body of rugby in the United States, the other six territories are: Mid Atlantic, South, Midwest, West, Pacific, and Southern California. In addition to the USARFU, there are five independent Unions; Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and the Combined Services.  There are over 1600 rugby clubs in the United States, consisting of Senior Men's and Women's clubs, Men and Women collegiate clubs, Master Clubs, Gradute Schools, and youth clubs. According to the New York Times, "It (rugby) is played in this country by 260,000 athletes, 20,000 of them women, but watched by few."

Rugby in the New Jersey

There are many rugby football teams in New Jersey. Those in the northern and central New Jersey are members of the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union.  Those in southern New Jersey are members of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union, which is part of the Mid Atlantic Territorial Union. Annually, on the first weekend in June, the senior men's teams meet to vie for the Jersey Cup, the unofficial State championship.

Men's Clubs in New Jersey:

Bayonne R.F.C.Bergen County R.F.C.Jersey Shore R.F.C.Monmouth County R.F.C.Montclair R.F.C.Morris County R.F.C.OMEX Shepherds R.F.C.Princeton Athletic ClubSouth Jersey R.F.C.Union County R.F.C.Drew UniversityNew Jersey Medical SchoolPrinceton UniversityRutgers UniversitySeton Hall

Masters Clubs in New Jersey:

Monmouth Old BoysMontclair Old BoysUnion County Old Boys

Women’s Clubs in New Jersey:

Monmouth Renegades

Princeton University

Rutgers University

High School Clubs in New Jersey:

South Jersey Youth

The Game of Rugby

The object of the game is that two teams of fifteen players each, observing fair play according to the Laws and a sporting spirit, should by carrying, passing and kicking the ball score as many points as possible, the team scoring the greater number of points to be the winner of the match. For most of its history, the game was an amateur game. No one was allowed to seek or receive payment or other material reward for taking part in the Game. The game has since become professional, with players receiving payment for their services

Fifteen a side matches are eighty minutes in length, two forty-minute halves with five minutes for halftime. One referee controls the match with the assistance of two touch judges. There are no time outs, except at the referee's discretion to allow one minute for an injured player to decide whether or not to continue to play. Only seven replacements per game are allowed, six at the teams discretion and a seventh for injury.  Only a player who was temporarily substituted for a blood injury may return to the match, that player must return within ten minutes of the substitution or be permanently replaced.

The game begins with a kickoff, either (a) a place kick taken from the center of the half-way line by the team which has the right to start the match or by the opposing team on the resumption of play after the half-time interval, or (b) a drop kick taken from at or behind the center of the half-way line by the defending team after a try has been scored.

A try is scored when a player grounds the ball in the opponent's In-goal. Five points are awarded for a try. Goals are scored by kicking the ball over the opponents cross-bar and between the goal posts. Two points are awarded for a goal scored after a try. This conversion is kicked from a line perpendicular to where the ball was touched down. Three points are awarded for a penalty kick at goal or a drop kick at goal from anywhere in the field of play.

The forward progress of a player carrying the ball may be impeded by tackling that player. A tackle occurs when a player carrying the ball in the field-of-play is held by one or more opponents so that while he is held, he is brought to the ground. A tackled player must immediately pass or release the ball and get up or move away from it.

A ruck is formed when the ball is on the ground and one or more players from each team are on their feet and in physical contact, closing around the ball between them. A ruck ends when the ball emerges from the ruck or when a scrummage is ordered by the referee.

A maul is formed by one or more players from each team on their feet and in physical contact closing around a player who is carrying the ball. A maul ends when the ball is on the ground, a ruck, or the ball or a player carrying it emerges from the maul or when a scrummage is ordered by the referee.

A scrummage, or scrum, or set piece is formed by players from each team closing up in readiness to allow the ball to be put on the ground between them. A minimum of five players is required for a scrummage. Generally all eight forwards participate. The middle player in each front row is the hooker, and the players on either side of him are the props. The next two players behind are the locks. The back row consists of two flankers and a number eight. The remaining players are backs, a scrumhalf, a flyhalf, two centers, two wings and a fullback.

When the ball is kicked or carried into touch, a line-out is formed by at least two players from each team lining up in single lines at right angles to the touch line in readiness for the ball to be thrown in between them.

The single most important characteristic that distinguishes Rugby Football from other forms of football is the off-side law. In general play a player is in an offside position when he is in front of the ball when it has last been played by another member of his team. i.e. The off-side line runs parallel to the goal line and through the ball itself as the ball moves up and down the field of play.

History of Rugby

In 1823, William Webb Ellis, a sixteen year old student at Rugby school, 'with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game'.

12th c. Football played in the streets of London

14th c. Complaints and prohibitions against football

17th c. Football at colleges in the United States

19th c. Public schools codify games of football

1823 William Webb Ellis1846 Cambridge rules forbid handling, mauling and hacking

1858 Football banned at Yale, and Harvard in America

1863 The Football Association was formed

1869 Rutgers vs. Princeton in America

1871 The Rugby Football Union was formed First International match - England vs. Scotland

1873 Harvard vs. McGill University in America

1876 Number of tries scored used as a tie-breaker Rules of Rugby Football adopted in America

1880 Walter Camp of Yale rules adopted in America

1881 Referees introduced

1882 Three downs to gain five yards in America

1883 Seven - a - side rugby introduced at Melrose

1884 The 'Flying Wedge' introduced in America

1891 Sides limited to 15 players, points awarded for tries

1905 159 injured and 18 dead in America

1906 Forward passes introduced in America

Early Football

Games of football date back to the Han Dynasty in China, circa 200 B.C. The Greeks and Romans played ball games known as Episkyros and Harpastum. It is supposed by some that these are the ancestors of modem football and were taken by the Romans to Britain and elsewhere. Giuco del Calcio (game of the kick) or Traditional Football has been played in Florence, Italy since the 14th c. This game is played annually in the Partito al Calcio, with a round ball much like that used in soccer. Two teams of 26 players per side may use both hands and feet to throw, kick or butt the ball, with dribbling being the preferred method of advancing the ball. Although there are six umpires, the rules allow defensive players to use virtually any tactic to stem the advance of the ball, including tackling, tripping, kicking, etc. In fact, the only rule seems to be a prohibition against kicking an unconscious opponent.

Folk Football

The game that became Rugby Football developed from traditional or folk football. There are records that these games of football had been played in Britain since the twelfth-century, in the streets of London and other cities as well as in the fields outside. The games varied from region to region. There were no rules to speak of. The only common denominator was two teams, two goals and one ball. There might be hundreds of participants. The goals might be at the either end of a town or field or at two separate towns, with the game played over hill and down dale in between. In the 14th c. references to football became more common, generally in the form of complaints and prohibitions against playing. Between 1314 and 1667 football was banned on more than thirty occasions by various authorities. However, the game survived in different forms in different regions through the 18th c. This game survives today in a few places as Shrovetide Football.

Public School Football

Early in the 18th c., the governors of the public schools needed a pastime to occupy their unruly charges, who were wont to enter into open and violent rebellion. The solution was organized sports and football provided a catharsis for misdirected passions, "mens sana in corpore sano". Each of these schools began to codify their own form of football. These games survive at Eton, Harrow and Winchester. Because there were no inter-scholastic sports no common set of rules was needed. This meant that only the graduates of a particular school would be familiar with the rules of that school's particular game.

At the time 'mob football', might involve 3,00 players simultaneously and matches could last for five days. The games fell roughly into two styles, the handling game and the kicking game. There were also variants that combined both features. The handling game, played at Rugby, Marlborough, and Cheltenham, formed the basis of Rugby Football. The kicking game, played at Eton, Harrow, Westminster, and Charterbouse, formed the basis of Association Football. When these boys went up to Oxford and Cambridge, or joined one the newly formed football clubs, they took their games with them. The multiplicity of rules made competition difficult and each match was preceded by a Captain's meeting to determine the rules to be observed.

Association Football

In 1863, rules for Association Football were drawn up at Cambridge by representatives of the various Public Schools. In October of that year, the Football Association was formed at another meeting that this time included representatives of the various men's clubs. The Old Harrovians proposed abolishing handling the ball and hacking, the indiscriminate use of ones foot against ones opponent's shins, ostensibly for the purpose of securing the ball from a maul. The representatives of Blackheath Football Club proposed to allow both. The issue resulted in a schism, the Harrovians motion was carried and Blackheath with other adherents of the handling and hacking game, as played at Rugby School, dissented and resigned the organization.

Rugby Football

In 1871, these dissenters formed the Rugby Football Union and drew up rules that allowed handling the ball. However, Blackbeath had reversed their position on hacking, in the intervening years there had been serious injuries and at least one death, and it was forbidden in any form. One rule that both soccer and rugby initially shared, and that Rugby Football retains today, was that players in front of the ball were offsides and ineligible to take part in the game. Points, one, were only awarded for kicks. Tries entitled the scoring team a chance to kick. The number of players per side was still determined by the two captains as were interpretations of the rules, as there were no referees. Nine weeks later the first International match was staged between England and Scotland with twenty players per side.

In 1875, at the fourth Varsity match (Oxford vs. Cambridge), teams were limited to fifteen players a side.

In 1876, tries still did not have a point value, but were used to determine the winners in the event of a tie and tackled players were required to release the ball.

In 1877, England vs. Ireland was the first international match played with fifteen players per side.

In 1880, the practice of heeling the ball back through the scrum to create running opportunities was adopted.

In 1881, referees were introduced at international matches, they observed from the sidelines along with two umpires. In 1889, the umpires were replaced by touch judges.

In 1883, seven-a-side rugby was introduced at Melrose, Scotland, by the town butcher, Ned Haig, as a fund raising event.

In 1891, when the RFU declared that all matches be fifteen a side, 2 points were being awarded for a try, 3 for a penalty goal and conversions, and 4 for a dropped goal.

In 1895, the Northern Rugby Football Union, League, was founded.

In 1896, referees were given complete control of the game and the idea of "advantage" was introduced.

In 1900, France won the Olympic Gold Medal in Rugby, in 1908, Australia, in 1920 and 1924, the United States.

In 1907, 10 1/4 acres of land, the 'Cabbage Patch', were purchased at Twickenham, Middlesex, to serve as the home pitch for England and headquarters for the RFU.

In 1932, wing-forwards were required to bind into the scrum and the three man front row was required (New Zealand had used a loose loose-foward and a 2-3-2 scrum).

In 1949, dropped goals were reduced to 3 points.

In 1958, penalty kicks were no longer required to travel 5 yards.

In 1969, the 'Australian dispensation' was adopted, this required that kicks for touch outside the 22-metre line land in the field of play before going into touch, or be returned to the place of kick.

In 1971, tries were increased to 4 points, and the Gaelic Athletic Association no longer banned members from playing rugby on the grounds that it was a foreign game.

In 1992, tries were increased to 5 points.

American Football

On the other side of the Atlantic, folk football had been played in the American Colonies since the early 17th c. At the same time that the Public Schools in Britain were organizing football, the game began to take root on college campuses in the United States. But, this was not without opposition from the appropriate authorities. In 1858, the game was banned at Yale, and two years later at Harvard.

In 1869, the first intercollegiate game was played between Rutgers and Princeton. Each team consisted of 25 players. The first side to score six goals won. The ball was round. The game more closely resembled Association Football than Rugby Football. Rutgers won 6 goals to 4.

In 1873, a convention established rules for an eleven a side game without handling. Harvard, like Blackheath, dissented, resigned, and was forced to look to north for competition. They played two matches, one soccer and one rugby, against McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. The spectators found the handling game, rugby, more exciting than the kicking game, soccer.

In 1876, at another meeting, the Intercollegiate Football Association was founded and the rules of Rugby Football were adopted. The representative from Yale, Walter Camp, dissented, preferring an eleven man game, but did not resign.

In 1880, Camp finally persuaded the league to reduce the number of players, reduce the size of the field, replace the scrummage with the line of scrimmage and introduce the position of quarter-back. For the next two years the game became a stalemate. There was no means for contesting possession of the ball. Safeties allowed the defending team to start again on their 22-metre line. Teams retained the ball for an entire half and the one that allowed the fewest safeties won.

In 1882, teams were required to advance the ball five yards in three downs or surrender it. This led to punts on the third down. As in Rugby Football, the off-side rule prohibited blocking. But, backs began to run in threes, two on either side of the ball carrier, and this form of obstruction led to blocking becoming acceptable. To counter this tactic, the rule about not tackling below the waist was frequently violated and in 1888 abandoned.

In 1884, teams began to take advantage of the fact that the rules did not require the ball to be kicked off to the other side. The kicker would tap ('baby') the ball, and pick it up. The other ten members of the team would form a wedge, the 'V Trick', and advance the ball. This was refined and became the flying wedge. These tactics resulted in numerous serious injuries to players attempting to stop the massed bodies moving down the field.

In 1895, another meeting of the teams took place. Changes were introduced to require that the kickoff travel ten yards and to eliminate the flying wedge. But, teams still took advantage the rules to use mass plays. In 1905, 159 players suffered severe injuries and 18 died. The President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, felt compelled to take action and called in representatives of Harvard, Princeton and Yale. They were told to do something. The response was to form the National Collegiate Athletic Association and convene a committee to revise the rules.

In 1906, the rule that made American Football the game it is today was adopted; forward passes were introduced.

A Game for Ruffians Played by Gentlemen

Violence in rugby matches has been reported since its earliest days. "In 1864, during a match between Clifton and Marlborough schools, the scrimmages became so rough that the Marlborough captain left the fray to suggest to his headmaster that the game should be stopped. 'No, no,' was the reply. 'They'll think we are afraid of them. Win the game first and then talk about stopping it if you like."' This sentiment was echoed over one hundred years later when a Welsh captain of the British Lions advised his side "to get their retaliation in first".

"Why do your young men behave like this, Solon? Some of them grappling and tripping each other, some throttling, struggling, intertwining in the mud like so many pigs wallowing.... they put down their heads and begin to push, and crash their foreheads together like a pair of rival rams .... Now I want to know what is the good of it all. To me it looks more like madness than anything else.... I'm still more astonished at the spectators. You tell me the chief people from all over Greece attend. How can they leave their serious concerns and waste time on such things? How they can like it passes my comprehension - to look on people being struck and knocked about, dashed to the ground and pounded by one another."

Lucian of Samosata, Anarcharsis: On Physical Exercise, 2nd c. A.D.

"Forasmuch as there is a great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils arise, which God forbid, we command and forbid, on behalf of the King, on pain of imprisonment, such games to be used in the city in the future."

Edward II, 1314

"Ffotebale is nothing but beastlie furie and extreme violence."

Sir Thomas Elyot, Boke of the Govemour, 1531

"Much harm was done, some in the great thronge falling into a trance, some having their bodies bruised and crushed, some their arms, heades or legs broken, and some otherwise maimed or in peril of their lives."

Match Report, Chester, 1533

"And hereof groweth envy, malice, rancour, choler, hatred, displeasure, enmity and what not else; and sometimes fighting, brawling, contention, quarrel-picking, murder, homicide and great effusion of blood, as experience daily teacheth."

Philip Stubbes, The Anatomie of Abuses, 1583

"I shall not believe thee dead until I can play footbal with thy head."

William Shakespeare

"There hath beene greate disorder in our towne of Manchester, glasse windowes broken yearlye and spoyled by a Companie of lewd and disordered persons usinge the unlawful exercise of playing with the ffotebale in ye streets of said towne, breaking many men's windows and glasse at their pleasure and other great inormyties."

Proclamation, 1608

"From this court I debarre all rough and violent exercises, as the foot-ball, meeter for lameing than making able the users thereof."

James I, Declaration to his subjects concerning Lawful Sports to be used, 1618.

"I prefer rugby to soccer. When soccer players start biting each other’s ears off, maybe I’ll like it better."

Elizabeth Taylor, actress.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED PLAYING ON THE WING

The wing is a difficult position to play in that most of what you should do is only noticed when you don’t do it.

Weak Side Wing on Defense: Show Forward, Play Back The weak side wing has three responsibilities:

a) to defend against a run to the weak side,

b) to defend against a kick to the weak side

c) to defend across the field in support of the fullback and strong side wing

At scrummages, a good number eight will look at the weak side of the scrum before putting his head in. The weak side wing should be standing just on side, at the base of the scrum, to discourage any thoughts that forwards may have about running that way. A good fly half will look weak before the ball is put in. If the wing is playing too far forward, the fly half has an opportunity to kick an up and under to the spot where the wing should be. When the ball is put into the scrummage, the wing should retreat about 20 yards to cover any kicks to the box. When the ball is passed out to the flyhalf, the wing should follow it across the field. Always watch the ball carrier, and respond to his actions. As the fullback and strong side wing move into the defensive line, the weak side wing becomes the last defensive player and is responsible for kicks and overloads.

Strong Side Wing on Defense: Show Back, Play Forward

At scrummages, a good fly half will look to the strong side to see where the wing is positioned. If the wing is playing too far forward, the fly half has an opportunity to kick the ball deep. To defend this, the wing must be positioned much deeper than the outside center, almost parallel with the fullback. Always watch the ball carrier, and respond to his actions. As the ball moves along the line, the wing must quickly move forward to defend against the running attack.

The principles hold for both positions in defending at lineouts, rucks and mauls. Also, in general, once the ball has passed the fly half the threat from tactical kicking is greatly diminished, as the centers raised in the United States that can kick effectively are few and far between.

Wings Defending Kicks: One Foot on the Line

Whenever the opposition is indicating that they will be kicking for touch, wings should position themselves with their outside foot on the touch line. This will accomplish two things.

First, you will know where the line is without needing to take your eye off the ball. Second, ft will be more difficult for you to carry the ball into touch after catching it if you are moving away from, or along, the line, rather than towards ft when you catch the ball.

After you have caught the ball your first thought should be to pass the ball to your fullback so that he can kick to touch or begin a counter attack. If that is not possible, you have two options, depending upon where you are when you catch the ball. If you are behind the 22-metre line and have no option to pass, put the ball into touch. A safe kick is of primary importance, distance is secondary. It is my experience that for every three kicks that fail to find touch, the opposition will score one try. If you are in front of the 22 and have no option to pass, run and run straight. Running straight will give you the option to a) drive your elbow into the solar plexus of an onrushing member of the opposition and set up a ruck or maul, or b) step into touch. Running across the field will yield undesirable results; you give the opposition the opportunity to tackle you from the side and you take yourself away from the touch line. Nobody likes a hero who coughs up the ball.

Strong Side Wing on Offense: Line Up Way Wide

Line up as far away from the outside center or fullback as possible. In a perfect world your fellow backs will run straight. In the world we play in, backs tend to run across the field. A wing running at an angle towards touch can not do much with the ball. It is far better to be coming hard either straight, or at an angle against the grain, back into the field of play. Regardless of whether the other backs run straight or across, by lining up wide, you give yourself the opportunity to stay in the field of play and link up with the loose forwards, who should be running out to meet you. Do not disappoint them.

Weak Side Wing on Offense: Cover Across

You should know in advance whether or not your fullback will be entering the line. Regardless, you must cover across the field, both as the last defensive player in the event of a break down and as a potential element in creating an overload. It is not unusual for a weak side wing to get ball on the strong side 15y looping the entire line.

Who Covers Who: Tackle the Ball Carrier

There are many theories about who covers who and how. In my experience defense in the backs is much the same as defense in Sevens, one man per one lane. The Cardinal Rule is never to let the ball carrier to get outside you. If you tackle the ball carrier and the ball is passed to another man outside, the one on one is someone elses responsibility. If you buy a dummy and the ball carrier and the ball get outside you, the opposition now has a two on one opportunity.

Outside the 22-metre Line:

Strong side wing covers fourth man

Fullback covers fifth man

Weak side wing covers sixth man

Inside the 22-metre Line:

Fullback covers fourth man

Strong side wing covers fifth man

Weak side wing covers sixth man

* A special thanks to John Ager for his contributions to this page.