PRFC HISTORY

The Pittsburgh Rugby Football Club was established in 1964. Since that time, the club has identified itself as an organization of diverse and colorful people with one common passion: to play the best rugby possible. In the long history of the club, people from all occupations have played for the team including doctors, lawyers, mechanics, students, police officers, engineers, etc. The team has grown to represent the city from which it has sprung. Whether it be its diverse makeup of members, its hardworking and gritty reputation, or even the colors it wears (Black and Gold), the PRFC is the city’s team. We play in the city. We practice in the city. Hence our nickname as we have come to be known around town – "Pitt-City".

As we head to the future, things are looking bright, as our direction both on and off the field is positive. Young, quick, and hard, the new-look PRFC plays an up-tempo, quick rucking game. We are proving ourselves on the field. Off the field, a newly installed executive committee is launching plans for a rugby-only facility, hopefully in the city limits. For weekly updates and information on the club, check our Web site at www.pghrugby.com.

The Pittsburgh Rugby Football Club is always glad to welcome new players to the team. All experience levels are welcome. If you are interested in joining the club as an experienced player or if you are an athlete looking for a new sport, we encourage you to contact us. Comprehensive contact information is available on our Web site.

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PITTSBURGH ANGELS HISTORY

The Pittsburgh Women's Rugby Club was founded in the spring of 1976 and earned the nickname Angels soon afterwards when the ladies nicked a lawn ornament from a nativity scene and carried it with them as a mascot. The first members of the team were graduates and students of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh and some professional women working in the city. In 2003, the Angels split from their university players to compete as a senior women’s club.

The Angels were very competitive in the Midwest and East for a number of years, playing the country's top-ranking teams on a regular basis. In 1981, under Coach Jean-Pierre Pontier, the Angels finished second at the National Championships in Chicago.

The Angels took a short hiatus in the mid-80s. With the help of Leslie Bertel and Bari Wolynn, the Angels reentered the union in 1990, and the organization was rebuilt to regain prominence in the Midwest. The Angels maintained their competitiveness during the 90’s with the help of coach Roger Costello. The team remained a force in fifteens and had one of the best sevens teams at that time, finishing 2nd in the 2000 Midwest championship and 3rd in 2003 under coaches Tony Chappie and Angelo Pagliotti.

It was the hard work of Leslie, Phyllis Long, Lori Altenderfer, Jessica Ezykowsky, and Zie Raines, that enabled the Angels to not only remain competitive, but to also take on the task of teaching young women to play the game we love. In 1999, the Angels were approached by the Pittsburgh Harlequins Rugby Football Club to start a community based youth rugby program for young women in the Pittsburgh region. Teams from Schenley, Carrick, and Fox Chapel high schools currently participate.

The Angels became the sister club of the Pittsburgh Men’s Rugby Football Club in the fall of 2002 after the team split from the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Team. By 2003, the Angels formed an official partnership with their brother team, became shareholders in the Pittsburgh Rugby Association which manages Rugger’s Pub. Together, the men’s and women’s clubs work toward their long-term goal of acquiring a permanent playing facility.