Budd Bay Rugby Football Club

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About Us

It all started during the fall of 1997, when a bunch of us started showing up at rugby practice at The Evergreen State College. Some of us were much older than the students, but that didn't seem to matter - we were playing rugby.

As we practiced and played with the "Greeners," a few more experienced players came out, and pretty soon we thought about forming a club free of the administrative bonds of the school. Under the tutelage of Evergreen coach Trevor Anderson, the Olympia Rugby Club was unofficially born.

Our first foray into playing as a club came at various seven-a-side tournaments during the summer. Playing some of the top clubs in the Pacific Northwest, we learned a lot about teamwork and our opponents, while finishing 4-10 in four events.

We entered the schedule for the Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union Div. II 1998/1999 season with four other clubs, and we were in business.

I thought you were Olympia Rugby? Why the name change?

Well, it really all goes back to the launch of our U-19 team, the Capital Cougars.

Two years ago, Mr. Matt Hudson approached his teammates of the Olympia Rugby Club and stated he wanted to start a U-19 team. The club was more then happy to help. Matt decided to call the team the Capital Cougars, the team name of his high school, Capital High School in Olympia. We would rather it be Olympia U-19, but hey, this was Matt's baby. We agreed, and the Capital Cougars Rugby Club was born.

We assumed that our U-19 team, much like all other teams, would struggle to get going, and to gain members. That was until Mr. Pete Sullivan agreed to coach the side. The numbers grew quickly thanks to great recruiting by Matt, and the town being blanketed with announcements by the Men's Side. We soon had kids from all of the cities high schools, as well as a few from Shelton.

It became an issue almost immediately. Kids from other high schools did not want to play for a rival school's team, even though there was no affiliation with the school.

So a few members of the Men's side sat down to address this issue. We quickly realized that changing the U-19's side to Olympia Rugby U-19 was not a great solution since there is an Olympia High School, and we would be facing the same problem.

We Brainstormed. It was tough and painful, but we did it.

We finally decided on Budd Bay Rugby Club, named after the stretch of the sound that flows into Olympia.

Since the Capital Cougars won the PNW U-19 Championship, many have suggested that they be called Budd Bay Rugby Football Club and we be the Budd Bay 19 and over Rugby Football Club. I assure you that the embroidery costs alone would bankrupt the club. So, although we couldn't be more proud of Pete Sullivan and the former Capital Cougars - it is now final - We are now officially Budd Bay Rugby Football Club and the former Capital Cougars will be known as Budd Bay Rugby Football Club U-19.

The Birth of the Buffalo

At the beginning of 2002 fall season, the Men's side thought we needed a mascot. After all, the boys U-19 were the Cougars, the U-19 girls were the Steelheads, and the senior club had none. Well...if anyone has ever been out to the pubs with us after a match, you would know the tradition of the Buffalo. Whenever a new player joins the team, they enter into a social contract with the other players to consume libations in their alternate hand. This tradition dates back to the ancient nordic times with the vikings, in a game they called Buffalo. Well, since the club needed a mascot...and every BBRFC senior-side player is an inducted buffalo....we have become the Budd Bay Buffaloes. To this very day, you may here a wild call of the buffalo at a pub one night.