HISTORY
High school rugby on the Seacoast has had several starts and stops. In 1983, Kip McKenzie in the admissions office at Phillips Exeter Academy formed a club on campus. The club hosted the first Foundation Cup High School Championship that included sides from Brookline and Marshfield, MA. As the annual tournament progressed, more teams became involved. The first cup was donated by Mr. McKenzie and is still awarded to the winner of the Division 1 New England High School Championships, contested each year in May. Mr. McKenzie left to attend the Dartmouth Medical School about 1986.

A new coach Murray Grammar took over the club. Mr. Grammar was a retired English barrister (lawyer) and a past president of London Saracens, one of the most prestigious rugby clubs in the UK. The club continued until his death in 1989. The Murray Grammar Good Sportsmanship Award is presented annually at the New England High School Championships to the team exemplifying the spirit of the game of rugby.

The club continued under the guidance of a local middle school math teacher who was able to include players from Exeter High School. One of their last matches was in 1992 against a Marshfield, MA High School side that had just returned from a tour to Scotland and Ireland. The Exeter club was victorious drawing many players from the Academy and high school football teams. The Exeter club disbanded after that season.


A NEW START
The Seacoast Rugby Club (previously known as the Dover Rugby Club) disbanded in the early 90s and was reformed in 1998 to include men’s, women’s and U19 sides. The Seacoast Club grew quickly as a leader of the New England Division 3 Men’s League (runner-up in 2000, competed in National Tournament in 2001 and New England Champion in 2003) and New England Division 2 Women’s League. The club also has and Old Boys (over 40) side that plays regularly. Nearly 100 players are registered with the club.

The U19 (youth) program was formed the same year with players from several area high schools in Maine and New Hampshire. Bob Bode, then UNH men’s coach and a past Seacoast men’s coach and Skip Chase, a local referee, were the first coaches. While the club never fielded a full side, the players practiced several times a week and matches were found for them with other clubs (a rugby tradition.) The club did enter a team in the New England Championships at UMass-Amherst in 2000 drawing extra players from other clubs.

The players who have gone on to college did very well their first season, playing for the First XV right off at schools including Northern Florida, Holy Cross, UVM, UNH and WPI. In 2001, Shane Cooper, a Seacoast women’s club member and academy employee, reestablished the rugby club at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Arrangements were made with the administration to allow the Seacoast Club to combine with the Academy club to share numbers of players, coaches and facilities. Due to a misunderstanding in the administration, the club was unable to practice or play after spring break, but before the school year ended, the issue was cleared up and the club made plans for the next season.


THE FIRST MATCHES
The U19 team started recruiting in the fall of 2001 by holding several clinics in Portsmouth at Seacoast practices and at Phillips Exeter Academy. The club held practices each Sunday throughout the winter at the Thompson Cage at Phillips Exeter Academy with 15-20 boys and girls per week from the academy and area schools. The first good outdoor sessions happened after the PEA spring break in early April. The teams got some time to learn the game of rugby on a full field before the first match on April 14. When the boys and girls took the field that day, it was the first time that Seacoast-Phillips Exeter Academy had fielded a full side. Also of note, not one player had played a match before, so everyone was a rookie. The boys lost to Amoskeag 38-5, but showed some of the skills and team play that was difficult to practice with the small numbers.

Afterwards, the girls played 10s against Sugar River of Newport, NH and won 50-0 showing a dominant running game and strong defense. The season continued with a trip to Kimball Union Academy where the boys lost to an experienced side and the girls again defeated Sugar River playing 7s. The third week, the boys won their only match at home to St. Bernard’s and the girls beat Portland. Marshfield, MA boys and girls invaded the following week. The Seacoast PEA boys lost in a hard fought contest while the girls won their contest by their biggest margin 74-0.

The second Saturday in May, ten boys and 4 girls drove to Umass-Amherst for the New England High School Championships. The boys competed in the B division losing to Fairfield Prep and BC High B sides. The 4 girls combined with Marshfield and helped them win their semifinal with Portland and keeping close the final with Essex Jct., VT. The Seacoast-PEA girls were responsible for all of the scoring for Marshfield on the day. The following weekend the girls traveled to Portland and took away a 50-0 score. A match with Essex Jct. was arranged for the 29th of May in Burlington to pit the undefeated Seacoast PEA girls against the New England champions. The girls had a great practice the night before helped by members of the Seacoast Women’s team. The side included several players who had not played a match before and a 14-year old sister who had stepped on against Portland the week before and did well. The Seacoast-PEA girls had the confidence to take on an Essex Jct. side that boasts over 45 players 3 coaches and practices several times a week.

After a 3 ½ hour drive, 12 Seacoast-PEA girls, one South Burlington and two pick-ups from the home C-side, took the field and started into a strong wind. This was the first chance for the girls to play with 15 players. The play was fast and hits were hard. Play moved from end to end with each side threatening the line, but the half ended scoreless. The second half saw Seacoast-PEA utilize the wind that was not used by the hosts in the first half pinning the home side in their quarter. A Seacoast-PEA try was scored by a blind side move from the base of a scrum and the scoring was on, or so it seemed. Shortly after another long kick, Seacoast-PEA drove the ball over the line, but was not able to touch it down. The many fresh legs brought on by Essex Jct. caused trouble for the visitors. This was also the first full match played 35 minutes each way. As time wore down the runs by the hosts were more effective, but clearing kicks often slow them down. In the last minutes, Essex Jct. broke free along the far sideline and scored an apparent try, but the vigilant referee deemed the runner to have stepped in touch several times and formed a lineout.

The Touch Judge (husband of Essex Jct. coach) was evidently cheering, not watching his line. The Seacoast-PEA staved off several last second drives and eventually the match was blown up. The victory and undefeated season made the long ride back and the singing worthwhile. The boys finished up their season at 1-5 and the girls, 6-0. The girls scored 271 points to 10 against in the 6 matches. 2002 AWARDS The boys MVP went to Jeff Wirken and the girls MVP went to Mary Harding both of PEA. Most Improved Player went to Peter Brennan for the boys and Liz McKee for the girls, also, both of PEA. Liz commented that she had never played a team sport before, but she acquitted herself well in the Essex Jct. match at #8!

Finally, the Club Man award went to Isaac Howley of PEA for his play and support of the team. The Club Woman award went to Laura Godsman of Bow who not only had the longest commute (nearly and hour), but also improved her skills receiving votes for Most Improved as well. 2003 The club continued with a strong 2003 season that included having two girls, Kelly Connolly and Laura Godsman, participate in the National girls elite camp at Christmas and play on the national development side. The boys fielded a side in the 1st Division of the New England High School Championships after some stirring wins early in the season, but were light-handed on the day as many of the PEA layers were unavailable that Saturday. The girls hosted the 2003 New England Championships won by a strong Portland side. With 7 sides participating, twice as many as ever before, the tourney was hailed a resounding success. Top female referees worked the tourney and many Seacoast players helped with the details. The Seacoast girls finished in the middle of the pack.

The tradition continued in 2003 and 2004 as the boys and girls had numerous successful matches, learning individual and team skills each week. New coaches for 2004, Bob Winchester and Jonathan Plumbe for the boys and Claire Logsdon and Anya Puri (both from PEA) for the girls, kept the team going through 2004. A large contingent of Newburyport High School players joined the club as well.