A Legacy Built Over Decades.

The Austin Blacks are a founding member of the Texas Rugby Union. What came after is a record that speaks for itself.

A group of rugby players in black and white striped uniforms sitting and standing together outdoors near a beach, with American flags hanging above them.

The Beginning: 1967-1979

1967
The Austin Rugby Club is founded in the spring. Later that year, the Blacks play the first-ever rugby match in Texas, defeating Baylor Medical School of Houston.

1969
Austin hosts the first-ever rugby tournament in Texas.

1971
The Austin Blacks become founding members of the Texas Rugby Union.

1972
Austin hosts the first international touring side to visit Texas — Club Champagnat of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1976
The Blacks embark on their first international tour — a trip to Canada.

1978
The Austin Rugby Club becomes the first rugby club in the United States to purchase its own grounds.

A black and gold emblem with a longhorn skull at the top, a bunch of grapes on the left, a bee on the right, and the Texas state outline with a star in the center at the bottom. The letters 'ARC' are in the middle, and a ribbon at the bottom reads '50th Anniversary'.
A black and gold emblem with a longhorn skull at the top, a bunch of grapes on the left, a bee on the right, and the Texas state outline with a star in the center at the bottom. The letters 'ARC' are in the middle, and a ribbon at the bottom reads '50th Anniversary'.
A group of seven people standing in a row indoors, smiling and posing for the photo. The background features large windows, a chandelier, and stone walls, suggesting a warm, rustic setting.

Building the Tradition: 1980-1999

1980–1984
The Blacks win Texas Rugby Union Championships in 1980, 1981, and 1984, establishing themselves as the dominant force in Texas rugby.

1984
The Blacks tour England, Wales, and Scotland — their first European rugby tour.

1985
Austin builds its clubhouse at Burr Field, becoming one of only two rugby clubs in the United States with privately owned grounds and a permanent clubhouse.

1990
International tours continue with a trip to Grand Cayman Island.

1992
The Austin Rugby Club incorporates, reorganizing to expand its community presence and business relationships in Austin.

1995
The Blacks return to England and Wales for a second European tour.

National Dominance: 2000-2019

2000–2019
The Austin Blacks establish themselves as one of the premier programs in the country. During this era, the D1 side reaches the USA Rugby National Championship Sweet 16 in almost every season between 2000 and 2019, and wins D1 Texas Champions 17 of 20 years.

2001, 2003, 2007, 2015, 2016, 2019
D1 National Championship Runner-Up appearances — six trips to the final in less than 20 years.

2018
D3 USA RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS — 2018

2019
D3 USA RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS — 2019

In 2019, all three Blacks sides — D1, D2, and D3 — win their entire Red River Rugby Conference competition. The first time any club in the United States has ever swept every men's division of a competitive region. The D1 and D3 sides advance to the USA Rugby National Final. D3 wins it.

Rugby team celebrating victory on the field, with one player lifting a trophy and teammates cheering around him.
A rugby team celebrating with a trophy, medals, and medals, on a field with overcast weather.

Champions, Again: 2023 - Present

2023
D1 USA RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS — 2023

D3 USA RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS — 2023

The Austin Blacks D1 and D3 sides both win USA Rugby National Championships in the same season. A historic achievement — and a statement that the Blacks belong at the top of American rugby.

2024
D3 USA RUGBY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS — 2024

The D3 side defends its national title. The standard continues.

  • Austin Blacks are founded (1967)

  • First rugby match ever played in Texas (1967)

  • First rugby tournament hosted in Texas (1969)

The Firsts

Rugby players in black and light blue jerseys compete for the ball on a grassy field, with several players and a sign in the background.

  • Founding member of the Texas Rugby Union (1971)

  • First international touring side hosted in Texas (1972)

  • First rugby club in the US to purchase its own grounds (1978)

Rugby players competing for a line-out ball during a match, with some players lifted into the air by teammates, on a grassy field under a cloudy sky.

  • One of the few clubs in the US with privately owned grounds and a clubhouse

  • First US club to win all three competitive region divisions simultaneously (2019)

  • First US club to send all three men's sides to the National Round of 16 simultaneously

Group of young boys sitting on wooden steps after a sports game, eating snacks, smiling, with backpacks and water bottles nearby.