Maryland Exiles RFC
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[edit] The Early Years
The Maryland Exiles Rugby Club formed in 1993 when three local clubs joined together: the Maryland Old Boys (MOB); Old Red Rugby Club; and Montgomery County Rugby Club. MOB competed in the Potomac Rugby Union's Division I since it was founded in the early 1970s. Possessing a zeal for seven-a-side rugby as well as fifteen's, the MOB made national headlines by winning the 1989 National Club Sevens Championship.
[edit] The Merger Begins
Old Red was one of the Washington area's premier rugby clubs, however changing demographics and the lack of a feeder club left Old Red overmatched in the early 1990s against upstart clubs such as the Potomac Athletic Club and Washington Rugby Football Club. In 1993 Montgomery County Rugby Club was one of the top Division II teams in the Potomac Rugby Union. Since the early 1980's The Maryland Old Boys and Old Red entered the Atlantic Cup tournament in Lewes, Delaware. The tournament marked the end of the beach season and start of the fall fifteen's rugby season. The two rival teams would play together under the moniker "Bethesda Exiles."
In the fall of 1992 discussion began to merge the Old Boys with the Montgomery and Old Red teams. Montgomery and Old Red were already one season into a merger.
[edit] A Touring Tradition
Since 1993, the Maryland Exiles Rugby Club has toured England ('93), Sri Lanka ('94), and Grand Cayman ('00) and conducted national tours of Chicago ('94) and Aspen ('96 and '97);. The Exiles claimed 15's victories in the Rites of Spring Tournament ('93), Savannah St. Patrick's Day Tournament ('94), Reading April Fools ('94) and the Atlantic Cup ('94 defeating the Potomac Athletic Club in the final) and the 1998 Porter Cup (Richmond, Virginia). In 1994 and 2001 the Exiles took second in the National Club Sevens Championship. In the 1996 Aspen Ruggerfest, the nation's premier 15s tournament, the Exiles placed third out of the 16 top teams. The Exiles qualified for both the inaugural (1996) and follow-up (1997) rounds of the National Club Championship Sweet 16. MDX Rugby entered the 2006 season as one of the he top-ranked Division I team in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Since their beginning, the Exiles have won too many sevens tournaments to list here.
[edit] Hosting International Players
In recent years the Exiles have hosted numerous overseas players including the 1995 All-Black trialist Jarrod Cunningham, Maori All Black Romana "Boom" Graham, Hawkes Bay flyhalf Sean Bell, 1996 ACT Super 12 fullback Nick O'Sullivan, and 2000 Blue Bulls Under-21 Captain, Jaco Swart, and Kenyan Internationals Mijoro Ger, Richard Kanda, Leslie Mango and Nick and Ishmael Olewe.
