In 1920, at the Olympic Games in Antwerp, the United States Rugby team defeated the favored French squad to win the gold medal. In 1924, at the Olympic Games in Paris, the host French anticipated revenge as their highly touted team again met the United States for the gold. Despite being a huge underdog and playing in a hostile environment, the Americans again prevailed. The story behind the U.S. rugby teams that attended these two Olympics is very much tied to the Olympic Club and underscores the Club’s history of fostering amateur athletics.
The Club’s own Edgar Pomeroy, who is recognized as the father of rugby in the Bay Area, helped to bring about the switch As the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp approached, the Bay Area was one of the few regions in the US where rugby was still actively played.
The California Rugby Union, which the Olympic Club had a hand in founding and helped lead for many years, lobbied the U.S. Olympic Committee to put together a team to represent the United States in at the Games in Antwerp. Tryouts were organized with many Olympic Club members in attendance. Scrimmages were held and a team was selected that included representatives from the Olympic Club, Stanford, Cal, Santa Clara and Davis. Funds were raised with the Club’s assistance and the American Olympic Committee gave its approval.
Despite the performance of the United States rugby team in Antwerp, rugby continued to lose ground to football back home. As the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris approached, it looked like the Americans would not field a team. After prodding from the French who were interested in gaining their revenge, the California Rugby Union and Olympic Club lobbied to form a team. Tryouts were held and several local Bay Area college athletes were selected along with a core group from the 1920 team.
The U.S. had its team but the dour financial condition of the American Olympic Committee meant there were no funds available to send the team to Paris. Again the Olympic Club stepped in to assist. Headed by well known sportsman and President of the Olympic Club, William F. Humphrey, a number of San Francisco’s leading citizens gathered at a luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel and raised the money to send the team.
When the final whistle blew in 1924 the Americans had pulled off a huge upset 17-3.
Unfortunately, rugby was dropped as a sport in the Olympics after the 1924 Games. The great stories of the 1920 and 1924 teams only remain in rugby lore. that rugby will again be added to the Olympics and the Americans can compete to defend their 1920 and 1924 gold medals.
