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Premier Rugby: Kansas City Mules


jmoe12

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In a universe without the NFL or American football, rugby is king. Rugby Union has become the United States’ favorite pastime, with 32 teams playing every fall in one of the world’s premier Rugby Union competitions, Premier Rugby. Premier Rugby was officially founded in 1904 with the union of America’s two premier Rugby Federations at the time, the American Rugby Association and the United States Rugby Union. The ARA featured clubs mostly based on the east coast, while the USRU was largely located in the Midwest. Even though they compete under the same banner, the two federations have remained almost completely separate throughout their 113 year history, meeting only to compete for the PR Championship, the Don Schroeder Cup, named for the man instrumental in bringing the two federations together and leading them to national and global prominence. In the early stages of Premier Rugby, the ARA showed it truly was the superior of the two divisions, taking 12 of the first 14 Shields. After that dominant run, the federations have been relatively even, with the ARA taking a total 61 championships to the USRU’s 52. There were plenty of talks about merging the ARA and USRU, and the it was nearly agreed before the 1974 season, only to fall through at the last moment. Any talks of a merger were abandoned, however, after the ARA introduced the bonus point system before the 1981 season. In addition to the 4 points for a win, 2 for a tie, and none for a loss that had been used by both the USRU and ARA for nearly a century, the ARA added bonus points to be awarded for games in which a team scored 4 or more tries, or lost by 7 or fewer points. The system had never been seen before, and was invented in the hopes of creating a higher-scoring, more spectator friendly competition. Traditionalists across the country were outraged, and a few ARA clubs threatened to switch leagues over this “ill-conceived gimmick,” but commissioner Benjamin Walters held firm. As a result of the bonus point, it was clear that interleague play, which had been suggested as a compromise in merger discussions, would be impossible, and the two federations remained separate to the present day. 

 

Nothing is more important to American Rugby fans than tradition, and that has led to little change in the Premier Rugby landscape throughout the years. Both federations are still split into an East and West Division, out of which only the champion qualifies for the playoffs. There have been plenty of shouts for a wild card to be added, or for realignment into 4 divisions, but the commissioners have held their ground. Aesthetically, Premier Rugby is regarded as one of the best-looking major sports, with many franchises keeping classic looks throughout their history. Each team has a "Home" and "Clash" uniform, meaning color v. color is a common sight. A panel of uniform experts maps out the potential uniform matchups for each week, ensuring sufficient clash in all games.

 

With all of that said, let's move on to the first team!

 

 

 

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Illinois Railsplitters

 

The Illinois Railsplitters are one of the oldest franchises in Premier Rugby, and one of the most successful, with 8 titles in 111 years. The team began in Springfield, where they were named after 16th president Abraham Lincoln. 5 years later, the team moved to Champaign, where they shared a stadium with the University of Illinois and adopted the Illini's blue and orange colors. Finally in 1923, the 'Splitters moved to Chicago, where they play in Ewing Park on the South Side. The ground has remained largely unchanged ever since, maintaining the old time charm the fans love.

 

Throughout the club's history, the Railsplitters have played a bruising style of rugby that places the team above any individual. Even so, Illinois has had its fair share of stars, most notably Miles Brett, a powerful scrum-half who wore the blue and orange in the club's most successful stretch in the 1950s, winning back to back Schroeder Cups in 1955 and '56. Today, the Railsplitters are beginning to decline as the core from the 2011 championship side continues to age, but it would be unwise to count Illinois out, even in the loaded USRU West Division.

 

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The primary logo is a stylized version of Abraham Lincoln, and the secondary an IR monogram that I though turned out pretty well. The uniforms are pretty much the same as they started wearing 111 years ago, with the hooped socks being a staple of any 'Splitters set. The Clash kit carries that hooped theme in a more subtle fashion, featuring thin orange horizontal stripes.

 

 

 

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This is an amazing idea. I have started to become a fan of Rugby over the last few years and it is so cool to see somebody make a Rugby League, especially a League in America, on these boards. Illinois looks fantastic. Can't wait to see how the rest of the league unfolds.

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Thanks for the feedback, guys! Now, onto the Railsplitters' biggest rival, and the defending USRU Champion.

 

Minnesota Giants

 

Another of the USRU's "Original 8," the Giants have won the USRU title a whopping 19 times, the most of any club, but have only captured the Schroeder Cup on 5 occasions. These 14 title game earned Minnesota the nickname "Gentle Giants" on the big stage. Giant fans, on the other hand, fiercely defend their club, calling the Schroeder Cup an "exhibition" and repeating that the league is a far more important trophy. The club plays its home games at "The New Giant Stadium" a state of the art facility that placed the original Giant Stadium in 2009. The ground is located in downtown St. Paul, though many fans hoped the team would move over to Minneapolis when the NGS was constructed.

 

Like Illinois, and most of the Midwest rugby clubs, Minnesota utilizes a physical style of play that prefers strength to skill. No player embodied this mentality better than Bruce Carpenter, a tough as nails hooker who played for the Blue and Green for 16 years before finally helping the Giants snap their 54 year Cup drought in 1960. The picture of a bloodied Carpenter hoisting the Schroeder cup with bandages enveloping his hands is one of the most iconic in Premier Rugby history. This season, the Giants are one of the favorites to take the Schroeder Cup, after adding several key pieces to the team that fell just short in the final last season. However, competing in rugby's toughest division means nothing is guaranteed, and Minnesota will have to fight for every inch to make sure they have the chance to defend their crown.

 

 

 

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The team name and primary logo was inspired by Paul Bunyan, a folk legend throughout the upper Midwest, and especially Minnesota. The logos are pretty self-explanatory. I tried a couple versions of a Babe the Blue Ox secondary, but I couldn't get it to come out quite right, and I felt it was encroaching too closely on the identity of another USRU club. The kits are fairly basic, with the plaid striping pattern appearing on the sleeves, shorts and socks.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • jmoe12 changed the title to Premier Rugby: Minnesota Giants

Now, another of the USRU's traditional powers.

 

Omaha Bison

 

Professional sports in Nebraska? You wouldn't think it'd last over a century, but the Bison are one of the most passionately supported teams in Premier Rugby. Founded in 1896 along with Illinois and Minnesota, the Bison have won 8 Schroeder Cups and 12 USRU crowns. This success and strong cultural ties have made the club the pride and joy of the Cornhusker state, and allowed them to survive without much of a national following. The Bison play at the North Yard, a classic stadium constructed in the 1920s in the middle of Omaha. Very little has changed for Omaha the years, as the Bison keep a classic style in all aspects of their club, and the uniforms are no exception.

 

The Bison have remained competitive for almost every year of their existence, rarely finishing in the bottom half of the standings. Omaha's most successful run came in the '50s and '60s, winning the Cup 3 times on 3 trips to the big game. After another title in 1976, the Bison fell into decline, having the worst decade in their history during the 1980s, where they failed to make the playoffs. A lack of success fueled rumors of a potential move to Phoenix, but the club survived, and got back to the top of Premier Rugby in 1994. In the past decade, the Bison have been possibly the most bang-average team in the USRU, finishing 4th or 5th in the West Division each of the last 6 years. Even when the club is well out of the title race, the fans still flock to North Yard to cheer on the Boys in Red.

 

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I went super simple with this concept, hoping to get an "old-fashioned" feel. The primary logo remained untouched until 1997, when it was refreshed, while keeping the spirit of the mark that had stood for over a century. The secondary "O" logo is rarely used, and does not feature on either of the team's kits. The Bison have worn red over white for every year they've played, and have become synonymous with the look. The clash kit has been white every year except for 1997, when the team released a modern black kit to go along with the updated logo. The fans were outraged, and the team only wore the kit 4 times throughout the season, before returning to white in 1998.

 

 

 

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New Orleans Harlequins

 

One of the best-run and well-supported clubs in Premier Rugby, the Harlequins experienced success almost immediately after their founding in 1973, taking the Schroeder Cup in 1984 and again in 1987. The 'Quins won the league again in 2001, coming up short in the Cup, before climbing to the top of mountain once again in 2010. The Harlequins played at the run-down Bayou Stadium for the first 6 years of their existence, but moved to Andrew Jackson Memorial Coliseum in 1979. The stadium is still regarded as one of the best in the league in terms of architecture and atmosphere, but plenty of fans are vocal in their distaste for naming a stadium over a man responsible for so many atrocities during his presidency. The owners of the club finally agreed to change the name this offseason, and the Harlequins will be playing in the Howard-Brown Memorial Coliseum starting in 2017.

 

New Orleans is famed for quality drafting, then turning these picks into stars. This approach has allowed the 'Quins to build strong squads for cheap, then keep them together throughout their primes. This was perfectly demonstrated in the last few seasons, as a very young Harlequins team took the crown in 2010. The majority of that group still plays in the Bayou, and they have remained competitive every year, but injuries and bad luck have prevented them from reaching the Schroeder Cup for a second time. With possibly the most talented lineup in the league, however, New Orleans is many expert's pick to take the USRU title this season.

 

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This design is out of the box, but it's definitely one of my favorites. The primary logo is a jester's hat combined with a fleur-de-lis, while the secondary is a smiling jester that has remained almost untouched since the team was founded. The kits are quarted green and purple with a spiral pattern at home, and a white kit with the spiral taking center stage in case of clash. The addition of the lighter purple was a last minute decision, but I feel it really elevated this identity to the next level.

 

 

 

 

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This looks absolutely stunning. I love the out of the box look for the Harlequins. By far my favorite uniform set so far, granted there have only been four teams released so far. I also have a question. Where is the "boundary" that splits the USRU and the ARA? I know you said the USRU started in the Midwest and the ARA was mainly on the East Coast, but where is the line that splits the two leagues? If you don't want to spoil any teams by doing that, it's fine. I'm just wondering.

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5 hours ago, willmoen said:

This looks absolutely stunning. I love the out of the box look for the Harlequins. By far my favorite uniform set so far, granted there have only been four teams released so far. I also have a question. Where is the "boundary" that splits the USRU and the ARA? I know you said the USRU started in the Midwest and the ARA was mainly on the East Coast, but where is the line that splits the two leagues? If you don't want to spoil any teams by doing that, it's fine. I'm just wondering.

 

Over the years, the USRU and ARA both spread themselves out pretty evenly across the country, so they're pretty similar to the AL/NL or AFC/NFC. There are pockets of the country that are dominated by a specific federation, but it's pretty even as a whole. 

 

 

 

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Originally a planned to keep the team locations a surprise, but since a couple of people were asking, I came up with a compromise of sorts.

 

 

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Alright, so this is a Premier Rugby "heat map" based on fan support for each federation in each state. With a little thinking, you can probably figure out most of the 28 remaining markets and which federation they fall in, but there are some tricky ones. I'll try to remember to update this post whenever I finish a new team.

 

 

 

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San Francisco Jailbirds

 

Originally founded as the Cincinnati Owls in 1962, poor ownership caused the club to only stay 4 seasons in the Buckeye State, heading west to San Francisco. The team kept the Owls nickname for 14 years, finally rebranding in 1976 as the Jailbirds, a reference to Alcatraz, the famous prison located just outside the city. The club has had moderate success in the USRU, frequently challenging for the league, though always falling just short. The team fell to its lowest point in 1982, winning just 1 game in the campaign, and rumors of a move out of California began to swirl. In 1990, the 'Birds grabbed one of the most unlikely titles in Premier Rugby history. After finishing second last in the USRU West the previous season, and with no notable additions, nothing much was expected. But the Jailbirds were in contention all year, stealing the division title from Illinois on the final day to make the first playoff appearance in club history. After an upset victory in the USRU final, San Francisco overcame the longest odds in Schroeder Cup history to claim the club's only title. After this magical run, the team faded back to the bottom of the standings, making their triumph possibly the strangest occurrence in Premier Rugby history.

 

The Jailbirds have been one of the most forgettable franchises throughout their existence, rarely challenging for the title, but never having truly terrible records. Beside the 1990 run, the team has rarely gotten much attention from the media, even though they play in one of the largest media markets in the country. Today, San Francisco is mired in the bottom of the USRU West, having not even managed a top half finish in the last 4 years. Without a lot of power in the free agent market and a poor run of draft picks, it looks like the 'Birds will be near the basement for the foreseeable future.

 

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Nothing too crazy on this one. The primary logo is a seagull in a prison uniform, and the secondary is a simple SF monogram. The club uses black and white as the main focus of the color scheme, with gold only appearing on the bird's beak and on the numbers for legibility. The kits are notorious for causing clash issues against certain teams, but Jailbirds' fans love them and have come near riots any time a change is suggested.

 

 

 

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I was originally going to go division by division with these concepts, but I was too excited with this one to not post.

 

Buffalo Bolts

 

A surprise addition to the American Rugby Association in 1975, Buffalo is known for its rabid fanbase and blue-collar approach to rugby. Erie County Stadium, located right on the lake shore, is known as one of the toughest roadtrips in the federation, and the Bolts have ended many opponents' title pushes with a home victory in the frigid New York winters. Like Omaha, the Bolts draw their fans from a relatively small area, almost exclusively upstate New York. But when they play, the whole area seems to drop everything to watch, either at the stadium, the bar, or at home. Jeremy Donaldson, the club's owner, is known as one of the most fan-friendly bosses in Premier Rugby, keeping tickets and merchandise at some of the lowest prices in American sports, even when the team is competitive. While the gesture does cost Donaldson some revenue, it is more than made up for through the obsession Buffalo has for Bolts rugby.

 

Buffalo is almost always competitive in the East division, though rarely breaking through into the playoffs. The club's best sides came in the 1990s, when Buffalo took the East division 3 times in 5 years from 1991-95, winning the Schroeder Cup in 1995. While they have failed to capture any silverware since that season, the Bolts have continued to compete in the tough ARA East, frequently charging up the standings late in the season to steal a division crown. In the 2016 season, Buffalo pushed the eventual Premier Rugby champions all the way to the brink, losing out on the division by only one point. But with almost every player returning from that team, the Bolts are one of the favorites to claim the division this season.

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The primary logo (probably my favorite I've done), features Zeus, the Greek lightning god, and was created in 1998 to help modernize a brand many viewed as stale. The old primary logo, which borrows heavily from Buffalo's flag, was eventually added back as a secondary, and the Bolts' original look has come back into favor with many of the fans who wanted it gone, and the club's clash kit is now a throwback to that era.

 

 

 

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