Red Mountain Rugby 2007
The Red Mountain R.F.C. was conceived in 1993 when Mike Jones, a former Camelback and Scottsdale player, decided to bring rugby to the east valley. Mesa, a growing suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, was where Mike wanted to base the club.
By the mid-90's, Red Mountain was a team to be reckoned with. Within the first couple of years of its establishment, Red Mountain was able to win the Arizona Rugby Union (A.R.U.) Division II Championship. The following seasons showed promise for the future with Red Mountain working very hard to repeat its early initial success. In 2001, Red Mountain was able to win the A.R.U. Division II title again. This win qualified Red Mountain for its first foray into national post-season play. The club went on to the Pacific Coast Playoff's for National Division III rugby and finished a commendable third. The 2002 season saw Red Mountain move to the A.R.U's first division where they finished 2nd. Red Mountain went on to National post-season play and finished 8th in the Pacific Coast Division II championship.
2003 was the year that Red Mountain established itself on the national scene. Red Mountain won the A.R.U. Championship, the Pacific Coast Division II Championship, and went on to finish 5th in the nation for Division II rugby. Following an exceptional regular season, Red Mountains 7's team qualified and played in the 2003 national 7's finals. Red Mountain continued its strong growth in the 2004 season, finishing 2nd in the A.R.U. Division I championship, took 2nd place in the Pacific Coast Playoffs, and went on to the National championship tournament for its 2nd straight year. Red Mountain finished in the Elite Eight for Division II rugby once again.
In 2005, Red Mountain won the A.R.U. Division I championship, the Pacific Coast Division II championship and once again qualified for National Division II playoffs. Red Mountain went on to finish in the top 5 for the U.S. Division II rugby.In 2006, Red Mountain again reached national level play finishing 3rd in the nation in the Division II Championships. In 2007, Red Mountain finished second in the nation at the national level after a last second heart breaking loss in the final.
2008 saw Red Mountain take care of "unfinished business" and winning he USA Rugby Division 2 National Championship after an undefeated season. Red Mountain is he first team from the Arizona Rugby Union to win a national championship.The Red Mountain Rugby Club now boasts a player base of more than 70 players ranging in age from 21 to more than 40 years old.To date, Red Mountain maintains a strong family atmosphere, drawing spectators from all major demographics.
Today, Red Mountain Rugby Club is one of the top Amateur Rugby Clubs in the United States. A perennial national finalist in all forms of the game, Red Mountain is looking to consolidate on past success by growing exponentially, becoming the most successful, organized and professional outfit within the USA Rugby Football Union. The 2017 season saw the Hogs fall short in the national play-offs round of 16. The team will be looking toward another National Championship 10 years after the 2008 season.