History

 
High Country R.F.C.
A Brief History of the Incredible Journey
 
  High Country Rugby R.F.C. was founded in 1975 by the gentlemen proprietors of the outfitting store that bears the same name. Denny Mays and Bubba Sloan organized an odd collection of misfits and malcontents from other local clubs to begin play in the fall of 1975.  Play was a loose definition of the team’s efforts during the initial seasons.
 
  The club’s philosophy centered around the concept of fun, with serious play reserved for occasional outbreaks of brilliance.  From 1975 to 1980 the team conquered few other competitive clubs but developed a reputation as great party hosts and enjoyable lads. The unofficial motto of the team(and definitely ins Old Boys side) is “ I may be getting older but I refuse to grow up.”
 
  In 1980 a visit by the touring side of Henley, England, gave the team an opportunity to raise its level of play a notch.  One player from Henley remained in the USA  to become the coach and lead High Country to four very successful seasons of competitive play.  For several years the team was undeniably the second best in the city, winning the St. Patrick’s Day Tournament in Savannah as well as touring England, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. Success, however, did not effect the underlying purpose of the team, to have fun at all costs.
 
  From 1985 to 1990 the team worked to reestablish its direction, having retired many of the original players and recruiting a new stable of regulars. In 1988 High Country elected to compete in Division II, and it has been a contender for top honors since 1990. After a successful campaign in 1990 the team went on to win the Southern Regional Championship and competed for the Eastern title. Similar results were achieved in the 1991 and 1992 seasons.  In 2000 High Country returned to championship form by winning the USA South Georgia Division III Championship.
 
Many of our local fixtures include the teams from Chattanooga, Columbus, Renegades, Old White, FSU, UGA, and Savannah. In addition the club has hosted many clubs who have given us the opportunity to learn the game and down a few pints in our great city. In recent years we hosted teams from Pulborough, Cwmbran (Wales), and the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, and are looking forward to Monmouth Wales this spring.
 
   The team respectfully remembers several players who graced our pitch with play and lightened our hearts with their humor. Richard Sexton, former Captain and President, Denny Mays, a club founder, Ed Houser, also Captain and President, Phil “Slim” Washington, and Ward Heron, all of whom retired to the Big Pitch in the Sky long before we were ready to say good-bye.  The spirit of these gentlemen lives on at the High Country pitch and will remain a guiding beacon in the minds of our players. Through the years our goal has always remained the same: Enjoy the game and the friends who play with you.