American Cougars

Unions	USA Rugby
Nickname	Cougars
Founded	1978; 47 years ago (1978)
Teamkit

TheAmerican Cougars (also known as the USA Cougars or United States Cougars) is arugby union team from theUnited States. It is the only rugby union team from the United States ever to beat a reigningCurrie Cup championship team inSouth Africa. A combined and invitational side from the United States, the Cougars toured South Africa andZimbabwe in 1978. The team was coached by Ray Cornbill, coach of theEagles during the 1970s and 1980s.^[1] The squad comprised 25 players from 20 clubs, including 3 fromSanta Monica Rugby Football Club, 2 each from Chicago Lions RFC, Washington DC RFC, and UCLA RFC.^[2]

The Cougars played six games in South Africa: against Natal, Combined Universities, Griquas,Northern Transvaal, South African Gazelles andRhodesia, and won once.

On 12 August 1978 they lost 12–44 to a racially mixedSouth African Country Districts XV side atEast London. Some 5,500 spectators watched as futureSpringbokErrol Tobias contributed two tries to the Districts' total and aided in the scoring of two others. By half-time the Districts were ahead 24–3. Cougars'wingTommy Smith, usually afly-half, "registered a spectacular score" that was converted byfullback Dennis Jablonski. Jablonski added two penalty kicks to complete the visitors' score.^[3][4]

Four days later the Cougars faced a combined Universities ofStellenbosch andCape Town side on 16 August 1978 atCape Town.^[5]

The highlight of the tour was the Cougars' 18–15 win on 19 August 1978 over Northern Transvaal, who had won the Currie Cup in 1977 and went on to retain their title in 1978.^[6][7]

The tour closed with an international match on 28 August 1978, a 32–15 loss to a Rhodesia side that featuredRay Mordt.^[2][8]

Colours: Red, White & Blue Hoops

Coach:Ray Cornbill

Manager:Keith Seaber

• Cougar selection tournament

• Rugby union tours of South Africa
• Rugby union and apartheid
• 1978 in rugby union
• 1978 in South African rugby union

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Short description is different from Wikidata