Ohio Aviators (rugby union)
| Full name | Ohio Aviators | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | USA Rugby | ||
| Founded | 2016 | ||
| Disbanded | 2017 | ||
| Location | Obetz, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | ||
| Ground(s) | Fortress Obetz (Capacity: 6,500) | ||
| Coach(es) | Paule Barford | ||
| Top scorer | Shaun Davies (84) | ||
| Most tries | Spike Davis (14) | ||
| League(s) | PRO Rugby | ||
| |||
The Ohio Aviators were a professional American rugby union team that played in the short lived PRO Rugby competition. They were based in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area, and played their home games at the Memorial Park in Obetz, Ohio.
History
PRO Rugby announced on February 9, 2016 the addition of Columbus, Ohio as the league's third team.[1] The selection of Columbus came as somewhat of a surprise, because the original PRO Rugby announcement in November 2015 did not mention that the competition planned to place a team in the midwest in the inaugural season.[2] Ohio's inaugural season home opener was played on May 1, 2016.[3] PRO Rugby revealed the team's nickname — the Ohio Aviators — on June 6, 2016, a reference to the Wright brothers who were from Ohio.[4]
Stadium
The Aviators during the 2016 season played their home games at Memorial Park in Obetz, a suburb of the Columbus metropolitan area. The Aviators planned to move to Fortress Obetz, on the site of the former Columbus Motor Speedway, starting with the 2017 season.[5][6][7][8][9]
Current players and staff
Current roster
On December 20, 2016 all PRO Rugby players received notice their contracts will be terminated in 30 days if progress is not made towards resolving disputes between the league and USA Rugby.[10]
The squad for the 2016 PRO Rugby season:[11]
| Ohio roster | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Loose Forwards
Scrum-halves Fly-halves
|
Centers
Wingers
Fullbacks
|
| (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped. |
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Paule Barford
|
| Assistant coach |  Paul Holmes
|
| Assistant coach |  Eamonn Hogan
|
Season summaries
| Competition | Games Played |
Games Won |
Games Drawn |
Games Lost |
Ladder Position |
C | R | W | Coach | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 PRO Rugby season | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 / 5 | Paule Barford | 2016 Ohio Aviators season |
Leading players
| Season | Captain | Most tries | Most points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Jamie Mackintosh | Spike Davis (14) | Shaun Davies (84) |
Coaches
| Coach | Tenure | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paule Barford | 2016–present | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 75% |
See also
- Ohio Aviators (basketball) — defunct ABA basketball team
References
- ^ "Ohio Gains PRO Rugby Team", This Is American Rugby, February 9, 2016.
- ^ "PRO Rugby Launches First Professional League in North America", USA Rugby, November 9, 2015.
- ^ "Rugby | New team offers speed, power, blood", Columbus Dispatch, Bill Rabinowitz, April 15, 2016.
- ^ "PRO Rugby Unveils Team Names", This Is American Rugby, June 6, 2016.
- ^ "Ohio Aviators trying to grow regional fan base", The Columbus Dispatch, Adam Jardy, July 3, 2016.
- ^ Weese, Evan (November 18, 2016). "Obetz building 6,500-seat sports and concert venue". Columbus Business First. Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ Perry, Kimball (November 16, 2016). "Obetz to build 6,500-seat stadium for pro sports teams". Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ Widman Neese, Alissa (November 17, 2016). "Obetz says lacrosse stadium eventually will pay for itself". Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ "Multi-Use Athletic Stadium To Take Place Of Columbus Motor Speedway". Columbus, Ohio: WOSU Public Media. The Associated Press Ohio. November 17, 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ^ Down Goes PRO
- ^ "PRO Rugby Preview – Ohio". Americas Rugby News. Americas Rugby News. April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.