The Tarnished Record - The History of the Halifax Tars Rugby Club
In the early 1970’s rugby had started a comeback at the universities but senior rugby was languishing a bit. Navy teams were on the decline and the Halifax RFC represented the only team with a solid base. In 1974 Eric Kranz a New Yorker who had become enthralled with the game left Halifax RFC and decided to start a new team in the city. He actively sought out players who had some rugby in high school or university, or had played football or soccer. With his particular Woody Allen sense of humour he named the team the ‘Halifax Hamsters’.
The first season consisted perhaps of only 2 games. The following year a more ambitious approach was taken with a team roster (it is not known if all of these actually played), a schedule and the selection of’s colours as the team kit.The Nova Scotia Rugby Football Union had mixed feeling about this enterprise. They expressed such concerns as it seemed that some Hamsters did not know the rules of the game (they tackled like football players), they often played a man short and they had not paid the leagues dues.
The league threatened that any clubs playing the Hamsters could be fined. Eric Kranz retreated into the background and the team was re-constituted at a meeting held at the Lighthouse Tavern. The Club’s new name was the Halifax Tars RFC (suggested by George McLellan).
The name is derived fromHalifax’s unofficial mascot the ‘Jolly Tar’. This character harkens back to the days of wind and sail when sailors were often called ‘Tars’ owing to the fact that they were often covered in the stuff which was used to caulk the timbers in wooden vessels.
Check back each week for a feature photo or piece of history that we're thankful that John Mercereaux didn't throw out, representing some glimpses of early-‘Tar-zoic’ period in Club history.
The Godfather of Nova Scotia Rugby is featured in this week's posting.....can you spot him?
TARS RFC PAST PRESIDENTS
We would like to thank our past president's. Through their hard work and sacrifice have brought the Tars to where we are now.
2009 – Michael Gervais
2008 – Michael Gervais
2007 –Nora Donald
2006 – Nora Donald
2005 – John Gillis
2004 – John Gillis
2003 – Doug Schillinger
2002 – Michael Gervais
2001 – Michael Gervais
2000 – Michael Gervais
1999 – Greg Price
1998 – Dan MacDonald
1997 – Steve Rockwell
1996 – Fred Dolan
1995 – Fred Dolan
1994 – Brent Tucker
1993 – Brent Tucker
1992 – Doug Mann
1991 – Peter Ellis
1990 – Peter Ellis
1989 – Steve Rockwell
1988 – Rob Salsman / Steve Rockwell
1987 – Ian Smith
1986 –Marty Williams
1985 – Rob Salsman
1984 – Ralph Stea
1983 – Ralph Stea
1982 – Tom Garland
1981 – Iain Smith
1980 – Iain Smith
1979 – John Mersreau
1978 – Eric Thomson
1977 – Ed Byard
1976 – George McLellan
1975 (Hamsters) – Eric Kranz
1974 (Hamsters) – Eric Kranz
"Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go."
