The Washington Irish RFC was conceived in the dark and dreary Foggy Bottom autumn of 1979, in the profoundly disturbed minds of a few renegades from the then-dormant rugby club of The American University. These rambunctious lads fancied themselves exiles from the old AU club, and when they noted the preponderance of Mc's and O's in their midst, it seemed only logical to form a club that would bear the name of the great exile clubs throughout the world: THE IRISH.

They set to work at once, gathering together a motley crew of Irish and various other folks whose ancestry is best left untraced, but little did those founding fathers dream that their bastard child of a rugby club would enjoy such success so soon. In 1980, the clubs first year of existence, the Irish won the Potomac Rugby Division III championship, and moved up to Division II. After a successful 1981 season, joined the top division of the PRU in the spring of 1982. In their first Division I season, the Irish posted a winning record, finishing fourth in the union. An Irish 7 a-side squad also began competing in summer sevens tourneys, and the Irish flag was planted all along the eastern seaboard.

The 1982 season also marked the first Washington Irish St. Patrick's Day Tournament, an eight team affair won by James River RFC. Since that inaugural venture into rugby hospitality, our St Paddy's Tournament has grown to dozens of teams from around the country and around the world.

As the nineties approached the Irish were going through a transient phase, players from around the country and internationally were coming and going. Many of those players who helped the Irish become a dominant force in rugby either retired concentrating on family life or were force to retire because of injuries received from playing. Thus began the so-called exodus of older experience players. The end result left the Irish waning slightly. It left them in a position where they no longer competed against the top rugby clubs.

Instead they played in a division that catered for a club that was rebuilding and struggling to find what direction they should go. Restructuring was done throughout every level, administration as well player personnel. The once so-called new guys of the Irish soon became the very heart and soul. By the mid-nineties under the leadership of President Ed (Cheese) Reeseman and Jack (Cecil) Way things began to turn slowly towards the sun. Problems with the IRS were slowly but surely being sorted out, from the various fund raisers and rugby tournaments the club began to show a profit. It was also during this period and with the help of former captain and Coach Greg Irish they secured a new coach and several foreign players.

When the matrix season began in the fall of 1995-1996 a new page was opening for the Irish. With the influx of Kiwis', and several other foreign players attitudes within the club began to change. Realizing that it had been several seasons since they had tasted victory in a matrix season all efforts were directed towards winning at least one matrix game. It was achieved and so were the next couple of games, there's' an old saying, "When you're winning you're grinning". The bar experienced a happy bunch of ruggers every Saturday night and even when games were lost the feeling was awesome.

Over the next five years players came and stayed while others moved on, soon a core of players began establishing themselves on and off the pitch. The standard of rugby rose and the Irish began thinking of winning the South 2nd Division. Qualifying for the playoffs every year and winning several tournaments has restored pride back into the club. However winning the 2nd Division still eludes the Irish but there seems to be a "keep trying" attitude, something that was missing in the past. One important factor that remains a strong part of the Irish is the social aspect, the friendliness and closeness. Many of those young players who came in during the late eighties and nineties have matured, married started families. Fortunately for the club they have remained, stayed in contact and support the club. Once in awhile on the odd occasion everyone heads to the bar for a long night but not as frequent as before.