The Huntington Beach Unicorn Rugby Football Club (HB Rugby) is a sports and social club located in Huntington Beach, California. The club was formed in 1970 solely for the purpose of playing Rugby Union football. The club is a current member club of the Southern California Rugby Football Union (SCRFU). The USARFU is a member of the International Rugby Board, based in Dublin, Ireland and is affiliated with USA Olympic Committee.
The club has its roots back to members of the Los Angeles Rugby Club and Eagle Rock RFC. Many of these founding members lived in Orange County and wanted to play closer to home. The Unicorns set many precedents during the seventies and eighties. The club had the first ‘clubhouse’ in Southern California, in downtown Huntington Beach (boy, do we wish we STILL had that property!), were the first club to embark on an international tour (Wales – 1972) and have played in front of the largest crowd to see Rugby in the USA — during half-time at a Rams vs. Browns NFL game — with nearly 70,000 fans present. The Unicorns have continued their long tradition of international contact, having hosted Northcote RFC (N.Z.) in 1993 and the University of New South Wales RFC (Australia) in 1995. The club also took their show on the road for the Rugby World Cup in Wales in 1999.
In 1997 and 1998, the Unicorns competed in the National Second Division championships, finishing second and fifth respectively in the nation. The club was elevated to First Division competition beginning in November 1998. The Southern California Rugby Union features one of the most competitive leagues in the US, with five-time National Champion, OMBAC from San Diego and 1998, 2003 and 2004 Harp Super League Champions, Belmont Shore from Long Beach, as well as 2005 First Division National Champions, Santa Monica Rugby Club and runner-up Back Bay Rugby Club.
Whilst the Huntington Beach Unicorns have proven themselves on the rugby field over the years, the development of the club off the field has been just as impressive. The club is currently in the process of incorporating to strengthen its administrative base. The club ranks third from Southern California in players registered with USA Rugby and is one of the few clubs that can boast dedicated training and game fields. We have a full schedule of 15s, 7s and touch football play.
The Unicorns famous social camaraderie, known around the world, keeps the atmosphere fun.