History

The Rocky Mountain Rogues Rugby Football Club is a Cranbrook – Kimberley combined side. The two neighboring communities’ amalgamated in 1978 with there first fixture being the Columbia River Invitational Rugby Tournament in Moscow, Idaho. The newly established side began it’s existence on an international stage. The Cranbrook side of the equation began in the fall of 1974. Bill Gooding a new teacher to Mount Baker Senior Secondary (MBSS) introduced Rugby to the Cranbrook High School. Through imaginative means and some gentle coercion Bill managed to field a side immediately. The spring of 1976 saw the MBSS graduating players start a club side with some eager experienced players from the community. A few kilometers up the road the Kimberley Barbarians had been playing throughout the Kootenays, Alberta and the northern United States since the early sixties. Peter Moody was the leading force behind the Kimberley group as they regularly sought players out of Kimberley’s Selkirk Secondary high school to fill out numbers and develop a side. A fierce rivalry immediately emerged. Within a couple of years it became obvious that the two communities would be stronger together so a new club was formed.

The club was struggling for a name to represent the two communities. In 1984 after much thought and a few beers the Rocky Mountain Rogues Rugby Football Club (RMRRFC) moniker was adopted. The brainchild of the name was Don Gyurkovits the clubs loosehead prop.
After departing for Vancouver Don was a long time member and executive of the Kats Rugby Football Club in Vancouver and has become a renowned chef.

The RMRRFC always strived to be a member of a Rugby Union and in 1986 entered the Calgary Rugby Union’s Second Division. After two years in the seconds the Rogues dropped down to the CRU’s third division for a couple of years but the travel schedule proved too much
to maintain commitments. A few years of independent play and fest rugby ensued before the creation of the Inland International Rugby Union. The IIRU consisted of Okanagan, Kootenay, Washington, Idaho and Montana Clubs. Great idea on paper but too logistically
challenging for a lasting union so the IIRU folded after a few years of play. In 2009 the Kootenay Rugby Union was born and continues on today with the RMRRFC and Elk Valley Bulls based out of Fernie as members. Nelson and Trail both had participating sides for many years and hopes are they will return to the KRU when numbers allow.

One constant throughout the years for the Rogues has been a strong executive off the field. The torch for the executive has passed through many hands with John Kendal, Ian Allen, Randy MacDonald, Jim Maletta, Chris Huston, Dale Alderson and now Pete Dove all taking on the role of player and president. Ian and Jim are founding members of the club and still stay in touch with the current edition of the Rogues.

The Rogues have been fortunate to have some international flair over the years as many players from other countries have donned the navy blue and white for the Rogues. Martin Davis, a native of Wellington was one of the first with his move to Cranbrook in 1979, his extensive
rugby experience helped the club develop both on and off the field. The RMRRFC alumni have provided many clubs with well-trained rugby players throughout the years. Many have moved onto higher levels throughout various rugby unions. Notables are newly returned Chris Labine and Bryce Bostock along with Connor Sinclair, Mark Muelman, Bob Apps, Tom MacDonald, Aaron Wright, Chris Huston, Byron Garrells, Quinn Skelton and the list goes on.

The 2021 Saratoga Cup was presented to Jared MacDonald, a second generation Rogue and club leader. As you can see the recent success of the RMRRFC has a long history and tradition behind it.