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Memories from the 1973–1974 Season

Photographs and Clippings from the Archive

“Rugby Victory for Mizzou”

Bob Broeg's St. Louis Post-Dispatch column on the 1974 Big Eight title, kept in the club scrapbook.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch clipping headlined Rugby victory for Mizzou, on Missouri winning the 1974 Big Eight rugby tournament, with a handwritten note reading STL Post Dispatch 1974 Bob Broeg
The clipping as it survives, with the scrapbook owner's pencilled note: “STL Post Dispatch 1974 — Bob Broeg.”

What It Says

College soccer started out on a “club” basis at most institutions in this area. In other words, the players did it on their own initiative and without official school sanction. As the sport progressed, the school officially approved and sanctioned, to the benefit of many institutions in this area.

The same thing may be happening with rugby.

The Big Eight Rugby tournament was held last week at Columbia and Missouri won it. There were so many boys at Missouri who wanted to play that two team were formed.

Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska all sent teams to the tournament. Missouri reached the Sunday final by beating Kansas State, 34-0, and Nebraska, 16-4. Iowa State reached the final by downing the Mizzou second team, 17-0, and Kansas, 12-0. Then Missouri defeated Iowa State, 19-18.

Member of the Missouri team are Mike Myrick, Rick Wetzel, John Loesing, Denny De Jong, Jon Brandt, Bill Winkler, John Dundore, Pat Costigan, Tom Siebolt, John Tarpoff, Ed Sweeney, Ben Calloway, Wally Fuetz, Scott Snyder and Red Campbell.

Members of the Rugby Club pay five dollar dues. The school donated some old football uniforms to the cause but other than that the team was on its own. Hope it leads to something big.

Transcribed word for word from the clipping, including the original's “two team were formed” and “Member of the Missouri team are.” One correction: the Post-Dispatch set Wally Feutz's surname as “Fuetz” — the roster spelling is the right one. The full account of the season is on the 1973 season page.

Can You Identify This One?

A color snapshot that came with the same batch, with nothing written on the back.

Faded and out-of-focus color snapshot of rugby players in dark jerseys with white collars crossing a field
Out of focus and badly faded, but it is a Mizzou side crossing the field. If you recognize a face, a ground or a jersey, we would like to hear from you.

Tell us what you remember.

From the Old Boys Group

A photograph shared to the Mizzou Rugby Old Boys group by the man in it.

Gus Hoelscher and Dave Ostrander in Mizzou rugby kit, about 1973 to 1974
Gus Hoelscher and Dave Ostrander, circa 1973–74. Posted to the Old Boys group by Hoelscher himself.

More from the Old Boys Group

Photographs the board dated in August 2026.

Black and white photograph of Mizzou players running during a match in the early 1970s
Match action from the early 1970s, on a ground ringed by industrial buildings.
Black and white photograph of Mizzou players on the pitch in the early 1970s
A second frame from the same day.
Three Mizzou ruggers of the early 1970s photographed indoors
Off the pitch. The set was shared by Ramona Sparks Hicks; Gus Hoelscher, who played alongside Wally Feutz and John “Tubby” Stewart, put the era at 1973–75.

A Wet Afternoon, and the Third Half

Three photographs from the 1973–74 season, kept by Pat Costigan and John Tarpoff and shared in August 2026.

Four soaked Mizzou players crowded under an umbrella in the rain, one wearing a scrum cap tied at the back
Four players under one umbrella, soaked through and still on the touchline. Pat Costigan is on the far right. The scrum below was taken the same afternoon.
Three young Mizzou ruggers with beer steins after a match, wooded hills behind them
The third half, somewhere with hills behind it. Rick Wetzel is on the left with the stein, Pat Costigan is in the center and Paul Cartier is on the right.
Mud-covered Missouri and opposition forwards waiting in the mud for the call at a line out, John Tarpoff in striped sleeves at front right of center
Two packs intently waiting the call in the mud for a line out on the same wet afternoon — John Tarpoff in the striped sleeves, front right of center. The photograph reached the archive twice over, from both Tarpoff’s collection and Costigan’s.

Have More from 1973–74?

Photos, programs, clippings, scorebooks — we want to see them.

The Big Eight championship season is one of the best documented in the club's history, and it still has gaps. Anything you have helps.

Share Your Photos
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