The Lost Afternoon Rugby Luncheon is the brainchild of Scotsman Malcolm Douglas who holds fond memories of similar events in the UK. The concept is to bring together the rugby community once a year in the spirit of the game to renew friendships, relive past glories, and explore ways in which to move the game forward. Initially we had 3 goals.
- Demonstrate to USA Rugby that Houston wanted another test match. Last year Houston broke the attendance record for a domestic Test match when 17,214 people saw the USA play Italy.
- Support Youth Rugby Initiatives with donations to Houston Youth Rugby Association, Inc. (a non-profit 501c(3)
- Have a great time.
It’s called the “Lost Afternoon” for obvious reasons: once you get together with your mates in such an atmosphere, the typical 90-minute luncheon turns into three hours – or more – so you might as well stick around and fully enjoy the experience! The extended time also provides the opportunity to hear from multiple speakers, watch some great action on the big screens, and still have plenty of time to “network.” It’s not unusual for guests to even book rooms or suites in the host hotel to continue well into the evening, especially those traveling from out-of-town.
In the past five years we have had the pleasure of listening to Eddie O’Sullivan (former Irish & USA coach), Nigel Melville (CEO of USA Rugby & former England captain), George Hook (RTE commentator & longtime friend of Texas Rugby), John Rutherford (Scottish #10), Rob Louw (Springbok legend & cancer survivor), Brian Vizard (former Eagle captain), & Roly Meates (former Irish coach & scrum guru). If this was done in London it would be impressive. That it was done in Texas tells you how serious we are about our rugby.
Come in early for the Lost Afternoon and stay for USA vs Ireland!