Robinson M. Bordley (born c. 1947) is an American former rugby union player who played as a fly-half and fullback for the United States men's national team. He served as captain of the national team in its first two modern-era test matches in 1976.

Early life and club rugby career

Bordley was born circa 1947, ^[1] the eldest son of Robert Austin Joseph Bordley and Martha Ann Bordley (born Robinson). ^[2] Bordley attended Landon School, graduating in 1966. ^[3] During his time as a student at Landon, Bordley was a multi-sport athlete and earned 17 varsity letters. ^[4] Bordley then attended Princeton University, where he was a member of the university's football and lacrosse teams, earning all- Ivy League honors in each sport. ^[3] Bordley played at wide receiver for the football team and also returned punts and kicks. ^{[4] [5]} Bordley graduated from Princeton in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. ^{[2] [5]}

After graduating from Princeton, Bordley joined the Washington Rugby Football Club (RFC) in 1970 and played with the team for more than a decade. ^{[3] [5]} During his time with Washington RFC, Bordley served as team captain, and was also selected for and captained representative teams with the Potomac Rugby Union and Eastern Rugby Union (ERU). ^[5] In 1976, Bordley joined the ERU All Stars on a tour of South Africa. ^[5] The following year, he returned to South Africa to play for an invitational international all star team at the then-newly renovated Loftus Versfeld Stadium. ^[5] During his tenure with Washington RFC and the United States men's national team, Bordley studied at American University and earned a master's degree in history. ^[5]

International rugby career

Bordley made his debut for the United States men's national team (Eagles) on January 31, 1976, starting at fly-half and serving as captain, in the Eagles' 24–12 defeat to Australia. ^[6] Bordley served as the Eagles' captain during this match and in a June 1976 match (in which he started at fullback ^[7]) against France—the Eagles' first two test matches of the modern-era. ^[8] Bordley made three additional test match appearances representing the United States through 1978, but he did not score during his five match career with the team. ^[1]

Professional career

In 1970, Bordley joined the faculty at Landon School. ^[3] In 1975, Bordley became the head coach of the school's boys' lacrosse team. ^{[3] [9]} Over the course of 42 seasons, ^[3] Bordley led the team to a total of 655 victories, making him the fifth winningest coach in United States high school boys' lacrosse history, as of April 2019. ^{[update] [10]} After the conclusion of the 2017–18 school year, Bordley retired from his head coaching and full-time teaching positions. ^{[3] [11]} While at the school, Bordley also coached junior-varsity soccer ^[4] and worked as offensive coordinator of the varsity football team. ^[5]

Personal life and honors

Bordley married his wife, Donna, in 1977. ^[5] Together they have three children: John Robinson "J.R.", Austin, and Claire, all of whom have played lacrosse at the collegiate level. ^{[2] [5]}

Over the course of his life, Bordley has received numerous awards and honors. He was inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013 ^[12] and the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame (Potomac Chapter) in 2004. ^[13] He has also been nominated for membership in the U.S. Lacrosse National Hall of Fame. ^[5] On September 13, 2003, Landon School dedicated and named Robinson M. Bordley Stadium in his honor. ^[4]

References