Rugby Films Collection, 1968-1977

The Rugby Films Collection consists of seven Super-8 films, all of them silent and six of them documenting the OSU Rugby Club competing on the OSU campus in 1968 and 1969. All seven film reels have been digitized and the rugby footage is available online as follows:

• OSU vs. University of Oregon, 1968. Part 1 (0:03:45); Part 2 (0:03:43). According to the 1968 Beaver Yearbook, OSU lost the match by a score of 3-8.

• OSU vs. University of Washington, 1968. Part 1 (0:03:45); Part 2 (0:03:43). OSU won this match, 16-15.

• OSU vs. Western Washington College, circa 1969 (0:03:43).

• OSU vs. University of Victoria/OSU vs. University of Oregon 1969 (0:03:43). OSU's jerseys were yellow and black this particular year, (rather than the traditional orange and black) due to a manufacturing error. This film contains footage from both the Victoria and the Oregon matches.

The seventh film held in this collection is of runners competing in the 1977 Portland Marathon. As with the rugby films, this item has also been digitized but is available only upon patron request.

All seven films were captured by Gene Hansen (1920-2004), an Oregon State College alumnus who was known locally for his active community involvement, including major contributions to American Legion baseball in Corvallis. Hansen's son Bob attended OSU from 1965-1969 and participated on the Rugby Club as a scrum half during his sophomore through senior years.

A teammate of Bob Hansen's was P. Wayne Valley, Jr., an OSU football and rugby athlete who died in a swimming accident in 1969. Following his death, Valley's parents, Wayne and Gladys Valley, established an endowment in support of the OSU Rugby Club.