New HBCU Rugby Website Coming Soon! The Robertson & Sullivan Rugby Foundation is changing the face of US collegiate rugby!
Our Namesakes
James G. Robertson
James G. Robertson was the first Black man on record to play rugby. Born in 1854 in The Gambia to a Scottish father and Gambian mother, he moved to Scotland for school and played for the Royal High School Former Pupils club in Edinburgh. He also represented Edinburgh four times against Glasgow in District matches.
Clive Sullivan
Clive Sullivan was the first Black person to captain any sport in Great Britain. He played for several English rugby league teams, including Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers. In 1972, he captained the Great Britain team to a Rugby League World Cup victory. In total, Sullivan represented Great Britain 17 times and appeared in three Rugby League World Cups: 1968 & 1972 with Great Britain and 1975 with Wales.
Our Mission
The mission of the James G. Robertson and Clive Sullivan Rugby Foundation is to provide Historically Black Colleges and Universities with the resources they need to develop, grow and flourish in the game of rugby. Our vision is to establish a sustainable HBCU presence in USA Rugby and World Rugby.
Our Team
Our Board of Directors have over 120 years of combined experience playing, coaching, administering and developing grassroots rugby initiatives.
Micheal Anderson
President
Rugby Player
Coach
WELCOME!
Mike has been a rugby player and coach for over 20 years. His senior clubs include the Baltimore Chesapeake Rugby Football Club, the Severn River Rugby Football Club and the Ashville Iguanas. He is the Coach and founder of the Anne Arundel County U19, U16 & U14 Boys and Girls club. His favorite rugby memory is playing 4 games on a tour of Ireland in 2017. He has also toured the UK playing rugby in 2023.
He currently plays in the Capital Rugby Union with Severn River Rugby Mens in Division 4, He is a USAR Level 100 referee and a level 200 Coach. Outside of rugby, Mike is a entrepreneur with a sales and business management background. He has owned a residential construction firm and a property company for over 10 years, and is a Minority Vendor with the state of Maryland.
Steve Johnson
Vice President
Rugby Player
Men's D1 Coach
WELCOME!
Steve fell into rugby at the University of Kansas while playing 7’s in the summer of 1987. He moved to Huntsville RFC and then to Washington DC. After 9 years with the Washington Irish RFC, he moved to Denver to play for the Highlanders RFC. Over the next 8 years he was a player, 7’s coach, club president, tournament organizer and a Eastern Rockies RFU select side player for the union.
He moved back to DC and has been playing 7’s and 15’s while coaching tots, youth, and adults in all codes of rugby. His favorite rugby memory is touring and playing friendly matches in the UK and being asked by a regional pro team near Limerick to a one game professional contract. He is a USAR Level 100 referee and a pending level 300 Coach and will attend the Crusader High Performance Coaching Camp in May 2022.
Joshua Stinson-Jefferson
Treasurer
Rugby Player
WELCOME!
Josh started playing rugby in 2011 with the Baltimore Blues Rugby League. The very next year he was promoted to team captain. He then served double duty as team captain and manager. His other senior club is the Delaware Black Foxes Rugby League. His favorite rugby moment is his first match; after playing football for Tuskegee, he decided to give rugby a try and was awarded man of the match in his very first game. He is a proud Tuskegee University Alumni.
Naya Tapper
Board Member
Women's National Team Rugby Player
Co-Captain
WELCOME!
Naya Tapper is an Olympian, professional women’s rugby player, and Co-captain for the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens team. Accolades include the title of “All Time Leading Try Scorer” for the Women’s Eagles Sevens Team, being the first woman in USA Rugby history to hit 100 tries, multiple dream team titles, multiple World Cup attendances for 7’s and 15’s, an Olympic Games attendance in Tokyo, receiving the #1 spot on sports center top 10, and participating in Project runway. Away from the field, Naya loves to spend time with family and friends. She also love turtles, practicing Spanish, and traveling the world! If you’d like to know more, check out her website at Nayatapper.com or check her out on all social platforms (YouTube, IG, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) @Nayatapper !
Carlin Isles
Board Member
Men's National Team Rugby Player
Educator
WELCOME!
Carlin Isles is an extraordinary athlete who emerged from the halls of Jackson High School, where he not only showcased his prowess on the football field but also left his mark as a standout track star setting multiple records. Initially embarking on a path towards a professional track career, Isles’ journey took an unexpected turn when he discovered a newfound passion for rugby. Carlin’s fastest 40-yard dash is a 4.13 and 100-meter dash is 10.13. Renowned globally as the “Fastest Rugby Player,” Carlin has not only redefined speed on the rugby field, but has also etched his name as a two-time Olympian, exemplifying his remarkable dedication and skill. Beyond the rugby arena, Carlin ventured into the NFL, showcasing his versatility and athletic prowess as a member of the Detroit Lions. He is also a dedicated scholar and has his MBA degree.
Tommy Berks
Board Member
Rugby Player
Educator
WELCOME!
Bios Coming Soon.
Isaiah J Washington
Board Member
Rugby Player
Educator
WELCOME!
Bios Coming Soon
Elvy Asonye
Board Member
Rugby Player
Educator
WELCOME!
I started my rugby journey when I left Chicago for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I grew up playing soccer but loved how rugby offered the same level of that team mentality but in a new and challenging way. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and received my commission into the United States Navy. From there, I would move to Norfolk, VA for my first duty station and found my first women’s team when I went on an afternoon run one Saturday I wasn’t on deployment. I began refereeing four years into my Navy career when I wanted to start learning more about the game and expand how I could be part of the rugby community when deployment and Navy operations would take me away from my home club for months at a time. In 2020 I made the decision to transition to the Navy Reserves to offer me a chance to continue serving while having more time to pursue other passions – rugby refereeing included – and found my civilian career as an HR Professional.
Since picking up the whistle full-time, I have been part of the Assistant Referee/In-Goal Judge team for numerous HSBC Sevens Series events, officiated at Rugby Americas North events, and am part of the USA Rugby Referees National Development Group and Mid-Atlantic Rugby Referees territorial panel group.
Gift Egbelu
Board Member
Rugby Player
Rugby Promoter and Entertainer
WELCOME!
Gift Egbelu is a producer, promoter, podcaster, and rugby entertainer, as well as the founder/CEO of GiftTime Rugby Network and the HBCU Rugby Classic and Music Festival. He has been involved in rugby as a player and media personality for almost 15 years. He has played rugby around the world, and created positive networks and reputation in the rugby community. He’s had the pleasure of working with various organizations such as: USA Rugby, National College Rugby, Rugby World Cup, College Rugby Association of America, USA Postal Office Credit Union, Coca-Cola, various city government travel divisions, and more. Gift has an ability to promote and communicate messages in a way that makes it easy for anybody to understand.
Tosan Tutse-Tonwe
Board Member
Rugby Player
Coach
WELCOME!
Tosan has played and coached rugby for over 20 years.
He played colligate rugby for the University of Maryland & founded /coached the UMD women’s rugby team for 13 years. On the senior level, he played for the Maryland Exiles. He is the former head coach of the TC Williams high school varsity rugby club.
Marcus Wood
Board Member
Youth Rugby Admistrator
Coach
WELCOME!
Marcus Wood is a native Washingtonian who first picked up rugby at Archbishop Carroll High School. Immediately following his first match, his love affair with rugby began. Marcus attended James Madison University where he played for the club team. In 2000, Marcus returned to Washington, DC and joined Washington Rugby Club. In 2006, Marcus teamed up with WDCYR to help expand the youth program. He has been a key advocate for parents and maintains an active mentorship role with youth across the city. In 2019, Marcus was awarded a Premiership Rugby Scholarship in England. Marcus hopes his experience and innovation can assist in the growth of rugby in communities of color from youth to adulthood.
HBCU Rugby Initiative
James G. Robertson & Clive Sullivan’s HBCU Rugby Initiative is a 3 year program that will help student athletes establish 8 rugby clubs throughout the Washington D.C. metro area. In our initial year, the Pilot Program will develop a men’s and women’s team at Howard University. In the following years, the program will expand to Morgan State University, Bowie State University and the University of the District of Colombia. RSRF will provide new clubs with school and team administrative assistance, as well as funding for equipment, uniforms and field-use expenses.
Rugby delivers significant value to colleges and universities. Its affordability, combined with the physical and cultural diversity of athletes, makes it unique and recruits a wide breadth of students. In addition, the inclusion of a women’s team provides universities with the opportunity to carry a large team roster with a positive bottom-line impact on EADA numbers. Accordingly, RSRF will assist in the development of a NCAA program for women.
Donate today to Support HBCU Rugby!
Donate to the HBCU Rugby Initiative via PayPal to help us establish 4 men’s and 4 women’s teams in the Washington DC area
How can we grow your program?
Location
- Everywhere
- USA
Hours
- Monday - Saturday
- 9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Contact Us
- (443) 413-9289
- President@rsrugbyfoundation.org