Keith Seaber
2011
Inductee
Keith Seaber first played rugby in 1940 at the Cambridge School for Boys, and he continued playing during his service in the Royal Navy.
When Seaber immigrated to Canada in 1953, he began playing with the Bytown Beavers (now the Ottawa Beavers) and then in 1958 with the Toronto Saracens. It was at that time that he began to referee. A normal Saturday would include Seaber playing a 1st XV game, then refereeing a 2nd XV match, and often again playing with a 3rd XV team.
It was in Toronto that Seaber began his involvement with rugby administration. He was a Director of the Ontario Union, later becoming Vice-President. In addition, he was the Vice-Chairman of the Rugby Tours Committee of Canada, now known as the CRU.
Seaber remembers his days involved with Canadian rugby fondly. His best memory of Canada was while he was the Chairman of the Ontario selection Committee. He managed and coached the Ontario side that played Scotland, only loosing 16-10. Scotland had been a powerhouse that year as the grand slam winners of 1963/4. That game made lifelong friendships that he still maintains with players from Melrose, Scotland.
In 1956 Seaber moved to St. Louis, MO. There he joined the Ramblers and continued both playing and refereeing. This lead him to join the Midwest Union, where he filled many positions, including: Chairman of selectors; Chair of the Referees Committee; President of the Midwest Union 1971-2 and June 1980- January 1981; and Coach of the Midwest team from 1972-1978. Likely the greatest match he coached during that time was in 1976 against the English Champions, the London Welsh. Seaber's Midwest team won 17-16.
Seaber represented the Midwest Union at the 1975 formation of the US National Rugby Union. He served for 15 years on the US Union's Board of Directors, and at times he held the positions of Secretary and Vice-president.
He managed the first Eagles team in 1976 when they played against Australia and coached the Eagles in the first Can-Am match in 1977.
Because of his relationship with Canadian rugby, Seaber attended all of the first 25 Can-Am games, at times serving as the only US official present at the match.
Seaber was also very involved with the Cougars, a team that played internationally and was compiled of players from across the US. He managed the 1978 team that toured in South Africa and subsequently organized matches against Northampton and Melrose during their tours to the US.
He again took the Cougars on tour in 1985. They traveled the Southwest of England after playing the Harlequins/Lords Taverners' Sevens. To end the tour they traveled to Scotland to play in the Kelso Sevens. Though they lost in the semi-finals, they were immediately invited to the following year's Melrose Sevens.
In the 1986 Melrose Sevens the Cougars lost to the Racing Club of France during the semi-final. At the end of the match, as player Brian Vizard was leaving the field, he raised his arm to the stands. The crowd responded with a standing ovation for the Cougars. They saluted the high caliber of players, both on and off the field, and the selection of such players was something that Seaber took great pride in. He considers this one of his greatest moments in rugby.
In 1996, upon the request of National Team coach, Jack Clark, Seaber became the Director of Sevens for the National Teams. He took those teams to Mar de Plata, Argentina, Punta del Este, Uruguay, Paris, Dubai, and Hong Kong.
During the Punta del Este and Paris tournaments, he attended talks to form a World Series of Sevens. At the Paris meeting the IRB announced their intention to form an international series of Sevens tournaments. A committee was formed and Seaber was chosen to represent all of the non-IRB member countries. In Malaysia, 1988, Seaber, Stephen Baines (IRB Secretary), Lee Smith (IRB), Fraser Neil (NZ & Australia) and Allen Payne (Hong Kong RFU) formed the IRB Sevens World Series.
After a serious car accident and subsequent health problems, Seaber retired from active rugby administration in 2002. He remains a dedicated member and supporter of the Bend Roughriders Club in Bend, Oregon.