Years with LPRFC: 2015 – 2017
What’s your favorite thing about rugby? Smashing for 80 minutes then breaking bread over song and drink afterwards.
What’s your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? 2016 Drinkin’ Park 7’s summer of domination, winning all but one tournament. Plus, the Guadalajara Tour.
Years with LPRFC: 2003 – 2018
What was your favorite position? Tight-head only, not a damn other position. (And we had to play A and B side because we lacked props AND there were no tactical subs, you had to be injured.)
How did you first start playing for LPRFC? I was plucked off De Paul’s college team by the coach (Brian Niro) who played for LP. Came to practice that Thursday, started A side against the Lions on Saturday and have started A side ever since.
What’s your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? Best was winning the Midwest Championship in Indianapolis in 2003-2004, beating both Detroit and Indy in the same weekend. The bus ride home was the best ever.
What was your favorite Old Boy memory? Best old boy moment was playing in the Cam/Am circa 2014 with a bunch of real old boys. I knew of them and then I got to party and play with them. I was 37 and 10 years the youngest by far. It was a blast and memories with and old team that really captured what it meant to be part of LP.
Years with LPRFC: 2011 – 2017
How did you first start playing for LPRFC? I played with Darren Wall in College at Nebraska and once I moved up to Chicago he kept asking me to come out and play. After about 6 years, I hadn’t heard from him that preseason so I called him up to get the details and went to training that Thursday.
What’s your favorite thing about rugby? The camaraderie and family that you build with your teammates, think we exemplified that culture at Park.
What’s your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? The D4 run to the MW Finals….that and being a handful of votes away from sweeping the awards at the banquet, taking home Forwards MVP and the Bevins, but missing Backs MVP by a handful of votes.
What is something you love about living in Chicago? That we can all walk to the bar, no one has to worry about driving.
What was the last LPRFC match/event you attended? 50th Anniversary Banquet
Years played with LPRFC: 1668 – 1989
What’s our favorite thing about rugby? Love rugby and the LPRFC. Founded team with my brother in 1968 and played for over 20 years and served as club president. Reasons I love LPRFC are too numerous to list but suffice it to say that it’s the many people I’ve met and played with over the years. Especially loved touring the world with the club.
Great People – Great Stories – Great Memories
Why do you think The Blind Side, a truly awful film, was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 ahead of Invictus, which was arguably the best rugby film ever made? Invictus was great –especially loved the detail of the bruises on Matt Damon’s shoulders (every front row player knows those bruises) —
Another old movie (1963) to check out is This Sporting Life – with Richard Harris who actually played rugby
What’s one rugby skill you’ve had the most difficulty learning in your career? I do love the new game with one exception. The requirement that the ball be put in straight into the scrums seems to be a thing of the past. When I played I enjoyed the challenge of “taking balls against the head Playing hooker required a level of skill and technique and a certain degree of chicanery. If you could win all your own scrums and most of the opponent’s as well you could prove you worth in the scrum and could sustain a long career in the front row.
Years with LPRFC: 1970 – 1980
How did you first start playing for LPRFC? In an effort to depressurize in medical school I joined a community theater group, The Old Town Players. At a certain point in the play’s run, all of a sudden Mike Byrne finished a scene and threw himself on a couch backstage, looking completely spent. “What’s the matter, Mike?” “Rugby” he said. So I knew I had to play.
What is your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? The founding of CWRFC one winter night at Jerry’s house. Anat consider ourselves co-founders; she played for a couple of seasons.
What is something you love about Chicago? Having spent most of my life in the East, I loved The Shore. When I got off the bus in 1968 at Abbott Hall, 710 Lake Shore, I took a look at the lake across the street and said “Wow”
Do you participate in any LPRFC Old Boy events? Great 50th celebration at the Zoo
