Years with LPRFC: 1982 - 1993

What's your favorite thing about rugby? Touring

How did you first start playing for LPRFC? Moved back to Chicago and looked for a club that would take me and found you guys

What's your favorite memory of your LPRFC career? The Rio tour was a killer. We drank at the pool all day - Cuba Libres. In the nighttime and at the beaches, that activity was pretty good too. Because the currency conversion rate to the Brazilian Real was stratospherically high, when we checked out of the hotel many of us had hotel bills with many zeroes. Cush "Commissioner of Fun", may you rest in peace.

What was the last LPRFC match/event you attended? 50th anniversary & Highlands Festival.

Do you participate in any LPRFC Old Boy events, tell us about one? Attended the 40th and 50th anniversary weekends; really great venues and seeing best teammates with so many good memories.

Years with LPRFC: 2013 - 2017

What's your favorite animal at Lincoln Park Zoo? As a gorilla enthusiast, naturally the gorillas

What is something people might not know about you? I’m a licensed skydiver, pilot, scuba diver, teacher, boat captain. I am also a Dudist Priest and competitive pellet gun marksman.

Years with LPRFC: 1990 - 1999

What's your favorite memory of your LPRFC playing career? Austin Final Four. Partying with Earl Campbell after pounding Santa Rosa in the 93‘Natty, and Jim Oldfield, in a true class gesture, coming out in the second half to let me have a run.

What's your favorite thing about LPRFC rugby? TOURS!

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

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 played with LPRFC: 1981 - 1985

How did you first start playing with LPRFC? I met some LPRFC players going from bar to bar down my alley. I had come home from hockey and had my gear – they were throwing me up in the air “a hockey player! a hockey player!”.  I put my gear back in the car and joined them!

What's your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? My favorite memory was against the Lions, we needed to win to stay in our division.  I scored in the corner and made the kick!  Followed by 3 penalties in a row.  At one point 15-0 and I had all the points – finished with 18 of our 22 points!!  We won the game!!

Do you have any relatives (cousins, siblings, children) who play rugby or for LPRFC? My son got into the game in Dallas, played high school, for the Air Force Academy, the Air Force team and clubs in New Mexico, Boston, and DC.  Been lucky enough to get on the pitch with him in Milwaukee, Boston, and DC!!!

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 with LPRFC: 2008 - 2016

How did you first start playing for LPRFC?  Bumped in the team training in the Park and came by. First session ended in BItar attacking me as he felt I tackled him unfairly. The guy is 350lbs, how can any tackle be unfair?

What's your favorite thing about rugby? The team, family bond that will always be there

What's your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? The stand up or lie down question given to new recruits

What is something you love about living in Chicago? It is truly the best city in the world, I miss it

What was the last LPRFC match/event you attended? HIGHLAND GAMES FAT 7S IN 2017

Do you participate in any LPRFC Old boy events, tell us about one! HIGHLAND GAMES is the last one, but ticket is booked from London to Aspen for the ruggerfest assuming COVID pisses off

Do you have any relatives (cousins, siblings, children) who play rugby or for LPRFC?  My half brother Laith Shaaban still hangs around the team I believe, he wont leave

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: 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: 1984 - 1987

How did you first start playing for LPRFC? Glenn "Gnome" Reinhart and I went to college together; he recruited me

What's your favorite thing about rugby? Singing at the parties. Hit my funny bone just right.

Years with LPRFC: 2000 - 2005

How did you start playing with LPRFC? I moved from south Texas in the summer of 2000, and I was looking to find a new team.  I found LPRFC online, and I managed to find their practice site at some Park on the west side (Union Park, if I remember correctly).  They had trouble getting numbers back in those days, and we routinely struggled to get 10 or 12 out to practice on a given evening.  All the guys were very friendly and welcoming, and after the first night out with the team, I knew this was the club for me.

What's your favorite memory from your LPRFC career? The 2002 tour to the Czech Republic.  That was an amazing time.  Too many memories to count (the ones that weren’t lost in a drunken haze anyway).