This article was originally published in the March/April 1966 edition of Alumni News.
On Sunday afternoons in the fall and spring, one of the things to do, especially with one’s date, is to go down to the field behind Memorial Gymnasium, sit on the bank, and watch a group of young men in uniforms with striped shirts play a game called rugby.
To many Americans, rugby is equated with clipped British accents, tea and crumpets, and the playing fields of Eton, and, of course, Rugby. They think of the game mostly as one of those peculiar rites, like queuing up in the rain to pay their taxes, that sets Britons apart from other human beings.
But there is something basically American, and old-fashioned American at that, about rugby matches on Sunday afternoons at the University. It may be the way the game is played here—as a sort of wild, fast football game, but without forward passes or downfield blocking; more than likely, however, the reason is that the striped almost gay-nineties uniforms, the totally unorganized spectators sitting on the free ground, and the casual play-for-fun spirit of the players evokes a folk memory of the way American football was in the glorious carefree days of its youth before it became a major American industry.
This elusive charm of the game, as if one might look up on the bank above the toiling players and see the willowy figure of a Gibson girl in a long lace dress and high-collar, sets rugby off from other sports at the University.
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I played my 3 years in law school-'65-68. Great fun and memories.We even got 3 pages in Sports Illustrated for the Commonwealth Cup. I started the team in Pensacola in fall of '68 with almost all Navy flight officers. We went to the National Championships in Monterrey Cal. 3 years running and Cherry Blossum in D.C., and Mardi Gras more years than I can remember-still in touch with some teammates-what a great sport!!!!
Being a wrestler, I had insufficient respect for rugby while at The University (class of '67) While at the University of Georgia Law School I was in on the founding of the Georgia Club. Perhaps while Mr. Merting was still at Pensacola, they were scheduled to play the Atlanta RFC on a Sunday. But the fleet was out, and they asked if we could provide about ten players. We played Atlanta in Athens on Saturday, had a great party, and did not let on. Then on Sunday afternoon about a dozen of us showed up in Atlanta and donned the Pensacola jerseys. The Atlanta players were surprised, but appreciated our humor. Another good game, and typical of rugby cameraderie.
It was on a crisp fall day in 1968 that I first encountered the game being played at Nameless Field. In immediate awe of the casual elegance of the sport, I noticed a half-dozen kegs of beer arranged near one end of the pitch, all sporting bumper stickers proclaiming "RUGBY...BECAUSE". Thus began a lifelong odyssey of dabbling in what is more lifestyle than organized sport, starting with two years as wing forward on the not-so-famous, but undefeated, VARFC B-side "Turques". Having graduated in 1970, I spent most of the next decade as a Navy pilot playing fullback with the Pensacola RFC, including tournament matches in Memphis, New Orleans and Monterey (many thanks, John Merting). After a brief stint with the Providence (RI) RFC in 1973, I played in matches against visiting allied warships at the Navy base in Puerto Rico until I returned to civilian life and graduate school in south Florida in 1977. There I played with the Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton RFCs until co-founding the Palm Beach RFC. Throughout most of the eighties I enjoyed the camaraderie of the PBRFC until family and professional obligations dictated a gradual return to a saner lifestyle. So, after three knee surgeries, a sunken 'floating rib', and a septoplasty needed to compensate for too many nose-first tackles, I considered myself retired from the sport. But in 2001, at the "I should know better than this" age of 55, I was suckered into playing fullback in the so-called 'Old Boys' match at the VARFC's 40th anniversary Alumni Reunion weekend. Due to a serious shortage of senior players, the opposing lineup was comprised of mostly thirty-something young studs. But we held our own, and I never had so much fun in my life despite the six weeks it took for the swelling in my knees to go away. Since then I have been content to watch my older son play for the Virginia Beach Falcons RFC in what is truly the greatest sport ever...and I eagerly look forward to the return of Olympic Rugby.
In 1963,I was told by several of the original founders of the VRFC that Rugby was not a game...it was a way of life. I was, I guess, the 2nd or 3rd captain of the side. Bruce Oliphant was the coach, Joe Seals was the cheer leader and David Henderson a visiting player from Scotland. We had the first side Bus.."Monty" (named after a queer member of Parliament) painted VA blue with an orange racing stripe down the front. We represented the south east at the first ever North American Rugby Tour. at Notre Dame in 1965 and again in 1966. Unbelievbeable memories from years ago.
I played for three years 66-69 with the University of Maryland RFC. Received my commission in the Marine Corps and played with Pensacola Navy while at VT-10. Played in the Mardi Gras Tournament at Hammond LA, the Liberty Bowl tournament in Memphis and went to Monterey for the Nationals. Played hooker and did most of the conversion and penalty kicks. Started the Marine Rugby Team at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan while stationed there. Switched to scrum half. After I got out of the Marines, I played for serveral years as a hooker and scrum half with the Maryland Old Boys. I do remember John Merting, Ron Mustain, Bruce Potter, Mike Knudsen and Joe De Bettencourt. Joe used to take me up for flights in the T-2C. He was an instructor with VT-5 and took me out for my first traps on the Lexington. Loved the sport, the comraderie, and the parties. I still remember many of the songs....
While at Virginia, 71-75, the rugby icon was Pete Ellis. I stuck to IM football and boxing, but was another Wahoo who transplanted to Pensacola for flight school (Saufley and Whiting Fields) and picked up rugby via the Pensacola Navy Rugby Club, having been pulled into the sickness by a fellow Wahoo flying T-28's. What a blast -- playing all over the South with a very salty group of students and instructors (including "old men" Lieutenant Commanders!) Unfortunately, while in basic prop (VT-6), I dislocated my shoulder doing a lousy tackle, and had to stand the Duty for a month! Haha. It was worth it.
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