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CONNECTICUT GREY
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
~ est. 1979 ~
Polish National Alliance Park, Wallingford, Connecticut
About the Connecticut Grey
Current Happenings
Old Stuff
Connecticut Grey RFC
The Connecticut Grey is an Old Boys rugby club consisting of aging but ageless ruggers dedicated to the principle, “The Older We Get, The Better We Were.” We are a proud member of the USA Rugby Football Union.
Our home pitch is Polish National Alliance Park in Wallingford, Connecticut, just off Interstate 91, between New Haven and Hartford. We play a split spring/fall season against Old Boys sides throughout the northeast. If you are 35 or older and aren’t ready to give in to good common sense, we’d love to hear from you.
Membership: Contact Club Captain Lou Petruzzello
General Inquiries: Contact President Tom Flynn
To Schedule a Match: Contact Fixture Secretary Kevin McNamara
Current Happenings
CONNECTICUT JAMMERS TO HOST GREY IN ANNUAL MURDERBALL TILT
The Grey look forward to their annual hard-court shellacking at the hands of our quad rugby sister club, the Connecticut Jammers, on Sunday, February 19, at New Horizons Village in Unionville. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. To get to New Horizons Village:
* Take I-84 (either direction) to exit 39.
* At the end of the exit, go straight on Route 4 west.
* Continue through Farmington to the 5-corners in Unionville’s center.
* Turn left on Route 177 south. Go 3 stop lights.
* Turn left onto West District Road. Go 2 stop signs.
* Turn left onto Chaffee Lane. Go to end.
* Turn left onto Westview Terrace. Go 100 yards.
* First right is Bliss Road, the entrance to New Horizons
2005 SEASON AWARDS BANQUET SCHEDULED FOR SUPER BOWL SATURDAY
Players and supporters will be recognized at the Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 4, to be held again at the Waverly Tavern in Cheshire. Cocktails will be served at 6:00, followed by a sit-down dinner, awards (both official and unofficial) and dancing into the wee small hours. For tickets, contact Tom Flynn.
PLANS FOR SPRING TRIP TO IRELAND FINALIZED
Rugby and Guinness, golf and whiskey. Throw in a visit to the Antrim coast and a stroll around the neighborhoods of Wilde, Shaw, and Yeats, and that’s the agenda for the 35 players and 32 friends and family who will be winging their way to Ireland on April 7. On Sunday the 9th, the Grey will take on the Perennials in Belfast. It’s only taken us ten years to schedule this long-awaited return match. (No one who was there will forget the Perennials’ visit in 1996 and the memorable drink-up at the Sunset Grille in Waterford.) The following Wednesday we will kick off under the lights against the Clontarf Vets in Dublin. After a week spent in Armagh and Dublin, the tourists will return home just in time for Easter Sunday. Will it be a day of repentance for some?
CLUB ELECTS OFFICERS FOR THE 2006 SEASON
January 14 – Players and wives met at the home of Tom and Lindsey Flynn on an unusually sunny and mild January afternoon for the Annual General Meeting of the Connecticut Grey RFC. The Club recognized outgoing Vice-Captain Bill Bishop and long-serving Fixture Secretary Mike Guzzio for their outstanding contributions to the club. Members then elected the following to posts on the 2006 Executive Committee:
President – Tom Flynn
Captain – Lou Petruzzello
Vice-Captain – Ed Carr
Fixture Secretary – Kevin McNamara
Corresponding Secretary – Dean Jorgensen
Treasurer – Gary Tamburri
Co-Social Secretaries – Jon Leone and Lindsey Flynn
THE GREY END THE 2005 SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE
October 29, 2005, Pittsfield, Mass. – The Grey ended the 2005 season with a decisive 56 – 24 win over Berkshire. We retained possession and gave our backs a lot of ball, scoring eight tries on the day. Don Brancard was eight for eight on conversions. Bill Bishop had another blinder, scoring three tries. Darryl Garrison had two while Don Brancard, Daryl Ceccarelli, and Tony Johnson each had one. The match was dedicated to Mike Kosilla who played his last match with the Grey. Great job Mike. We will miss you on the pitch.
We had two Men of the Match. Ed Carr was all over the pitch winning possession and stealing their ball (also a great job in the lineouts). Don Brancard ran, kicked, and set up teammates with some timely passes. Special thanks to Brendan Coffey for playing fullback.
GREY AVENGE EARLY SEASON LOSS
October 22, 2005 – The Grey posted our second win of the season, defeating a very competitive Gentlemen of New York side at PNA Park. It was the Grey’s best effort of the season, possessing 75 per cent of the ball and scoring four unanswered tries in the first two periods. The front row set the tone early by controlling the scrums. When New York did have the ball, they were driven back, making it difficult for their backs to attack. Great job by our props – George Saul, Tom Flynn, Gary Tamburri, Bill Aman, and Mike Guzzio. The best attack the Gentlemen had was through the kick. Matt Leonard did a great job getting ball defensively when fielding kicks and starting a counterattack. His other contribution was scoring two tries. Bill Bishop and Darryl Garrison also scored in a great team effort that also saw sixteen different forwards play in the 75-minute match. The GoNY did not quit, scoring two tries late in the match. They traveled well – it looks like we have another good Old Boys home and away for the future.
Nominees for Man of the Match included Darryl Garrison and the three generations of Sauls who were on the pitch together for about ten minutes. Kevin McNamara was awarded the honors because of his great tackles and his outstanding performance on the wing.
ALL JAPAN BREAKS GREY STREAK
October 15, 2005 – New York All Japan finally proved that sometimes youth and speed do beat experience as they outlasted the home team 15 – 10, their first win ever against the Grey. They rucked well in numbers, moved the ball wide, and countered our kicks well. Grey Man of the Match honors went to Dave Yanik for his hard tackles. Great to see George Saul and Mike Fotos back.
BRAHMINS BLAST THE GREY
October 8, 2005, Boston – The Boston Brahmins dominated the Grey in an old boys game played in a windswept rain on a slick pitch at Moakley Park in South Boston. The Brahmins turned out a large numbers in celebration of Boston RFC’s 45th anniversary and shut the Grey out 0 – 22. On the positive side, we played with a better discipline. The Grey opened the match by putting a lot of defensive pressure on Boston. We spent most of the first period on attack but failed to finish. When we lost possession or made a mistake, Boston capitalized.
Ed Carr, Kevin Connors, and Matt Leonard played hard in the forwards. Kevin McNamara filled in at wing and did a good job counter-attacking on many kicks. Tony Johnson played well and Joe Bordieri had a great match running, tackling and setting up teammates. He was Man of the Match in a tough loss.
GREY TURN THE TABLE, BEATING MORRIS AT HOME
September 24, 2005 – After an unexpected week off, the Grey returned to action hosting the Morris RFC Masters at Pire Park in Wallingford. The pitch was short, narrow, and VERY dusty – apparently well suited to the Grey’s game as they ran in nine tries to Morris’s one for a 51 – 8 victory. The returning Kevin Costello took Man-of-the-Match honors despite (or perhaps because of) playing the entire match for the shorthanded Masters.
FALL SEASON BEGINS WITH A RUCKIN’ REGATTA
September 10, 2005, Denville, N.J. – Neil Hogan and the Morris RFC Masters organized a great start to the fall season – the 1st Annual Ruckin’ Regatta – at Morris’s new Denville pitch. The day was a fundraiser in support of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for the relief of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Morris Masters, the Gentlemen of New York, and the Connecticut Grey played a round robin before retiring to Neil’s lakefront home for a superb cookout. Pipers entertained us and we paused to remember the fourth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The three teams rotated playing 20 minute periods. It was well run and certainly for a great cause. Phone cards and cash were donated and Merrill Lynch will contribute matching funds. It seemed like we were playing two home teams. We were on the Morris pitch and the GONY played in memory of those lost four years ago. We played two periods and were outscored four tries to one. Rick “Trunkzzz” Truncali scored off a penalty. Good to see him back on the pitch.
GONY had some very good backs who moved the ball well. When we made a tactical error they made the most of it with a strong attack. Early in the period we had a five-meter scum but failed to finish with a try. Set scrums were excellent and we did very well winning a first phase and sometimes a second phase. We made some nice line breaks but then did not have enough support.
“We had a few players out of position. Special thanks to Kevin McNamara, Dave Berube (the forward), and Steve Falatyn for playing in the backs. Ed Carr, Kevin Connors, and Trunkzzz played well in the forwards. Joe Bordieri, Darryl Garrison, and Bill Bishop had some great runs and open field tackles. Man of the Match to Dave Berube for hard aggressive play and setting up the try.
IF ONLY THEY HAD POSTS…
July 30, 2005, Block Island, R.I. – It would be easy to say that our game was taken away from us for lack of goalposts and the ability to kick for points – a strong feature of our game. But that would be selling the Rhody Old Cocks short, who stormed back in the last 10 minutes our our annual Block Island friendly to steal a draw in a game we were leading 20 – 10 and “should have won.”
The match started inauspiciously when, just two minutes in, Jay Chabot touched down what appeared to be a try in the left corner. Unfortunately, the ref mistook the (admittedly poorly marked) try line for the 22-meter line and awarded the Grey a scrum instead of a try. After the Grey lost the hook and were called for an offside penalty, the Old Cocks proceeded to score two tries to take a 10 – 0 lead. After answering with a try of our own, the first period ended 10 – 5 in favor of the Old Cocks.
In the second period, the Grey played disciplined, fundamental rugby. Led by a dominant front row, the Grey scored two unanswered tries and finished the period with a 15 – 10 lead.
In the third period we continued with solid play and scored another try to extend the lead to 20 – 10. We had a certain score whistled back for a forward pass. The momentum then changed halfway through the period with the Old Cocks scoring again and one of our own being yellow carded for questioning a call. With the score 20 – 15 and despite Grey playing a man down, the Old Cocks were held scoreless. Yet with seconds remaining, it was déjà vu all over again when Ronan Hingerty did the old double dummy and ran the ball in to end the match in a 20 – 20 draw.
The front row played great. Steve Carr had a very good day and the Man of the Match was awarded to George Saul for strong forward play and scoring a try in the second period. Steve Carr, George Saul, Bill Bishop and George’s nephew, Andrew, each scored a try. The Old Cocks honored Joe Bordieri as the Grey’s Man of the Match.
21st OLD MEN OF THE MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL ONE FOR THE AGES
June 3-5, 2005, Franconia, N.H. – Back under new management (but with plenty of behind-the-scenes support from founders Bill Good and Joe Flynn), the 21st edition of OMOM was one of the best ever. The Grey traveled with strong numbers and typical style. The Saturday coincided with Mother Nature’s decision to turn on summer, a test for all of the forwards and not a few of the backs. Festival coordinator and honorary Grey Bill Good set us the task of playing two of the stronger clubs, the Portland Ancient Mariners and the Amoskeag Old Boys, in recognition of our own depth and the strength of our spring season schedule. We were rewarded with two well-contested matches including what many called the match of the day, the afternoon tilt between the Grey and Bill Bishop’s own Amoskeag RFC.
The first match against Portland was a battle of the back lines. Both teams attempted to spread the ball wide. Pressure defense and good tackling stopped Portland from scoring any points. The Grey managed five tries in a dominating 25-0 win. George Saul played hard and scored a try. John Kubic had a strong match, playing in the forwards and then the backline in the second half. Man-of-the-Match honors went to Fred Seeger, running nicely off the set piece and winning second-phase ball.
Bill Bishop led the Grey in the first half of the Amoskeag game, helping us build a 21-7 lead. He then went over to play with Amoskeag in the second half, enabling them to outscore us 17-7. With three minutes left we were up 28-12. Two late Amoskeag tries closed the gap to 28-24, but the Grey held on for the win. Tony Johnson had a great match in the backs. Steve “Bomber” elf bar 4000 Tenenbaum showed great intestinal fortitude. MOTM to Jay Chabot. His four conversions gave us the win. He made some great tackles and was all over the pitch.
In recapping the entire weekend, President Tom Flynn writes,
“We also made a new friend in the rugby world, Keith Davis, dad of Theresa Saul, father-in-law of George, and member of the New Zealand All Blacks in the 1950’s. Keith had a chance to see George score on a blessedly short run and George avoided running Keith over during the match. Keith came out of a long retirement. His last game was sometime in the late 80’s, and he played a couple of strong minutes for us in both our matches. We presented him with a signed game ball and welcomed him into our club. It was a real pleasure to expand our circle of friends and acquaintances that much further. Welcome to America, Keith, and many happy days.”
And special congratulations to Captain Lou Petruzzello, who was presented with the Stanley Morgan Award for sportsmanship at the Saturday evening festival banquet.
THE GREY AND THE OLD DOGS MIX IT UP IN MEMORY OF JOHN FALATYN
May 21, 2005, Rhinebeck, N.Y. – The Grey trekked to sleepy Rhinebeck, New York, for the fourth annual match against the Mid Hudson Old Dogs in memory of our mutual friend and former teammate, John Falatyn. Brendan Coffey organized a great family weekend of golf, rugby, and fraternity. The Doggies were pumped up and gave us a tough, scrappy match. Mid Hudson had the advantage with a narrow 52-yard wide pitch and a bigger pack. In the first period we made undisciplined mistakes, and the period ended with a score of 7-7 with Steve “Bomber” Tenenbaum scoring from a ruck. In the second period, Donny Brancard hit a penalty kick that raised the score to 10-7, and John Kubic scored off a series of great passes (15-7). Mid Hudson, still battling, made a penalty kick, and the score after two periods was 15-10. As the 3rd period began, it was anyone’s match. Our backs somehow found the gaps, made the right passes, and completed long runs for the victory. Bill Bishop had a score off a long run after being set up by Darryl Garrison, and Tony Johnson concluded the scoring with a nice cut back run that iced the match at 27-15. All the backs played well and were responsible for the victory. John Kubic earned Man of the Match for his great passing, running, and recycling the ball. Thanks to Brendan and the Old Dogs for a great day and a terrific drink-up at the Rhinebeck Starr Bar-Cantina.
GREY BEST BOSTON IN RENEWAL OF OLD RIVALRY
May 14, 2005 – The Boston Brahmins made the trek to Wallingford for the first time in nine years and brought with them a full side that featured a mix new faces and old. The day was a wonderful reunion of Perennials, Unicorns, and other assorted ageless New England ruggers anxious to mix it up and get the Grey – Brahmins home-and-away rivalry back on track. They did not disappoint.
Unfortunately for the visitors, it took the first twenty minutes of play to shake off the the two-hour drive. The Grey dotted down five tries in the first period, putting Boston in a hole from wouldn’t recover. Matt Leonard, Bill Bishop, Tony Johnson, and Darryl Garrison all contributed to the 27-point barrage. Boston came back in the second period with two tries and suddenly it was 27-12. Joe Bordieri scored a try to open the Grey lead back up. Jon Leone scored two tries in the final period. Final score Connecticut Grey 44 – Boston Brahmins 17.
It was great to see Dave Yanik back and Dave Berube playing his second match this season. Welcome to Tom Faust, who kicked and countered well at fullback. Matt Leonard led the forwards’ attack in the first period, breaking the gain line and setting up teammates. Fred Seeger did a great job attacking off the base of the scrum. Bill Bishop also had his usual great effort. Darryl Garrison earned Man-of-the-Match honors for his excellent job of running, passing and tackling.
GREY TAKE SECOND IN LONG ISLAND MASTERS BRACKET
May 7, 2005, Lido Beach, NY – The Long Island Tourney turned out to be the tournament from hell. The schedule changed about six times from mid-week until minutes before match time. But that didn’t stop the Grey from playing some good rugby and having a great social with some fine English chaps.
The host team had trouble getting a side together. We played an abbreviated match, 30 minutes instead of 44. We controlled most of the ball and territory. Bill Bishop had a great break and scored from 30 meters in the first half. In the second half Joe Bordieri scored from 8 meters after we stole a hook and had a quick ruck off a back row play. Final score: Connecticut Grey 14, Long Island Lobsters 0. Tom Kubic was named Man of the Match for his great support play and tackling.
Our play in the opener earned us a berth against the Weston-Super-Mare Vets in the finals. (Go to their web site and click on “Vets Triumph in Long Island Tournament” for some great photos of our match.) The touring English club had already beaten All Japan, St. John’s Alumni, and the Gentlemen of New York by big scores. Quite a few of the English players are active 1st and 2nds at home. They were very fit and played well together. Great rolling mauls and excellent tactical kicking.
We were up to the challenge and played some of our best rugby of the season. We committed some timely penalties that stopped the English team’s momentum. We held them to one try in the second half. Final score: Weston-Super-Mare 28, Connecticut Grey 3. Joe Bordieri was named our Man of the Match. Great leadership and communication and he always won the ball when he got tackled.
MORRIS MASTERS THE GREY
April 30, 2005, Denville, NJ – In the shadows of the tallest goal posts in America, the Morris Masters and Connecticut Grey consecrated Morris’s new pitch in Denville, New Jersey. Actually, the posts never came into play as the match turned out to be a defensive battle, the only score coming off an errant kick to touch from inside the Grey’s 22. Nor, in fact, were any shadows cast, as the game was played in a steady spring drizzle. Never mind, the contest was well played and hard fought with both packs pushing and prodding the ball forward. The Grey camped inside Morris’s half for the first 25 minutes. Morris dominated the second period, in which their left wing covered a clearance kick that just missed finding touch and raced it in the 25 meters to dot the ball down in the corner for the only points of the day. The third period saw intense pressure by the Grey to equalize, but the score never came. Final: Morris 5, Grey 0. Morris hosted us well at their new watering hole and awarded the Grey Man of the Match award to Bill Bishop. Captain Lou Petruzzello awarded club honors to Ed Carr for his hard forward play.
NEW LONDON HANDLES GREY
April 16, 2005, Waterford – The Grey played New London County RFC for the second time in two years. The Grey won last year’s game by more than 30 points. This time the roles were reversed, as the Grey were penalized often and the opponents took advantage of the mistakes, demonstrating that this New London club has greatly improved. The positive side of the loss is that we never gave up and kept attacking. After 59 minutes, we were down 19-12 and almost scored at the end of the second period. In the third period, New London dominated with a final score of 36-12.
Brendan Coffey, Ed Carr, Kevin Connors, and Joe Scandariato (five strikes against the head) performed notably in the forwards. Joe Bordieri, and Don Brancard led the backs. New London selected Bill Bishop as Man of the Match.
GREY FEND OFF LATE BERKSHIRE ATTACK
April 9, 2005 – The Grey played their first home match against a young and scrappy Berkshire club. The early play was all Berkshire as they scored twice on the weak side, off our lineout and a set scrum. Berkshire jumped out to a 12-0 and the Grey needed to score, which we finally did off a penalty play from 30 meters out. 12-5 after the first period.
In the second period the Grey gained the momentum. Kevin Connors, Matt Leonard, and John Kubic came in and lifted the team in attack; Kevin won the lineouts, Matt broke the gain line and linked up with the backs with some attacking movements, and John had some great runs and set up a try. By the end of the second period, the Grey were in control and leading the game by the score of 20-12.
The Grey pressed the attack in the third period, opening up a 32-12 lead. But mental lapses allowed Berkshire to get back into the game with minutes to go. The final score: 32-26. Man of the Match goes to Kevin Connors. He consistently supported the backs and most importantly, his winning the lineouts changed the match because of the clean ball we won.
GREY OPEN 2005 SEASON WITH DECISIVE WIN
April 2, 2005, Randall’s Island, NY – The Grey traveled strong with 21 dedicated rugby players to take on the Gentlemen of New York at beautiful Randall’s Island. Unfortunately, the Gents appeared put off by the weather forecast and could muster only ten players. Kevin McNamara, Jim McCormack, Bill Aman, Jon Leone, and Bud Harvey helped them fill out a side and the game was on.
The Grey put on a great offensive show, scoring seven tries with Don Brancard converting 4 of 7 in a 43 – 7 victory. Tom Flynn, Ed Carr, Tony Johnson, Joe Bordieri, Darryl “Chicky” Ceccarelli [2], and A.N. Other scored tries. Excellent handling among the backs enabled the try fest. We not only gave the opposition five players but also played 14 on 15 in the second half because Bud and Kevin refused to join our side. We also provided the ref, Lou Petruzzello, and the lone touch judge, John Kerr. Man of the Match honors went Chicky for scoring two early tries to seal the victory.
2004 ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET
Nearly 50 members of the Grey family gathered at the Waverly Tavern in Cheshire for the Silver Anniversary Awards Banquet on March 12. The tables were decorated with festive reminders of our anniversary tour to Barbados and Tony Johnson and John Kerr regaled us with tales of our misdeeds. Honored for their play and their contributions to the club were:
MVP – Forwards: Lou Petruzzello
MVP – Backs: Jay Chabot
John Falatyn “Freight Train” Award: George Saul
Rugger Hugger: Jan Johnson
President’s Award: Mike Guzzio
Captain’s Award: Bob Casey
Founder’s Award: Ed Carr
Mark “Mace” Comen Award: Tom Flynn
The outgoing Executive Committee paid special tribute to Sandy Woodard, Jim Farrell, Jeff Bouvier, and Bill Aman, who were in attendance and represent one third of the club’s founders.
WINTER SPECIAL OLYMPICS, FEBRUARY 26-27, 2005
Once again, Tony Johnson organized the Grey’s support of the Special Olympics Connecticut Cross-Country Skiing competition at CL&P’s Simsbury Area Work Center. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row a question of suspect results was lodged against the official timekeeper of the 100-meter cross-country ski event. At issue was a complaint filed by one of the participants concerning the correct placement in the fifth heat of the women’s 100-meter finals on Sunday. According to eyewitness accounts, the racer – pictured here with Tony Johnson, Mike Kosilla, Joe Scandariato, Tom Roncaioli, Dean Jorgensen, and a gaggle of Grey offspring – claimed to have finished third in the heat, but according to the officially recorded results was given second place. The racer recorded as finishing in third place had no such complaints, which made the situation a contentious one, making it unclear if there was in fact an error made by the Head Timekeeper, who will remain anonymous but is pictured in the back row second from the right. In 2004 a similar complaint was lodged against the very same timekeeper as a racer in the men’s final was listed as third, even though a review of the heat times filed for the event clearly showed the racer to have a better time than the racer listed in second place. These questionable results have placed a dark cloud over the competency of the timekeeping and the overall management of the 100-meter event by rugby players. The Organizing Committee has demanded that all future timekeepers attend a three-day remedial class in scoring and sorting numbers in their proper sequence.
Meet us after the match at
The Old Dublin
171-173 Quinnipiac Street, Wallingford
(203) 949-8022
Old Stuff
If you’re a regular to this site, you’ll have seen all this stuff. If not, read on…
MEMORIAL TO FALLEN RUGGERS
A reminder that Old Blue RFC’s home page is a memorial to rugby players who died in the September 11 attacks on the United States.
“… Each man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.” – John Donne
PHIL TUFANO ON COVER OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Connecticut Grey rugger and FDNY firefighter Phil Tufano (No. 59) graces the cover of the December 24 issue of Sports Illustrated. SI dedicates its special year-end double issue to taking stock of the tumultuous year that was. Michael Bamberger’s cover feature examines the indomitable spirit of New York City’s firefighters, men who give new meaning to the word teamwork, while Richard Hoffer tries to put the sports landscape into perspective. The Connecticut Grey salutes Phil and all the brave men and women of the FDNY. We mourn the loss of their brothers and sisters. (Photograph by Walter Iooss Jr.)
FINDING OLD RUGBY FRIENDS
Ian Smith, a rugby player in the 60’s and early 70’s, has opened a website, ExRugbyPlayersReunited, to help other ex-players to contact each other. Registration is free, searching is free, and e-mail addresses are kept confidential. There are spaces to enter every team played for, and also a database to list old rugby playing friends who you have lost touch with through the mists of time. Check it out.
INTERNET RUGBY GAME
Paul Hoffman has created an online rugby game. Click on the link to give it a try.
HUMOR ON THE WEB
A laugh from August 9th’s “In the Bleachers” (©2002 Universal Press Syndicate)…
NOBODY BEATS THE GUZ
Mike Guzzio has a ton of receivers, speakers, tape decks, etc. Good stuff, Bose, Yamaha, Advent, Pioneer, etc. If anyone wants a second hand component for another room in the house, let him know. He’ll give you a knock-down price and donate a part of the proceeds to the Grey.
GREY MAKE RUGBY MAGAZINE
Thanks to a timely e-mail from Captain Eddie Carr, the Grey received a very nice mention in Andy Alpers’ “Masters” column in the September 25, 1999 issue of Rugby Magazine.
“BLEED RED, PLAY GREY”
…That’s the title of a feature article on the CGRFC in the April 16, 1999 issue of the New Haven Register. Click here to check it out.
POETIC LICENSE
It is oft said that rugby is a hooligans’ game played by gentlemen. No further evidence is required than that provided by the Grey’s poet laureate, Malcolm Davidson.
A RUGBY BALL
Leather stitch and shape
Oval eccentric
Filled with air from a thousand faces
Young and old, black and white
Oh, William Webb Ellis
We have done you proud.
Unsure of bounce, this ball of rugby
A metaphor of life.
I have touched you
I have given you up, in celebration of we
We the people
You have left your mark
in the heart and minds of many.
Long may you continue to hold your shape
A magnet for all who love this game.
Misshapen and old may you be
Soft to the foot and less than white
But I love you.
You have let me share in that most basic human need
You have let me struggle
I embrace you and all my fellow players.
MASTERS
By Andy Alpers
Connecticut Greys
We got a very nice e-mail from Ed Carr, captain of the Connecticut Grey RFC. They’re approaching their 20th Anniversary this fall and celebrating with a small tourney consisting of old friends … a truly appropriate way for a Masters club to honor 20 years of blood, sweat and cheers.
Although based in Connecticut, the Greys draw membership from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and, of course, Connecticut. In addition to various tournaments, they try to schedule eight or nine fixtures in the Spring and the same number in the Fall. To qualify, you must have at least five years playing experience and be over the age of 35, although Ed admits the club’s average age is about 45.
He suggests that we list Masters websites in this column to let clubs throughout the country establish touring relationships. Good idea Ed. The Connecticut Grey website is www.cgrfc.org so you can log on for yourself.