thePULSEBand of brothers
Worcester Rugby Football Club celebrates 25 years
October 2004 – We’re a nation obsessed with football. However, Worcesterites have been playing a sport that’s rougher, tougher and muddier for 25 years. There are no downs, no quarters and absolutely no whining. Rugby offers 80 minutes of continuous play and pure excitement.
Since 1979, the Worcester Rugby Football Club (WRFC) has been tearing up fields and loving every second of it. The team is one of the best in the New England Division. In the spring of 2003, the WRFC made it to the semi-final round of the National Rugby Tournament, losing to the Boston Irish Wolfhounds.
The WRFC, while extremely talented, is one of the smallest squads in the rugby league. Coach Mike Diamantopoulos says that the team has a membership of about 30 to 35 people, whereas the national team average is 55 to 60 players. While the larger teams often have funding to buy equipment and accessories, the Worcester players have to dig into their own pockets. This year, the WRFC is sponsored by AmeriStar National Mortgage, a Shrewsbury based company, which helped the guys pay for their jerseys.
After missing the playoffs by a game last spring, this year’s team is aiming for post season play. Diamantopoulos says that the team was weaker last year, but this is a different team with a different story.
“The guys are committed to their goal,” Diamantopoulos asserts. Three adjectives he uses to describe his team are determined, disciplined and focused. “They have worked hard to make sure this happens.”
Diamantopoulos adds that his team began working out for the fall season in July and their fitness level is exceptional.
All their hard work seems to be paying off. The team kicked off the season at the New Jersey Shore Tournament, finishing with a 1-1 record — an impressive start for the Division 1 WRFC who played against the level up Super League teams. On Sept. 11, the team won their home opener 30-0 over visiting New Haven.
There is something special about the WRFC that draws people to the team. This year the rugby club has two players from New Zealand (Captain Jason Lett and his brother Shane), three from England and one from Wales. Lett, who played a stint for the Austin Blacks in Texas last year, has returned to Worcester. He missed something about the WRFC that the Blacks did not have.
“It’s different here,” says the captain. “Team unity is what makes this club so special. On and off the field we are like one big family.”
“The best part about rugby is the camaraderie,” adds Rob “Shaggy” Cone, flanker for the WRFC. “We are tight knit squad. We would do anything for each other.”
And don’t forget the beer. After the game, both teams crack open cans to recover from the battle that took place on the field. The two teams always go out to eat and drink together, the visiting team for free.
“I like the idea that there is a mutual respect on the field,” says Diamantopoulos. “After the game you can have a conversation with a guy and there will be no hard feelings. You battle hard, and everything stays on the field.”
Although rugby is not recognized as a professional sport or by the NCAA in the United States, Diamantopoulos says the sport is close to admission.
“It is the fastest growing college sport in America, and more Americans are going overseas to play for international teams,” Diamantopoulos points out.
In the past two and a half decades, the WRFC has made some strides of its own.
“Since the five years I have been here,” says Diamantopoulos, “we have moved up a Division and have made it to the nationals. I think we do an exceptional job of representing the city and our past accomplishments help bring prestige to Worcester.”
“Rugby is a change from the norm,” says Lett. “It’s up and coming and about to hit the mainstream in the U.S.”
