UPJ Rugby Club Founding Team

Fall, 1980

 

My name is Bill Wilson. I was musing about the old days and thought of my time at UPJ. I suppose that I was one of the founders of the first (or at least the first to my knowledge) UPJ Rugby Club in the Fall of 1980. I figure that you have probably heard the story but I can tell my version. A guy that we all called "Cal State" (his real name was John Mountford) actually got the whole thing started. We had met at a party and he introduced me to Rugby. I had been playing on the UPJ soccer team and had played football in high school (Central Bucks West in Doylestown). At any rate, when Cal State explained the game to me I was intrigued. We had some help from other students in getting the team going (I scanned the picture below). We also had a lot of help from the Johnstown City club; we played as the "B" team for them. We played whatever matches we could get together in the Fall of '80, Spring '81, and Fall of '81. I had to leave UPJ in the late Fall '81 and have not returned nor have I contacted anyone. But if anyone reading this has any further details to add, we'd all appreciate you contacting Coach Poole at poole@pitt.edu and fill him in on whatever information (including pictures) that you may have.

 

 

The photo above has the following members of the 1980-81 squad (much of this information was provided by Dom Dozzi):

 

L-R, front row, seated;  Jim Black, Josh Bowers (wing), Jay Bishop (second row) Dom Dozzi (flyhalf), Tom Jackson (prop), Joe Zaccaria (prop)

Back row (L-R);  Shaun Brennan (scrumhalf), Matt Kutcha (wing?), Bob Potter (second row/eightman), ??? (anyone out there know the name of the lad in the black T shirt?),  Bill Wilson (inside/outside center), John Vicinski (fullback--second from right in back row).  Not pictured are John Mountford (who may have taken the photo), John Shaffer, Pat (Skip) Kane (prop), Brian Tressler, Mark Walker, Mark Rys (inside/outside center), Greg Galardy (inside/outside center & fullback), and Randy Leader from that first year.  By the time this photo was taken, Skip had left to work; Greg Galardy & Mark Rys had graduated.

 

Does anyone know the names of the two players either side of John Vicinski in the back right of the picture?

 

Bill Wilson went on to say:  "I believe our first “Faculty Advisor” was Dr. Dave Willey, our physics professor and an Englishman who knew & loved the game.  We would occasionally play the B-side game for the Johnstown City Club, but mainly set up our own matches with other college teams (Cal State, IUP, Slippery Rock, WVU, CMU, Juniata, etc.).  We would practice at least twice a week with Johnstown, which really helped improve our skills. They were a tough bunch and played hard but fair & were good at being mentors by fire to us."

 

Josh Bowers added: "I remember Shaun Brennan was also on the first year team.  That first year must have been '79-'80.  I took off my senior year to mud-log in Louisiana/Texas in May, 1980.  Then I came back to UPJ and finished in '82-'83, but I didn't play that year." Josh Bowers, who played on the wing for the team, commented: "I hardly ever got the ball and when I did get it, it was usually clobber time...).  Josh further wrote (December 27, 2014):  "Dear Coach Poole: I saw the Bill Wilson website regarding UPJ rugby.  Regarding the posted early photo (above) of the Rugby club. I believe this photo was from the 2nd or 3rd year (1981-'82). John Mountford came up with the idea.  I was sitting there when he came up with it. John was a member of the PA-Cal State rugby club.  Dr. Uldis Kaktins was our first Faculty Advisor."

 

The club was later coached by Dr. Bruce Williams, now deceased, who learned his rugby in South Africa. Coach Poole, who grew up and played his rugby in England, was asked to take on the team in the Fall of 1983.

 

Dom Dozzi added the following (September 9, 2015): "So good of you, Coach Poole, to maintain this website and add to the UPJ Rugby history.  Can't believe it's been 30+ years.  I went on to play for Pitt-main campus (I transferred), then to the Pittsburgh Harlequins & a short stint as a player/coach for CMU."

 

John Vicinski contacted me February 12, 2016 and had this to say: My name is John Vicinski and  I accidentally came across the UPJ Rugby Founders picture.  I am in the back row (second person from right end).  I played fullback from the inception of the club through my graduation in CET in December 1982. I currently live in Fairfax County, Va. where my wife and I own a mid-size construction inspection and engineering services firm. I have very fond memories of the rugby team.  I do not remember winning any games on the scoreboard (I think we may have tied a team 0-0 once) but I do remember winning many games physically.  As the fullback, the only rules I had to know when I started were:  I had to catch the ball with a lot of players bearing down on me and if someone broke the line I had to put them down.  I was very good at both and eventually learned the rules.  In the early days of UPJ Rugby, the beer flowed freely and the parties were wild but in hindsight it was all good-natured fun and I/we really enjoyed socializing with the opposing team after a tough match.  I want to thank you for posting this picture as it is one of the only pictures of me from my college days.  Incidentally, my son of the same name, graduated from Virginia Tech in CE last May where he played on the Rugby Team all four years and was the starting fly half.  Unlike me, he had an excellent grasp of the rules.  But without the UPJ Founders (me), I do not believe he would have taken up the sport and developed so many friendships.

 

Click on this link to view a pdf of some pictures from the Johnstown Tribune Democrat, 1980, including an article written about the club at that time. Josh Bowers' recollection of one of the games goes like this: "I remember that Juniata game.  I got knocked out twice.  First time I tried tackling this huge back, and the second time he hit me back..."

 

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