The Start of Orchard Park Rugby
By Harry Laws
Rugby is a game like no other; like an addiction, once you experience it, for some reason,
you just can’t stop coming back. It’s been in my life for so long,
I don’t know a day without it! So when it was for sure I was transferring to the Buffalo area,
I sent an email to three (unknown to me) Buffalo rugby contacts listed in the
National Directory introducing myself, letting them know I’d be in the area,
and asking how I could get involved.
Within 36 hours I had 7 replies, all welcoming me and offering to set me up with a team,
put me on the referee schedule or help in any one of a number of ways. Once we bought
our home in Orchard Park, I re-sent an email to my list of Buffalo rugby supporters
and within 24 hours had replies from 5 who would love to help start a team in Orchard Park.
The cast were not organized, but ready, and they just needed to be brought together. On a
chilly October evening in the Boys and Girls club training room, we held the first meeting.
Attending were Frank Holden, Chuck Mosey, Ryan Falgiano (City Honors), Steve Day, Mickey McGuire
and myself, and lots of great ideas came forth.
The next month’s meeting added Neil Farrell and Sarah Vukovich, and we assigned coaches.
Frank, Chuck and Steve would coach the boys, while Sarah and Kelley Cokely would coach the
girls. We had a plan on where and when we would train, set January for the player call out.
We got a website up and running, and determined we would all pitch in money to keep the costs
low for the kids over the first three years, and had even more ideas!
As we worked out the details for a spring start for HS Boys, girls and JHS kids, the task seemed
daunting to the assembled group. But I had been there before, and knew we had the leaders and
numbers to make it happen. The only unknown was the kids... would anyone be interested in trying
a previously unknown sport??
In December 2004, Peter Johnson joined us, and we set out a marketing plan and were already talking
about hosting a seven’s tournament and having summer rugby! The group was off and running,
everyone pitching in and doing more than their part.
Ed Seebald, John Herman, Renee Pollinger, Mike (Icky) Ilkiwskyj, Pat Kniery, Glen Nenoff, and
Jeff Hammond joined our January meeting and we put the final touches on getting the word out. We
included an event with the Community Youth Council, and held our breath for the sign ups.
In February of 2005, Mollie McCarthy joined the meeting as an additional girls coach, and we
fixed the practice locations as the skating rink, the high school early in the AM (in the wrestling
room, for tackling practice], and Burmon field which would also serve as our game field.
The end of year party was planned, as was the seven’s tournament, and we had uniforms and
equipment on order. The team photo session was also organized, and the only thing missing was kids.
The KIDS! We still had not a clue how many, or if any kids would sign up. We had a good plan for
their first organizational meeting, but... who would show up to the party?
February 2005. Sign ups. 70 kids!! Nearly two boys teams and a girls team, and an estimated 35-40
Junior High kids! We were off and running: Parents pitched in for concessions and became part of the
board. We had a few practice session in the Buffalo Bill's fieldhouse. We planned our first bus trip
to Erie to meet some Pennsylvania and Ohio teams. We ordered end of season awards for the kids, and
pledged to take a tour next spring to Washington DC over St Patrick’s day.
The first season started in the spring of 2005. Our goal for that first season was to end up without
any major injuries. As we all realize, there is potential for that, especially with naïve players,
and any such injury would bring the program down immediately. We taught safety and sound basics at
each session and the season was successful. The girls even made it to the semi-finals of the NYSRC
HS girls Championships, with three of the girls making the NYSRC U-19 All Star Team!
It was over the summer that the magic began to happen... We had a post season social with the coaches
and wives, and the coaches began to take ownership for the next season. Steve, Icky, and Frank started
to meet regularly over the summer and when we started our parent board meetings in the fall, they had a
consistent plan of action for the team. Emerson Smith came from Buffalo State, and Fred Bressette came
from UB and added immensely to our coaching program.
More parents became involved, we planned three fund raisers (a pancake breakfast, a battle of the bands
and a parent only event) and began a transition of board leadership to the parents. We had maybe a few
more numbers than in the first season, but the second season was a wonderful experience for the kids...
a repeat of the Erie trip, our first international match (in Canada), the tour to Washington DC,
and our Junior High games were all tackle. Even though they only had one opponent, Evans JHS, it was
still more than they had the year before. We had both boys and girls teams advance to the NYS Conference
Final Four, and several players from both teams selected to the NYS All-Star teams.
Another success directly attributed to the coaching staffs and the parent, which has become the strength
of the Orchard Park program.