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I was called a lot of names during the 15
years I played Rugby. Most are unprintable and few bothered me, as
often enough
they were true. 'Megalomaniac' was
accurate enough, but 'traitor' hurt, and it was all because of Elvis and me.
In 1993 I was playing with Nashville.
We had just finished the spring 15s season with our second straight trip,
and second
consecutive loss, in the Men's Division II
National Championship game. Rather than being disheartened we were
excited to start the 7s season, and had high hopes for the Team.
When we assembled for the first practice
several of our top players were noticeably absent. Word slowly leaked
that David Brooks,
one of our best backs, was forming his own
Team. David was originally from Memphis where he played football at
Rhodes College, and Rugby with the Old #7 Rugby Club. He wanted to
form a Team that combined some of his old mates with some of the guys from
Nashville. Taking the name of Memphis' most famous entertainer, and
Nashville's most famous entertainment venue, "Elvis at the Opry" was born.
While it was supposed to be a 'let's have
some fun' type Team, Elvis turned out to be pretty good, which made for hard
feelings
among the guys who weren't invited.
And when Nashville played Elvis they beat us like a drum, and my
resentment grew. I moved to Louisville the next year, and much to my
satisfaction we beat Elvis every time, although neither Team did very well
beyond the smaller, regional Tournaments.
Ambition often trumps ego, and both
David and I had our sights set on winning a big Tournament, and we both
decided it would be the
Cape Fear 7s in North Carolina.
After years of going with Louisville, but never getting the full side
committed to such a long road trip, I called David with a proposition:
"Let's put aside our differences, and combine Teams for this Tournament."
He agreed.
In the summer of 1997 players from four
different states, and three Rugby Territories, trekked to Cape Fear.
With the Elvis backs,
including Bruce Migliaccio and Steve Boozer
(who would later play for Atlantis and the Western Rugby Territory 7s All
Star Team that won the 2001 USA Rugby National All Star 7s Championship),
and the Louisville forwards, which included Craig Whittle from New Zealand,
and Matt Ennis (who represented both the Midwest Rugby Territory and the
Western Rugby Territory in 7s), we rolled through the first day, and were
the 2nd seed going into Sunday's knockout round. We beat Charlotte and
the Trinidad & Tobago National Team to make the Finals, where we matched up
with the top seeded Northern Virginia (NOVA).
NOVA was in the middle of a decade long run
in which they owned Cape Fear, and was a heavy favorite. They had
several players
who were members of the USA Rugby Eagles,
including Dixie Dean, Nick Bell, and Prince Hill, not to mention Captain
Matt Whalen, and some winger who had played for Fiji's National Team.
Many of us, on the other hand, had met for the first time the Saturday
morning of the Tournament. When the Fijian scored on the opening
kickoff it looked like our magical run was over, but we came storming back
to score three trys, and held the lead after halftime. Even though
NOVA rebounded, and pulled away in the 2nd half, it made us think that
maybe, just maybe, we were on to something.
The following year we decided to be a
combined Team for the whole season. Negotiating which players would be
included on the
roster proved to be a source of friction.
Working on the premise that 'things will work themselves out' we
forged ahead, and 'Elvis' was officially registered with USA Rugby as a Club
in the Midwest Rugby Territory. Back in Louisville though, some good
players were left without a Team when I decided to combine with Elvis.
That's when I became a 'traitor', and still, some of those guys have never forgiven
me. I can't say I blame them.
David and I agreed to a clear delegation of
responsibilities, i.e., he would be the GM and recruit top players to the
Team, and I would
be the Captain, which meant I did the coin
toss and talked the most. David did a very fine job on the recruiting
end picking up free agent Lance Houia, who ended up being our first, second,
and third option in initiating our attack.
We kicked butt from the start winning
Tournaments in Nashville, Dallas, and Indianapolis. David and I became
bosom buds.
Although Cape Fear eluded us again, that
time we lost in the semifinals, when the Midwest 7s Championship Tournament
came around we were supremely confident, and claimed the title undefeated.
That's where the good feelings ended.
I took the trophy home with me, which David
didn't appreciate. Plus, we argued over which players would go to the
Nationals, and it
all came to a head in a nasty phone
exchange. While we kissed and made up in time for the King 7s
Tournament in Memphis (which we won), the relationship was never the same.
We went to the Nationals and won the Bowl. Most of the players expected
we would come back bigger and better the next year.
The following spring David heard rumors that
Louisville was going to form its own 7s Team. We weren't, but it
didn't really matter,
and David used that as the opportunity to
bid me good luck and good riddance. I was angry at the time, but now I
understand.
Elvis was David's creation and his Team, and
I had crossed the line by acting like it was mine. That we kept it
together as long as we
did, given the egos involved, mine not least
of all, was a testament to how badly we wanted to win.
Elvis kept on winning, but the
road was rockier in Louisville. We had the core of the guys that had
played with Elvis the year before,
but it took some coaxing to get the others
back out. Several never got over us combining with Elvis and refused
to play, but with the influx of some new blood, and the return of some cagey
vets, we got things rolling again, and qualified for the Midwest
Championship 7s Tournament. We upset Milwaukee in the semifinals, and
advanced to the Championship game against who else, Elvis at the Opry.
We were fired up, and they were
overconfident. Like every game we'd played against them since the
break-up, it was a brutal, low
scoring affair. We were up by five
going into the final minute when Houia made break, and kicked ahead.
Ironically my old Nashville Teammate, Keith Burnett, who hated Elvis as much
as I did and only joined the Team the year before after I made a personal
appeal, touched down in goal, made the kick to pip us by two, 19 to 17, and
claim the Championship.
Louisville was going to the Nationals also,
as the Midwest 2nd seed, and we pretended it was all good. Deep down
though, we knew
we would play Elvis again, and as we eyed
each other over raised glasses at a dinner the two Teams shared at the USA
Rugby National Championship 7s, we privately resolved to rip each others
hearts out.
That chance came the next season at the 2000
Cape Fear 7s Tournament, with a trip to the Finals on the line. We
returned a kickoff
the length of the field to score with no
time remaining, and advanced to the title game only to lose to those
bastards from NOVA, again! David was so distraught that he
immediately packed up and went home. Elvis had the last laugh
winning their third consecutive Midwest 7s Championship, and finishing 5th
at the Nationals that year.
Eight years later David and I have both quit
Rugby, and we met recently at a friend's wedding. We were both
genuinely glad to see
each other. I still won't wear any of
my old Elvis gear (although I do have it stashed in a drawer for when my
daughters grow up), and if David and I were to face off in an Old Boys match
we'd likely have a go at one another, but we're friends again. So,
time does indeed heal all wounds.
Now, older, wiser and more mature, I look
back on those days when winning was everything, and I realize that
friendship and
building a Club the 'right' way matter more, but you couldn't tell me that back in the day.
I might even dust off that old Championship
trophy, and put it back on the mantle. Well, perhaps not just yet.
Eric Raney wrote about the Pearl City Rugby Club in the
May/June 2008 issue of Rugby Magazine . . . to read that article
click here |
