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By Ed Hagerty (7s in Vegas was a good warmup for the Lions. Ed Hagerty photo)
The Chicago Lions RFC, one of the most successful rugby clubs in the US, was founded 46 years ago (1964). Over the years, the Lions have compiled a highly successful Super League record, reaching the SL semifinals in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and the final in 2007.
Hope Field Clubhouse & Playing Facilities
Through the tireless efforts of Bob Muzikowski, Kevin Drweyer and others, the Chicago Lions have continued to improve their playing complex. The Lions now play their home games at Hope Field, on Chicago’s near west side. Their facility includes an on-field clubhouse with changing rooms and showers.
In late 2008, the Chicago Hope Academy and Chicago Lions announced a ground breaking partnership called “Lions for Hope” to jointly develop a youth rugby program and dedicated pitch for youth and senior play.
The Chicago Hope Academy, established in 2005, has 200 inner-city students and offers a challenging college prep curriculum that successfully balances physical, mental and spiritual development. Last year, all of the Academy’s graduates went on to further their education.
The Lions for Hope property has served as the Lions’ home field and clubhouse for the last two years. Bill and Kelsey Lavicka, noted Chicago area preservationists, undertook a complete restoration of the building. It includes two elegant, private residences, a ground floor clubhouse, showers, lockers and meeting room space in the basement.
The complex has been used for numerous training, fundraising, special events, parties, USARFU and MWRFU activities. Through those events, the Lions have raised funds to offset the costs of acquiring and maintaining the field.
The Lions’ two mutually supportive goals — a home field in Chicago and support of urban youth rugby — are integral to the Lions’ strategy and fit perfectly with the current direction of the game in the USA.
Bob Muzikowski, founder and president of the Chicago Hope Academy, was a longtime player for Old Blue (NY) and has a real belief in the game.
“This is a truly unique opportunity to advance the great sport of rugby with urban youth,” said Muzikowski. “The program speaks directly to the mission of Hope Academy as a co-educational college and life prep school dedicated to nurturing the whole person—mind, body and spirit. Rugby is ideal in that it requires a minimum of equipment, is suited for players of all sizes and shapes, and builds team play and interdependence.
“This is a rare opportunity for two non-profits to combine and contribute to a common goal—the development of our youth—and benefit the surrounding community at the same time by providing a safe haven for athletics,” said Muzikowski.
The Chicago Hope Academy is a private, non-profit 501c3 organization and more information is available on their website www.chicagohopeacademy.com |
Entering its 14th Super League season this year, the Chicago Lions compiled a 4-3-1 record in 2009, losing to Life 20-14 in the Super League quarterfinals.
The Lions have also done well in the 7-man-game, winning the National Club 7s Championship in 2007 and finishing 3rd in 2009. And they've used that program to recruit some players for the Super League squad.
This February the Lions 7s team travelled to Las Vegas to play in the Club Championship Series (CCS) at the USA 7s. There they recorded four straight wins before losing in the final to Belmont Shore in front of 19,000 fans…and collecting a $2500 check in the process.
That tournament served also to get some players on the field a few weeks before the Super League started. The Lions’ informal preparation for the 2010 Super League season began after Thanksgiving when the players organized twice-weekly morning circuits. At least 25 players paid for a trainer out of their own pockets and attended sessions, some of which started at 5:30 am.
The Lions’ formal preparation began on January 2 with the first of its thrice weekly practices. Then in February, coaches Chris McClellan and Marty Wiggins took 38 Lions’ to Life College in Georgia for intensive, four-day training sessions. The camp involved two-a day sessions plus a scrimmage against Life’s Super League side.
The Lions are led by a central group of experienced and intelligent players, including Jon Vitale (prop), Dustin Hugen (lock), Brian Farrell (openside) and Matt Kelly (No. #8) in the forwards and Dave Selimos (scrumhalf), Ben Purcell (inside center), and Eddie Bluemel (wing) in the backs.
Wiggins and McClellan, along with Jeremiah Cowin, coach the team.
“Our goal is always to earn home field for the playoffs. We think we can do that," said McClellan.
To attract new players, the Lions major focus is on America college players and transfers from lower-division local clubs. They do not actively recruit overseas players and the few imports on their roster have turned up in Chicago on their own.
The Lions have few affiliations with local college sides, but instead are dependent on attracting players from big Midwest schools such as Bowling Green, Indiana, Miami of Ohio, Minnesota, Ohio State and Purdue. The Lions have close working relationships with head coaches at these schools, play them regularly with lower level sides, travel to run weekend clinics, and host their players in Chicago during the 7s season.
Scrumhalf Mickey Franco joined the club from Ohio State after a summer playing 7s for the Lions. He is just one of a group of highly-regarded college players joining the club:
Mickey Franco Ohio State
Dave Knab Ohio State
Jordan Highberger Indiana U
Max Pagnini Purdue
Ed Cassidy Arizona
Patrick Twrdyk Boston College
Matt Priest Alabama
Paul Passino Houston Area RFC
Franco, Knab and Pagnini are all still in school, with Knab and Franco graduating in March and Pagnini in May. The college teams of these three players are out of the playoffs, so they are jump-starting their club careers by joining the Lions.
Highberger, Twrdyk and Cassidy also started by playing summer 7s with the Lions while home from school in Chicago.
The Lions have lost some important players, including fullback Jeremy Nash, openside Tom Dolan, prop Chad Slaby (playing professionally in Germany), and hooker Phil Abraham (playing for Randwick in Sydney).
Center Luke Thiem and lock BJ Brick suffered season-ending injuries in pre-season.
But the club has depth. For the first time they also fielded a side in the Midwest’s Division I, giving their up-and-coming players the opportunity to compete for a National Championship. And while the Lions D1 team fell short last season, this opportunity was a boost to the team’s recruiting; enabling them to provide new players a development track that wasn’t previously available.
The Lions are also helping to prepare for the future. The Illinois Youth Rugby Association, with major input from several former Lions’ presidents (David, Hall, Tyke Nollman and Ray Dempsey), now has 48 member clubs and is growing.
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