The Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Football Club opened their second season beating the Madison (Wisconsin) Minotaurs Rugby Football Club by 72 to 0.
It was a battle between International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) rookies with The Grizzles and the Minotaurs both being asked to join as associate members in 2007.
Coming off an impressive first season, The Grizzlies went into the Fall 2007 season without the invaluable teaching and leadership of Coach Shannon Bustillos. Bustillos said goodbye to the Grizzles after accepting a position with Marquette University in Wisconsin.
According to Grizzlies Secretary David Glasgow, “there has been an enormous growth in gay rugby and there just does not seem to be enough (coaches) to go around”.
While the search for a replacement for Bustillos continues, the Grizzlies have an interim coaching team of three captains (backs, forwards and team) and two teammates that recently attended camp and are now “certified” by USA Rugby.
“I know that’s a far cry from having an experienced coach, but we are hopeful we will have a new coach soon”, states Glasgow.
The Grizzlies elected new officers for the 2007-2008 year:
- Jim Schmidt – President
- Christopher Sanders – VP
- Richard Kennedy - Treasurer
- David Glasgow – Secretary
- Eric Staats – Membership Chair
- Jon Glassmeyer – Hospitality Chair
- Greg King - Match Secretary
- Captain - Doug Sladen
- Forwards Captain - Mike Wright
- Backs Captain - Michael Kiggins
The Grizzlies will play all but one match in Tennessee during the 2007 Fall Schedule.
- Friday – September 21 – Grizzlies Night @ Play – Featuring the Grizzly Chix
- Saturday – September 22 – MATCH - Madison Minotaurs - 2:00 PM
- Saturday – September 22 – Third Half @ Tribe – 4:00 PM
- Saturday – September 29 – MATCH - Charlotte Royals – 1:00 PM - Pigeon Forge
- Saturday – October 20 – MATCH - Chattanooga Rugby Football Club – 1:00 PM - Chattanooga
- Saturday – October 27 – MATCH – Phoenix Storm – 1:00 PM – Phoenix
- Saturday – November 3 – DOUBLE HEADER MATCH – Minneapolis Mayhem and Carolina Kodiaks – TBD - Nashville
The Grizzlies will also travel to Ireland in June 2008 to play in the IGRAB 4th Mark Bingham Memorial Cup, an international three day tournament for gay rugby clubs named for Mark Bingham, a gay rugby player from San Francisco and one of the heroes of 9/11.
For more information on the Grizzlies visit www.grizzliesrugby.org.
