From the desk of Jim Farmer:
This Friday we are doing our Fallen Ruggers get together at Claddagh. We’ll be there between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, but I think their official Happy Hour prices go from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.
We get together like this every year to remember and honor our rugby brothers we have played with and against who have passed away. Anyone who has pictures of our departed goombas can bring them to share. If you want, we might have equipment there that can duplicate any photos you all might want a copy of. Copies can be made for a nominal price.
The list I have to date consists of 13 brothers. The women have been much more fortunate and I don’t know of any that have passed away, yet. The names I have are:
- John Bistrica
- Danny Corrigan
- Tony DeBaggis
- John Dloniak
- Pete Garriga
- Brett Jones
- Rich Miller
- Greg Mullin
- Dave Rahn
- Kevin Sopko
- Ray Tarsky
- Adam Wilson
- Rich Zepp
The local clubs they played for are the Blues, the Old Grays, Cleveland Rugby Club and Mentor High School. Obituaries for just about all the listed fallen can be found online at the PlainDealer or News-Herald Web sites.
As far as beverages go, everybody is on their own. If you do plan on stopping by, please let Jim Farmer know. Claddagh is either going to put us in the back room with the fireplace, where we have been watching Six Nations, if we expect more than 20 ruggers. If we’re going to have 20 or less they are going to put us in that smaller raised area by the back bar.
Any rugger or rugby fan is welcome. This is a memorial of sorts, but mostly a celebration of the time we had together with the Fallen Ruggers. We’ll try and do a toast and three cheers around 6:00 PM, but come and leave whenever you have to. We have done this as a fundraiser for 1964 Rugby Foundation in the past, and will certainly accept any donations people might want to give in memory of any of the Fallen Ruggers, but we are more concerned about your presence. There will not be any pitches for money. We just want to BS and remember old stories of our fellow ruggers that have gone before us. Hope to see you all Friday.
I believe several of the Fallen Rutgers play for the C.A.T.S. Cleveland area touring side. please do not forget us Because we did have an impact in Cleveland rugby while we were in existence And always were a highly competitive club… The cats rugby club deserves it’s recognition and I hope to see it mentioned in future articles about Cleveland rugby
Satan- Your memory is still strong- Cheers. The CATS were awsome even as they morphed into the Green Horde..