WHO WE ARE: The Village Lions Club History by Michael Malone
Posted on Thursday February 3rd, 2011 @ 12:33:55 pm

WHO WE ARE
The Village Lions were spawned from Greenwich Village’s Red Lion Pub in 1989, a collection of rugby-playing bartenders, bouncers and boozers from all corners of the globe.

Team founder/Red Lion owner Alan Whelan, an Irishman, opted for black and white stripes on the Lions jerseys as an homage to the Barbarians, a global invitational team that celebrates the diversity of nationality. The red lion logo on the chest saluted the pub where the club’s initial seeds were planted.

Original Lions include former French U-19 Thierry Langlais, South African Francis Laros, former Harlequins (UK) scrumhalf Mike Bainbridge, Tato, Alex Delasantos, Mike Callan, and homegrown players such as Mike McKeon, Stevie Ray, Marty Rosenthal and Dennis Martin.

Whelan had connections at St. John’s University, and a handful of recent grads soon joined the club, including Kieran Holohan and Chris Ratay.

The early Lions took the Met. NY union by storm, winning the third division in 1991, then grabbing the D-2 title a year later. The A side was captained by Red Lion barkeep/New Zealander Joe Kelly, a hooker with an ear deformed from a lifetime in the middle of the scrum.

The early B sides were captained by #8 Kevin Shuker, an Englishman. Shuker later offered players physical therapy in the basement of his East Village tea shop, where he also practiced his didgeridoo.

Other victories in the fledgling days of the Lions include winning a Binghamton, NY tournament, with Mike Bainbridge named tourney MVP.

The 1992 D-2 championship earned the Lions a spot in the Division I competition for the fall of 1993.

The Lions were celebrated for their southern hemisphere flair on the pitch, and for post-match accommodations that were the envy of the opponents. Drink-ups occurred at the Red Lion, in the heart of Greenwich Village, and around the corner at the Lion’s Den, Whelan’s rock club where he planned to build a proper rugby clubhouse in the basement. The carousing ventured all over lower Manhattan before members would assemble for a nightcap back at the Lion.

The first team dinner was at a TGI Friday’s on 13th Street and 5th Avenue that was managed by Lions hooker Marty Rosenthal, with gag gifts given out to players, including a Golden Boot for one with a knack for separating opponents on the ground from the ball.

Another early team dinner was held at Whelan’s upscale Village restaurant, Peter’s Back Yard, named for his nephew, who played scrumhalf for the Lions and performed music on the Red Lion stage, and later toured with KISS as an opening act.

With Tim Katsoulis, Freddy Langlais (Hall of Famer Thierry’s younger brother), Nick Morgan and a Samoan forward named Brendan Reidy in the 1993 side (Reidy would go on to earn dozens of caps for Western Samoa, including playing in the 1995 and 1999 World Cups, and a professional career in the UK), the Lions performed adequately during their first year in the first division. But Whelan made the fateful business decision to cut back on the high-quality players he imported from the established rugby nations, and the team’s success was left to its young American players.

The Village Lions nearly dissolved in the aftermath. In the 1993-1994 off-season, players discussed whether they’d leave for other New York clubs or quit the game entirely. A small nucleus, including Ratay, Katsoulis, Edwin Mays and Rob Babcock, was determined to keep the Village Lions RFC afloat.

With thin numbers and no hired guns from overseas, the Lions made the decision to move back down to Division III in 1994, with matches on Randalls Island and training in a baseball outfield at East River Park, with players lugging lights and a generator to the field for some degree of visibility during training. Conditions were shoddy, and on-field performance wasn’t much better, though there was always Forest Hills on the schedule.

In 1995, the Lions used a Coast Guard connection to get a field on Governors Island, in the shadow of the World Trade Center and Statue of Liberty. Players took the ferry across New York Harbor for training and home matches, and drink-ups were held on the pitch in this scenic spot.

Unfortunately, numbers stayed low and coaching was lacking. One training session saw Jeff Evans, Bill McHugh and Mike Malone grab a Governor’s Island groundskeeper so they could have enough players for two-on-two touch and salvage the evening’s trip to Governor’s.

The Coast Guard later vacated the island, and in 1996 the Lions returned to East River Park for training and Randalls Island for matches.

Key players in the mid and late ‘90s include former captains Monte Murphy and Ben Projansky, Tim Tuohy, Javier Hevia, Ken Murphy, Dan Taylor, Bob Pierson, Mike Barry, Carl Trezza, Bill McGoldrick, Mike Donnelly, Steve Raia, Clay Luraschi and ‘280’ Paul Marotta.

Jeff Evans was B side captain for much of this period.

Club presidents included Murphy, Steve Mooney, George Rohloff, Greg Faherty and Eric Anahory.

One memorable 1997 league match saw the Lions and nemesis Princeton AC battle to a 0-0 tie in Princeton, a tense match that was blown up a few minutes early due to repeated fisticuffs sparked by a fiery French hooker who shall remain nameless.

The Lions had their own beat writer for a spell, as the Villager weekly paper would send a reporter to cover home matches.

1997 saw the Lions find a new home at Fiddlesticks in Greenwich Village, where we stayed until 2002. Sponsorship from Fiddlesticks, owned by Niamh Conway and Peter O’Dwyer, was instrumental in stabilizing the club at this time. Opposing players were always impressed by the giant pub setting, the upscale post-match chow, and the wide selection of premium beers on draft (not to mention the winsome Irish barmaids who pulled the taps). The pub was essential to recruiting too, and the Lions banner hung in the rear of the bar for years.

THE 2000s

WOMEN’S LIONS
Spring 2000 saw the lady Lions launch on the backs of standout players and club members such as Jess Houser, Erin Martschenko, Jennifer Lightbody, Val Easterwood, Gretchen Doughty, Cassie Abodeely, and Karen McGraw, and a passel of Princeton grads including Rachel Liberatore, Tracy Dubovick and Lara Larsen.

The lady Lions have had a meteoric run of success in their short lifespan. In 2002, the Lions took the USA Rugby D-2 championship in Cincinnati. In 2004, the women made the national D-2 quarterfinals, en route to a #6 national rank. In 2005, the lady Lions made the national semifinals for a #3 national rank.

The Lions, nicknamed the Leonas, lost just one league match from 2007-2009, including big wins over rivals Monmouth and Morris. Greg Parsons was head coach.

The women made the nationals in 2007 (#6) and 2008 (#3), and earned a spot in Met. New York’s D-1 in the fall of 2010 — going 2-2 with wins over Boston and Philadelphia.

The lady Lions are currently seeking a head coach to prepare for more D-1 action in fall 2011.

Village Lions RFC presidents in the 2000s include Andy Wagner, Cherry Mike Steavenson, Kieran Holohan, Renee Ovrut, Adam Schwartz and Bret Costain.

MEN: DIVISION 2 AGAIN
The men’s Lions advanced to the Met. NY Division 2 by virtue of winning 2002’s D-3 title on the backs of veterans Chris Gunsten, Paul Marotta, Cherry Mike, Brian Kuhn and Peter Mullen, among others.

The post-season saw the Lions beat Boston, but come up short against Albany in Syracuse.

The Lions remained a competitive team in D-2 ever since. “Gunner” Gunsten captained the A side for most of those years, and kicked the bulk of the team’s point. Raia was the heart the forward pack, and Andy McKee paced the backs.

LION KINGS
With a push from Bill McHugh and Alan Lobo, the Village Lions launched a 35-and-over old boys side in 2001, quickly building rivalries with the Connecticut Greys and the Gentlemen of New York.

The “Lion Kings,” captained by Pat Nihan, toured Memphis last fall, the trip arranged by Memphis-based Lion Francis “Mule” Camillo and attracting Lion Kings from all over the country, including Dr. Demento Heiberger in Oklahoma and George “Godzilla” Rohloff in Boca.

Prominent television journalist Martin Bashir, formerly of 20/20, has represented the Lion Kings at scrumhalf for a number of seasons.

The Lion Kings concluded the fall 2010 season with a win over Morris Masters, with strong games from center Marc Brown and flanker Tim “Spartacus” Travaglini, the latter a budding roller derby player.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Each season, the Lions host “Friends and Family Day” for our loved (and liked) ones who tolerate our rugby habits. It’s a chance for these friends and family members to come out, enjoy rugby, beers and a barbecue, and meet some of the people who make the Lions unique.

The tradition started modestly in the fall of 1998. The Lions A’s beat Forest Hills 43-8 and the B’s won 34-3. The barbecue was a little less successful—lots of meat and no buns, and paper clips in lieu of a spatula—but the event planning got more successful over time, and one of the unique Lions traditions was born.

COACHING
Then-Rugby Magazine ad director Christian Averill, formerly the Iona College coach, was brought on to coach the Lions in 1995. His tireless dedication boosted the club from an also-ran to a competitor in Division III, with notable wins against Union, Lansdowne and Montclair, and a winning 5-4 1998 campaign, and poised the Lions for their promotion.

Averill was replaced by New Zealander Paddy Bartlett for the fall 2002 season.

Subsequent men’s coaches include Mike Barry, Shay Fitzpatrick, Adrian McDermott and the current men’s coach, Expo Mejia.

Fabian M. was the inaugural women’s coach, followed by Greg Parsons, with assists from Mike Barry, Manu Daval and Mary Holmes.

Holmes took over as head coach when Parsons stepped down, and Michael Epstein and Hedley Lagrand pitched in too. Holmes was head coach in the fall of 2010, with assists from a returning Parsons and Cameron Sinclair. Holmes stepped down at the conclusion of the fall season.

Former men’s backs coach John Greally has pitched in with the Leonas’ sevens program.

HOME PUBS
With Whelan out of the picture for part of the ‘90s, the Village Lions spent less time (and money) at the Red Lion. Club members bounced around to various drinking establishments, with official drink-ups at the Irish Times and Paddy MacGuire’s, as well as Cherry Tavern after training, before Alan Lobo got the Lions back to the Village with Fiddlesticks.

Fundraiser socials were held at the Village Idiot in the West Village and the Blue Moose in Tribeca during the ‘90s.

McCormack’s Pub was the mainstay for Five Nations (and later, Six Nations) viewing on early Saturday mornings in the winter.

The club has since moved on to newer drinking spots such as current home away from homes Croxley Ales and Van Dieman’s.

TOURS
Players from no fewer than 42 nations have worn the Lions jersey. With their worldly makeup, the Lions showed a taste for touring since the early days. The club made trips to Louisiana Mardi Gras tournaments in 1994 and 1995; the latter saw the team’s flight canceled due to a snowstorm in New York. After several hours of supporting the airport bar – and making the local TV news in their purple and gold tour jerseys — the Lions tourists flew standby to Houston and drove through the night to Baton Rouge.

The weary Lions took the field after just an hour or two of sleep in cars or a pair of packed hotel rooms. The side, featuring Ken Murphy, Pat O’Keefe, Bill and Tim McHugh, Kieran Holohan, Mike Malone, Jim Moore, Mike McKeon, Javier Hevia, Rob Babcock, Tim Katsoulis and Bert Oberlander, won their first game, against Harrisburg (PA), 10-5. Then tiredness set in and the Lions lost heavily to host Baton Rouge, before making their way to NOLA for Hurricanes and revelry.

The club has since toured Amsterdam/Copenhagen/Stockholm; then Italy; and then England/Ireland in 2005, facing off against Old Actonians Vets in London, then Dublin Maccabees and the Galwegians in Ireland.

The Lions continued their touring ways with a jaunt to Argentina last year.  The men went to Portugal and Spain in 2010 and learned the fine art of tackling a bull. (See YouTube for details.)

The Leonas took their first international tour in 2010 to commemorate their 10th anniversary. The Leonas won in Barcelona and Toulouse, then lost in Beziers but enjoyed the privilege of playing in a proper rugby stadium.

TOURNAMENTS
The Lions’ Four Leaf 15s Tournament debuted in 2003 and pits the region’s top club and college sides against each other. The 2009 tournament featured 48 teams; the club division was won by Monmouth (men) and Beantown (women).

The tournament quickly earned a reputation as one of the nation’s finest, with regulation pitches across Randalls Island, onsite medical help, strong competition across several divisions and even catering services.

The eighth annual Four Leaf 15s will be held March 26, 2011 on Randalls Island. A Manhattan pub crawl will follow.

The Lions’ first Hell Gate 7s, named for the eponymous bridge lurking over Randalls Island, was held in 2009.

The Lions hosted the National All Star 7s and NRU finals in 2009 and 2010.

20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
The Lions marked 20 years of rugby with a team dinner at Sitai in Lower Manhattan in 2009, during which the All-Time Lions XV team was named. The All-Time men’s team is comprised of:
1 Chris Gunsten
2 Thierry Langlais
3 Kieran Holohan
4 Shay Fitzpatrick
5 Paul Marotta
6 Mike Donnelly
7 Steve Raia
8 Dennis Martin
9 Michael Bainbridge
10 Nils Clotteau
11 Adil Manari
12 Justin Flowers
13 Mike Barry
14 Clay Luraschi
15 Yoshi Yoshimura
Subs: John Gorman, Brendan Reidy, Mike Hilliker, Peter Mullen, Pat Okeefe, Joe Kelly, Dirk Kirsten

AWARDS DINNERS
The first fall awards dinner was held in 1995 at a cheesy Times Square outpost of Beefsteak Charlie’s that later prompted the chain to change its all-you-can-drink policy. Subsequent ones at the Irish Times saw the handing out of gag gifts, but the gifts soon transformed into more meaningful keepsakes for performance on and off the pitch.

The club’s tenth anniversary in 1999 was marked with a black-tie dinner at the midtown pub Connolly’s.

For years, the awards dinner was prefaced by a U.S. vs. The World intrasquad match, with the World winning most years and serenading the losers with an off-key rendition of “We are the World.” When the match started to get too chippy, the tradition was given the red card.

The lady Lions started their own Old Girls vs. Young Girls tradition in 2005.

HALL OF FAME
Each fall’s awards dinner sees a few select club members inducted into the Village Lions Hall of Fame. The current inductees are Dennis Martin, Mike Bainbridge, Kieran Holohan, Paul Marotta, Alan Lobo, Chris Ratay, Erin Martschenko, Andy Gonzalez, Jess Houser, Ken Murphy, Mike Barry, Rachel Liberatore, Terry Langlais and Alan Whelan.

INTERNATIONAL LIONS
Besides Brendan Reidy playing for Western Samoa, several Lions have suited up for national teams. Clay Luraschi was capped numerous times for the Philippines, and Kenneth Stern and Chris Hitch have represented that national team too. Luis Schroeder represented Luxembourg in test rugby, and Nils Clotteau has represented the tiny African nation of Benin, while helping build infrastructure in that poor nation. The Frenchman said the harsh pitches of West Africa made him homesick for Randalls Island.

Jess Houser has represented the U.S. national women’s team, the Eagle ‘A’ side.

TODAY…AND TOMORROW
The Lions play on one of the nation’s top rugby facilities, on the Wards Island Sprinturf pitches on the southernmost tip of Randalls Island—fields the club helped build through extensive fundraising.

Scrumhalf Patrick McJury captains the current men’s side, which won D-2 this past fall with a 7-1 record and an average of 45 points per match, and moves up to Met. NY D-1 in the fall of 2011—a full 18 years after the Lions first played in the elite division. Coach Mejia stressed individual accountability, and pushed the players to execute a pinpoint gameplan that typically resulted in lopsided scorelines in the Lions’ favor.

A-side forwards include Carl Trezza, Steve Raia, Austin Enright, Kimani Davis and Alex Kallman, and backs include Danny Kroll, Dan Diaz, Will Mullin, Brian Van Remmen and Adil Manari.

The B side, with Paull Young setting the pace at flyhalf and Olly Smith in the forwards, went undefeated for the season—continuing a tradition dating back to Jeff Evans’ and Kevin Shuker’s strong B side squads.

The Lions continued their high-rolling ways well into fall, beating Newport (RI) in the Northeast D-2 regionals 64-20 November 13.

The Lions walloped Connecticut Yankees 61-26 November 20th and Boston’s Middlesex 45-13 November 21 on Randalls Island in front of hundreds of Lions supporters from over the years — bringing the Northeast D-2 championship plaque home.

The women were led by veterans such as #8 Meg Collins, scrumhalf Renee Ovrut, center Erin Martschenko and fullback Jackie Finlan, and went 2-2 in league play in the fall of 2010.

FUTURE
The men and women Lions celebrated their winning ways with the 2010 awards dinner December 11 at Papillon in Manhattan.

The men compete in the National Sweet 16 in the spring.

In the fall of 2011, the Lions will be one of just four clubs in the U.S. fielding D-1 men’s and women’s sides.

The club’s history evolves each week.