SF RFC vs Bruos Match Report
June 05, 2021
Santa Fe Rugby Football Club Drops to 2 – 1
Santa Fe’s Santos Rugby Football Club dropped their home opener Saturday, 34-31 to the New Mexico Brujos RFC at the Municipal Recreation Complex. The Brujos tallied a five-point try five minutes into the match after a pass intercept but Santa Fe responded five minutes later when Daniel Rayes touched the ball down to draw the score at 5 points apiece. Two-point conversion kick attempts following both tries failed. The teams traded tries throughout the remainder of the match with Santa Fe finally going ahead 31-24 on a try by David Jondreau with 13 minutes remaining in the 80-minute encounter. The Santos retained a 31-29 lead despite DeSante Brown’s try at 74 minutes but couldn’t hold out Patrick Sarson’s 5-pointer as time ran out.
The Brujos scored six tries to Santa Fe’s five, scored by Rayes, Brandon Rey (2), Jonathan Lithgow, and Jondreau. Tanner Graham kept it close by connecting on three two-point conversion kicks for the Santos while Leon Wilson and Sarson managed one each for the visitors.
Combined with earlier road wins over New Mexico Tech and El Paso Scorpions, Santa Fe’s covid-reemergent records stands at two wins against one loss. The Santos will briefly transition to golf next weekend in the Santos Classic before tackling longtime rivals Albuquerque Aardvarks at home on June 19.
BRUJOS 5 min Try Josh Aranda / conv Leon Wilson 7
SANTOS 14 min Try Daniel Rayes / conv Tanner Graham 7-7
BRUJOS 28 min John Johnson – 12-7
SANTOS 31 min Brandon Rey – 12-12
BRUJOS 39 min Aranda – 17-12
HALF 17-12
SANTOS 43 min Jonathan Lithgow 17 -17
BRUJOS 46 min Leon Wilson / conv Patrick Sarson 24-17
SANTOS 60 min Brandon Rey / conv Graham 24-24
SANTOS 67 min David Jondreau / conv Graham 31-24
BRUJOS 74 min DeSante Brown 31-29
BRUJOS 77 min Patrick Sarson 34-31
SF RFC vs Brujos Match Report
June 05, 2021
Santa Fe’s Santos Rugby Football Club dropped their home opener Saturday, 34-31 to the New Mexico Brujos RFC at the Municipal Recreation Complex. The Brujos tallied a five-point try five minutes into the match after a pass intercept but Santa Fe responded five minutes later when Daniel Rayes touched the ball down to draw the score at 5 points apiece. Two-point conversion kick attempts following both tries failed. The teams traded tries throughout the remainder of the match with Santa Fe finally going ahead 31-24 on a try by David Jondreau with 13 minutes remaining in the 80-minute encounter. The Santos retained a 31-29 lead despite DeSante Brown’s try at 74 minutes but couldn’t hold out Patrick Sarson’s 5-pointer as time ran out.
The Brujos scored six tries to Santa Fe’s five, scored by Rayes, Brandon Rey (2), Jonathan Lithgow, and Jondreau. Tanner Graham kept it close by connecting on three two-point conversion kicks for the Santos while Leon Wilson and Sarson managed one each for the visitors.
Combined with earlier road wins over New Mexico Tech and El Paso Scorpions, Santa Fe’s covid-reemergent records stands at two wins against one loss. The Santos will briefly transition to golf next weekend in the Santos Classic before tackling longtime rivals Albuquerque Aardvarks at home on June 19.
BRUJOS 5 min Try Josh Aranda / conv Leon Wilson 7
SANTOS 14 min Try Daniel Rayes / conv Tanner Graham 7-7
BRUJOS 28 min John Johnson – 12-7
SANTOS 31 min Brandon Rey – 12-12
BRUJOS 39 min Aranda – 17-12
HALF 17-12
SANTOS 43 min Jonathan Lithgow 17 -17
BRUJOS 46 min Leon Wilson / conv Patrick Sarson 24-17
SANTOS 60 min Brandon Rey / conv Graham 24-24
SANTOS 67 min David Jondreau / conv Graham 31-24
BRUJOS 74 min DeSante Brown 31-29
BRUJOS 77 min Patrick Sarson 34-31
Gerro Prinsloo, Leon Wilson
Abel Chivira. Daniel Ra/eyes
SF RFC vs NMT Match Report
April 26, 2021
With apologies, a very tardy match report for the New Mexico Tech outing. If you want the facts, just the facts, proceed directly to Section 2, WHAT HAPPENED.
Hopefully Section 1 will get those traveling to tomorrow’s El Paso match at least to Truth or Consequences.
-dw
1. THE OCCASION
Following a year of forced hiatus, Saturday, April 24, 2021 was chosen by the gods for Santa Fe Rugby Club to retake the pitch. New Mexico Tech’s immaculate sea of green served as the venue, with the Santos coming away on top in a surprisingly well-played friendly.
When Joanne and I arrived Tech’s women’s team (known as the Queens when I coached them; now, I suppose the Lady Miners) had just kicked off a game of Sevens with the Lady Chiles of New Mexico State U. I paused a distance from the pitch to take in the scene and feel the sense of excitement.
This was a good game to watch. The players seemed to reflect the improvements in standards I’ve noticed in various You Tube videos of international women’s rugby. Both sides showed good ball retention and the understanding to spread the ball from side to side in search of space. As one of their three former coaches (following Herb Howell and Clint “Doc” Richardson) I was impressed with how willing the home side were to tackle. Some time after the Tech gals had prevailed and the men’s teams were preparing to take the pitch, one of the State ladies, obviously a back*, sprung up from the grass where she was relaxing and ran up to greet me. This turned out to be Alicia Pacheco, daughter of legendary Santos winger Martin and a young woman whose early career I had witnessed as an opposing coach. “My dad would want me to say hi”, Alicia announced.
As the men’s teams went through their final warmups I was surprised at the number of players
wearing the blood and gold of Santa Fe – at least 22, twice the number of guys I had observed at any one practice session in the previous four weeks. Let us pause to recognize our debt to the high-achieving program created at New Mexico Highlands University by Prof. Dickie Greene, a contemporary of some us from 1970s rugby in Albuquerque. Ryan Means, Jaime Terrazas, Frank Marchi, and Keith Maes (aka Rosey) all learned their rugby at the knee of Grandpa Dick or one of his understudies. Case in point: former Vato player-coach Brandon Rey (aka Monster), now back in his native El Paso, brought up a couple of his current UTEP Miner protogés to reinforce our back line.**
Of course we can’t overlook another Vatoman who seems to turn up whenever and wherever there’s rugby to be played – our friend Armando Herrera, probably more widely known as “Mando.”
(Mea culpa: Armando told me he doesn’t think he’s on the email list. I took his address at training last night and now cannot find it!)
I am reminded that rugby players play rugby and the lengths they will go to get a game. Hats off to NMT director of rugby Gearoid Dunbar for his hard work in helping to safely restore competitive rugby to the Rio Grande.
* Although their function is often unclear to the casual observer, nearly every rugby team contains at least one or two backs. Every forward knows their utility – to make the team more attractive, if not effective.
**Lest we lose the trace, at our own expense: what’s become of Hugo Gutierrez, the slender-yet-silky former Vato who graced some of our earlier sessions? Also those fellows who turned up at that first practice at Ashbaugh on April 24: Juan Galvez, Andre Fleming, Santiago Lujan – Whoever brought those men out may be eligible to have their CIPPs paid by one of the Anasazi.
2. WHAT HAPPENED
As usual the sun shone brightly on The Garden Spot of Central New Mexico, yet without unduly punishing us norteños. At long last the battle was joined with the royal-blue clad Miners, who on previous Saturdays had hosted and outscored women’s and men’s teams from New Mexico State as well as our loyal rivals Aardvarks.
The students showed their mettle through aggressive defense and occasional dangerous breaks. But our men were up to the challenge and stuck to the conservative, energy-conserving strategy laid out by Coach Richard Morris. I noticed the Santos were not so conservative with their tackling though, which was firm and sure most of the day.
After a prolonged period of closely-contested play, captain and flanker Ryan Weir put the finishing touch on a sustained drive to score our first try in over a year. Match commentator James Chavez dutifully announced the scorer’s name as it was provided to him: “Ryan W”. First-five/fly half/standoff/#10 Dustin Webb, a Tech alumnus, added the conversion, which according to my half-arsed notes, was the only successful goal kick of our day.
Not long after Mando knocked on at the goal line, but soon redeemed himself with a dead-on 15 meter backhanded spiral pass that brought audible gasps from spectators. I’m quite sure Mando was thinking of his glory days at Aspen RFC.
Monster scored one of his patented can’t-be-stopped tries from short range just before Justin Karrenburg’s 40-minute halftime whistle went.
Early in the second half SF went up 17-nil when lock/second row/#4 or #5 Jason Lithgow was justly rewarded for his faithful work in dark places when an offload pass from ? (name it and claim it) enabled him to crash over from short range.
Finally Tech’s fleet gang of backs got loose for a length-of-pitch try, but not before being seriously hounded by heroic pursuing tackles by Mr. Weir and budding wing Jason Osborn. Fortunately Tech’s conversion kicking was even less successful than ours on the day; 17-5.
Tech solidified their foothold with a second try scored by hard-running center Willie Uhrle, a native of American Samoa. 17-10. The concern now was that Tech’s relatively-uninterrupted fitness program would prove decisive. Santos soon had a chance to add three insurance points but center Tanner Graham’s penalty kick bounced away off the post.
In the final 20 minutes of play we got the break we needed when exemplary defensive pressure up front forced a weak kick by one of the kids from inside his own 22-meter line. Frank Marchi fielded the kick cleanly and deftly picked his way through the disorganized defense to touch down for a 22 to 10 margin. NMT received their consolation when their big inside center (who proved to be yet another Vato loaner) (!) touched down the day’s last try. My notes show a final tally of Santa Fe 22, New Mexico Tech 22-15.
The Santos were tired yet jubilant as they came off the pitch, perhaps as much to have finally broken the playing drought as to have won a full 80 minute contest. The team posed for photos beneath the posts and Captain Weir announced Ryan Means as Man of the Match for his relentless play at hooker, enthusiastic defense, and faithful support play.
It would be wrong to not mention a few of the heroics on display. As always, Isaiah “Izzy” Sanchez provided airtight last-line defense. The evergreen Dave Jondreau put in a good shift (or two, under generous sub rules), including a lightning poach and pass reminiscent of bygone days. Dustin Webb took the gap with purpose at #10 whenever it presented itself. Santo center and three-time NMT Player of the Year Tanner Graham never failed to drag at least two would-be tacklers 10 or 15 meters beyond the gainline and disheartened opposing carriers. His center partner Jaime Terrazas looked dangerous and there could be trouble as these two grow accustomed to each other’s play. Nicolas Fariña, our sole Argentine, started at wing but got a chance to backstop the team at fullback in the second half. The power Joe Bonham and Jerod Skillman bring to our pack was on display once again, while as always Ryan Weir was everywhere. And it was food for the soul to see Dan Allinder back in the color after a spell in the midwestern wilderness.
This was one of those days when Rugby was the winner.
SF RFC vs NMT Match Report
April 04, 2021
SF 22 @ NMT 15
Filed by: A Man on the Touchline
1. THE OCCASION
Following a year of forced hiatus, Saturday, April 24, 2021 was chosen by the gods for Santa Fe Rugby Club to retake the pitch. New Mexico Tech’s immaculate sea of green served as the venue, with the Santos coming away on top in a surprisingly well-played friendly.
When Joanne and I arrived Tech’s women’s team (known as the Queens when I coached them; now, I suppose the Lady Miners) had just kicked off a game of Sevens with the Lady Chiles of New Mexico State U. I paused a distance from the pitch to take in the scene and feel the sense of excitement.
This was a good game to watch. The players seemed to reflect the improvements in standards I’ve noticed in various YouTube videos of international women’s rugby. Both sides showed good ball retention and the understanding to spread the ball from side to side in search of space. As one of their three former coaches (following Herb Howell and Clint “Doc” Richardson) I was impressed with how willing the home side was to tackle. Sometime after the Tech gals had prevailed and the men’s teams were preparing to take the pitch, one of the State ladies, obviously a back*, sprung up from the grass where she was relaxing and ran up to greet me. This turned out to be Alicia Pacheco, daughter of legendary Santos winger Martin and a young woman whose early career I had witnessed as an opposing coach. “My dad would want me to say hi”, Alicia announced.
As the men’s teams went through their final warmups I was surprised at the number of players
wearing the blood and gold of Santa Fe – at least 22, twice the number of guys I had observed at any one practice session in the previous four weeks. Let us pause to recognize our debt to the high-achieving program created at New Mexico Highlands University by Prof. Dickie Greene, a contemporary of some of us from 1970s rugby in Albuquerque. Ryan Means, Jaime Terrazas, Frank Marchi, and Keith Maes (aka Rosey) all learned their rugby at the knee of Grandpa Dick or one of his understudies. Case in point: former Vato player-coach Brandon Rey (aka Monster), now back in his native El Paso, brought up a couple of his current UTEP Miner protogés to reinforce our backline.**
Of course, we can’t overlook another Vatoman who seems to turn up whenever and wherever there’s rugby to be played – our friend Armando Herrera, probably more widely known as “Mando.”
(Mea culpa: Armando told me he doesn’t think he’s on the email list. I took his address at training last night and now cannot find it!)
I am reminded that rugby players play rugby and the lengths they will go to get a game. Hats off to NMT director of rugby Gearoid Dunbar for his hard work in helping to safely restore competitive rugby to the Rio Grande.
* Although their function is often unclear to the casual observer, nearly every rugby team contains at least one or two backs. Every forward knows their utility – to make the team more attractive, if not effective.
**Lest we lose the trace, at our own expense: what’s become of Hugo Gutierrez, the slender-yet-silky former Vato who graced some of our earlier sessions? Also, those fellows who turned up at that first practice at Ashbaugh on April 24: Juan Galvez, Andre Fleming, Santiago Lujan – Whoever brought those men out may be eligible to have their CIPPs paid by one of the Anasazi.
2. WHAT HAPPENED
As usual, the sun shone brightly on The Garden Spot of Central New Mexico, yet without unduly punishing us norteños. At long last, the battle was joined with the royal-blue-clad Miners, who on previous Saturdays had hosted and outscored women’s and men’s teams from New Mexico State as well as our loyal rivals Aardvarks.
The students showed their mettle through the aggressive defense and occasional dangerous breaks. But our men were up to the challenge and stuck to the conservative, energy-conserving strategy laid out by Coach Richard Morris. I noticed the Santos were not so conservative with their tackling though, which was firm and surely most of the day.
After a prolonged period of closely-contested play, captain and flanker Ryan Weir put the finishing touch on a sustained drive to score our first try in over a year. Match commentator James Chavez dutifully announced the scorer’s name as it was provided to him: “Ryan W”. First-five/fly half/standoff/#10 Dustin Webb, a Tech alumnus, added the conversion, which according to my half-arsed notes, was the only successful goal kick of our day.
Not long after Mando knocked on at the goal line, but soon redeemed himself with a dead-on 15 meter backhanded spiral pass that brought audible gasps from spectators. I’m quite sure Mando was thinking of his glory days at Aspen RFC.
Monster scored one of his patented can’t-be-stopped tries from short range just before Justin Karrenburg’s 40-minute halftime whistle went.
Early in the second half SF went up 17-nil when lock/second row/#4 or #5 Jason Lithgow was justly rewarded for his faithful work in dark places when an offload pass from ? (name it and claim it) enabled him to crash over from short range.
Finally Tech’s fleet gang of backs got loose for a length-of-pitch try, but not before being seriously hounded by heroic pursuing tackles by Mr. Weir and budding wing Jason Osborn. Fortunately Tech’s conversion kicking was even less successful than ours on the day; 17-5.
Tech solidified their foothold with a second try scored by hard-running center Willie Uhrle, a native of American Samoa. 17-10. The concern now was that Tech’s relatively-uninterrupted fitness program would prove decisive. Santos soon had a chance to add three insurance points but center Tanner Graham’s penalty kick bounced away off the post.
In the final 20 minutes of play we got the break we needed when exemplary defensive pressure up front forced a weak kick by one of the kids from inside his own 22-meter line. Frank Marchi fielded the kick cleanly and deftly picked his way through the disorganized defense to touch down for a 22 to 10 margin. NMT received their consolation when their big inside center (who proved to be yet another Vato loaner) (!) touched down the day’s last try. My notes show a final tally of Santa Fe 22, New Mexico Tech 22-15.
The Santos were tired yet jubilant as they came off the pitch, perhaps as much to have finally broken the playing drought as to have won a full 80 minute contest. The team posed for photos beneath the posts and Captain Weir announced Ryan Means as Man of the Match for his relentless play at hooker, enthusiastic defense, and faithful support play.
It would be wrong to not mention a few of the heroics on display. As always, Isaiah “Izzy” Sanchez provided airtight last-line defense. The evergreen Dave Jondreau put in a good shift (or two, under generous sub rules), including a lightning poach and pass reminiscent of bygone days. Dustin Webb took the gap with purpose at #10 whenever it presented itself. Santo center and three-time NMT Player of the Year Tanner Graham never failed to drag at least two would-be tacklers 10 or 15 meters beyond the gainline and disheartened opposing carriers. His center partner Jaime Terrazas looked dangerous and there could be trouble as these two grow accustomed to each other’s play. Nicolas Fariña, our sole Argentine, started at wing but got a chance to backstop the team at fullback in the second half. The power Joe Bonham and Jerod Skillman bring to our pack was on display once again, while as always Ryan Weir was everywhere. And it was food for the soul to see Dan Allinder back in the color after a spell in the midwestern wilderness.
This was one of those days when Rugby was the winner.
POST SCRIPT: FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
https://www.krqe.com/sports/local-sports/nm-tech-miners-heading-into-collegiate-rugby-championship/
Spring 2020 Update
December 24, 2019
Merry Christmas Ruggers!
On the Rugby front, Izzy and Ryan represented the Santos at the Arizona Rugby Fest earlier this month. They played with the Union’s travel side, the Caballeros, and went 2-1. Put it in your calendar for next year.
The annual general meeting is happening on February 1st at noon. We have some big things we need to address and an important year to plan for. Please make it if you can.
Youth and HS rugby is played in the spring usually starting in early March. If you would like to participate in building our youth and HS rugby programs.
In other news, we are working with the Vatos to host their National qualifier April 17th-19th in Santa Fe. This is a great opportunity for Rugby in New Mexico!
Make good decisions this holiday break and see you in 2019.
Vivan Los Santos!
Pacific South CHAMPS!
May 03, 2018
Find the latest standings here at USA Rugby
The DIII Pacific South Playoff match was @ Tucson at Estevan Park at 1pm on Saturday, May 5th.
US National Quarter Finals @ DFW Texas May 19th.
Some History from the Rio Grande Rugby Union
March 28, 2018
The following was taken from a newsletter written by Dave Wheelock in honor of the Rio Grande Rugby Union’s 40th aniversary in 2014. In addition, the attached images below are of a “High Desert Classic” program flyer (page 1 and page 3) and from approximately 1973 prior to the official formation of a few of today’s current New Mexico Rugby Clubs.
Following in the spirit of a similar effort on behalf of the Santa Fe Rugby Club a couple years back, here’s a primitive stab at the early days of the Rio Grande Rugby Football Union. Your correspondent, being of an advanced age and somewhat the worse for wear as a result of nearly 30 years in the back row, makes no claims to absolute accuracy of events, and as for dates and scores, well, dream on. Those details are for other dinosaurs to fill in (those who did not lose their memories through tackling and post-match revelry – in other words, lesser types). If you know one of these relics, run and show him this treatise; he may wish to correct/add to/bore you with embellishment.
Origins of Rugby in the Rio Grande Valley
By Dave Wheelock
My first memories of rugby will forever orbit the metal gridiron goal post which stood in the middle of Johnson Field on the University of New Mexico campus, circa 1972. The rugby field (no one heard the term “pitch” until years afterward) ran N-S in those days, and the extensive warmup prior to practices always consisted of the guys (college kids with a few experienced transplants, like balding attorney Greg Worley, who at about 30 years of age, seemed impossibly ancient) lazily punting the ball back and forth between the uprights. I still vividly recall almost all of my first teammates. Such has been the importance of rugby to my life.
This was, of course, prior to the founding of the Rio Grande Rugby Football Union, at the then-annual all-comers tournament in Socorro in 1974. More on that in a later edition. The Gentlemen of New Mexico RFC had already become the UNMRFC to distinguish themselves from the nascent Santa Fe club. It was against those upriver worthies that I got my first run, a scrimmage at SF’s long-serving Ashbaugh Park. In those early days, if we were not playing Santa Fe, it was off to Denver or Austin or some other exotic place, reciprocating matches the following season with as much Budweiser as giant prop Richard Mateucci would spare us from his Premier warehouse. Watch for more on the social side in an upcoming edition of this fine rag.
Well before I left UNM in 1975, some students at New Mexico Tech, led by the late Tim Franklin and the very much alive Hans Paap (then Waight) started a club in Socorro, and a wild crew of primarily UTEP students had kicked off the El Paso Scorpions. One of the most-storied clubs in Rio Grande history, New Mexico State, also dates back to the early 70s. A Kirtland Air Force Base club, the Nomads, also formed in Albuquerque, and sometime in there, the Aardvarks formed from a core of experienced UNM players. Some years later, perhaps the late 70s, amidst the rise and fall of rugby clubs around the state (Holloman AFB, Pecos Valley Oddballs, Farmington under a variety of names), UNM once again became pregnant and produced the Brujos RFC. About this time, too, Durango and the irrepressible Jim Simms came into play.
I use the word “wild” to describe the El Paso club based on personal experience. I played for UNM in what must have been one of EPRFC’s very first matches, at a practice field near the Sun Bowl, sometime around 1973. It was near Halloween, dim memory suggests, but for whatever reason, the EP players (did the nickname come later?) had painted their faces hideously, and engaged in expressively loud grunting when tackling, which struck us as somewhat coarse. (Even in those early days we neophytes somehow had clearly defined, highly revered boundaries of things “rugby” – this may have been the influence of early prophets such as Ray Marrone, Rocky Shasco (sp), Pancho ?, Pat Whelan, et al.) For their part the EP boys doubtless took us for sissies for complaining, giving birth from the get-go to the misunderstanding that stood for many years between north and south.
I hope the reader has enjoyed this modest effort on Rio Grande Rugby Football Union pre- and early history. The next edition, assuming the survival of publisher and cub reporter, will delve more closely into the curious beginnings of the Rio Grande RFU in the bowels of a NMT dormitory. All non-violent feedback is welcome, particularly details surrounding RGRFU’s founding, as well as suggestions for future scribblings.
Rugby Family in Need
March 07, 2018
Dave Wheelock, long time friend of the Santos and rugby player
has a family member going through cancer treatment.
Let’s support him to the best of our abilities.
Bellow is a link to a go fund me page for this individual and the cost of the treatments.
There will also be a silent auction to raise money.
Dave has given the following details bellow.
Please read – thanks Ryan
“Ryan,
My brother-in-law, Ernie Gonzales, has been a loyal Santo supporter since the 1970s, before the team officially adopted the nickname. He is well-known to generations of Santos.
Ernie has been flying to Houston twice a month for treatments for esophageal cancer. The good news is the treatments are having a marked good effect. The bad news, of course, are the financial effects this is having on himself and his wife (my sister) Anne. Therefore two fundraising efforts are underway.”
1. a Go Fund Me account at
https://www.gofundme.com/mr-gs-cancer-treatment?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n
2. The other, a dance & silent auction on April 14, is described in the attachment.
Thank you,
Dave Wheelock