Wild OATS Rugby

Oswego Alumni Touring Side

In the spring of 1969, Oswego Student Pete Ryan did not know it when he traveled to Washington, DC. to visit his brother that he would return to  “OZ” with a vision. During his visit, he was introduced to the game of rugby - the rest is history. The Oswego Rugby Football Club was born - Pete and his roommate Rick Cobello gathered a group of fellow collegiate athletes living Scales Hall and began to build a rugby team.

Early rugby practices took place outside of Scales Hall behind the original gymnasium. At the inception, the team was fortunate to have the input of John Evans an Englishmen and math professor at the college. He taught that the game was played by gentlemen and you conducted yourself on the field accordingly.

Early Oswego sides usually consisted of Friday night recruits from institutions that no longer exist such as Serenos and Bucklands. After the first rugby encounter, the individual was usually hooked on the sport.

The team played their first match in the fall of 1969 in Ithaca, NY.  Playing against the Cornell Rugby Football Club's “A” side in the initial match.  The team arrived with 13 players due to the inevitable last minute no shows. It was not a pretty sight, losing the game to a more experienced team led by standout college football player, Ed Marinaro. Oswego lost 69-0. The boys from “OZ” returned home determined to refine their skills. They played several additional games the following spring in 1970, developing a strong rivalry with Cortland.

 In the fall of 1970 several team members went to the Student Council and petitioned for funds.  This was when the club became official and purchased uniforms and additional rugby balls for practice and games. Devotion to the sport was demonstrated by the fact that Pete and Rick drove to Toronto to purchase the first Rugby jerseys because they were not sold in the States.

In the early years victories were few, the team held their own on the field yet always managed to win the party [or third half activities]. Oswego’s own Fallbrook Lodge and the Phi Sig barn now have worldwide reputations as fine social institutions as a result of the Oswego Rugby team’s hospitality. Early matches were played against such prestigious institutions as West Point (Army) Syracuse University, Cornell, Colgate and many other larger schools.

As the seasons rolled on, the team persisted and established a toehold in the Oswego athletic community. Oswego players also were instrumental in starting the Upstate Rugby Union and setting up the first state tournament. Oswego was well on its way to becoming a key component of the growth of the sport throughout the university system as well as at the club level.

During the 1972 season, matches moved to Laker Field near the Romney Field House just behind what were called the “Blue” apartments. This venue be came know as the “Oswego Hill” by opposing teams and became quite a home team advantage. Anyone that could run up hill for 40 minutes was bound to win the match.

In the mid 80’s, matches moved to the “Hidden Fields” just west of Onondaga Hall near the tennis courts. The word on the street is that this was some sort of punitive measure taken by the University after some alleged indiscretion in the pool.

Like all sports, the Rugby team experienced the ebb and tide of success. In the early years, the team struggled to build a foundation of rugby skills that it could eventually pass on to new players. By the mid-70’s the club had gained popularity and increased its membership, sometimes fielding three sides at each match.

In 1976 a student, not on the team at the time, was elected to the student senate and was given the job of supervising the athletic department budget - via the $35 that was spent by each full time student who attended the college. To protect his identity he will remain nameless.

 This individual was appointed chairperson of the athletic committee – with a mission to disband the football team, due to the high cost of supporting such a program. The President of the Student Senate approached him and suggested that they co-sponsor a bill to fund a rugby team instead, possibly on the gentle urging of some of the current members of the rugby team. As luck would have it, this individual was invited to the Phi Sig barn to see what the Wizards were all about and was bitten by the rugby bug. The team had an additional player and a funding source, which helped ensure its future.

 During the 1975 – 1979 timeframe, the team flourished turning in some impressive victories and building some lasting friendships. A highlight of the 1977 season was winning the Upstate Rugby Union Division II A-Side Division Championship played at the University of Rochester.

To this day, many of the players keep in touch and even get together once a year to play in the CanAm Rugby tournament held during the first full weekend in August every year.

The CanAm Tournament, created in 1974, considered one of the largest and best run rugby events in the world with participation of over 100 teams. The Oswego side was one of the original 8 teams in the tournament. Oswego Rugby Alumni “Old Boys” have participated in this tournament every year since 1974 with individuals returning from as far away as Florida, Texas, and the Mid-West.

One sunny day in 1977 the Oswego A side took on the best that NY Upstate Rugby Union Division II had to offer.  At the end of the day, after two matches, the Oswego A side battled Binghamton in the championship match. A brutal hard fought match ended in victory for the Wizards.

The team returned home celebrating their success with multiple toasts (at Sereno’s) using the meager trophy that they were presented. Unfortunately, for the trophy it was made of plastic and did not survive the evening in one piece. Fortunately, for the trophy, Wing Forward George Wurtz was an Industrial Arts major and performed trophy CPR in the wood shop creating a much more impressive remembrance. Last seen the trophy managed to make it to the trophy case in Laker Hall.

The same good fortune eluded the championship ball. After the match, it should have accompanied the trophy and ended up in the display case as well but in all the commotion of the match it was stuffed in the bottom of our Hooker, Jim “Zeke” Zoccoli’s own bag instead.

The ball, silent yet proud, stood as a testament to the blood and sweat that would soon be forgotten. For years, the Ball sat lonely in his closet until one day he pulled it out and marked it with a blood red marker to display in his office. Year in, Year out the ball and all it’s memories lived on a mantle or sometimes by the pool in Dallas Texas, held captive from its team. Life was easy for the ball basking in sunshine and growing old gracefully until Zeke's torment was so unbearable that he had to do something before it destroyed his life. Luckily he saw the article in the Oswego Magazine about George Wurtz and contacted him. George informed him of activities of the WildOATS and soon Zeke had a  support group at his disposal.

Zeke quickly confessed to ease his tormented conscious and decided to relinquish ball from his possession. He lovingly packed the ball in an empty beer case and sent it on its way to a new home in Camp Hill, PA to live with another Wing Forward, Jim “Hap” Harding.  Hap took official control of the team relic and promised to cherish the ball as much as Zeke had. Unfortunately, for the ball he does not have a pool.

The ball currently resides in a temperature controlled environment (soft-sided Molson’s cooler) only to be opened at annual trips to the CanAm tournament where the ball will hopefully, be signed by all of the team members present that glorious day. Long live the memories!

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