Club & Events · History · NSRFC Hall Of Fame · Members Only
The Club · History
The Beginning | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021
The Beginning
In the winter of 2001-2002, NSRFC founder Gus del Puerto recognized the need for a rugby club to represent the North Shore of Massachusetts. There were established clubs in Boston and to the south and west. Despite a rich athletic history, the North Shore had no rugby club to call their own.
Gus put the word out, and among those who joined up were rugby journeymen Liam Brady, Cam Williams and Dan Solomon. They would become core members of NSRFC.
Unlike many clubs that form as an extension of a particular college or splitting from another club, NSRFC pulled players from many backgrounds (former college players, rugby neophytes, and a small foreign contingent).
Future captain Chris LeBlanc-Smith was among a handful of others who jumped at the chance to play competitive rugby and help build a new club. After an initial meeting (and a few pints) at Champions Pub in Peabody, the North Shore Rugby Football Club was born.
2002
Coach: Dan Solomon
Captains: Gus del Puerto, Cam Williams
Spring
Guided by the wisdom and enthusiasm of Dan Solomon and Cam Williams, we won our first ever game against Wentworth featuring our first try from Chris LeBlanc-Smith. That season we won a few hard-fought games, introduced the game of rugby to a bunch of rookies, and had a great time. Our home pitch at Cherry Hill Park was a gem, but unfortunately youth sports would force us out in the end.
The spring campaign included wins over Wentworth, Rutland, and Middlesex. The season was capped off by a strong showing in the sloppy conditions at the NERFU Championships in Newport, where NSRFC defeated South Shore and lost a battle to Seacoast.
Fall
In short, it was a learning experience - showing us how much we needed to improve and also how much tougher the fall season could be. The season ended with no league wins but valuable match experience for our many young players. The year was capped off by a trip to the New York 7's in November.
2003
Coach: Des Crowley
Captain: Chris LeBlanc-Smith
Spring
Hoping to build on our inaugural year, the NSRFC renewed its commitment to fitness and hard work for spring 2003. The club migrated to GEEAA Field which was a bit rough around the edges, but mostly unoccupied and added the element of lights. With new coach Des Crowley in the fold and Chris LeBlanc-Smith leading by example, the club stepped up and saw the results of our hard work - three wins.
The spring season was concluded by two more wins at the Bull Moose Tournament at Attitash Mountain.
Fall
This was an outstanding season for NSRFC, with a 4-1-1 record overall. An early season tie at Seacoast would prove to be the highlight, as we remained in playoff contention until the final week of league play.
The fall season provided a lesson about what it takes to improve our level of play and sustain it. It also left the club hungry for another chance to compete for a league championship. Another trip to the New York Sevens resulted in slightly more success than the previous trip, but no hardware.
2004
Coach: Des Crowley
Captain: Martin Mahoney
Spring
In the spring of 2004, North Shore Rugby took another step forward under the guidance of Des Crowley and leadership of new captain Martin Mahoney.
The season yielded six wins against zero losses, as well as winning the consolation bracket at the NERFU Championships in Newport and second place in the Bull Moose Tournament B Division. Many players in their second or third year of rugby started putting their experience to use.
Fall
The season started in the best way possible, with strong wins over the Wolfhound Dinos, Harvard Business School, and MIT. However, this success was short-lived as we dropped the next three games, due to a combination of injury, lack of player availability and generally being outplayed.
There were strong player additions to the club as we continued to build momentum toward finishing at the top of our division. In three years, the club grew in quality and quantity, and also saw the addition of a women's side. NSRFC seemed to be on the verge of “putting it all together” in 2005.
2005
Coach: Des Crowley, Morgan Rigby (backs)
Captain: Matt Thibault
Spring
The spring season began with North Shore's first international tour to Limerick, Ireland. We played matches against sides from Shannon RFC and Garryowen RFC. The tour represented a big step for the club and plans are in the works for a 2007 tour. Also in Ireland the captaincy was officially passed onto Matt Thibault who will lead the club throughout 2005.
The remainder of the season had its ups and downs, with convincing wins over Mount Washington and Central Maine mixed in with bad losses to Mad River and Portland. The NERFU Tournament was a decent showing for us, playing Seacoast close before a late collapse and then pulling ourselves together for a strong second half in a win over Mt. Washington.
Fall
With a realigned Division III, we knew every game was going to be tough. We started off with a narrow loss to Portland and bounced back with wins over MIT and Middlesex, all at home. We then lost at Mad River despite putting in a huge effort and keeping the game close to the end. We finished out the season with a highly forgettable performance against the Wolfhounds, where the only positive implication was in the standings.
The scenario somehow worked out at season's end for Portland, Wolfhounds, Seacoast and North Shore to play for DIII bragging rights and possibly a chance of promotion. We ended up paired up with Portland in the semi-finals and could not seem to get anything right in a lopsided loss where we barely touched the ball or threatened.
Also in the fall, our B-side made an appearance in the Division IV semi-finals after a strong season. However they would fall to Mount Washington Valley, the eventual Division IV winners. Overall, both the A and B sides put in some great performances over the course of the season and lots of new players contributed to the club, surely a good sign for the foreseeable future.
2006
Coach: Des Crowley
Captains: Dave Shannon, Reade Morrison, Rob Moran
Spring:
The spring season started with promise, as several new faces joined NSRFC to start the spring season. We won our first game in grand fashion, incorporating many of those new players. After that game, however, many new and veteran players were affected by injury, relocation or other unavailability, including our captain, and we struggled through the remainder of the spring. However, we did gain a few solid, long term members of the club and younger players to supplement our original core of players.
Fall:
We knew that the fall season was going to be tough, and fortunately got even more reinforcements to augment our lineup. With relegation possible, we knew we needed to step up — and did. Finishing the season with a 4-2 record and in fourth place, we were only held out of the playoffs by a BCS-style ranking system that will be going away in 2007.
Regardless, NSRFC notched victories over Mad River, Rutland, Mount Washington Valley and MIT while stumbling against Middlesex and New London. With a mixture of proud performances from club veterans such as Chris LeBlanc-Smith, Reade Morrison and Mark Swan, big contributions from new faces and past regulars (thank you Ken Spinale, Rich DePiero, Liam Brady, Dan Donato, countless others) stepping in where needed, the club showed a lot of character in the fall season.
In 2007, we'll have a mixture of veteran and new players as well as new officers to lead us into our 5th anniversary year. We're also kicking off the year with our second International Tour to Ireland.
2007
Coach: Des Crowley
Captain: Jesse Dole
Spring:
North Shore RFC started off 2007 in style by completing a tour of Limerick and Dublin with two matches played as well as some great atmosphere around the Ireland/England Six Nations match. Many former NSRFC players, as well as a couple of guest players contributed to the effort. It was truly a great time throughout the tour while playing some great rugby and watching some top notch matches as well.
The scores from the tour were as follows:
NSRFC vs. Garryowen J3: 12-22
NSRFC vs. Wanderers J3: 14-20
In a return match from the tour, North Shore RFC hosted Wanderers of Dublin in the first international match hosted by NSRFC. It was an exciting match, with the visitors coming away with the win, but some great end-to-end rugby throughout. The final score was 30-14 (or thereabouts) to the Wanderers. Wanderers went on to play Boston Irish 3rd division side and notch a 60-0 victory. Recap from Wanderers.
The remainder of the spring was a mixture of injury, poor attendance and general inconsistent rugby. It was truly a test of the club's core players to see if we could scrape through a tough season with lots of player turnover, but we managed to keep our shite together and even win a tournament game up in NH. Some new faces started to appear in late spring and into summer, providing some more optimism for the fall season.
Fall:
The fall campaign started with two tough opponents, eventual division leaders Middlesex and Seacoast, and disappointing results, as we lost those matches with relatively crooked scores, or at least it felt that way. However, we managed to right the ship and come up with a win over Springfield and bonus points for narrow losses against the Wolfhounds and MIT. We finally capped the season with two tough wins, first against Rutland in Vermont, no easy task when traveling and against an improving side, and another at home against New London, a club that had recent bragging rights and made our lives difficult to the final whistle.
The fall was especially challenging given the improving nature of D3, the threat of relegation to D4. more tough injuries and a schedule of seven consecutive weeks. People came out of pseudo-retirement, played out of position, and generally gave big efforts when the club really needed them. We finished 3-4 with lots of close games and new players getting A-side experience for the first time. Next spring will mark a new era as Des Crowley steps aside and Dan Solomon takes over coaching responsibilities in what's sure to be another challenging, but exciting year.
2008
Coach: Dan Solomon
Captain: Mark Swan
Spring:
This season marked the return of Dan Solomon to the NSRFC coaching fold, as well as the arrival of many new players looking to cut their rugby teeth. The spring season yielded mixed results in terms of wins and losses, but valuable experience was gained by our ever-changing set of players as we moved toward club continuity.
Starting with pre-season training indoors and on the beach including a mini-7s tournament, NSRFC was heading into the season with some positive momentum. After an early loss to Springfield, North Shore would bounce back with a double-win at home against Monadnock and Suffolk Law with many new faces getting to experience their first win.
Next up was Amoskeag Old Boys, the perfect illustration of youth vs. experience and how often experience can win out in rugby. The score probably wasn't too bad but they showed us how positioning and tactical decision-making can be all the difference.
NSRFC followed that loss with a convincing home victory over Boston Ironsides with lots of tries and a balanced team effort. The up-and-down continued in a Friday Night Lights loss to Middlesex, who beat us pretty solidly as part of their preparation for the national D3 championships in Texas.
Next was the NERFU Tournament up in North Conway, where NSRFC had a good showing of players and two losses sandwiching a nice win. Losing to a strong New London side in the opener, we bounced back with a win against Charles River B where some new guys experienced the joy of the try for the first time. Then the third game was a "blame-the-hangover, I guess" loss to the Wolfhounds where we couldn't quite put it together. All in all, more game experience and a fantastic social weekend.
Over Memorial Day weekend the men's and women's squads participated in the Prom Dress Rugby match with mixed sides and probably very little low tackling by the men...all in all a good time and perhaps the start of a tradition.
The season continued with a (shorthanded and frustrating) loss away to Central Maine and then taking part in the Bull Moose Tournament (not much to show for our efforts -- lost to frickin Central Maine again, lost to a young/fast Saranac side, and beat Black River in a 10s game), Seacoast 7s (when you play a team called Nairobi Exiles, it's probably not gonna be good, but we followed up with a win over Seacoast Pack and a loss to Seacoast OB), and lastly Acton 10s (lost to Middlesex, some version of New Haven and then, you guessed it, Central Maine).
All in all lots of rugby, lots of great socials and the all important game experience to prepare for fall.
Fall:
The fall season would prove to be one of the most challenging we've ever had. Division 3 in NERFU has gotten stronger every year, and top to bottom in 2008 there were tough matchups. We had a good core of experienced players ready to make a run at this challenge, as well as newer players looking to step in and get their first fall season experience.
We started off with a tough loss at the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, with some battling and positive play offset by too many bad decisions, defensive lapses and signs of inexperience. A pattern emerged where we would stop a few phases but then get disorganized or get a penalty and they would benefit. They went on to run in a handful of tries but we would never quit in the match, holding the defensive line until the final whistle.
Next up was another strong side in Seacoast, who made NSRFC's trip to New Hampshire forgettable by running in a bunch of tries, with the lone bright spot occurring on a team try changing hands from Chad Horn to Mark Swan and finished off by Zac Cook.
Taking on Harvard Business School, NSRFC made every effort to hand the game over through penalties, and eventually it worked. Failing to master the offsides rule and other nuances of the game really hurt us, despite hard hitting and not giving them much. We would lose two players to the sin bin and that sealed the deal. Four tries to one in the end. We won the B game though!
Middlesex was next on the list, with a psuedo David vs. Goliath theme developing before the match. Us winless, them undefeated and looking like they would keep up with their success at the top of the division. North Shore stepped up their level of play in this match, and the score was near even at halftime. The play was even as well, with neither team gaining a big advantage but Middlesex spending more time in our end. After halftime, their experience and team cohesion showed as they extended their lead and put the game away. No one from NSRFC was hanging their heads after this match. It was a strong effort, especially compared to past weeks and compared to the outcome one might have predicted based on record/previous performances.
North Shore faced MIT at home in what seemed to be a must-win match. Turned into an almost-won match after we started strong, had a mid-game lapse, and then finished with a furious attack but couldn't get over the line. Their three tries toppded our two, as the game closed with them holding us out of the try zone as we tried everything to get in. Discipline and lack of turnovers were huge for MIT as NSRFC just fell short.
Traveling down to New London, the sense of urgency was apparent again, but we started off on the wrong foot and dug ourselves a big hole. New London spread the field and ran the ball with little problem, jumping out to a four-tries-to-none lead. NSRFC finally settled down to stop the bleeding for a while and kept the game in the middle of the field for the middle portion of the match, but either tiredness or disorganization or them just being better allowed several more tries in the second half, offset only by a VanderMass consolation try in the corner. Not a pretty outcome, setting us up for a true must-win game to close the season.
So it was going to be North Shore vs. Rutland in the battle to avoid relegation. Rutland was coming off a home loss to MIT and needed to travel to Massachusetts, and it's a far ride. So, fortunately for us they didn't travel well, and we took advantage, establishing a lead before their reinforcements arrived that we would not relinquish. This day was highlighted by simple rugby. We kept the ball, rucked and tackled well in general, dominated set pieces, and kept them out of the try zone aside from one score. The win guaranteed we would remain in division 3 and capped a season of struggles, almosts, a few bright spots, and a lot to learn from.
The same core of players is in place for 2009 and the recruiting effort looks promising, so the challenge is on to take another step forward and raise our level of play. Thanks to Dan and the guys who put in all the nights/hours/blood/sweat etc. this year.
2009
Coach: Dan Solomon
Captain: Mark Swan
Spring:
Smarting from near defeat in the fall, on January 5th we began practicing again at an indoor facility graciously provided by the National Guard. In February, we travelled to Ruggerfest in Ft. Lauderdale, and promptly found ourselves overmatched. Scores went unremembered, but we did our best with a team of mixed North Shore/Charles River players against Boca Raton Buccaneers, Florida's Division I state champions; the Maccabis (a Jewish American team); and the Turks and Caicos national side.
Summer:
In addition to the odd 10s or 7s tournament, our Youth Rugby program's innaugural summer camp was a huge success. Both spring and summer camps are planned for next year.
Fall:
We surprised everyone, including ourselves, by winning every game of our regular season, save one. As second place seed for Division III in the New England finals, we defeated South Buffalo, NY, who showed great heart and superior class in nailbiting game in less than ideal conditions (last minute venue change, torrential downpour and failing daylight). We then travelled to Randalls Island in NYC for the New England Rugby finals, where we finally lost to South Jersey on day one, and the Boston Irish Wolfhounds on day two.
2010
Coach: Dan Solomon
Captain: Mike O'Connell
Spring:
Coming off a short offseason, thanks to a playoff appearance in late November, the North Shore Reds looked to build on a year of success, raise the bar and improve our play — in short, to continue on the path to being a New England rugby power.
We hit the ground – or I suppose it was turf – running in March at the UNH 7s tournament with a fine showing. A mixture of speed, skill and relentless aggression allowed NSRFC to win four games and reach the finals in impressive fashion, only to fall to a speedy college side in the finals. All in all not a bad way to shake off the winter rust.
We followed that fast start with a bit of a stumble against the Middlesex B-side, a young, fit and well-drilled group that outplayed our A-side and B-side in both halves of the match.
Looking to bounce back, North Shore headed down to Canton to take on the Boston Irish Wolfhounds, a team we’ve become all-too-familiar with in the past couple of years. The match was a back and forth battle, with a narrow pitch and the Hounds looking to keep the ball in the pack and drive, with the Reds defending well and looking for chances to spring the backline. The game ended in an unsatisfying draw but a solid effort.
Next up was an ambitious dance card against the Australian Outback Barbarians touring side. This was a regional select side that has toured the U.S. for a few years and travel from coast to coast for matches and tournaments. We started well enough, playing them close for the first 10 minutes or so, and scoring a try and an almost-try to their 2-3 tries. Things opened up from there and they showed their class and skill, running in lots of tries. Good experience for our A and B-side players.
We took on Old Gold in the next fixture in Southie, coming out fast to jump out to a 29-10 halftime lead through our backs’ speed, only to let the hosts come back and dominate possession in the second half en route to a three-point victory. Had a déjà vu feeling from a match a couple years before on the same field.
The next match on the slate was against a Mystic River mixed B/C side following their playoff match. We took advantage of the wide field to run in some tries and got lots of players into the mix, and almost had a glorious prop try which came up just….short.
The next fixture was equal parts rugby and social, as we paid a return visit to the St Lambert’s Locks of Montreal to reclaim the Sin City Cup. Their tour in 2009 had yielded a spirited match (resulting in a tie) and very spirited drink-up around Boston. The return trip turned out to be more of the same, with the Reds notching a victory. The mini-tour started with a long boozy bus ride, border-crossing mayhem, some rugby was played, and we’ll leave the details in Montreal but it seems that copious amounts of Molson and poutine were involved.
Next up was the NERFU tournament, returning in 2010 to the fields of Newport. In our first match we defeated MIT, and then shot ourselves in the foot with a flat performance against New London where a late garbage try meant that we were mathematically eliminated from any further competition on the weekend. A letdown for sure, and showed that despite the improvement in our lineup we still need to travel strong and keep up our intensity.
The season was closed out with the annual prom dress rugby match and a match against the then D4 Framingham Exiles (seeded by former NSRFC players) who kept things very close to the end, a precursor to their strong fall season to come.
We played in the Seacoast 7s, Acton 10s and Middlesex 7s over the summer to keep feeding the hunger for rugby and preparing for our first fall season in Division II.
Fall:
Hello, D2!
We started off the season with a home match against the Albany Knicks which was a back-and-forth battle. Sloppy handling led to too many mistakes, and Albany was strong in the pack, but NSRFC held strong and threatened on the wings, and in the end did enough to pull out a narrow victory for our first win in division 2.
Our next match was down in Hartford, a club that would eventually gain promotion to D1 at season’s end, and they showed us why. They were efficient and well-drilled and kept the ball most of the day. An early 3-0 lead would be our last as Hartford used their mix of strong forward and back play to take a big lead. To the Reds’ credit we defended well for long stretches and fought to the final whistle.
The next opponent was Newport, and the Reds came out strong on our home pitch. We led by at least two tries at halftime, only to let Newport come storming back in the second half through lapses in concentration and defense. We ended up losing by two tries.
Charles River was up next, a club that we felt we matched up well against, and that turned out to be true for 40 minutes. If memory serves, the match was 10-10 at half. Something went wrong along the way and we fell apart in the second half, again. A troubling pattern…
On the same pitch, we took on Old Gold the following week, and again came out strong and matched our opponent’s level of play for a long stretch. Another week, another case of contributing to our own defeat. This time it was penalties, as we basically kept handing the ball back to Old Gold, allowing them to put a few tries on the board. It was still a relatively close match, but you can only spin a loss so many ways.
The next match was against Middlesex at Amesbury Sports Park, a place where we haven’t had many good experiences. This one was no different as Middlesex maintained their high level of play in a lopsided match. We lost, bla bla bla. Let’s move on.
As the final week of the season approached, it became clear that North Shore and Seacoast were two teams basically playing to stay in D2, and playing each other. We played the match on a pristine pitch in Danvers which was very wide and right by a river, leading to a very windy and cold day. Once everyone got moving, the Reds showed they were the more dangerous team on the day, with some nice tries scored in the backs and opportunistic play from the forwards. We won 27-8 and secured our place in D2. Hallelujah.
In addition to fighting, surviving and retaining our D2 status, the other major storyline of 2010 was the development of a legitimate B-side, both in numbers and up-and-coming talent. Lots of players who will be pushing for A-side time in 2011. Thanks to all the players, execs and other club members who spent their time and energy on matches, promotion and events.
Season MVP: Nico “El Fantasmo” Tejera
Most Improved: CJ “Lady” Palmer
2011
Coaches: Dan Solomon and Matt Paul
Captain: Zachary Cook
Spring:
After being introduced to D2 competition, it was time to take what we learned and apply it for our 2011 season. The season was met with some highs and some lows as we play against some tough D3 and D2 teams in the Spring.
Fall:
Our second season in D2 proved to be a challenge, but also a rewarding challenge. We were able to muster out a couple wins in hard fought games, while also being reminded we were playing against high skilled clubs.
2012
Coaches: Dan Solomon and Matt Paul
Captain: Zachary Cook
Spring:
A strong start to the Spring season with wins against a couple D2 opponents made 2012 look like a promising year. We even hosted a touring side Wales, which provided a look at what we should strive for in skills.
Fall:
Our fall season was a tough and long season. We fought hard each game and was able to come away with a couple of wins against Old Gold and Providence.
2013
Coaches: Matt Paul & John Rice
Captains: Adeola Akinola & Brandon Mahler
Spring:
A strong spring season from start to finish, and a tour of the wonderful country of Iceland, made the 2013 spring season unforgettable. It was also our first year hosting a rugby 10s tournament. As the season was drawing to a close, NERFU came into our scheedule and we took it by storm. Winning our 1st two games ensured we would play for the championship. Despite losing the championship, this was a NERFU NSRFC will not forget. This was quickly followed by a tour of the beautiful country of Iceland and NSRFC hosting a 10s tournament, the first of our kind.
Fall:
This was easily one of NSRFCs toughest seasons, but we maintained a core group of players to play each game during a 10 game season. We held our heads high and fought hard every game, and finally we had a little luck in a win against Charles River.
2014
Coaches: John Rice & Don Madden
Captains: Ian Nichols & Andrew Hartigan
Spring:
After a long 2013 spring season, it was decided to shorten the season by a few games. This allowed NSRFC to partake in enough game to prepare for NERFU, but to also not exhaust our players for the summer tournament season. Playing against D3 clubs provided us with some insight for what we were up against come the challenging fall season. With a couple of wins and a couple of losses, we took on NERFU expecting good results from our previous games experience. NSRFC unfortunately only came away with a single win.
Fall:
Welcome back to D3! After a couple of long and tough seasons in D2, NSRFC made it's way back to D3 to play against better matched competition. The fall season yielded a 4-4 record, with some tough losses that were close within NSRFC's grasp.
2015
Coaches: Don Madden, John Rice, & Arturo Bravo-Nuevo
Captains: Chris Brockhurt (Spring) / Tim Wilkinson (Fall) & Andrew Hartigan
Spring:
North Shore kicked off the Spring of 2015 with their sights set on their well earned playoff match up against MIT. After warm up matches against New London and Framingham, the Reds faced up in their playoff bout but unfortunately fell to MIT 32-16 in a nail-bier. The result lead to NS matching up against New London in the NERFU D3 consolation game. After an enthralling back and forth match, the Reds were the better of the two sides and were able to pull away with a 46-25 victory.
The NERFU tournament in May provided NS with two familiar opponents. The Reds yet again fell to the MIT nerds 12-7 in the opening match, followed by another victory over New London 17-15 which procured a Sunday matinee for hardware. After a slight scheduling miscommunication slash team-wide hangover and taking the pitch with only 14 able bodies, NS suffered a humble defeat against Providence on championship Sunday; regardless, a good time was had by all.
Fall:
The Fall of 2015 was a tough stretch for NS as they were able to put together a 4-6 record, but unfortunately fell out of D3 playoff contention. Notable matches included wins over Charles River, Boston D3, and Freedom. We also hosted Mad River on Halloween day that led to an epic drink up/shitshow/World Cup viewing party at Spotlight Tavern.Though it wasn't an ideal Fall season, North Shore definitely laid some ground work to become a serious contender in New England D3 rugby.
2016
Coaches: Franklin Chung, Adeola Akinola, & Sean Devendorf
Captains: Tim Wilkinson & Andrew Hartigan
Spring:
The North Shore Reds started out the Spring 2016 campaign under the rule of new head coach and former player, Franklin Chung, with the help of two new assistant coaches and former Reds, Ade Akinola and Sean Devendorf. The Spring schedule started out with a competitive friendly 90 minute scrimmage against the soon to be 2016 NSCRO National Champions, Salem State University. After a disappointing 26-0 loss to Charles River at Moakley Field, the Reds were able to roll to a 33-5 victory at home against Springfield, despite playing with 14 men for 75 minutes of the game. Post-match celebrations followed the win with a combined drink up at GE field with the North Shore Womens' Team. The following week Syracuse RFC traveled to GE for a good 90 minute contest that allowed both teams to get their players plenty of experience. North Shore also traveled down to Weymouth, MA for the 2nd annual Battle of the Shores against South Shore. After a decisive win for the North Shore Old Boys', the Reds were not able to follow the lead of their elders and fell to South Shore for the second straight year, 22-19. The Spring season concluded with the always enjoyable NERFU Cup in Newport. Although North Shore's 0-2 Saturday prohibited the boys from competing on Sunday, rest assured, everyone had a good Saturday night in Newport.
Fall:
The Fall 2016 season got under way with North Shore's sights on 2nd playoff berth in the past 3 seasons. The Reds got off to a rocky start after getting demolished by New London down in Connecticut and another tough loss to Charles River at Moakley field, 20-15. North Shore rebounded with a riveting win against the Maccabis that came down to an 80th minute try to secure the 34-31 victory. The boys kept it rolling with back to back home wins against Mad River and Freedom RFC, 25-9 and 27-20 respectively. In mid-October North Shore traveled up to Saratoga, NY where they played the undefeated first place squad in a frustratingly even game that concluded with a 39-19 Saratoga win.
At a 3-3 record, North Shore was faced with the task of winning out their remaining three games to even have a shot at a playoff berth. We were able to take care of business at home, 34-5, against Springfield, and a 76th minute try was enough to stave off Old Gold for a 29-23 victory. The Reds went into their remaining game at MIT needing a bonus point to make the playoffs, which they were able to accomplish, scoring 5 tries in their 41-25 victory. North Shore's late season playoff push earned them the #4 seed and a first round playoff game at undefeated Saratoga in Spring of 2017.
2017
Coaches: Franklin Chung, Adeola Akinola, & Sean Devendorf
Captains: Tom Moore & Jared Nicklas
Spring:
After closing out the Fall season with a 4 game win streak the Reds’ were able to clinch the final spot in the NERFU D3 playoffs, which meant a trip to Saratoga to face the undefeated Saratoga Rugby Club. North Shore trained hard all offseason, with a majority of the team training at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. The Reds ventured to upstate New York confident they could pull an upset and shock D3 by defeating the juggernaut that was Saratoga. Saratoga had gone “all in” for what they anticipated would be a run to National’s by bringing in a sizeable contingent of foreign players. North Shore was outmatched by a well drilled team of passport players in Saratoga, dropping a hard fought battle against Saratoga 38-5. The 2017 playoff run was over far too quickly.
Following the short playoff run, the Red’s again took a trip to the annual NERFU Cup in Newport, RI the Reds put in a 1-1 shift on Saturday, but do the strange set up at NERFU there were no Sunday matches, so the boys had a guilt free night out in the great city of Newport. Next up was a trip to Stowe, VT for the Mad River 15s tournament, a meaningful tournament for the club. The Reds played a total of 4x 40 minute matches on the day, with limited subs. One of the more grueling days of rugby, a humid day on a picturesque pitch saw NS face off for 3 rd place against Burlington, a game decided by one half of rugby and a full side boat race both of which were won by the Reds. The other notable tournament of the Summer was Acton 10’s North Shore was able to enter 2 teams into the tournament, with help of our friends at Salem State University. While no hardware was picked up at the tournament, a number of new players were able to see considerable playing time.
Fall:
North Shore burst out of the gates to start the Fall season, securing a 4-0 start with wins over Old Gold, an 85 point thrashing of Springfield, a hard fought victory over new comers Monadnock, and a brilliant dog fight of a victory of New London. This set up a battle of the 2 undefeated teams in D3, with Providence making the trek to the vaunted grounds of GEAA Field. Providence showed up determined to let us know they were still a D2 caliber club, giving us our first real test of the season. With the sidelines packed to watch the battle for 1 st place, the game kicked off and back and forth opening 20 minutes provided plenty of entertainment. Providence was able to gain superiority in the scrums and used their hard running backline to secure an 8-0 lead going into the sheds. The game ended with the bad guys on top 28-14, not for any lack of grit on behalf of the Reds. North Shore got back to winning ways quickly with decisive victories over MIT and Burlington. The Red’s would drop one more match as that Fall to hated rivals Charles River, losing a hard fought battle 36-27. The Fall season culminated on a cold and windy day away at Freedom with a 29-12 win. Finishing 7-2 the Reds secured 3 rd place, and punched their ticket to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Statistically, this was one of North Shore’s best seasons to date, the first time since 2009 where we finished with a positive point differential and set a scoring record. In our Fall 2017 season, we put up 400+ points against the opposition and gave up less than 200.
Awards:
MVP Backs – Sean Mahoney
MVP Forwards – Kristofer Vandermass
Most Improved Player – Nick Messier
Rookie of the Year – Conrad Bzura
President’s Award – Tom Moore
Coaches Award – Ben Comeau
The North Shore Award – Vinnie Scafficia
Utility Award – Shawn Nicklas
Gustavo Del Puerto Award (HOF) – Ken Spinale
2018
Coaches: Franklin Chung, Adeola Akinola, & Sean Devendorf
Captains: Tom Moore & Jared Nicklas
Spring:
Coming off a successful Fall campaign, the gentlemen of North Shore set their sights on a strong showing in the D3 playoffs. Before the NERFU playoffs, the Red’s set their sights on the infamous Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Tournament. Red’s made their way by van and plane (missed flights and all) to the Hostess City of the South for a weekend of comradery and outdoor rugby in March, a novel concept for a team that is normally snowbound. The weekend could not have gone better, a strong showing on Saturday against the Southern Exiles and Old Breed set up a championship match on Sunday against the Detroit Purple Cobras. At first glance, North Shore were the underdogs the preceding evening may have factored in to that. Once the teams hit the field there was no doubt whom the better team was, the Red’s dominated in every facet of the game. North Shore were crowned champions of the Men’s Social A Division, and followed up the success on the field with a final night out in Savannah. Special thanks to the Hughes brothers of Mad River, and Alex Rollins of South Shore for helping us capture some much deserved Southern Hardware.
Looking to keep the momentum from Savannah rolling, the team hit the training ground hard, having access to a top notch indoor facility to get through the end of Winter/beginning of Spring (thanks to generous donations from the Old Boys). Finally, as the snow finished melting and the ground begin to soften the Red’s headed back outdoors to play a couple tune up games before the playoffs. First up was Freedom, playing 3x 30 minute periods the Reds were able to exercise their depth and shake off the cobwebs from the long winter. Final score 47-19. Final tune up game was against Portland, the D2 team travelled down to Lynn, and proved to be the dominant side in the first half, taking a 9 point lead into the half. The Red’s answered in the second half by piling on 22 points to secure a 34-26 win. All positive signs heading into the first match of the playoffs.
North Shore drew the #2 seeded Boston Maccabi’s in the opening round, held at Brown University in Providence, RI. North Shore found themselves outmatched from the opening whistle. A well drilled Maccabi’s team was able to create space and overloads at will, and closed the first half with a 31-0 lead. The second half saw some improvement from the Red’s, finally able to cross the try line to prevent the shut out. Another disappointing showing in the playoffs. The next week NSRFC travelled back down to Providence to play the consolation game against Providence Rugby, an opportunity that both teams used to play with some experimental line ups.
Fall:
Coming off of a successful summer tournament season, the expectation going into the Fall 2018 season was to end up in the top 4, with the goal of taking 1st place in New England.
North shore kicked off their Fall 2018 season at home against Mad River Rugby Club. With plenty of anticipation for the first match and the friendly rivalry, the game certainly lived up to the hype. A back and forth battle, with North Shore squeaking out a 29-28 win.
Game two of the season brought MIT Rugby Club to GEAA field. A little too much confidence from game 1 proved to be the krypnonite for the Reds. Though it was another close game, it ended in a tough loss, that stung for the remainder of the season (MIT: 36 NS:34).
With the previous week's wake-up call the Red's headed into the next three games with a serious chip on their shoulder, and over these next three games, they were able to make a statement. First they traveled up to New Hampshire and routed Upper Valley 57-0. Riding that high into game 4 the Red's continued more of the same with another offensive onslaught of Old Gold - 57-0. Then onto Game 5, where they were able to pull off a 46-12 dismantling of Freedom Rugby Club.
Game 6 of the season found North Shore in beautiful Springfield, MA to face off against the Springfield Rifles Rugby Club. The expectation from North Shore was another blowout victory. However, Springfield had other plans, and this one turned out to be a nail biter. Springfield took it to them and before they knew it The Red's were down 31-7 at the half - unfamiliar territory. North Shore rallied on the backs of their veterans, and shifted the momentum, one try after another, taking the lead with just seconds remaining. A 25 point comeback to win 32-31, a game that could possibly be one of the greatest comebacks in North Shore History.
With the final 3 games of the season ahead The Red's knew they faced the toughest part of their Fall campaign, as they faced two of the top teams in the standings - Charles River and Providence, back-to-back. In the Charles River game, weather played a huge part, with strong winds and driving rain, the offensive attack was completely smothered. The game was completely run by the forwards and they were able to squeeze out a very important victory - Final score 10-12.
The previous week's win set-up a showdown for Game 8. Sitting pretty at second place in the standings, the Red's headed down to face the #1 team - Providence Rugby Club. Weather again played a factor with a muddy pitch soaked from the previous week's downpour. The game was extremely physical, and a seasons worth of built-up injuries showed, as North Shore was not able to contain the strong Providence attack - Final Score Providence - 41 North Shore - 7.
The final week of the season featured a cold November tour up to Burlington, VT. The trip turned into a perfect cap on yet another great rugby season. The boys continued their success on the pitch, beating Burlington Rugby Club 60-12. Off the pitch they kept the momentum going, as teammates and significant others celebrated the season with a great night of partying in downtown Burlington.
All-in-all the 2018 Fall Campaign was a huge success. With a final record of 7-2, the boys solidified their position in the playoffs, yet again!
2019
Spring:
Coaches: Franklin Chung, Adeola Akinola, & Sean Devendorf
Captains: Tom Moore, Jared Nicklas, & Ben Comeau
After their success in the Fall 2018 season, the Reds prepared throughout the winter for their playoff game. Thanks to support and funding by the Old Boys the Reds were able to workout at CrossFit 5+ and get regular indoor sessions all winter. The Reds kicked off their Spring with a trip to Savannah to play in Savannah's St. Paddy's Day tournament. Highlights included the introduction of Croc Jerry (CJ), the orange dress, a raucous peddle bike tour, the beach day and winning a boat race Saturday night to win the game on Sunday morning. The Reds did not repeat their championship showing of the previous year, however they did play some hard-fought rugby and continued to grow closer as a team.
With the debauchery that is Savannah out of their system, the Reds geared up for their playoff match against the #1 seed, the Boston Maccabis. Warm up matches vs Hartford and Old Gold at Manning field allowed the Reds to work back into their structure, find their stride and come away with two strong victories. Next up was the long awaited playoff game vs the Maccabis. The highly anticipated rematch from the previous year saw the Reds come out hard and fast. The Maccabis were able to find their footing a bit earlier in the game and worked up a 12 point lead going into half time. The rest of the game was much more even, seeing both teams score back and forth. Unfortunately, the slow start for the Reds allowed the Maccabis to have a solid enough gap to hold onto their lead. The final final score was 39-29. Not the result that the Reds were looking for but a vast difference from the lopsided loss they experienced the year before.
The Reds moved on to a third place game against their old/heated rival Charles River. After a month of rwin, GE was a mudpit and solid forward play allowed the backs to find some open space throughout the day and capitalize. The Reds pulled off a close one to win 3rd place in the league (result. 20-14).
The Reds were then on to the esteemed NERFU Tournament of Newport. They started slow and Old Gold was able to capitalize while the Reds were still finding their legs. The Reds were too slow to find their footing and lost the game by 4 points. After that slow start, North Shore was able to come back and get a dominant and decisive win against Springfield to end the day. The normal Newport night time antics ensued. Sunday morning brought North Shore's final game against New London. After several injuries the previous day, North Shore threw out a rag-tag, hungover team of 14 out of position players. This group embraced the suck and brought it to New London and just barely losing the game in the last play after holding the lead. An inspiring battle that will go down in the history books. The following week brought about the Battle of the Shores, and for the first time saw a triple header (Women, Old Boys and Men). A lack of numbers for the Old Boys and the Men's team saw both teams having a tough day and many minutes for the few players who were still healthy. The final score was 20-60, bad guys.
Summer:
Coach: Morgan Roberts
Captains: Tom Moore, Jared Nicklas, & Ben Comeau
North Shore kicked off their brief summer season with a bang! A small group (9) of Reds headed up to Keene State to compete in the Sam Martin Memorial 7s Tournament (a beloved former Red). North Shore hammered all of the competition until the finals then pulled off a tight victory over Providence to bring home the cup.
North Shore headed up to Stowe in late June for a good time at the Stowe 15s tournament. North Shore can out hot and beat Syracuse, then snuck a close one out against Burlington. The Reds missed taking home the cup after a loss to a combined Albany/Saranac side.
The final tournament of the summer season was an unbearably hot, mid-July Acton 10s tournament. The Reds saw a slow start to the day with light numbers. Many new faces got some of their first time in a North Shore jersey. Although North Shore didn't have the day they were hoping for, everyone got plenty of playing time and the tournament got everyone excited to get ready for the fall season.
Fall:
Coach: Morgan Roberts
Captains: Tom Moore, Jared Nicklas, & Ben Comeau
The Fall 2019 season saw some exciting changes for the North Shore Red’s. Welcoming in Morgan Roberts as new coach, NSRFC looked to improve not only on the field, but building our team culture off the field as well. Starting the season on a bye, the Red’s kicked off the NERFU D3 season against Burlington with a 52-3 win, a good start but the Red’s were looking for more. The second week of the season was an away match in Albany. On a scorcher of a day the Red’s were outmatched and ended up on the wrong end of a lopsided score line. Looking for revenge after a poor outing against Albany, the Red’s came home for some home-cooking and faced off against the Springfield Rifles. Physical defense was the theme of the day, stifling the Springfield attack. The Red’s pack put in a shift to grind down Springfield and allowed for plenty of space for the backs to finish, ending the day with a 64-19 win.
The D3 powerhouse, Maccabi’s were up next. One of the more electric and back and forth games in recent memory. After a lot of physical defense and smash mouth ball carrying the score heading into the sheds was 13 all. The dogfight continued in the second half; the big Maccabi’s forwards were able to hammer their way into the try line at 42 minutes but not long after Jeb was able to get his second score of the day (20-20). Timmy “Mr. Clutch” Wilkinson kicked through another penalty to put North Shore ahead at 63 minutes (23-20 North Shore). North Shore held the lead for about ten minutes when another of the Maccabi’s big boys found the try line, however they were not able to convert the kick (25-23 Maccabi’s). North Shore struck back with a huge penalty kick from Timmy to put the Reds in the lead with 3 minutes left on the clock (26- 25 North Shore). Maccabi’s were able to get the ball back and an ill-timed penalty allowed the Maccabi’s to kick one through with one-minute left in the game (28-26 Maccabi’s). North Shore recovered the kickoff deep in Maccabi’s territory and were rumbling down the field but ultimately fell just short of pulling the win off.
The final match of the season was played against Mad River, on a picturesque day in Stowe, VT. While the Red’s were able to secure a victory, the play was not to our own standards especially coming off the performance against the Maccabi’s.
North Shore headed down to Moakley for the first round of the playoffs to face off against heated rival Charles River. The first 20 minutes of the game North Shore saw some quick success by swinging it out to their backs and was able to score 2 quick tries. After this success, Charles River responded with some heavy forward play and was able to catch North Shore doglegged multiple times. At halftime the score was tied.
Charles River let their momentum from the first half roll into the second half and they saw continued success with grinding forward ball and started to succeed in swinging the ball out wide. North Shore could not keep up, final score CR 65 NS 24.
2021
Summer:
Coach: Morgan Roberts
Captains: Tom Moore, Jared Nicklas, & Ben Comeau
We're back! In the Spring of 2021 the Red's came out of lockdown and isolation to return to the pitch, a thoroughly welcome reprieve from the previous year without rugby. With our Fall schedule still uncertain due to the ongoing restrictions, the Reds and the Monsoon's of NSWRFC joined together on Sundays at our brand new pitch behind Salem High School to go through training sessions and touch, followed by some lovely afternoons on the patio of the Tin Whistle.
After 15+ months without a rugby match the Reds were finally able to give our new home pitch a proper opening by welcoming Charles River for a friendly on June 26th. The fellas were chomping at the bit to get into some action, and could not have asked for a better day for a run out. At kick-off the temperature was in the mid-eighties, and the sidelines were jam packed. Spectators were treated to a physical game with plenty of attacking rugby, and the teams were very evenly matched, playing to a 29-29 draw. A highlight of the days was welcoming the North Shore Trailblazers of our Youth team to play an entertaining half-time scrimmage.
Fall:
Coach: Morgan Roberts
Captains: Tom Moore, Jared Nicklas, & Ben Comeau
After a mid-summer break in action, the Red's reconvened in August to prepare for our first Fall Season since pre-COVID times. Flush with new faces, the Reds got to work building on the progress made over the Spring and early Summer.
The season kicked off with a trip to Newton to play the Maccabis, which is a match that should be circled on any supporter's calendar. Always a hard fought, competitive affair the Red's came up just short in the final minutes losing 12-17. The following week, we welcomed Amoskeag down for another close match, not playing up to the standards we had set for ourselves, we eked out a win 12-7. Looking to get back to our standards, we headed south to Providence to take on one of the perennial powerhouses of the division, while the standards improved the result did not go our way dropping the contest 18-29. With a brief two game-homestand, the Red's looked to stay undefeated on the new pitch, which we did...sort of. Albany was first up, travelling down light on numbers and calling in some local ringers from other clubs in the area while the game ended in the motley contingents favor, the game was ultimately ruled a forfeit and North Shore was awarded a full bonus point win 28-0. Next up were the Boston Irish Wolfhounds D3 side, back in the competition after a few years in D2. North Shore took an early lead and with a little help from the clock were able to withstand a late comeback, final score 24-20. North Shore successfully defended their home pitch, headed out on the road for the remainder of the season. Putting together two of their best performances of the season in back-to-back weeks with differing results.
First up, was Charles River (remember that hard fought contest in June? this rematch deserves it's own paragraph) Charles River had run rampant against competition in Fall, sitting comfortably at the top of the table. North Shore came down looking to spoil a perfect season. After a week of heavy rain, North Shore showed up to a very wet, muddy pitch at Moakley Field in South Boston. Rain letting up just prior to kick-off, this was a battle from the first whistle to the last. Charles River was able to get on the board early with a try, North Shore answered by setting up a try of our own using forward picks to open up space for our backline to get over the line. Charles River were able to add a penalty and a try in the waning minutes of the first half to head into the sheds with an 18-7 advantage. The second half was controlled by North Shore, using our dominant scrum platform we were able to claw our way back into the game getting another try down, unfortunately it became a battle against the opposition and the clock, running out of time the final ended with Charles River securing an 18-12 victory. The match best summarized in a sentence from the Referee's Report, "Both teams fought hard and with an aggression unparalleled in most games. Great fought match until the end."
The next was another trip to Moakley to take on Old Gold, while the conditions were demonstrably better...it's still Moakley. North Shore played with the same intensity and grit as the previous week, building off our success in the scrums we launched relentless attacking rugby set up by forward domination to secure a 35-5 win. The last weekend of the season was a trip to New London, where we encountered a team combined of New London and a local college club. A truly sloppy affair, marked by the inexperience of the newer players on the opposition and North Shore dropping our standards to their level. It was a hard fought, punchy affair with North Shore closing the season out with a win. Festivities in New London followed as the team took advantage of the away trip to take part in team bonding spending the night in Connecticut.
Overall, the season can be deemed a success. 3rd place finish in the division, but most importantly the influx of new players who bolstered the squad and look to be the future of the club!
