McMaster Rugby: From Disaster To Dynasty

How Our 1978-1980 Seasons Kicked Off Mac’s Glory Days

By John Williams

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Table of Contents Dedication

Prologue

Part I

Our First Month Together

The Downward Spiral Continues Club Hits Rock Bottom Memories Of 1978 No Where To Go But Up A Chance Encounter At A Welsh Shrine A Return To My Former School Bill Fowler: A Crusader Of Second Chance The Summer It All Came Together

Part II

That Breakout Season - Introducing The Boys Of 1979 Bring On The Opposition Playing With Pride And Dignity A Day I’ll Never Forget Second Team Doesn’t Mean Second Best The Drive For Glory A Collaboration Of Expectations The Day Mac Rugby Made The World Take Notice The King Of Beer-Ups

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PART III

A Surge To Greatness Solidifying The Foundation For Future Greatness Let The Season Begin The Drive For Six 2nd Team Sensations The Annual Excursion To Kingston A Race To The Mountain Top Standing At The Centre Of The Universe The Final Surge Showtime Once Again Saying Goodbye To A Family

Epilogue Club Record 1978 to 2010

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Dedication  This book is dedicated to my late father Denzil Williams, my mother Olive and my friend Maribel Ramirez - along with Bill Fowler, Greg D’Angelo and the McMaster Rugby Marauders of 1978 to 1980!

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Prologue

If you’ve ever visited McMaster University you’ll understand the overwhelming passion its students feel for their school. Located in the village of Westdale on the west side of Hamilton, Ontario, the school’s rustic, picturesque campus creates a homey ambiance for its small, student population. An outstanding academic curriculum, as well as a decorated athletic past, spark the love affair between school and student that continues well into the graduate’s alumni years. I never experienced that love affair as a graduate but I certainly did as a student/rugby player and club coordinator during 1978-79 before moving on to become an assistant coach in 1980. During my time at Mac, it was my privilege to have been part of a miracle - a miracle that laid the foundation for one of the school’s greatest athletic achievements: Mac’s glorious rugby reign from 1979 to the present. The Mac Rugby Club won two of 16 games in 1978 as the program teetered on being dropped from the school’s athletic curriculum. It’s easy to understand why. Four of those losses in 78, resulted from the club’s inability to field a second side. The next season, however, the club posted eight wins and three ties against five losses, en route to capturing the 2nd team OUAA title.

In 1980, the club won 13 of 16 games and scored 314 points while allowing only 80 against for an average score of 20-6 per game. The 2nd team was also an OUAA finalist. Today, the Mac Rugby Miracle of 1978-1980 remains forever etched in the annals of Mac’s athletic history while the foundation it provided has been parlayed into one of the school’s greatest athletic accomplishments. This account commemorates the Mac Rugby Marauders of 1978-1980 - a group of men who dared to dream and who, along with the support of the school’s athletic department, made that dream come true.

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Part I

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Our First Month Together

The year was 1978. September to be exact! The beautiful Mac campus was further illuminated by fall colours and the feeling of hope that accompanies every new school year. After two years at York University, I arrived at Mac knowing I was in the right place. After my first rugby practice, I also knew I had arrived at the right time. At least I thought I had!! I remember having played against Mac’s 2nd team the year before at York. We lost 8-0 to the Marauders on Saturday, October 8, 1977. With four years of high school rugby experience to my credit, plus one year at York University, I was very keen to become part of the Mac rugby program. I was 22-years-old. When I attended Mac’s first practice on Tuesday September 12, 1978 some of the players looked familiar to me, including Paul Morgan who had captained Mac’s 2nd team in 1977. Team MVP and tight-head prop Dave Murphy also stood out along with future MVP Marshall Holmes and forward Doug Burrows. But the man who really captured my attention was first year coach Neil McCartney. A tall, well-built English man of 26 years, McCartney’s piercing blue eyes, blond hair and distinctive accent complemented a confident man whose cocky, almost irreverent demeanor would capture the attention of anyone who met him. He did just that as 30 odd players attended the club’s inaugural training sessions in September of 1978. And train we did! Workouts to build endurance were exercises in hell while certain drills to assimilate game situations were completely foreign to me. But once I got past the agony of getting into shape, I found practices under McCartney to be anything but boring. After only one week of practice, our club hosted Queen’s University on Saturday September 16, 1978. Our first team fell to the Golden Gaels while our seconds lost an exhibition, makeshift matchup. Optimism reigned supreme when the club traveled to Brock University the following Saturday. Unfortunately, the 1st team fell 7-3 to the Badgers as McCartney screamed at half-time, “That’s the worst display of rugby I’ve seen in 27 years of life.” Neil wouldn’t turn 27 until the following February but I guess our disgusting display had accelerated his aging process. McCartney’s half-time tirade not only validated the first team’s dismal performance but his own personal resume`. As I would eventually find out, Neil was an accomplished prop forward, having attended St. Luke’s College in Southern England. Luke’s, a rugby factory that rivals the US college football traditions of Ohio State and Michigan, had afforded McCartney with the chance to play against the likes of Welsh rugby legends Gareth Edwards and Phil Bennett.

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He could be considered an authority on what a “display of rugby” should be: either a game of a few simple skills done well or a choreography of futility that was to become our trademark that season. The 2nd side, however, did provide hope for the program as Mac trounced the Badgers 52- 0. I actually scored my first and only try at the university level as my late score put the pasting above 50. I also played the number-eight position for the first time. After propping in high school and at York, I found this position much to my liking. Even more to my liking was my late father, Denzil Williams’, presence at the game. We had driven to St. Catharines from Guelph (my home town) that morning. I was thrilled that he could witness my score. My dad drove back to Guelph that night as I took in the beer-up at Brock. Later that evening, I attended the Tiger Cat game in Hamilton. A rugby teammate I had recently met decided to go with me. His name was Greg D’Angelo. (To be continued in Chapter 5.)

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The Downward Spiral Continues

The final Saturday of September finished the way the month had started: with a first team loss, this time to the University of Toronto. The depleted, almost nonexistent 2nd side didn’t even travel to the Big Smoke. With Thanksgiving weekend next on the calendar, I trained especially hard as the York Yeomen were to invade the Mac campus on Saturday, October 7, 1978. The 2nd team game kicked off at 12:30 and if memory serves, I played 2nd row. We won a close one but what stood out in my mind was that York coach Mike Dinning actually remembered me from the year before. He would later play an integral part in our reorganization. The 1st team venue was a rough and tumble affair. My good pal, Gerald Giles, suffered a shoulder injury at the hands of Yeoman Paul “Doppy” Durose. Mac lost the game as the club fell to 2-6 on the season. The beer-up in Woodstock Hall was a somber affair and poorly attended by the Mac players who were disgusted with the flagrant play of the Yeomen. I enjoyed it, though, as I reacquainted myself with my former York teammates. They also had a great time with that much more beer to drink in light of the few Mac players in attendance. Both teams traveled to Guelph the following Wednesday (October 11, 1978) for a showdown under the lights with the U. of G. Gryphons. Coach McCartney was unable to make the trip due to academic commitments. I think his absence gave the charismatic Doug LeFreyne the chance to announce our arrival to a female passer-by in typical rugby fashion: “Hey honey, bend over and crack us a smile.” I think she took it in stride. After all, we were a rugby club. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough players to field a 2nd side. So the Gryphons lent us a lock forward, which I teamed with in the 2nd row. Teammate Miles Ellis, who was slated to play wing forward in the first team venue, also played the first half for us in the backs. He ran about 50 yards and just missed scoring a try. Although we lost 14-0, Miles showed me that game what a rugby sensation he truly was. A funny moment also occurred in the game, when our 1st team lock, Peter Szabolcs, who was watching, called “mine” when he caught the ball out of bounds. My parents, who were at the game, thought it was hilarious. It was one of the few funny moments of the evening as our firsts fell 50-0 to Guelph. The beer-up was excellent, however, and we all had a good time on the bus ride home. Szabolcs, whose nickname is “Snoopy,” also confirmed why he owns that dubious distinction. He showed us a tattoo of the Peanuts character nicely planted on the cheek of his butt. I couldn’t believe it. We were slated to play our third game in seven days with Royal Military College in Kingston

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next on the schedule. We boarded the bus early that Saturday morning of October 14, 1978. A cloudy, dreary day further accentuated the long, dreary ride to Kingston. Our record to date: first team 0-5, 2nd side 2-3 with two of those losses the result of being unable to field a second side. Our trip to historic Kingston was no different as Coach McCartney and trainer Steve Hawkins accompanied a makeshift first team. After playing 2nd row and number eight in my first three games with the seconds, I returned to my original position of tight-head prop for my first team debut. It was a debut I will never forget. My opposite number ate me for breakfast as RMC feasted on our makeshift side. Dave Tack, who had never propped in his life, played gallantly at the loose-head position. But neither one of us could offer hooker Marshall Holmes the support he needed. As the rain poured, McCartney and Hawkins eventually sought shelter under the overhang of a nearby building. How symbolic! Their desire to seek refuge from the rain could have been construed as an escape from our dreary performance. Despite the loss, the four-hour bus ride home was another festive experience. First year forward John Giuga, who had played like a veteran throughout the season, led the team with his version of Don MacLean’s American Pie. I’ve never really taken the time to study the meaning of this rock’n’roll anthem. Looking back, however, after having lost our sixth straight game, I now have my own interpretation of the song: the pursuit of the American Dream - in our case, the dream of winning a first-team game. The trip home also afforded me the chance to really talk to Neil McCartney for the first time. While his facial expression echoed the frustration of a man who knew the game but was handcuffed by our collective inexperience, he bore no resentment towards me in light of my dismal showing that afternoon. It was on that dreary, Saturday, October 14, 1978 night that I realized for the very first time, I could really talk to this man. Even more importantly, work with him!

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Club Hits Rock Bottom

After playing three games in seven days, we were able to enjoy two weeks before our next game, a home date against the University of Waterloo slated for Saturday, October 28, 1978. Despite our club record of an embarrassing two wins against 10 losses, we enjoyed training just the same. During the second Thursday of that two-week layoff, McCartney showed us two internationals on film in our clubhouse after practice. The first game was between Wales and France from the mid-1970s. The second was of “The Great Match” between the Barbarians - the greatest British players of that time - vs. the New Zealand All Blacks played at the Welsh shrine of Cardiff Arms Park on January 26, 1973. I swear! After watching that film, I will never view rugby the same way again. While today’s game has become a smash-mouth affair similar to rugby league, this 1973 classic was the way the sport was meant to be played: a free-flowing game of a few basic, rudimentary skills done well. At least that’s how Coach McCartney described it. After watching this film, none of us had any reason to doubt him. That try, which many consider to be the greatest score in the history of the game - starting with Barbarian fly half Phil Bennett’s dazzling moves in front of his own goal posts and culminating with Gareth Edwards’ 30-yard run to the end zone - is a feat of natural athleticism that never fails to mesmerize me every time I see it. This particular Thursday in the Mac rugby clubhouse was no different as I, along with my Mac rugby pals, witnessed it for the first time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t duplicate the Barbarians’ performance when Waterloo invaded Mac two days later. Our firsts lost their seventh match of the season as I returned to the number-eight position. I had a much better game compared to my first-team debut in Kingston. I distinctly remember holding my own against prop-forward Mike Murphy when we came to blows after the whistle. Murphy was a first team regular in the Toronto rugby circle. I felt great not backing away from a player of his physical stature.

But the telling tale of this most difficult of seasons occurred prior to the second team game. Players from our depleted second side actually went into the MacKay Hall residence and

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recruited several males, who had never even seen a rugby ball. This act of desperation will forever epitomize the shambles that was the Mac rugby program in 1978. We actually hit rock bottom that Saturday, October 28, 1978 against Waterloo. With both teams losing, our club record stood at 2 wins against 12 losses. Despite our record and the inability to consistently field a 2nd side, the core group of 18 players who had shown a faithful consistency at training all season; made the final week of practice worthwhile. Forwards Tim McCleary, Phil Aiken, John Cowman, Peter Szabolcs, John Giuga, Miles Ellis, Eric Gott and Gerald Giles, along with backs Jake Pereira, Kevin Galloway, Steve Barrichello, Leo Del Bel and Al Page; collectively provided a “springboard of optimism” for 1979 during that final week of the ’78 campaign. Teamed with veterans David Murphy, Marshall Holmes and Doug Burrows, the players exuded a defiant, almost irreverent attitude (at least I thought we did) despite our dismal record as we trained under the lights of the school’s football stadium. That defiant feeling nearly earned us a victory in the final game of the season. Trailing 8-6 to the visiting University of Western Ontario, consecutive penalties against the visitors gave us a chance at a game-winning penalty kick. As the referee signalled the infractions, Miles Ellis marched the ball down the field to set up Wilbur Debryne’s last play effort. As Wilbur set up his 45-yard attempt, I can remember almost praying to myself that he’d make it. His effort fell just short, however, as we finished the campaign at 2-14.

Mac Rugby Marauders 1978

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Memories Of 1978

There was a handful of players with the ’78 club who either graduated or did not return the following year. While my time with these players was short-lived, I’ll remember them forever. Rookies Leo Delbel, Dave Tack, Kevin Sullivan, Gary Eustace and Kevin Galloway, along with veterans Tom Downer, Wilbur Debryne, Dave Burns, Don Webster, Bill O’Brien......all were fine players who played their hearts out while enduring the heartache of a losing season. Our manager Mark Wozney, who was unable to play that season due to a knee injury, did a wonderful job helping McCartney acclimate to Mac Rugby. All of these men made my first year of rugby at McMaster a memorable experience despite our losing record.

What also remains forever etched in my memory was our rookie initiation that took place in early September of 1978. We started drinking in the change room just after practice around 7 pm. Our binge continued at the former Paddy Greene’s Tavern across from Westdale High School. And could these guys drink, in particular a big fella who stood out in any crowd - the formidable John Cowman. The flamboyant Cowman would become a permanent fixture of Mac Rugby for the next two years en route to becoming one of the best remembered players both on and off the field. And it’s easy to understand why as John fuelled this particular social in the pub and on the street. He led the entire club - some 20 guys - as we ran from Paddy Greene’s down Main Street, over the bridge to our third and final stop - a downtown tavern beside the former CHCH Studio. We were so rambunctious, the locals were a little put off. I clearly remember Wilbur Debryne saying, “Be careful guys. If we get into a punch-up, we all stick together.” Fortunately, nothing happened as the rookie party created a heartfelt togetherness among us. Despite our on-field frustration, the camaraderie that Mac Rugby under Neil McCartney felt that night, led to a sense of family that would transcend the next 33 years.

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No Where To Go But Up

I can’t recall exactly when it happened, only it happened. I can’t recall what motivated me to do it or why - only that I had to do it. Maybe it was the brilliance of McCartney. Maybe it was the players’ natural athletic ability. Maybe it was the camaraderie felt among our players and coach despite a losing season. Maybe at age 22, I finally realized I would never be a top-flight athlete in the mould of a John Giuga or Peter Szabolcs. Or maybe it was the possibility of losing the program altogether. Sometime late in the ’78 season or shortly afterward, we began to hear rumblings that Mac Rugby was on the verge of being dropped from the school’s athletic curriculum. Looking back some 33 years, I think it was all of these factors that gave me the incentive to try and breathe new life into a floundering program. After all, we had the coach and the players to do it. It was simply a matter of bridging the gap that existed between the expertise of McCartney and the inexperience of our players. I had enjoyed wonderful success at York the year before as an intramural coordinator within MacLaughlin College. We had reached the finals in flag football and basketball en route to winning “most improved team” awards in both sports. Our coed broomball team also captured the title. This success gave me the confidence to try to do something with the Mac club.

Most importantly, I had an ally, a man who shared the same vision I did. His name was Greg D’Angelo! I had become pals with Greg the Saturday night we attended the Tiger Cat game following the doubleheader at Brock. We’d hit it off right away. A wonderful winger with blinding speed, Burrhead (as he was nicknamed in light of his fuzzy, curly hair), McLaughlin College (York University) Men’s Flag Football Finalists 1977

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was an Engineering graduate doing his masters degree at McMaster. He had endured the trials and tribulations of the Mac Rugby program for four seasons. Somewhere during the fall of 1978, I proposed to Greg the possibility of building a scrum machine - an apparatus similar to a football sled - that provides a moveable force for the scrum to pack down against. I also knew first hand the type of machine we should try to duplicate. York University had a wonderful scrum machine that I had practised against the year before. So Greg and I bandied the idea around during the final two months of 1978.

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A Chance Encounter At A Welsh Shrine

As the beautiful fall colours gave way to the holiday season of 1978, I was able to enjoy the holidays in Great Britain, in the small but great rugby nation of Wales. My parents were originally from South Wales and I had enjoyed seven previous vacations to the quaint, picturesque country. During my previous visit in December 1976, I had seen the tryouts for the Welsh national side at Cardiff Arms Park. I even shook hands and got the autograph of Welsh legend Barry John, who was now on the selection committee. Two years later, I saw John’s protégé - Phil Bennett- play at Stradey Park in Llanelli, South Wales. The club matchup was something of a mini-international between Llanelli and Bristol of England. I had missed seeing Bennett play live in the tryouts of 1976 - he was injured that day. But after watching his 1973 performance on film against the All-Blacks two months earlier, I knew I had come to see a true champion. Bennett didn’t disappoint as he led Llanelli to a 30-6 victory. After getting his autograph in the clubhouse, I went back outside. On the sidelines, I met one of the officials of the Bristol club. He said he knew Neil McCartney of St. Luke’s. It was on that December 30, 1978 day while standing on the hallowed sidelines of Stradey Park, some 3,000 miles from McMaster, I fully realized the calibre of coach we had with the Marauders. It was now time to make the scrum machine a reality.

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A Return To My Former School

I arrived back in Canada in early January of 1979 on a mission: to organize building a scrum machine for McMaster. Greg D’Angelo and I visited York University in late January to look at their machine. It felt almost surreal going back to a school that I’d attended the two previous years. York rugby coach Mike Dinning was a godsend allowing us access to their machine, while providing details of how it was built and at what cost. While I was the fanatic behind the pursuit of our future creation, Greg was the brains. He spoke with Dinning as any engineer would: as an authority on the working, physical principles of the machine and the potential cost to build it. We left York late in the afternoon on that particular Thursday in late January, confident our dream would come true. Driving home I can distinctly remember Greg saying, “I just want to win one game with the firsts next season.” Our dream of a scrum machine and the victories it would help produce, would eventually surpass our wildest dreams.

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Bill Fowler: A Crusader Of Second Chance

By January of 1979 the rumour had been confirmed: Mac Rugby could very well cease to exist after that horrifying ’78 campaign. Bill Fowler, Athletic Director at McMaster, was simply fed up with funding a program that produced nothing on or off the field. Of course, no one could blame him! Mac Rugby had greatly declined since being founded in 1965 by David Abraham and George Jones. The program had become nothing more than a vehicle for young athletes to drink while the on-field product took a back seat. Although McCartney had greatly improved the discipline, a 2-14 record didn’t bode well for our future. I approached Bill in his office in the winter of ’79. A sincere man, we hit it off right away. While he was serious about discontinuing the program, he took my plan to build a scrum machine very seriously. Bill also acknowledged the fine coach we had in Neil McCartney. Our meeting was quite productive. Looking back on that day, I believe Bill was convinced that, with Neil’s return, the possibility of a new scrum machine and some 20 returning players, the program could be salvaged. For some reason, however, the brooding, self-absorbed McCartney didn’t share our confidence. When I met with him at his home in late January, he appeared defeated, a broken man who had given up all hope regarding the future of the club. My recounting of the chance encounter I’d had with someone who knew him at the hallowed Stradey did little to lift his spirits. Looking at him that day, I believe McCartney was having trouble reconciling the prospect of coaching a second year at a level greatly inferior to what he’d been accustomed to. Looking back some 33 years, I now believe McCartney was suffering from low self-esteem, a battering we inflicted while he had coached us the previous fall. At the same time, I think he was firmly onside regarding our future. A formal meeting at the athletic complex took place in early March as the coaches of all men’s sports convened. Neil McCartney and I were there (I can’t remember if Greg D’Angelo was in attendance) as Bill Fowler acknowledged hockey coach Bill Mahoney’s accomplishments from the night before. The Marlins had defeated the heavily favoured University of Toronto in a sudden-death playoff game. Fowler also acknowledged to everyone how lucky we were to have McCartney as head rugby coach. The premise of the meeting was to improve men’s sports at McMaster. While nothing concrete came from the meeting, we all came away feeling optimistic about the men’s athletic curriculum. I also came away feeling much better about our future as a club. Furthermore, I had garnered

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an even greater respect for Bill Fowler as Athletic Director. He had chaired the meeting with authority and conviction, a man willing to put it all on the line despite a limited budget and much smaller student population compared to the powerhouses of Western or York. In the early spring of 1979, the club convened for the first time since the end of the ’78 season. The meeting took place in a room in the athletic complex. Some 15 players were in attendance, including my ally, Greg D’Angelo. An eerie silence engulfed the meeting as McCartney rehashed the smouldering ashes of the previous season. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes or his facial expression, a glare that made Clint Eastwood, pale by comparison. That night we came to realize that our coach was a born winner and we’d better start playing like winners or we’d end up on the losing end of an extinct program. As the meeting came to a close, Greg and I beamed at one another and nodded in agreement: we had won over the gracious Bill Fowler and now our bombastic, ornery and cantankerous head coach. After the meeting, Greg and I, along with some of our converted teammates, headed to the campus pub - The Downstairs John - to celebrate. As we played the theme from “Rocky” on the jukebox, I clearly remember Greg saying I was a crusader for the underdog. From where we were coming from the previous fall, we certainly were the underdogs, both on and off the field. It was a great off-season celebration that night, especially for Greg and me. We had worked so hard to get the players, our coach and the athletic department onto the same page. What remained now were the final pages to the chapter of a Cinderella off-season: financing and building that elusive scrum machine.

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The Summer It All Came Together

As the 1978-79 school year drew to a close, I badgered Coach McCartney to draw up a summer training regimen for our returning players and prospects. And regimen is the operative word. The Bionic Man would have had difficulty living up to what McCartney expected in terms of fitness come September. I think he was still seething from the previous season. After all, this was a man who had played and coached Division I rugby in England. And we were as far removed from that standard as we were geographically from Stradey Park in South Wales. Once the schedules were mailed out in late April, I headed back to Guelph for the summer. But I kept in contact with Bill and Greg regarding the scrum machine. We all remained optimistic, the only stumbling block was funding and who would build it. Bill had someone in mind but we weren’t sure if we could afford his price. In May of ’79 it finally dawned on me to approach my brother-in-law, Jamie Hill, to do the job. Jamie was the most mechanically minded person I’d ever met. By building the machine in Guelph and keeping it in the family so to speak, I could monitor its progress for Bill, Neil and Greg while feeling good that we were getting a fair deal. But Jamie had to see the original machine first. During mid-week in June of ’79, we travelled to York University along with Greg and his girlfriend, Jan. Again, Mike Dinning was more than willing to help us. (It’s easy to understand why Dinning has remained a permanent fixture in the Canadian rugby circles. He is a crusader for the betterment and promotion of the game.) After examining the machine, Jamie beamed with enthusiasm. He could build the machine at his workplace for $600 to $800 depending on the price of materials! As we drove back to Guelph that night, I knew we had the man to do the job. And I didn’t care if I had to put the

money up myself, that machine was going to be built come September. Jamie completed the machine by mid-August of 1979. It was almost surreal as I witnessed the various stages of our dream coming true. When I called Bill Fowler to tell him the wonderful news, I had overlooked one important detail: his permission to have Jamie build it for $800. After exchanging pleasantries, Bill informed me that we’d have to wait a year to build the machine because there wasn’t available funding. When I countered that the job was done and that we’d concern ourselves with Jamie Hill

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the funding later, he couldn’t believe it. When I look back at how Bill, Greg, Jamie, Mike Dinning and I collectively made the machine a reality in just nine months, I don’t believe it either.

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Part II  

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That Breakout Season - Introducing The Boys Of 1979 

Jamie and I delivered the scrum machine to McMaster on the Sunday of Labour Day weekend 1979. Our creation was everything I could have hoped for as it sat brand, spanking new adjacent to our clubhouse. After several light workouts during frosh week, we finally started to scrum down in earnest the following Monday. I’ll never forget the upbeat feeling that permeated the practice field as one group of forwards packed down against the machine while another group stood on its back platform to offer resistance. The forwards pushed that machine all over the field as we provided possession to the backs, a chance to burst onto the ball. While the scrum machine created a feeling of optimism among us, Neil and I continued to contemplate the possibility of the club’s demise. We fully recognized Bill Fowler’s sincere support for the program. But by painting him as the bad guy, we had created something of an “us against the world” mentality among the players. It seemed to work as practices took on a much greater sense of urgency that ‘79 season. Many new faces graced the pitch in the fall of ‘79. Hooker Jim Reives from Toronto, along with all-purpose forward Barry Locke, who could play anywhere in the forwards - and eventually did. Locke nicely complemented the front row of reliable veterans Phil Aiken and Tim McCleary. Locke would start the season at tight-head prop as McCleary had to work Saturdays to finance an engagement ring for his fiancé Barb. Talk about a devout family man. In the second row, stood one of my most coveted recruits - the quiet, soft-spoken Jon Stungevicius. I had badgered Jon relentlessly the year before to come out for the program. And why not? With 220 pounds of muscle (and zero body fat) nicely proportioned over a 6’2” frame, Stungy was a rugby explosion looking for a place to happen. He would later tell me that, in light of my incessant badgering, he would have felt guilty not trying out for the club. At the same time, he didn’t have to try out, but simply show up. Despite his inexperience, Stungy now provided us with four, excellent lock forwards, which included the behemoth monstrosities - John “The Cow” Cowman and Peter “Snoopy” Szabolcs. The other was a newcomer but a man with plenty of experience: Wilf Rulands. Wilf had played high school and club rugby in Ancaster and Hamilton. Standing 6’3”, he possessed the natural height and jumping ability necessary for the position. In the back row we had a wealth of experience and talent: The “Italian Stallion” John Giuga with his baseball glove-like hands, along with the aesthetically graceful Miles Ellis. Both could play number eight or wing forward as could the consistent Eric Gott. With the veteran savvy of loose forwards Paul Morgan and Gerald Giles coupled with the

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rookie inspiration of Tim Kyle, I felt simply honoured to play lock or loose forward with any of these players. A newcomer, whom I had never seen before but will never forget, was Bob Maloney. A ferocious tackler with a natural toughness, Bob graced both the front row and lock position in his first season with Mac. The year before, I had aggressively recruited Mark “Punch” Scherer. His fire-hydrant like frame coupled with a charismatic, vocal presence made Mark a natural for the club at both the hooker position and post-game festivities. Another rookie, whom I knew from McKay Hall, was Harris Beacock. When he first came out for the club I thought to myself, “He’s got to be kidding, he’s just too nice a guy.” Harris would later enjoy the last laugh as he became a wonderful wing forward and prop as well as one of the best liked players in the club. Returning to the scrum-half position was the club’s playboy - Jake Pereira. Possessing the natural look for any magazine cover, Jake could have been a Chippendale dancer if only he’d been a little taller. The consummate ladies’ man also wore briefs with a ruler printed on the front. “I have to know when I’m erect,” Jake once said. Underwear aside, Jake stood tall at the all-important scrum-half position. Ric Pereira, who arrived at Mac that fall, was the mirror image of his brother. I was in awe of some of the ladies he attracted. I was in further awe of how he played the fly-half position and later the wing forward spot. Two wingers with a wealth of experience came to play for the club that ‘79 season. Barry “Doc” Campbell and Scott McLaren both had great speed and open field instinct once they got the ball. Furthermore, they had the level of fitness McCartney was looking for from everyone. Returning to the three-quarter line was Al Page. Al could script his own page when it came to playing anywhere in the backs. Two players who stood out with their fiery, red hair were centres Graham Henderson and Steve Raiment. Both players caught fire every time they touched the ball. Two diamonds in the rough, who turned out to be gem players were Cam Seagram and Mike Gallo. Both players redefined the wing and fullback positions in 1979. I’m not sure how much time Mark Carey spent with us in 1978. He was so fast; his performance that year remains a blur to me. But I certainly remembered him when he returned for the following campaign. He hadn’t lost a step; I simply had a better understanding of the game.

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Hard-hitting Steve Barrichello was another one of those versatile players, who could do justice to any back position. He did just that as a winger in 1979. He would go on to do McCartney’s brainchild proud when Neil converted Steve to scrum-half in 1980. It would be a conversion nobody could believe, and to this day, something I recall in total disbelief. Quiet rookie, Scott Hennenfent, made a lot of noise at the fullback position while newcomer Courtney King made up for his lack of experience with a desire to learn. It would pay huge dividends in the ‘79 final. Of all the players I spoke with the year before about playing for the club, only two would actually turn out: Stungy and Punch. But my philosophy was to recruit anyone. This way, the few who did show up were keen, skilled and dedicated. My philosophy was based on the Russian philosophy of mass participation with the cream of the crop rising to the top. But there was one player I just happened upon in the school’s main cafeteria in early September of 1979. He wore a blue jacket with rugby written on the back. I had obviously never seen him play before but I knew he could play. His name was Rich Akwei. Nobody at Mac had a greater right to wear a rugby jacket. Rich showed up that year and was everything I thought he would be. During a game, McCartney once told me that he experienced chills every time he saw Rich run, pass or kick. As Greg D’Angelo would later say, “Rich was the find.” Last but not least in this array of talent was Greg D’Angelo. Now in his fifth season at Mac, the venerable D’Angelo was going to finally enjoy the fruits of his labour.

Mac Rugby 1st Team 19792nd row (L to R - 2nd In) - Greg D’Angelo “An Unsung Hero Of The Highest Order”

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Bring On The Opposition

A feeling of payback and redemption echoed throughout the clubhouse in the late morning of Saturday, September 22, 1979 as the Brock Badgers invaded the Mac campus. I was slated for the second game but arrived for the first team match-up at 2 pm. From the opening kick-off it was obvious that our players were on a mission as they were the first to every breakdown as well as set piece. About 10 minutes into the game, however, John Giuga suffered a concussion and I was thrust into the number eight position. I lasted about 15 minutes myself before sustaining a badly bruised knee. I played some of my best rugby though as I picked up a loose ball in our end and punted it for touch. The play covered about 30 yards. I distinctly remember coach McCartney yelling from the sidelines, “Well done, John Williams, you’re thinking.” The play alleviated some of the disappointment of my injury which occurred several minutes later. I watched the rest of the match from the sidelines as Mac trounced Brock for the club’s first, A-side win in more than two years. As the players clapped one another off I limped onto the field and hugged a jubilant Greg D’Angelo. After four difficult seasons with Mac, no one deserved the victory more. I remained on the sidelines for the second team game as Mac reigned victorious once again. I marvelled at the abilities of Rich Akwei as he advanced the ball by first punting it on the run - an up and over - and then darting to recover his own kick. This was the first and only game Rich would play with the seconds. He was promoted the following Monday. I also admired the way Bob Maloney handled himself at loose-head prop in this, his first rugby game. He played like a seasoned veteran. Another player who caught my eye was Harris Beacock. His tackle near the sideline sent shock waves throughout the campus as I realized now that this easygoing guy from McKay Hall residence could really play this game. It would be two weeks before I saw action again. McMaster athletic therapist, Bob Holmes, was a godsend helping me rehabilitate my leg. He told me there was nothing structurally wrong with my right knee. The bruise, however, encompassed my entire knee area, which was also quite swollen. I did enjoy the whirlpools, though - as well as the female athletes who graced Bob’s office. After disposing of Brock, the University of Toronto was next on the agenda. I watched in civilian clothes as our firsts won a close one 11-10. John Giuga was excellent in his return. Our seconds did the same as it was obvious now that we had the depth to field two competitive sides.

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Playing With Pride And Dignity

The following Saturday, October 6, 1979 we headed to Toronto to face the York Yeomen. I watched from the sidelines in uniform, ready to sub if needed. Fortunately, I didn’t have to. The Yeomen destroyed us 37-4. We came tumbling back to earth that day as our record fell to 2-1. I managed a half with our seconds but my knee was still unstable. We came through, however, to win our third in a row and remain undefeated. The beer-up was quite the occasion. They usually are at the university level. A university beer-up consists of drinking and singing as well as nudity and more singing. The Zulu-warrior is a dance that consists of several players stripping in a circle while being encouraged by the singing and chanting of both teams. Players from both sides - win or lose - tend to bond much more than at the club level. This is the pure, unadulterated spirit of rugby, the way it was intended. In contrast, the post-game festivities of club rugby are quite dull and boring. After busting a gut for 90 minutes on a dry, cement-like field in the 90 degree heat of mid-summer, both teams usually keep to themselves, with the losing side sulking in defeat. Playing a year with the York club in the summer of 1978 and two years with the Hamilton Hornets in 1980 and 81, was an invaluable experience for me.

But my four years of university ball - three as a player and one as a coach - were much more enjoyable. That day at York was no different. After Thanksgiving Monday, we had only one practice to prepare for the Guelph Gryphons, who were to come to Mac the following Wednesday. Bob Maloney debuted for our first side at the lock position. He was excellent as we all thought he would be. Unfortunately, our firsts lost to even their record at 2-2. Our seconds continued to roll, however, winning their fourth straight.

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A Day I’ll Never Forget

After the beer-up at Woodstock Hall following the Guelph game, a number of Mac players remained. We were all feeling good despite only splitting with Guelph. The room was really quiet. The Gryphons had long departed. Neil McCartney gathered us together, holding something wrapped in a towel. He began with a speech that brings tears to my eyes as I write this chapter.

It went something like this. “For the last several months, there has been a man who has dedicated himself selflessly to this club. He has made countless trips to Hamilton from Guelph over the summer endeavouring to make our new scrum machine a reality. He has acted as ambassador and liaison for the club and the McMaster Athletic Department. In all my years of rugby, I’ve never met someone so committed to the game. “On behalf of the McMaster Rugby Club, I present to John Williams this trophy and declare him McMaster Rugby - MAN OF THE YEAR for 1979.” As Neil handed me the trophy, the applause was deafening. He used the towel to dry my mocked tears although I was on the verge of really welling up. I thanked Neil and all the players telling them that it was my steadfast belief in them that fuelled my passion for the club. I kept the trophy for 21 years until November 3, 2000.

I don’t mean to be morbid but, prior to my father’s funeral that day, I had spent 45 minutes alone with my dad in the funeral parlour, thanking him for my life and for enabling me to become the man I am today. I then placed the 1979 trophy next to him, asking him to treasure it forever on my behalf and that of the Mac Rugby Marauders from 1978 to 1980.

DENZIL WILLIAMS December 15, 1924 to October 31, 2000

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Second Team Doesn’t Mean Second Best

RMC came marching into Mac the following Saturday. Our firsts had played quite well in three of our first four games. We had exuded a definite pride and dignity, in this, the second year of what was going to be the first season of Neil McCartney’s glorious reign. We managed to tie RMC to keep our record at 500 courtesy of a 2-2-1 mark. Our seconds continued to quietly stroll along by defeating the Royal Military College to improve to a perfect 5-0. After playing three games in a week, we had eight days after the RMC match-up to prepare for a Sunday, October 21 showdown in Kingston against Queen’s. With the club enjoying a season that we could have only dreamt about a year earlier, practices were quite buoyant, to say the least. The second team was evolving into the feel-good story of the campaign. After being unable to field a team for five of our eight games the year before, it’s easy to understand why. It was during that week of practice prior to the Queen’s game, on the heels of a 5-0 start for our B-side, that Neil McCartney dropped something of a bombshell on us: an unofficial OUAA second team championship actually existed. No one could believe it. We’d been so inept the year before, I guess nobody had bothered to tell us. But with Maloney, Scherer and Locke now dominating the front row, coupled with the lineout play of Cowman and Stungevicius; the back line combinations of Beacock, Giles, Gott, Kyle and yours truly controlled the open field play to provide possession for scrum-half Al Page and the three-quarter line combinations of Ric Pereira, Henderson, Raiment and King. Scott MacLaren had owned a wing position all season while Cam Seagram and Mike Gallo showed their wonderful skills at both wing and fullback. It was this core group of 18 players who had comprised the second team en route to a 5-0 mark. Now we had a chance to leave an indelible mark on the history of Mac athletics by winning the 2nd team OUAA title.

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The Drive For Glory

A beautiful fall morning graced the Mac campus the Sunday of October 21, 1979. We boarded our bus at 8 am, brimming with confidence that a doubleheader victory at Queen’s would be ours for the taking. The club’s collective, upbeat, mood was in stark contrast to the year before when we’d gone to Kingston to tackle RMC with a makeshift first side. For some reason, John Cowman was unable to make the trip that year but showed up to wish us the best. In true rugby fashion, he had a beer going at that early hour. Cow was quite a guy to say the least. We arrived at Queen’s with the second team match-up slated first. We battled the Golden Gaels hard but fell 10-0 for our first loss of the season. I don’t know if it was the five-hour bus ride, or if for the first time that season we felt added pressure knowing a championship appearance was at stake. After all, we had compiled a 5-0 mark playing just for fun. The firsts also played well but lost to a powerful Queen’s side. It was evident now that our first side was still a year away from really doing something. For the first time that season, both teams arrived home empty handed. With the top two teams in each OUAA division qualifying for their respective title game, our firsts were now out of the running with a 2-3-1 record. But our seconds with a 5-1 mark faced a must-win game against host Waterloo on Saturday, October 27, 1979 to keep the title aspiration alive. The Warriors took an early 3-0 lead but the ever reliable Gerald Giles evened the score late with a penalty kick. The 3-3 tie kept our seconds in the hunt for the B-final. Our firsts showed their grit in the next game, in particular John Cowman. Cow had never propped before but was a last-minute replacement for Tim McCleary who got lost on the drive from Mac to Waterloo. JC held his own against Warrior badman Mike Murphy. And so did the entire Marauder side. Trailing 6-0 late in the game, the forwards won the ball, presented it to the backs who sprang winger Greg D’Angelo down the sideline for a 20-yard run. Burrhead made a 90-degree cut in the endzone and sprinted for the centre of the posts and touched the ball down. His heads-up play made the convert for Rich Akwei a formality as Mac tied the game at six on the game’s last play. This “never say die” attitude in the game’s waning moments was fuelled by the pride and dignity instilled by Coach McCartney that season. Those qualities of pride and dignity have forever remained the club’s trademark. We travelled to Western on Saturday, November 3, 1979 for the final, regular season game. It was another must-win for the B-side in order to secure a place in the OUAA final. Mac

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dominated from the opening kickoff en route to victory and a 6-1-1 regular season record. The firsts lost another close one, a defeat that was typical of the Mac firsts all season: hard fought and well played from start to finish. The loss to York in early October was the only blowout endured by the A-side all season as the team finished a much improved 2-4-2. Greg D’Angelo certainly enjoyed more than just the one win he had hoped for the previous winter.

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A Collaboration Of Expectations

We all knew we had made history in just one year. After posting a 2-6 mark in 1978, with four of those losses the result of being unable to field a second side, a 6-1-1 mark the following campaign was certainly a turnaround no one expected, including me. A trip to the second team OUAA final might have felt like icing on the cake. But certainly not to Neil McCartney and the entire Mac club, including those 18 players who comprised the core of the second side that year. We practised the entire week with the intention of taking it all at York University against Queen’s, the only team to beat us that season. (York was to host Queen’s in the first team final.) We actually worked out during school hours as many players took time off from class to train. If Neil McCartney wasn’t there, Miles Ellis led the training. By now, we were as fit as we were going to be. Personally, I felt great. My knee was totally healed and after a summer of running, I was enjoying my best fitness level to date. McCartney and club captain Paul Morgan announced the 15-man roster on the Monday. Mark Scherer, who had become a mainstay at hooker, would anchor the front row between Bob Maloney and Barry Locke. Jon Stungevicius and John Cowman would line up in the second row with Gerald Giles and Eric Gott manning the wing forward positions. I was slated for number eight although Tim Kyle was just as capable. Harris Beacock was nursing an injury late in the season or he could have easily suited up against Queen’s. Al Page would handle scrum-half, Ric Pereira would start at standoff, Steve Raiment and Graham Henderson would man the centre, Scott MacLaren and Cam Seagram would patrol the wings with Mike Gallo representing the last line of defence at fullback. All the backs were ably backed up by Courtney King. I felt honoured to have been selected but, at the same time, I felt guilty that my selection may have been influenced by my off-field work. Paul Morgan assured me, however, that I had shown improvement all season despite my knee and was certainly worthy of the selection. As Saturday drew closer, we honed our various strategies in the lineout and penalty situations. We felt confident we could handle Queen’s if we simply played our game. After all, we had only lost to them 10-0 a month earlier. I stayed at John Giuga’s place the night before the game. I felt there might be distractions at my place in MacKay Hall that might keep me awake. It didn’t matter, however. I lay awake all night; in fact, I don’t think I slept at all. I simply stared at the ceiling thinking about the game.

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Looking back, I was feeling the pressure of what lay at stake. It was a pressure further spawned by my off-season crusade to improve the club. Things had obviously taken a sharp turn for the better that ‘79 season but now I had a chance to make history on the field with my teammates. I had to play the game of my life. I got up early Saturday morning, showered and had breakfast at MacKay Hall. I felt groggy but fuelled by adrenaline and anticipation. During the bus ride, we all felt excited about our chances as many first team players also made the trip. We changed in the school’s phys-ed complex which was located about five minutes from the field. I remember all 17 of us running to the pitch as the cool autumn air burned my lungs. I was exhausted once we got there. Ric Pereira would later tell me that the run nearly killed him. But it certainly got our blood flowing and adrenaline pumping.

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The Day Mac Rugby Made The World Take Notice

We kicked off with Queen’s at 12:30 pm. The first 10 minutes were hard hitting and fast paced; an athletic display of what any rugby match of this magnitude would be. At the same time, we were “as tight as a drum.” We knew we could play well. We just had to relax. It was at this juncture that the brilliance of McCartney came to the forefront. As the play neared the sideline, he told us “to relax and just have fun.” From then on, we did just that. Early in the match Bob Maloney dished out one of his clean, but ferocious hits. My back was to the play but I would find out later, it was the turning point in the game. As we began to play our game, I began to feed off the growing confidence of my teammates. Twice in our end, a scrum was called. Both times Queen’s enjoyed the put-in only to have Mark Scherer steal the ball, “against the head” on both occasions. Each time I controlled the ball at the back of the scrum and orchestrated myself with Al Page to draw Queen’s offside. We then kicked safely for touch. We played a wonderful first half once we were able to relax. But the score still remained 0-0. I think Queen’s must have felt the pressure. They were the obvious favourites, having beaten us in the regular season. Furthermore, Queen’s had enjoyed a longstanding rugby tradition in the OUAA. And their second side had thrown everything at us - the newcomers to the winner’s circle - only to have us deny them in that first half. As a result, we came out a very confident group in the second frame. We forced Queen’s into a penalty and Gerald Giles broke the stalemate with a penalty-kick. We led 3-0. Queen’s would later miss a chance to tie the game as their penalty kick fell short. From then on, the game belonged to us. The dominance of our forwards in the scrum and lineout enabled Page to set up Pereira, Raiment and Henderson. Our three-quarter line tore up yards of real estate every time they touched the ball. Seagram and MacLaren finished off many nice bursts while patrolling the sideline as if they owned it. Mike Gallo was a pillar of consistency at fullback kicking for touch while keeping Queen’s out of the endzone. Consecutive penalty-kicks by Giles increased our lead to 9-0. A try midway through the half gave us a 13-0 lead and we knew the title was ours. Several times in that second half, our scrum marched the ball up the field. The power of our front five - Maloney, Scherer, Locke, Cowman and Stungevicius - coupled with the support of our wing forwards -Giles and Gott - enabled me to control the ball at the number-eight position as we advanced the pigskin as if it were our personal possession. It was a feeling of control and dominance I’ve never forgotten. John Giuga would later tell me that he was glad I didn’t play in 1980. He felt threatened that I would take his place on the first side. I felt really honoured by his words, in reality I could

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never have carried John’s rugby cleats, let alone supplant an athlete of his calibre. Courtney King replaced an injured Graham Henderson midway through the second half and made his presence felt with a wonderful long run. As our scrum manhandled the opposition in their end late in the game, Al Page picked up a nicely presented ball and darted 15 yards to paydirt. Giles converted as we reigned victorious 19-0. Looking back, I believe our performance that Saturday of November 10, 1979 was the culmination of our collective performance as a club that season. Our collective play actually played like a well-orchestrated song, a newly penned composition that would eventually become the club’s longstanding anthem for the next 31 years.

Mac Rugby Marauders 1979 2nd Team OUAA Champions

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The King Of Beer-Ups

As the final whistle blew, our thunderous, celebratory yell could have been heard all the way back at McMaster. I immediately ran towards the sideline as my teammates followed. I hugged Coach McCartney as we hoisted him onto our shoulders. We then clapped off our opponents and shook hands. I remember one of the Queen’s players commenting, “Mac just wanted it more.” The entire Queen’s side was gracious in defeat. Afterwards, our change room was a beehive of euphoria. Peter Szabolcs congratulated me in front of everyone. “I just want to dedicate this win to this man,” said Snoopy, in reference to me. I nearly fainted with humility. I replied, “I love all of you guys.” We sang in the showers, we sang at the beer-up. With four teams participating, it was a beer-up that was to outdo any post-rugby celebration. There were actually security personnel present just to make sure everyone toed the line. In true rugby fashion, however, everything was left on the field and the behaviour was exemplary. The bus ride home was a continuation of the beer-up. Amid the festivities, my thoughts ran rampant encompassing the entire gamut of emotion. From the shambles of the previous year to the scrum machine, the possible demise of the program to the maturation of our club and the 2nd team OUAA title. I couldn’t believe what our team had accomplished that day and what our club had achieved that season. Once we arrived at McMaster, we headed to the Downstairs John. We put several tables together right in front of the band. We drank, we celebrated, and we danced. We might have even formed a scrum in the middle of the dance floor. I can’t remember but I’m certainly not ruling it out. By now I wasn’t feeling any pain. And all of this without any sleep the night before. When the band announced our victory, I stood on the dance floor raising my arms in Rocky Balboa fashion. As I stretched my arms and head to the ceiling, I came face to face with the band’s spotlight. I was actually standing centre stage. It was a moment I will never forget, a moment along with many Mac Rugby moments that have graced my memory these last 33 years. The weeks leading up to Christmas were like living on Cloud Nine. Whenever I saw any of the guys, we’d just smile at one another like Cheshire cats. On one occasion, I saw Greg D’Angelo in the medical library. We gave each other the classic thumbs-up while wallowing in the euphoria of the moment. It was a moment courtesy of our championship win and turnaround season, an athletic comeback that would not have been possible without Greg’s expertise in the building of the scrum machine.

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It’s easy for me to say now but, when looking back to those dark days of January 1979, Greg’s knowledge as well as his commitment to the project made me feel secure in what we were attempting to do. I never wavered in the belief of our crusade: a crusade to build the machine in order to improve the club. You can’t tangibly measure the positive impact the machine had on the club or how much it improved our scrummaging from the set piece. Only that it did. Greg Angelo’s contributions remain forever ingrained in the annals of the Mac Rugby Comeback. And that fleeting encounter with Greg in the library shortly after our title win, will forever serve to consolidate those contributions for me. Bill Fowler congratulated me soon after the season ended. I also thanked him for giving the program one more chance. When reflecting back some 31 years, I firmly believe Bill’s ultimatum “to shape up or shove off,” could have single-handedly saved Mac Rugby. It gave us all the incentive to improve upon something that was certainly worth salvaging. In late November, we held a pub in the school’s Commons Building. It would be the first of several we would put together the following year. We managed to make a little money but, more importantly, we continued to grow as a rugby family. As we sang some of our classic rugby songs, I caught a glimpse of Neil McCartney. His facial expression was one of approval and defiant victory. Sometime in November, we received our championship trophy. It was a tiny relic of a thing. I remember when Jon Stungevicius first saw it he commented in disbelief, “That’s it?” What it represented though can never be measured in size or words. The club got together one night in the Downstairs John, to present the trophy to coach McCartney. Mark Scherer spoke candidly from the microphone during one of the band’s breaks. He paid homage to Neil and the entire club for a job well done. It was an accomplishment that saved the program from extinction, a turnaround season that was to eventually become one of many winning seasons for the Mac Rugby program!

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Part III  

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A Surge To Greatness 

The ushering in of a new decade also paralleled the renewed fortunes of Mac Rugby. An 8-5-3 mark in the fall of 1979, coupled with the 2nd team OUAA title, not only saved the program from extinction, but altered the decline of the program - a rapid decline that had begun in the late ‘60s culminating with the disaster of 1978. The accomplishments of 1979 also provided a tremendous sense of optimism in January of 1980. We got together that month for team photos and to discuss the future. Our discussion spawned our second fundraiser, a February 14th pub in the Commons Building. It was very well attended. I had lunch with the Pereira brothers, Jake and Ric, later in February. I queried Ric about my obsession for the sport. His response was “If rugby hadn’t been invented by now, John, you would have invented it. Keep doing what you’re doing.” And so I did. A couple of informal training sessions in the school’s auxiliary gym in mid-March brought us all together. The social in the Downstairs John afterward continued to accelerate the heartfelt brotherhood shared among us. In 12 short months, we had become a family, a functional family that defied all aspects of a dysfunctional sports club. That was evident again at the annual athletic banquet in mid-March. Unlike the previous year when McCartney couldn’t attend due to academic commitments, this year he could now glow with pride and appreciation when discussing our season and announcing our MVP and rookie recipients. Bill Fowler also spoke glowingly about our season and paid homage to Greg D’Angelo and me for making the scrum machine a reality. I needed no further confirmation that we had finally won over the fair and gracious Fowler while at the same time meeting the demands of the amiable but fickle McCartney. As the 1979-80 school year drew to a close, McCartney put together a summer training program that I’m sure, once again, the US Marines would have found challenging. However, we were not content to rest on our laurels but wanted to prove to McMaster as well as the entire OUAA rugby world that the Mac (Rugby) Marauders were indeed for real. And why not? With the exception of Paul Morgan, Eric Gott and John Cowman, the entire club was slated to return the following autumn. All players were strongly encouraged to play summer rugby with their respective clubs. Myself and several others enjoyed a great learning experience playing for the Hamilton Hornets. McCartney and his entire “band of unsung heroes” eagerly anticipated the return to school. With the exception of me! I had desperately tried to find interest in school but couldn’t. After

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18 months in the social science program, I had withdrawn from school in January of 1980. But I wasn’t prepared to leave Neil McCartney and a group of players who had become a surrogate family to me.To this day, the people I revere with the greatest fondness during my tenure at McMaster are my rugby teammates and coach. It’s little wonder I decided to remain as an assistant coach/team coordinator for the 1980 season!

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Solidifying the Foundation for Future Greatness

We began training on Monday, September 8, 1980. With some 60 players in attendance compared to 30 incumbents the previous two years, we knew the word was out: join the Mac Rugby Club and you’ll join a contender. Among the 30 veterans were rookie sensations Brian Quistberg and Trevor Applebee. I had coveted both players during my summer canvassing of Ontario high schools. Both were everything I had hoped for. Fullback Rob Smith was a second year phys-ed major whom I had badgered the year before. His presence made it all worthwhile. Newly anointed forwards included Mike Grayden, Manny Gomez, Scott Lennie, Donald Stewart, Peter Marshall, Gary Lantz, Rob LeBlanc, Chris Brymer, Mark Heard and Joe Razzo - the basketball genius behind Mac’s rapid rise within the CIS men’s basketball circle. Rookie backs who brought a tear to my eye included Tony Colucci, Ian Cruickshank, Chuck Kelly, Jack Stanborough, Bentley Larson, Allan Morgan and Mike MacLennan. Also a pleasant surprise was Larry Spriet, a grad student and former York Yeoman and Don Pede, a former Mac football standout. For the first time in my young life, I was able to coach. And coach under the tutelage of a master in Neil McCartney.

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Let the Season Begin

After two weeks of vigorous training, a successful pub night to purchase new jerseys for the second team, and a wonderful rookie initiation to bond veterans with newcomers, we scrummed down at Brock on Saturday, September 20. The Badgers proved to be of little consequence as our firsts prevailed 40-0 and our seconds 30-0. Not to slight the St.Catharines school, but we knew this match-up would be no more than a tune-up.

We travelled to Toronto the following Saturday for our second road game in as many weeks. Our seconds won a hard-fought opener but our firsts fell 20-8 to the Varsity Blues. I have never been one to question officials but the first team referee missed several blatant calls including a 45-yard offside in which he couldn’t keep up with the play. McCartney queried the ref at the beer-up about the shoddy officiating. His reply was, “Don’t you think I was compensating because I’m 45-years-old?”

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The Drive for Six

Now we were behind the rugby eight-ball. With only the top two teams qualifying for the OUAA 1st team title, we were challenged to win our remaining six games. York was slated to invade Mac on Saturday, October 4. We trained with a sense of urgency knowing every game would be a playoff game. I awoke around 4 am. the morning of the York showdown. I sat at a Tim Horton’s contemplating what was at stake. If we could beat York, who had slaughtered us 37-4 the previous year, we would make a statement that Mac Rugby was a true contender. And contend we did as we trounced the Yeomen 21-4 while our seconds also prevailed quite convincingly. Not only had we made believers out of our sceptics but we began to firmly believe in ourselves. With Jim Reive hooking between Phil Aitken and Tim McCleary, along with Jon Stungevicius and all-world Peter Szabolcs at second row, back-row sensations Miles Ellis, John Giuga and rookie standout Brian Quistberg, our forwards were winning the ball in the scrum and in the line-out as if they owned it. Ric Pereira was also making his presence felt at flanker after a brilliant rookie campaign with the second team in 1979. The centers boasted the wonderful play of Don Pede, Richard Akwei and Bentley Larson with the resilient Scott MacLaren and Barry Campbell on the wing. Graham Henderson was proving at fullback what a wonderful apprenticeship he had served with the seconds the year before. What really firmed the brilliance of McCartney, however, was his selection of Steve Barichello at scrum half. Barichello was a natural winger which he had proven the previous two seasons. But he had never played the pivotal scrum half position - football’s equivalent to quarterback. But McCartney saw something in Barichello and converted him to scrum-half at the start of the 1980 season. Barichello took to the position like a rugby player does to a pint of beer. His brilliant play over the first three games was a prelude to the next five match -ups.

This move by McCartney may be compared to the one made by legendary football coach Vince Lombardi in 1960. Lombardi converted Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung from quarterback to running back. The “Golden Boy” Hornung went on to win MVP and scoring honours en route to a place in the NFL Hall of Fame. When I interviewed Hornung over the telephone in 1998, he said he owed his entire career as well as his life to Lombardi. As a rugby club, we owe a life-long debt to McCartney for putting Barichello at scrum-half.

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What no one could have possibly foreseen, however, was the courageous play of flanker Miles Ellis. The third year vet, who could do justice to any position on a rugby team, was now playing with a banged-up knee. He couldn’t even bend his leg. But Miles was better on one limb than most players were with two healthy legs as he graced the pitch in obvious pain but with an equally defiant pain threshold.

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2nd Team Sensations

Our defending second team champions were their usual selves sporting a perfect 3-0 record after the York match-up. Mark Scherer was enjoying another wonderful season as hooker. He was ably assisted by Barry Locke and Mike Grayden in the front row, Wilf Rulends and Peter Marshall at second row with Gary Lantz nicely backing up the powerful duo. Harris Beacock and Mark Heard flanked the side of the pack while Chris Brymer was doing wonderful justice to the eight-man position. Jake Pereira was his usual self at scrum-half setting up the likes of Larry Spriet, Ian Cruickshank, Chuck Kelly, Tony Colucci, Mike MacLennan and Scott Hennenfent. Manny Gomez, Don Stewart, Scott Lennie, Joe Razo, Rob LeBlanc, Rod Smith, Cam Seagram, Alan Morgan, Mark Carey and Jack Stanborough also enjoyed wonderful appearances with the 2nd side throughout the 1980 season.

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The Annual Excursion to Kingston

Each season, we would make the four-hour bus ride to Kingston to play either Queen’s or the Royal Military College. After hosting RMC the year before, it was our turn to head east. We gathered early Saturday morning October 11. This trip proudly demonstrated how far the club had developed in just 24 months. In 1978, the ride to RMC had been like sitting in an empty church. Players either slept or read as we knew our chances of winning were minimal, to say the least. The grey day and steady drizzle further accentuated this feeling. In 1979, the trip to Queen’s had been much more upbeat as players talked and joked. But after beating the OUAA runner-up York Yeomen the following season, we now knew we could play with anyone. And with our seconds defending their title as if it were their personal possession, the trip to RMC on Saturday, October 11 was anything but dull, especially for me. I was finally able to relax, knowing everything was unfolding the way we had all hoped for. I was able to make the transition back to player for a little while as I joked with the guys and at times kept them in stitches with my comedic anecdotes. I don’t know if McCartney appreciated my stand-up routine, but I’m sure the players did. After all, I had been like a drill sergeant in practice when leading fitness drills. I was also as intense as hell when running drills to assimilate game situations. I wasn’t trying to power-trip but was simply driven to win knowing this would be my last season with the Mac club. After all, I had invested a great deal of time and emotion into the club the previous 24 months. I know Neil and the players appreciated my commitment but, looking back, I firmly regret taking some of the fun out of practice. I wish I had been less intense with the guys. After all, it’s just a game. At the same time, trying telling that to a 24-year-old who had withdrawn from school earlier in the year, but remained local to see the job complete. But the buoyant bus trip to RMC enabled me to enjoy some of the fruit of our collective labour. And labour we did as the firsts prevailed 13-0 and the seconds an astonishing 52 to nothing. It was the first time in three seasons that we had won in Kingston. At the beer-up, I continued to let my hair down. I did the Zulu-warrior dance with Peter Szabolcs as we both strutted our naked bodies in a circle with the players from both sides singing in unison. While I was very secure with my upper body, my pin legs as Peter often described them, provided a little humility for me. I think Pete was getting back at me for ribbing him during

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the earlier bus ride as he made a distinct point of standing next to me and comparing one of my chicken legs to one of his tree-trunk, lower-body limbs.

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A Race To The Mountain Top

The Wednesday following Thanksgiving Day, we were slated to play the second of three games in seven days: a mid-week match-up with the host Guelph Gryphons under the lights. With our 3-1 firsts rapidly maturing with a skill level that was foreign to us 24 months earlier, coupled with our seconds sporting a perfect 4-0 mark, we liked our chances. And so did Neil McCartney. That’s probably why we experienced a serious 40-minute bus ride from Hamilton to Guelph. Our seconds squared off first and gave Guelph everything they could handle for the opening 20 minutes. The Gryphons were just as defiant, however, in what amounted to a titanic struggle between two evenly matched adversaries. The hosts eventually prevailed 10-0 as key injuries took a toll on us. I gathered the guys on the side-line after the game and said, “Don’t worry about it, it was Guelph’s game tonight.” They agreed. Our firsts avenged our seconds in the night-cap, beating Guelph 24-6. There was a 20-minute period that would represent the best of Mac Rugby that season. We tallied three to four tries in that span as both forwards and backs orchestrated like a finely-tuned race car. Neil and I could not have been more proud. Later he told me, “’John, I thought your chest was going to explode right through your jacket.”’ Now we were scheduled to face Queen’s at home the following Saturday. For the first time, the seconds were to play hurt while having to regroup after the heartbreaker in Guelph. Our firsts also suffered a blow when Jon Stungevicius, who was having a great season as a first-team lock, was going to miss the rest of the season with an on-going ear problem. This necessitated the promotion of versatile Barry Locke from second-team prop to first team second row. Locke had the skill to do it, but not the experience. However, as Clint Eastwood said in Magnum Force in 1973, “How’s a man going to get experience if you don’t give him a chance.” Locke’s promotion took Harris Beacock off his customary flank position to loose-head prop. Harris had never played the position in his life but, like Locke, he relished the challenge of a new position. And meet the challenge they did as our seconds won a close one and our firsts prevailed quite nicely, despite the three-game slate in just seven days. Unfortunately, I started to see a slight crack in our second team. After thrashing RMC 52-0 maybe we thought we were invincible. The Guelph game really put us on our heels as we

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came crashing back to earth with a close win over Queen’s. I actually began badgering from the sidelines during this game, but in a positive way. I knew a loss to Queen’s would make it that much tougher to repeat as champions. All the same, the beer-up was your typical festive occasion as rookie Rob LeBlanc, who was probably the fittest player on the club but simply lacked experience, had taken it upon himself to organize our home celebrations. It alleviated me of the responsibility. LeBlanc was to the rugby world what you would call an “unsung hero” - a person who selflessly gives so much for the benefit of the entire group. He has my utmost respect because getting players to do anything else for the club but play rugby is a very difficult thing to do. It’s almost as if one percent of the membership does 99 percent of the work when it comes to fundraisers and social functions.

But Rob, along with several others, was a selfless club member whose attitude paralleled the winning feeling we were all experiencing.

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Standing at the Centre of the Universe

With wins over traditional powerhouses York, RMC, Guelph and Queen’s, our firsts were enjoying the season of a lifetime. And, despite having suffered a confidence setback in the seconds, both teams were in the running for their respective OUAA final. It certainly showed as practices were crisp and complete. I firmly believe the guys were having the time of their lives as, by now, I was a little less intense. It also showed the wonderful connection I was now enjoying with some 40 players. While coaching the seconds on a regular basis - and on the few occasions when Neil entrusted me with the entire club in his absence - I never felt happier in my life leading the guys on the school’s rugby ground. It’s as if I had died and gone to heaven. Regardless of whatever else may have been going on with me at the time - a woman who had broken my heart a year earlier - my uncertain future I knew I was standing at the centre of the world every time I coached at practice. It was everything I could have hoped after remaining local to see the task complete.

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The Final Surge

We hosted Waterloo on Saturday, October 27 as both Mac teams came away victorious. I was still a little concerned with our seconds as they seemed to lack the swagger witnessed in previous games. They improved their season record, however, to 6-1 with the victory over Waterloo. Our firsts were humming like a well-tuned guitar. The play of the forwards in the set piece and loose play to provide quality possession for the backs was a joy to watch. The precision the backs showed in advancing the ball was something Neil and I could have only dreamt about 24 months earlier. The firsts also stood at 6-1 going into the final regular season game against visiting Western. We had defeated all first team contenders with the exception of U. of T. (although we had shocked them with a close win the year before.) While a win over Western for the seconds would guarantee another trip to the final, our firsts stood in a much more precarious position, despite enduring only one loss on the season. In light of falling to Toronto 20-6 several weeks earlier, our firsts would have to beat Western by at least 8 points to qualify for the title match. Our seconds prevailed over the Mustangs quite nicely with their best outing since the RMC thrashing. I knew they were ready for another title appearance. As I waited on the sideline for our first team to enter the grounds and take to the field, I felt the anticipation: it all came down to this one-game showdown against a school we had never beaten. Neil had the boys firing on all cylinders as we owned the Mustangs in their own end for the opening 20 minutes. However, when the Mustangs scored first we simply never rebounded, losing 15-0. As the game entered its waning moments, Neil looked at me on the sideline with a facial expression that said, “We gave it everything we had.” The same could not be said for Western. Their coach punched innocent bystander and second team Mac player Don Stewart on a damaged ear, late in the game. The ref made the Mustang coach leave the field. Bill Fowler, who was now a fixture at our games, had the police called. Charges were pending but I don’t know if anything ever came of the matter legally. It certainly showed how Mac could lose graciously despite so much being on the line.

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The beer-up was a sombre affair in light of the loss and the action of the Western coach. Just the same, I congratulated every first team player for a season well accomplished. It was simply an honour to be in their athletic company.

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Showtime Once Again

On the heels of our 1979 OUAA 2nd team title, our seconds once again did the program proud by winning seven of eight games the following year. Heading into the championship rematch with Queen’s, this time on our own field, we all wanted to repeat as champions and to make amends for the first team’s loss to Western a week earlier. Mark Scherer would anchor Harris Beacock and Mike Grayden in the front row while Peter Marshall and Gary Lantz solidified the lock positions. Gerald Giles and Mark Heard were slated at the wing forwards while Chris Brymer manned the number-eight position. Jake Pereira consolidated scrum-half as Larry Spriet, Ian Cruickshank and Chuck Kelly formed an impressive three-quarter line. Tony Colucci, Mike MacLennan and Scott Hennenfent rounded out the wing and fullback positions. Coupled with our fine wealth of reserves, our 2nd team line-up for the championship rematch against Queen’s was fit and healthy.

Under the watchful eye of Neil McCartney, I would coach the seconds in the final as I had done all season. As we assembled outside our clubhouse on that beautiful autumn day of Saturday November 7, 1980, I told the boys, “We’ve come too far together to let this slip away. Let’s do it.” Unfortunately for us, Queen’s was also up for the challenge as they led 3-0 at half-time courtesy of a penalty-kick. Scott Hennenfent sustained an injury in the early going but Rod Smith played an incredible game as Hennenfent’s replacement at fullback. Our forwards had played their collective hearts out in the set and loose play while dominating much of the possession and territorial advantage. However, Queen’s was an ornery opponent despite being the visitor to our home-field. In the second half, Larry Spriet had several penalty attempts fall short before connecting late in regulation to knot the game at three. We had our chances in overtime but we just couldn’t punch it in when we got close to the goal-line. The game would last three overtimes before Queen’s scored a try to prevail 7-3.

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In the clubhouse afterwards, our seconds were an exhausted but proud group. No one pointed the finger at anyone for the loss; rather, shared congratulations permeated the room. We had nothing to be ashamed of after going 7-1 on the season en route to becoming OUAA 2nd team finalists. In retrospect some 31 years later, I think the 1980 campaign for our seconds was a “reversal of fortune” compared to 1979. That year we started slowly and built towards the title as the underdog. In 1980, we came out of the blocks leaving the opposition in our dust culminating with the demolition of RMC at mid-season. However, the loss to Guelph and our injuries somewhat shook our confidence although we rebounded to win our next three games to qualify for the championship. Although we were definitely the favourites going into the 1980 final, we lacked the confidence from the previous year, a swagger spawned by the lack of pressure that accompanies the underdog label. Just the same, I am very proud of our 1980 2nd team. As with any rugby club, university or community, the first side is only as strong as the 2nd team. And our 1980 second team - which featured some 30 players throughout the season - would do any rugby club proud. In 1980, they did just that!!

1980 Mac Rugby Marauders

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Saying Goodbye to a Family

My emotions ran the entire gamut of emotion at the annual awards banquet in March of 1981. As I sat at the table I realized this would be the last time I would be with my Mac Rugby compatriots. As I watched the evening unfold, our group of some 40 to 50 players was boisterous to put it mildly. When McCartney announced our MVP and rookie winners we stood in unison to honour the winners. I couldn’t have been happier for Neil and all the players in attendance, many of whom I’d known since the 1978 campaign. Later in the evening, I spoke with Bill Fowler who encouraged me to return for the 1981 season. In the back of my mind, however, I knew I’d be moving on. I did play with some of the guys that summer as I captained the Hamilton Hornets 2nd team. But it wasn’t the same. The Hornets were a club forever in disarray. I saw Neil McCartney several times over the summer at rugby venues. However, I kept my distance somewhat because I didn’t want to say good-bye. Finally in late August of 1981, Neil and his wife Jenny invited me for a barbecue. They owned a beautiful home on the mountain but secluded in the country. We spent several hours together that Friday evening, enjoying the outdoors over a nice barbecue and a few beers. We reminisced about the previous three seasons and how the club had finally come of age. A 2-14 shambles in 1978, to the 2nd team title in 1979, en route to 13 wins against only three losses in 1980 and another appearance in the 2nd team championship. As the sun went down, it was time to say good-bye. Jenny was in tears but Neil and I held it together. He encouraged me to follow my heart but to always remember what we had accomplished together. As I was leaving I can remember Neil’s final words. “It’s your club, John, and always will be.” I replied, “No Neil, the club belongs to all of us.” All the players from 1978 to 1980, dared to dream. Along with the school’s athletic department, they made the dream come true.

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Epilogue

Some 30 years have passed since that glorious 1980 rugby season at McMaster. While I’ve never seen many of the guys, I’ve spoken with Neil several times on the telephone. However, in early September of 2002, I ventured upon his house after a rugby alumni game at McMaster. While we’ve both aged, we’ve both aged quite gracefully. After a lengthy conversation over the telephone earlier that summer, coupled with seeing Neil for the first time since 1981, the idea to write this book was born. However work and theatre commitments prevented me from finishing the book until now. My timing however has been impeccable as the culmination of the 2010 season marks the 30th Anniversary of that turnaround seasons of 1978 to 1980. Since the summer of 2002, the Marauders under Phil White and Shaun Allen have captured six OUA titles and a silver medal. Along with a 1992 OUAA championship, the Marauders have earned five silver medals between 1987 and 1996 and only experienced three losing seasons since White’s inaugural campaign of 1987. White has also earned five OUA Coach-of-the-Year awards during his 22 seasons as Marauders coach. (Phil White did not coach in 1997 or 2010.) From 1979 to 1986, the club under Neil McCartney, produced an OUAA silver medal, three OUAA-West Division titles and an OUAA 2nd team championship and runner-up title. McCartney also captured two OUAA Coach-of-the-Year awards during his nine-year tenure as Marauders head coach. The Mac Rugby Marauders have rarely experienced a losing season since 1978, while boasting only two head coaches in McCartney and White, to parallel 33 years of consistency. While I never thought the program would flourish to this extent, I can look back with great pride at what we all accomplished together between 1978 and 1980. Since leaving Hamilton in 1981, I eventually returned to school in 1988 at age 32. Two years later, I graduated from Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario, with a diploma in Radio, Television, Journalism Arts. Today, I write for Sports & Leisure Magazine in Buffalo, New York. Since 1985, I’ve also performed in some 32 plays in the community theatre while studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in the summer of 2001.

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While my interest in acting began in the fall of 1981 with my intense interest in the Emmy Award winning police drama “Hill Street Blues,” it wasn’t until my chance encounter with Route 66 co-star George Maharis in the summer of 1983, that I decided to act upon my interest. In 1990, I contacted George Maharis by telephone to let him know what I’d done since talking with him in 1983. He remembered me and was elated to hear from me. In March of 2007, I attended an off-Broadway play in New York City starring Hill Street Blues sensation Daniel J. Travanti. After the show, Travanti autographed my program and posed with me for a picture.

But while meeting these Hollywood celebrities has given me a great sense of hope over the years, it was my EXPERIENCE with the roving rugby Marauders from 1978 to 1980 that gave me the confidence to act on that hope and pursue my dreams.

Myself and Daniel J Travanti (NYC) March 2007

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Club Record 1978 to 2010 Neil McCartney - 1978 to 1986

1978: Won two and lost 14 (first and second team combined) 1979: Posted eight wins, five losses and three ties (first and second team combined) - Won the OUAA 2nd team championship. 1980: Posted a record of 13 wins against 3 losses (first and second team combined) - scored 314 points while allowing only 80 against - Were the OUAA 2nd team finalists. 1981: / 1982: / 1983: / 1984: Won the OUAA West Division title. 1985: Won the OUAA West Division title. 1986: Won the OUAA West Division title and the OUAA silver medal.

Phil White – 1987 to 2009

1987: Posted a record of 5 - 2, finishing second in the OUA. Lost in the Championship game earning an OUA silver medal. 1988: Posted a record of 6 - 1, finishing first in the OUA. 1989: Posted a record of 3 - 3 - 1, finishing fourth in the OUA. 1990: Posted a record of 6 - 1, finishing first in the OUA. Lost in the Championship game earning an OUA silver medal. 1991: Posted a record of 4 - 3, finishing third in the OUA. Lost in the Championship game earning an OUA silver medal. 1/ 1992: Posted a record of 6 - 1, finishing first in the OUA. Won the OUA Championship. 1993: Posted a record of 5 - 2, finishing second in the OUA.

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1994: Posted a record of 5 - 1 - 1, finishing second in the OUA. 1995: Posted a record of 4 - 3, finishing third in the OUA. Lost in the Championship game, earning an OUA silver medal. 1996: Posted a record of 6 - 0, finishing first in the OUA. Lost in the Championship game, earning an OUA silver medal. 1997: Took a year of leave to complete research. 1998: Posted a record of 2 - 5, did not qualify for the playoffs. 1999: Posted a record of 2 - 5, did not qualify for the playoffs. 2000: Posted a record of 2 - 6, did not qualify for the playoffs. 2001: Posted a record of 4 – 4, did not qualify for the playoffs. 2/ 2002: Posted a record of 5 - 1, finishing first in the OUA West division. Defeated Queen’s 27 - 17 in semi-final action and UWO 47 - 32 to win the OUA Championship. 3/ 2003: Posted a record of 6 - 0 to finish first in the OUA West division. Defeated Carleton 39-10 in the semi-finals and UWO 28 - 5 in win the OUA Championship. 2004: Posted a record of 6 - 1, finishing 2nd in the OUA West division. Defeated Waterloo 45 - 5 in the semi-finals and lost 12-10 to UWO in the OUA Championship to earn a silver medal. 4/ 2005: Posted a record of 8 - 0, finishing first in the OUA West division. Defeated Brock 54-7 in the semi-finals and UWO 15-13 to win the OUA Championship. 5/ 2006: Posted a record of 7 - 1, finishing tied for first in the OUA West division. Defeated Brock 24 - 0 in the semi-finals and defeated UWO 15 - 10 to earn the OUA Championship. 2007: Finished in first place in league play but lost out of the OUA medal running for the first time since 2001 - with close losses to Brock and Western. Mac flanker Keegan Selby was named the - OUA West division’s Most Valuable Player. The Marauders also led the west division with six all-star selections. 6/ 2008: The Marauders reclaimed their OUA crown after defeating Queen’s 10-18 on Fletcher’s Field in the OUA final...Queen’s flawed Mac’s perfect season in late September and left their conference record at 6-1...Keegan Selby was named the OUA West Division’s Most Valuable Player.

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2009: McMaster finished fourth in the OUA after posting a 5-3 conference season...Prevailed in OUA quarter-finals over Laurier 15-0 to advance to the OUA semifinal where they were defeated 17-8 by Queen’s...Finished fourth in the championship tournament after falling 21-17 to the Brock Badgers. 7/ 2010: McMaster finished second in the OUA after posting a 6-1-1 conference record. Defeated Queen’s 34-20 in the OUA semi-final en route to beating Western 20-17 to win the OUA title - the Marauders sixth gold medal in nine seasons (since 2002) and seventh championship of the Phil White era. Interim head coach Shaun Allen wins 2010 OUA Coach-of-the-Year!

The AuthorJohn Williams

John Williams was born in Guelph, Ontario on July 31st 1956. He graduated from Centennial CVI in June 1976. He attended York University during 1977-78 and McMaster University during 1978-1980. He graduated with a diploma from Lambton College (1988 to 1990) in Radio/Television/Journalism Arts. He wrote sports for the Lindsay Daily Post and Niagara Falls Review from 1990 to 1994. He has written for Sports And Leisure Magazine in Buffalo, New York since March of 1996. In the mid-1990s, he called the play-by-play of the former OHL’s Niagara Falls Thunder for community television - as well as produced and hosted “The Bottom Line On Sports” for live, community TV. He currently resides in Crystal Beach, Ontario. johnnealwilliams@hotmail.com