1980's
An outstanding, nationally recognized educator, immigrant teens from South Africa, Ireland, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka, alien resident schoolboys from England and Japan, a coach of a champion U.S. national Rugby side, and a mixture of blue blood and ordinary American boys all share a common bond. They were founders, coaches, or players of the Greenwich Rugby Football Club. Greenwich Rugby, part of the Greenwich High School athletic program, is a consistent powerhouse in Northeast schoolboy Rugby.
Friday, May 2, 1986 dawned as a cool spring day with a crisp blue sky and biting breeze. It would end with Greenwich High School athletes completing the first match for Greenwich Rugby. The match was played on Randall’s Island in full view of New York City. The Greenwich side, 19 players strong with one month’s practice and only three players who had ever played a game before, lost to a powerful and experienced Fordham Prep side, 18-13.
The match marked a beginning and an end. It was the end of a period of organization. It was the beginning of Greenwich Rugby and a tradition of sportsmanship and championship play that continues to date.
Greenwich Rugby began when Rodney van Zyl, a South African who captained the forwards in that first match, and Barry Lyons, an Irishman who captained the backs, approached Terry Lowe about forming a Rugby Club. Terry, a nationally recognized teacher of the year, was also the coordinator of student activities at GHS and guided Rodney and Barry through the steps necessary for the formation of a club sport. Terry was instrumental to the success of the club in its early years and without his guidance the team would probably never have made it through their first season.
The selection of team colors and name were addressed with dispatch. GHS teams were known as The Cardinals, an American songbird of red plumage that is common to Greenwich. School colors are red and white. The Ruggers, all students of GHS and playing as such, were mindful of the less than enthusiastic support they had received from the school’s athletic department bureaucracy. Further, they received no financial support, uniforms, etc. from the school and were not recognized as a school team. As a result, the founding members of Greenwich Rugby Football Club selected powder blue and white striped jerseys and chose “Big Blue” as the team name.
1987 marked a major expansion in the club’s scope and fortune. Steve Nocka, a recent Colgate graduate was hired as a teacher at Western Junior High School in Greenwich. Steve played in the backs on his college Rugby club. He was quickly recruited by the team to be their full time coach. Steve Nocka coached the team through the 1990 season.
Mike Hochschild also entered the Greenwich Rugby picture in 1987. Mike was an immigrant from South Africa and a member of a distinguished South African family. Mike is a lifelong Rugby player and fan. Mike did not have a son at GHS and was not even then a resident of Greenwich, however he took the club under his wing. As a volunteer, he generously gave of his time to help coach the team. Mike recruited other Rugby players to assist the Greenwich club, thereby enforcing the tradition of volunteer help that continues to date.
Coach Nocka and Coach Hochschild helped develop the team into a force in the New England Union and won its first New England title in 1989. Equally important in the tradition of rugby players and the camaraderie they share, the team ventured on its first tour and stayed at other player’s homes in England and Wales. Though no wins were collected overseas, the players shared experiences and memories that would last a lifetime. As the success and recognition grew, the team solicited to be a varsity sport. In 1990, the “Big Blue” turned in their blue jerseys for black and red jerseys and “Big Red” was recognized and supported as a varsity sport.
The previous history was provided by our former club historian, parent and rugby convert, Spencer Schedler.
Friday, May 2, 1986 dawned as a cool spring day with a crisp blue sky and biting breeze. It would end with Greenwich High School athletes completing the first match for Greenwich Rugby. The match was played on Randall’s Island in full view of New York City. The Greenwich side, 19 players strong with one month’s practice and only three players who had ever played a game before, lost to a powerful and experienced Fordham Prep side, 18-13.
The match marked a beginning and an end. It was the end of a period of organization. It was the beginning of Greenwich Rugby and a tradition of sportsmanship and championship play that continues to date.
Greenwich Rugby began when Rodney van Zyl, a South African who captained the forwards in that first match, and Barry Lyons, an Irishman who captained the backs, approached Terry Lowe about forming a Rugby Club. Terry, a nationally recognized teacher of the year, was also the coordinator of student activities at GHS and guided Rodney and Barry through the steps necessary for the formation of a club sport. Terry was instrumental to the success of the club in its early years and without his guidance the team would probably never have made it through their first season.
The selection of team colors and name were addressed with dispatch. GHS teams were known as The Cardinals, an American songbird of red plumage that is common to Greenwich. School colors are red and white. The Ruggers, all students of GHS and playing as such, were mindful of the less than enthusiastic support they had received from the school’s athletic department bureaucracy. Further, they received no financial support, uniforms, etc. from the school and were not recognized as a school team. As a result, the founding members of Greenwich Rugby Football Club selected powder blue and white striped jerseys and chose “Big Blue” as the team name.
1987 marked a major expansion in the club’s scope and fortune. Steve Nocka, a recent Colgate graduate was hired as a teacher at Western Junior High School in Greenwich. Steve played in the backs on his college Rugby club. He was quickly recruited by the team to be their full time coach. Steve Nocka coached the team through the 1990 season.
Mike Hochschild also entered the Greenwich Rugby picture in 1987. Mike was an immigrant from South Africa and a member of a distinguished South African family. Mike is a lifelong Rugby player and fan. Mike did not have a son at GHS and was not even then a resident of Greenwich, however he took the club under his wing. As a volunteer, he generously gave of his time to help coach the team. Mike recruited other Rugby players to assist the Greenwich club, thereby enforcing the tradition of volunteer help that continues to date.
Coach Nocka and Coach Hochschild helped develop the team into a force in the New England Union and won its first New England title in 1989. Equally important in the tradition of rugby players and the camaraderie they share, the team ventured on its first tour and stayed at other player’s homes in England and Wales. Though no wins were collected overseas, the players shared experiences and memories that would last a lifetime. As the success and recognition grew, the team solicited to be a varsity sport. In 1990, the “Big Blue” turned in their blue jerseys for black and red jerseys and “Big Red” was recognized and supported as a varsity sport.
The previous history was provided by our former club historian, parent and rugby convert, Spencer Schedler.