Thursday I registered with USARugby as a Fairbanks Northern Warrior. Saturday was my first match in Alaska. I drove up to Fairbanks a little early to bum around the "city' before the match was to begin. I hit Starbucks for a caffeine injection, the Sports Authority for swimming goggles and running shoes and cleats since mine are still in storage with the Army somewhere. Then I hit Sportsmans Warehouse to look at hunting stuff, Old Navy for some clothes, Lowes for tools. I thought about Home Depot but ran out of time. I didn't really buy anything but just being in a bix box retail store after 6 weeks of not having them nearby is somehow a bit intoxicating and nauseating at the same time. I guess alcohol is really the same way.
I saw this on the way into Fairbanks and had to take a pic. I think it sums up the situation pretty well.
I made my way over to University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to try to find the pitch. Not a bad campus but definitely a smaller school . They did have a gun show happening on campus, how's that for a change of pace. I saw a few folks in knee high socks with a 300' tape measure and deduced this must be the place. Immediately I met the Alaska Union President, Ted and our Club President/Captain, Schu. I ended up helping paint the pitch, go figure. Sucks being dependable. The girls played first. partway through their match a group of pipers showed up and started playing. They even paraded us onto the pitch for the men's match.
Kilts galore.
Looks like a good ruck.
Hand in the ruck, maybe, or just a clean steal at a tackle?! You decide.
You won't mistake this ref for one of your own players.
Anchorage (blue) played Fairbanks (green) in a game of 10 vs 10.
Then the Men played. It was Fairbanks vs a motley side from the Anchorage teams. I ended up playing with the Motleys. Fairbanks looked solid to start with, they should they've been practicing together. Once the Motleys started to gel we kept toe to toe with them. They scored an early try against us on clean ball movement. We answered later in the half when yours truly grabbed a loose ball behind our ruck from 5m out and cut back against traffic and ran over the thigh of a young samoan gentleman. He made the tackle but I was so close to the try line I reached and set the ball for the try. We did miss the kick though I found out later. We shuffled teams for the second half and I got in with Fairbanks. We ran away with 4 tries to none owning almost all of the forward play. Overall i think it was better overall play than most folks expected for the first match of the season from both sides. We did have one tackler from Anchorage, a wing, knock himself out on a tackle and one decent scuffle from the samoan contingent. All in all, a great day of rugby, at least for an aging vet like myself, another day in the sun is good enough. Afterwards we headed to Ivory Jack's for the social.
This was on their main sign out front. home.
Any ruggers dream social.
Definitely had the Alaska wood theme going.
Recruitment flier.
The dinner fare was a step above what I was expecting. 12 oz New York Strip and 1/2 lb King Crab legs. Oh so tasty and fresh. I said no potato (low carb diet) so they doubled the veg. Not too shabby.
Jack Daniels was there.
Here's a pic of the inside. A weird mix of Yankees paraphenalia, pull tabs, Alaska themed stuff and Elvis. Lots of retired age local folks which tells me the grub is good all around because it's not cheap.
I sat and talked for an hour or so then had to get back on the road for the 100 mile drive home.
There are maybe a half dozen matches/tournaments over the 4 months of summer. I think I will try to make as many as possible.
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