Rugby as it should be, since 1976

(Still!) Defending Montana Rugby Union Champions,
1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Maggot email: johno@ctgmt.com

2008 MRU Champions!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the Maggot Page! Click on the links for lots of pictures, stories, news, and nonsense about the Maggots.

The Maggots?

In the spring of 1976, a group of University of Montana rugby players / students-for-life finally graduated or gave up aspirations of higher learning. Faced with the harsh realities of graduation and lack of a rugby team, they formed a new "old boys" side that summer. The name "UM Old Boys" might have been adopted had it not been for the typically insensitive Canadians who referred to the new team as "that bunch of maggots from Montana." The name stuck and has always been worn with pride by one of the top rugby teams in the northwestern United States.

The Maggots uniform is basic black with white collars, a color scheme that has also been adopted by the New Zealand national rugby team. On the shirt is a rosetta of intertwined maggots. Alternate kits include white jerseys with black and white segmented sleeves and black and white quarterpanels.

The Maggots play at the Maggot Rugby Park, located in southwest Missoula in the Fort Missoula Park complex, off South Street. The Rugby park, with its full-sized pitch and views of the mountains, is widely acclaimed as one of the premier rugby venues in the northwest. Here's directions to the Missoula Maggot Rugby Park

We field two full sides each weekend through the spring and fall seasons, playing other teams from the Montana Rugby Union and visitors from the rest of the rugby world. The Maggots also field an old boys side, "The Flies" (all good Maggots grow up to be Flies), who play less regularly.

Here are a few team photos. More will be added as they surface.\

MRU Cup Champions 2006
State Champions, 1977
Tour to Bahamas, 1980
In Scottsdale, Arizona, 2001
Montana Rugby Union A-Side Champions, 2001
MRU A- and B-Side Champions, 2001
Montana Rugby Union A-Side Champions, 2002
Montana Rugby Union B-Side Champions, 2002
Kootenai Cup Champions, 2004

The Maggots also tour frequently, traveling to Australia in October of 2003 for the World Cup. Other past major trips have included New Zealand, the Caribbean, and a tour of the UK during the 1999 World Cup. We also take regular Bus tours around the US and Canada, recently having driven south to Arizona for a week, and central California for another.

If you are moving to the Missoula area, send us a message to the Maggoty-Mailer: johno@ctgmt.com. Or, if you prefer to use the information dirt road, send mail to PO Box 8704, Missoula, MT, 59807.

The Missoula All-Maggots RFC is an IRS-recognized tax-deductible nonprofit organization, and we're always on the lookout for sponsors. Please send us an email: johno@ctgmt.com or write us at PO Box 8704, Missoula, MT, 59807 if you or your company are interested in helping support athletics in the Missoula area.

Take me back to the top.

Maggotfest

The 33rd Annual Maggotfest will be held the

Weekend of TBD?, 2009

Make your plans to attend now

Since 1977, the Maggots have hosted a festival-style rugby tournament, held the first weekend of May. Maggotfest features 36 teams (28 men's and 8 women's sides) from throughout the US and Canada, with an occasional team from other exotic places. The emphasis at Maggotfest is on both the competition of the sport and on the fun aspects of rugby. Fest regularly features top first and second division clubs looking to test their skills, as well as more social sides out for some good matches and good times. We match teams that might not ordinarily get to meet each other, and are on a somewhat even level. Teams are encouraged to not only play great rugby, but wear costumes and present creative skits. The small $425 registration fee gives you free beer all weekend and a party Saturday night. Unlike most tournaments, there is no elimination process to decide a champion - everyone gets the same number of matches. There's plenty of opportunities for additional games, as this is a rugby whore's paradise. All teams are presented with a Maggoty trophy at the end of Fest, with a special "Best Play on the Pitch" trophy given to the team we observed to have the best playing ability. Equally as important, is the big trophy for the "Most Honored Side", the team with the best overall rugby attitude, both on and off the pitch. Past trophy winners are listed here. One of the unforgettable events (but then again, many people claim they can't remember a thing) of Maggotfest is the Saturday night party, which needs to be experienced to be believed. For a hint of what can go on that weekend, here are some highlights (lowlights?) of past Maggotfests: an insider's view from Doc the Maggot, and a snappy photo album from Scottsdale's Joe Loud. We were also the subject of a nice bit of press from the Missoula Independent just before Fest '98, and written up in the August 2001 issue of Rugby magazine.

Each year the Maggots host a special visiting side and play a "friendly" match on the Thursday afternoon before Fest. Friday, we'll take that club out for some Big Sky entertainment, such as floating a local whitewater river. It also gives you the inside track for the Most Honored Side trophy. Previous guest teams have been top clubs from exotic locales such as England, Arizona, Ohio and New Jersey. If your club is interested in being hosted at a Maggotfest, let us know as soon as possible, since this slot gets filled early.

Click here if your club would like an invitation to a future Maggotfest.
Alternatively, send us a message to: france@nwf.org or send snail mail to PO Box 8704, Missoula, MT, 59807.

For accommodation, travel and flight information, contact Sport Teams Accommodations at info6@sportaccom.com, or phone toll free 1-800-616-1533 and ask for Sandra.

I forgot where I was; take me back to the top.

Practices for the Spring Season begin on Tues. Feb. 19^th, 2008, every Tuesday and Thursday at the Ft. Missoula Rugby Pitch at 5:00 PM. In the mean time, keep fit. Players - new and experienced - are always welcome.
For more information, email us or phone (406) 829-8246 or (406) 370-6747.

All games begin at 1:00 P.M. on Saturdays unless noted otherwise. Here are directions to the Missoula Maggot Rugby Park

Summaries, comments and outright lies about each match from our crack news team will be available here once the season begins.
Commentaries on some past seasons are also available here, including: Fall 2007, Fall 2006, Spring 2006, Spring 2005, Spring, 2004, Spring 2002, Summer, 2001, Spring 2001 , Fall, 2000, Spring 2000 , Fall 1999 and Spring 1999.
You will also find descriptions of some of our tours, including Australia for the 2003 World Cup, Vail, Colorado in the Summer of 2002 and the UK for the World Cup in 1999.

More Recently, we just returned from Invading France for RWC 2007! Check it out.

Spring 2008 Schedule

Final Record

Premiers (12-3)

Reserve Grade (6-1-1)

Flies (2-0)

Date

Opponent

Venue

Result

W/L

3/1/08

Warrior Fest

Lewiston, ID

Maggots def. Western Oregon U. 37-3

Maggots def. Bend Roughriders 33-10

3^rd game was forfeited to the Maggots

TBD

3/8/08

Billings Bulls (A,B)

Ft. Missoula

Maggots def. Bulls 35-3

Maggot B’s draw Jester A’s 19-19

3/15/08

*Flathead Moose

North Idaho Osprey

Ft. Missoula

Maggots def. Osprey/Moose

48-0

(41-0 halftime)

3/22/08

*Bozeman Cutthroats (A, B)

Bozeman, MT

Maggot A’s Def. Fish A’s 12-7

Maggot B’s Def. Fish B’s 31-5

3/29/08

*Spokane Razorbacks (A,B)

Ft. Missoula

Maggots def. Razorbacks

29-5

Maggot B’s def. Spokane/Moose/Jesters

22-14

4/5 – 4/6

Fools Fest

Spokane, WA

Maggots def. Trail B.C. 15-5

Maggots def. Ospreys 19-0

Maggots def. Boise Sting Rays 29-0

4/12/08

*U. of M. Jesters (A, B)

Dornblazer

Jester Host

Maggots Def. Jesters 29-7

Maggot B’s Def. Drummond A’s

27-17

4/19/08

Snake River Snakes (A, B)

Boise, ID

Snake A’s Def. Maggot A’s 34 –21

Maggot B’s Def. Snake/BSU B’s 40 - 7

4/26-2/27

MAGGOTFEST 2008

Ft. Missoula

Flies – 22

Happy Valley – 5

(Trys-Shepard, Merrill,

Laird, Bishop)

Maggot A’s - 0

Outback Barbo’s - 27

SAT.

Maggot A’s–15

Howlers Fire-20

(Trys-Meyers, Taulbee, P-Rye penalty kick, conv.)

Flies Def. 43^rd State Old Boys

Maggot B’s-0

PAWS-27

5/3-5/4

MRU Cup

Bozeman, MT

Maggots B’s def. Moose (6 Trys to 1)

Maggots Def. Bozeman 10-8 (Trys S. Miller, M. Clark)

Maggot B’s Def. Minnows 14-3 (Trys C.Coghlan, R. Bramer – C. Cline 2 Conv.)

Maggot A’s Def. Billings Bulls 46-19

MRU Cup Final

All home games begin at 1:00 at Fort Missoula Rugby Park unless noted! ** Indicates MRU League match

	Spring	2008
	Maggoty Players	Position

	Eddie “Coming to America!” Murphy	Head Coach
	Jake “King Lowbaggery” Kreilick	Asst. Coach/1-13


	Mike Day	Hooker
	Andy “Snowshow” Snowden	Prop/Hooker
	Johnny “Death Rock” Baker	Prop
	Reid “Sanitizer Pornier” Fournier ®	Prop
	Grant Comfort ®	Prop
	Curty Shields “Blondy”	Hooker/Flanker
	Brice Schilling “Gunky C**t”	Prop
	“Papa” Chuck Shepard	Prop
	Ken Goodian	Prop
	Rich “Sodomizer” Sonderman	Hooker/Flanker
	Jeremy Pena “Rookie for Life”	Hooker/Prop
	Chris "Meat Roll" Houck	Prop/Lock
	Bill "The Bull" Merrill	#3, #6, #8
	Kris “K-Head” Headlee	Lock
	Aaron Fessler	Lock
	Nate Robinson “Congo Nate”	Flanker/Lock
	“Southside” Shawn Bailey	Lock
	“Amish” Joe Waggett	Flanker
	Russ “Fireball” Bortle	Flanker
	Andy “Smitty” Smith	Lock/Flanker
	Pat “P-Rye” Ryerson ©**	Lock
	Brian “Scud” Briske	Flanker
	Brent “Space Ghost” Meyers	8
	Matty Clark	Flanker
	Morgan Davies	Flanker
	Troy Doxey “Dox”	Flanker/Hooker
	Ron “Jon” “Ron Jeremy” Brammer	Scrumhalf
	Brad Saville “B-Rad” ©**	Scrumhalf
	Tory “Dirty Johnny” Richtmyer	Scrumhalf
	Stefan Ekernas via Dartmouth	Scrumhalf/Wing
	Jim Kostecki	Sir/Scrumhalf
	Blake Meyers	Flyhalf/Center
	“Mamma” Chuck Cline	Flyhalf
	Jared “Venus” Reinhardt	Center
	Beau Pallister	Center
	Ashby Kinch	Coach, 6-8, 10-15
	Chris Coulter ®	Center/Wing
	Dave "Smoothy" Morrison	Center
	Chris Coghlan “Cougs”	Center
	“Seattle” Dave Calkin	Hooker/Flyhalf
	Collin "Scarecrow" Bishop	Wing/Flanker
	Scotty “Scooter” Miller	Wing
	Luke Schiable ®	Wing
	Kevin “K-Fed” Farris	Wing
	Alex Baer “A-Baer”	Fullback
	Matty Gurgel “Erckel”	Wing
	Fast Mikey Freeman	Wing
	Brian “Butba, Bitchba” Taulbee	Wing
	Lance “Fancy Pants” Osler	Wing/Fullback
	Johnny “Rocket” Whiteley	Wing
	“DJ” Joe Cik	Wing
	Tanner Pressler ®	Wing
	Jeremy Gallagher ®	Wing
	Jason Dutton ®	Wing
	Justin Jore “Mini-Dale aka That Guy” ®	Wing
	©** Denotes Current Captain ® Rookie season

Now I'm really lost, take me back to the top.

The Maggot Bus

One tradition the Maggots have kept throughout history is the Maggot Bus, our clubhouse on wheels. We're currently driving the third incarnation, rolling in style, comfort and luxury to away matches. The Bus also provides for inexpensive rugby tours, such as recent trips to the Arizona desert and to the California coast. After former lives as a school bus and a forest circus bus, the Bus has been modified for the unique Maggot lifestyle, allowing the mayhem and camaraderie that have built the club into a closely-knit brotherhood.

The last ten feet of seats were ripped out and replaced by the elevated, carpeted Pit, a favored lounging site for non-rookies. There's a card room mid-way back, for games of "oh hell" during those interminable voyages to Billings and a funnel up front so we never have to stop except for beer, gas, and breakdowns (not necessarily in that order). Grafitti, stickers and old food cover the ceiling and walls, while duct tape patches the windows broken out during the sometimes devastating Pit brawls. Night-time, and the Bus becomes the Great Green Hotel, as the Pit rapidly fills with sleeping Maggots, while others stretch out on Bus boards laid across the aisle.

Like the game of rugby itself, the Bus is not for the fainthearted. The floors are swept once a year, whether they need it or not (one advantage of this is that you can almost always find a stray Bus beer rolling under the seats - even near the end of a three day trip to Edmonton in '94, brews miraculously appeared from the debris. Bus beers also played a major role in getting us across the Canadian border that trip - but I'm digressing - back to describing the Bus). I imagine the carpet in the Pit was clean once, but nobody can remember it being so. The Bus is also home to the Grunge, a particularly virulent pestilence that has occasionally decimated the team after tours. But, as a famous dead guy once said, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. We can definitely guarantee that you'll never forget the Bus!

Maggot Rugby Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the object of rugby?
A. Run as little as possible, make spectacular tackles right in front of the female spectators, always be in the right spot to catch a pass for the winning try, then drink beer.

2. How do you score in rugby?
A. Try by day, score by night.

3. How many people are on each team?
A. It takes fifteen to play, but only eight to win.

4. Isn't rugby like American football without pads?
A. Although gridiron is a bastard child of rugby, the two games are very different from each other. Without a helmet, the head makes a poor weapon (note: some of the poofters at the IRB are trying to change this!). As a result, there are far fewer injuries in rugby than in football. In rugby, even the fat boys run 5-7 miles per game, so your average prop is in far better shape that an NFL offensive lineman.

5. How come you party after rugby games?
A. The sport is built around camaraderie, and the post-game party is a good way to relax and get to know your opponents in a friendly way. Let all the antagonism go and have a few beers with the guys you were just stamping on.

6. Is it more important to have a good time or play lots of rugby at Maggotfest?
A. Both

7. What are the three main things a rugby team needs to remember to win the game?
A. Possession. Possession. Possession.

8. Isn't there a fourth important point to remember?
A. Yes. Don't get caught!

9. Is it true that the U of Montana Jesters are a lousy, second-rate rugby team?
A. This is false. They a very good, second-rate team.

10. How come so many women love horses, which are big and dirty and smelly and stupid and go to the bathroom all over the place, and yet women are highly critical when men exhibit these same qualities?
A. This question has plagued men who play in the scrum since the beginning of time. I sure wish I knew the answer!

11. So how do I join the Maggots?
A. Come out to practice, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 at Fort Missoula Park.
Or call Jake Kreilick (Asst. coach) at (406) 829-8246 or Bill Merrill (Head Coach) at (406) 370-6747.
Or drop us an email at the Maggotymail.
Or meet us for a beer at Hammer Jack’s after practice on Thursday.

The Maggot Rugby IQ Test

Now that we've answered some of your questions about rugby, let's see what you know about the sport. Take the Maggot Rugby IQ Test and see if you understand the game the way we do!

Cool, but where was the table of contents again?

The Virtual Maggot News

"All the News We Feel Like Printing,(or have time too!) Since 1976 "

Updates, comments, ramblings and other drivel from Maggots the world over.

Updated: 5/5/08

2008 MRU Champions!!!!!!!!!!

Killer B’s win 2 and take the B-Cup (again!)

STATE CUP – Yeah, we did it. A bit shaky in the semi-final but got it done against a solid Bulls side in the Grand final.

Fine reporting at Rugby Rugby.com http://www.rugbyrugby.com/news/by_country/usa/story_8508182023.php

Check it out….http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/05/sports/sports05.txt

A-Side First XV – Cup Champs 2008

1. A. Snowden

2. J. Baker (R. Sonderman @ 55 min.)

3. B. Schilling (B. Merrill @ 55 min.)

5. K. Headlee

6. M. Clark (J. Wagget @ 55 min.)

7. C. Shields

8. Br. Meyers

9. B. Saville

10. A. Baer

11. S. Ekerness

12. B. Pallister (Bl. Meyers @ 36 min.)

13. D. Morrison

14. S. Miller (L. Osler @ 38 min.)

15. B. Taulbee

Reserves

J. Wagget, R. Sonderman, L. Osler, M. Davies, B. Merrill, C. Cline, Bl. Meyers,

B-Side First XV – B -Cup Champs 2008

Def. Bozeman 14-3

(Trys - Coghlan, Bramer, C. Cline- 2 Conv.)

1. R. Fournier

2. M. Day

3. C. Shepard

4. S. Bailey

5. R. Bortle

6. TUPA

7. M. Davies

8. B. Briske

9. R. Bramer

10. T. Richtmyer

11. T. Pressler

12. C. Coghlan

13. C. Coulter

14. J. Gallagher

15. C. Cline

OLD NEWS:

Tubby Thompson Ends the Season – The Jokers put in a good run and won 29-12. We played many new rookies and transfer players in the first half, as the face of our team and # of committed players has changed greatly. We tried to staff heavier in the second half w/ more experienced players who showed up for a home match, but it didn’t matter. They won for the first time in 25 years…. Hopefully some older players will commit to the club again and be ready to go in the spring as we have some revenge to exact on Spokane, Bozeman, and U. of M. in 2008. Congrats to Skipper and the U. They beat Billings, Bozeman and Maggots this fall. That has never happened before. Cheers boys. Well earned.

Maggots Play Snow Ball Rugby – Missou