Local rugby club headed to playoffs

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

photo courtesy of Aaron Wyse Los Altos High senior Pete Cronin of the Lions tries to slip a tackle in a recent rugby match.

Rugby gets a bad rap. It’s not an ultra-violent sport involving drunken young men in striped shirts, according to local rugby enthusiast Aaron Wyse.

“There is a misconception that there is carte blanche for violence and that the (players) kill each other,” he said. “That’s what keeps (the sport) from growing.”

Despite those bumper stickers that read “Give blood, play rugby,” Wyse said rugby isn’t nearly as brutal as most people think.

“It’s a lot less violent than football,” said the assistant coach for the Los Altos Lions rugby club. “It’s more controlled without pads and face masks. You tackle from the side and not with your head.”

Wyse is a 2005 Los Altos High graduate who switched from track to rugby his senior year. And - get this - he did it for health reasons.

“I was tired of getting injured all the time in track,” the former varsity sprinter said. “I got more injuries in three years of track than I did in a year of rugby.”

Wyse joined the Lions, based at Los Altos High, in a down year for the team. Actually, the Lions have suffered a few losing seasons in a row.

“The program, since 2003, has been going in a misguided direction,” Wyse said. “But now it’s headed in the right direction with a lot of young players and it’s ready to turn into one of the strongest teams again. We’re slowly building it back up again.”

Wyse works alongside Greg Stoehr, head coach and founder of the Lions. Stoehr is a former rugby standout at Cal who also played on the national team. He started the Lions in 1991.

The Lions were a perennial contender in the Northern California Rugby Football Union - which Wyse called “one of the most competitive leagues in the nation” - through the 2003 season. The club has since struggled to get enough players, especially committed ones, to make a serious playoff run. The Lions won just once last year.

The current season, which began in February and concludes in April, has been a challenge as well. The Lions got off to an 0-4 start but then won back-to-back matches to earn one of the final playoff berths.

“Half the team is dedicated and the other half so-so, and they kind of hold us hostage to a degree,” Wyse said. “Most of the underclassmen are out there and dedicated, but not all of the seniors.”

Of the Lions’ four seniors, Wyse praised Pete Cronin and Nick Fishwick for being the most dedicated and talented. Cronin and Fishwick were voted Players of the Match in the Lions’ first win, a 21-13 decision over the host Valley Christian Warriors March 11.

Among the many underclassmen on the 28-member team, Wyse ranked sophomores Lucas Johnson and Mitch McGillis as standouts. The coach said McGillis is “one of the most intense players outside of Cronin and Fishwick.” Wyse added that Joe Hearn, another underclassman, has also performed well.

All have played a role in the team making the playoffs, which kick off this weekend. The Lions beat College Park 41-15 March 18 at Watson Bowl (San Jose) to get into the postseason.

“It was a big victory for us,” Wyse said.

When the season ends, Wyse will have more time to concentrate on his other rugby project: the Foothill Rugby Club. Wyse, a freshman at Foothill College, is club president and has enlisted the help of other former Lions to reactivate the team.

“It’s been in hibernation since 2003,” Wyse said. “We’re slowly establishing the team, but it’s hard to get community college support for it. There’s a lot of bureaucracy and red tape.”

Seeing more young players come out for the Lions should bode well for the future of both clubs, according to Wyse.

Although this year’s edition of the Lions comprises only Los Altos High students, the club is also open to those from neighboring schools. Students from Mountain View, St. Francis and Gunn highs have played on past teams.

Several former Lions have gone on to play at the college level. Los Altos grad Cyrus Dorosti helped Cal win the national title last season and earned All-America honors.

While rugby is traditionally a spring sport, Wyse said he and Stoehr “want to keep the club going year-round and build a dedicated community.” The Lions currently practice four days a week at Los Altos High and play matches on either Fridays or Saturdays. Wyse said the team recently received new uniforms, paid for by an anonymous donor.

The Lions, who lost 14-12 at Aptos last Friday, open the playoffs against Silicon Valley this Saturday. For more information, visit www.losaltoslionsrugby.com.