Then and Now.
In 2009 we had to share half a dark, postage-stamp sized field in the Fruitvale district for practice. (Famed sports writer Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about our environs then.) We now practice two or three nights a week up in the hills on the gorgeous full, athletic turf field at Merritt College. We just lost a tight match to national powerhouse Lamorinda Rugby, Bay Conference silver division, 20-13. Our captain from the 2009 season Jose Pena plays for Cal Rugby. A couple weeks ago we beat Oakland rivals Bishop O'Dowd, a private school with a rich athletic tradition. In our current starting lineup, at least 10 of the kids could play and do well for a college team, men's club or select youth team.
We have so much positive stuff percolating that it escapes words. Due to the vision, organization and hard work of president Ryan Burke, and coach crew, we build better futures for our Oakland kids and the community. The only things missing are more kids for the program and more money. We would love nothing more than to work with more high school boys to help point them in the right directions in life. The biggest influences at that age are peers, family and other adult role models.
We are currently talking to the Oakland Police Athletic League about bringing touch rugby to boys and girls in East Oakland. (Rugby will return to the Olympics in 2016 and it's entirely foreseeable that an Oakland Warthog will be on that team.)Rugby is a big stew of passion, physicality, brains and group dynamics. Young men learn how to channel emotions and work for the good of the group. In essence, it's training for life and for business. These boys are going to hopefully be in college or in a year or two or at least in the work force.( For further proof of the sport's growth and potential, check none other than the venerable Economist magazine.) We take our team on campus tours of Stanford, Cal, Chico State, St. Mary's College, etc., to show them what awaits them outside of Oakland.
Renting the field up at Merritt takes up most of our budget. It costs about $80 an hour and we are lucky enough to have some portable lights donated by OC Jones Construction. The program is virtually free to our kids. If they can't afford the $50 or $60 it costs in dues we make arrangements with them to sell T-shirts. Everyone is included.
Some of our recent supporters include:
The Olympic Club Foundation
The Allstadt Hardin Foundation of Cooperstown, New York
International Association of Firefighters Local 55 (Oakland, Alameda County and Emeryville)
We also participate in raising funds for:
January 10th, 2011 The Oakland Warthogs are gifted with the FIRST three packages ever donated to TRY (Tomorrow's Rugby Youth) Donation Program. Thank you Kevin Sullivan and all TRY Donation Program Sponsors
We encourage more support from the community, not just financial but spectators at our matches and training. Again, we welcome all boys ages 13 to 18 enrolled at a school in Oakland. We also need at least a 2.0 grade point average to participate. We invite the entire City to our next home matches, all on Friday nights at 7 pm at Raimondi field: March 25th against De La Salle, April 8 vs. Alameda and April 15 against Danville.
For more information, visit our web site. Thanks for your support.
