Jeff Richmond-Our First President

UW vs. WRC in November, 1978 at the University Bay fields. Players left to right are Jay Rusek, Dan Chitwood, Bill Warner (making the then-legal high tackle from behind), Bob Freed, and Jeff Richmond, showing good form as a loose-forward helping our backs in defense!

Jeff Richmond took interest in rugby after watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports as a high school sophomore in 1973. After consulting his Encyclopedia Britannica for a rough description of the Law, he was able to put together backyard games with his friends spurring on his drive to play. Jeff attended UW-Madison from 1975-79, playing for the Wisconsin Rugby Club from 75-76. Bob Freed would encourage several students on the city team to bring back the University Club. With Bob Freed as a guiding spirit, David Kinyon as Coach, and Jeff Richmond as the first President, the club would be founded in 1977. Bob Freed was able to secure some funding and a place to practice out by what is now the University Bay Fields. It was on Jeff Richmond and his team to recruit others to create the first team. The team manned recruitment booths at the Red Gym Armory during Fall and Spring Registration and coerced roommates and Fraternity brothers to join in. They were able to pull it off, and with Jeff at the helm as President the club was off playing in Wisconsin and against other Big Ten Teams. The club was much like a startup, and with the dedication and ideas of a few individuals it got off the ground running. Jeff thinks fondly of those that helped with the great task and enjoys seeing the younger generations continuing the legacy he helped create. He gives a warm thank you to those who have continued to support the club and the coaches who have continued to lead including Stu Pippel, Skip Heffernan, and Kurtis Shepherd.

Jeff’s favorite memories are creating the bonds with other players that he still holds today. He had played some high school sports but the passions and drive from college players is different, and it creates a closer connection. Jeff was part of the fabled Galveston Tour which saw the team bus break down in Texas and everyone found their own means home with most returning in a U-Haul truck. Jeff also remembers the practices in the Stock Pavilion and playing at the Big Ten Championships. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 1979, he would go on to play in Milwaukee. After a season, he and another friend would found the Milwaukee Black & Blue Rugby Club in 1980. He would then start coaching first out east before playing in Lexington, Kentucky and finally in Dallas, Texas. Jeff took a break from rugby as he started his family and raised his kids. However, when his son Marcus came of playing age, he joined a youth club in Dixon, California. This brought Jeff back to rugby. To bolster the officiating ranks, the league had a rule that each club needed to have its own official. Jeff stepped up and began officiating at the youth level which transformed into his newest passion for the game. While in California, his son’s team, the Dixon Rugby Club would win a national high school title. When Jeff retired from the working world in 2019,he and his wife Lee Ann moved back to Wisconsin to a lake house in Wisconsin. He continues to officiate in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula at several levels of the game. Jeff had several mentors, such as Steve Sivyer who taught him the value of proper officiating. He encourages teams to bring local officials to practices so current players may ask questions and learn the rules of the game better. 

His advice to the current players is to stay in shape. The level of athleticism needed when he was playing was less than today’s game. In the early days of the club, it was more a battle of attrition with rucks being more piles of men and mauls having a more significant impact on the game. Now, tries are scored by fast play out of the backs and forwards running fast hard lines. To do this, you must stay in shape by completing strength and conditioning programs. He also advises players to maintain their rugby connections, and work to build them while in college. Some will remain lifelong friends; some will have job opportunities for you or even your kids. The camaraderie aspect of rugby is special, and it is worthwhile to build these special connections now.

As for life advice, he encourages everyone to keep those who are supportive of you close. Jeff met his wife in New York and while courting, brought her to the CAN-AM Tournament in Saranac Lake, NY to be sure she knew that rugby was part of the package. There she was exposed to rugby and while she may have been hesitant about Jeff playing, she always supported him. His wife Lee Ann has been very tolerant of his love of the game, and supported Marcus in his drive to play. Keep those who will support you close!

Thank you, Jeff, for your years of dedication to the club. Without your hard work and dedication nearly 50 years ago, this club would not exist. I hope seeing the club develop throughout the years to its current form has given you a tremendous sense of pride.

by TJ Brugger