Phil Callen

Phil Callen began his playing career with WRC in 1976. He played there for four seasons, being their captain in 1980, before moving to the Milwaukee Rugby Club. For a decade, he played in Milwaukee fighting for a national championship. For three years the team fell short in the finals, then in 1985 with Phil at Prop they brought home the hardware. During his time in Milwaukee Phil also played for the Wisconsin Sub-union and the Midwest selects

Although Phil never played for UW, he did have a lasting impact on the club. He was around for the early years, knowing some of the players, and when Stu Pipple took over as head coach, Phil gave his time and expertise to the club. As an assistant coach, Phil specialized in forward play and proper front row technique. Phil played as both a loose head and tight head prop and knew the ins and outs of both positions. John Sanders introduced Phil to Skip Heffernan. Phil would go with the team to Chile in 2004 and helped coach the following years. While in Chile they played the national u21 team and lost badly. This increased the resolve of the players and propelled them to the national finals the following season. As a coach he loved to see the camaraderie and trust built up amongst the players. One of his greatest memories is on tour with UW in Cremona where they listened to a Stradivarius and then sang Varsity in the bell tower.

Phil has watched the game transform into its current state. He remembers the days of try’s worth 4 points and the conversion kick being 2 points. He remembers the days of no substitutions when the starting fifteen played the whole game (he wishes there would be less substitutions still). He says though “the biggest thing is to have fun. If you aren’t having fun, go play something else.”

For advice to players, he says to listen to your coach and play the game to the whistle. Don’t listen to the guys screaming on the sidelines about the Sir. The Sir are always right, and you need to play to the circumstances no matter the opinions of those off the field. Most importantly though, have fun and enjoy yourself. While playing you will make bonds with the people who are going to be your lifelong friends.

As for general life advice he says to always give back. Rugby shows you that you can be whoever you want to be. Many people try the sport for the first time in college and become excellent players, applying that to everything in life. Take those risks and try your hand in whatever you want, you might just be excellent at it. He also says to give back whenever you can. That can be to the game that has taught you so much, or just to the people around you.

Phil states that Madison has been a rugby town ever since 1962 with the original university (WRC) club. Phil would like to thank his wife and daughters for supporting his commitment to rugby.

We thank Phil for his years of dedication to growing the sport, coaching the team, and supporting us. Phil is still active in rugby, going to watch games around the world and making it to alumni weekend each year. Thank you, Phil, for taking the time to create this article, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

by TJ Brugger