This Saturday at noon LRFC takes on Dayton at home in a playoff deciding match. Come out and support the boys and enjoy a beautiful day for playoff rugby!

Saturday is also WAGS day (Wifes, girlfriends, & significant others of the club) when the club celebrates the amazing people in our lives that support us in our rugby passion. Please bring a chair and blanket for your WAGS while our staff serves them complimentary refreshments. If you are WAGS-less at the moment, please invite your mother! We love moms at LRFC.

Match Day Schedule

• Location: Hayes Kennedy Park

• Arrive: 10:30am

• Warmup: 11:00am

• LRFC D3 Kickoff: Noon

• LRFC D4 Kickiff: 1:45pm, selection to be made prior to KO

• Social: After cleanup, Diorios Pizza Pub

**ALL PLAYERS are to help with setup and clean up**

LRFC D3 v. Dayton D3 

1 Drew Weston (FC)

2 George Perry

3 Trey Aiken

4 Jared Chastain

5 Justin Dunn

6 David 'Tyler' Whitlow

7 Zack Dobson

8 Salmon 'SP' Vermaak

9 Dylan Ford

10 Cameron Bernard

12 Rory Young

13 Chris Reithmeier (C)

11 Jake Schwandt

14 Kolton Nelson

15 Cameron Donlon

Bomb Squad

16 Daniel Hanson

17 Tyler Redmon

18 Nicholas Slattery

19 Steven Bickel

20 Dan Borkowski

21 Caleb Irving

22 Micah Chowning

23 Dallas Mitchell

Wolfhound D3 has officially forfeit, BUT rugby will still be played this Saturday in Louisville. LRFC will host a community friendly this Saturday 9/20/205. D3 and D4 will make up the core but we have also invited the Columbus, Rhinos and any leftovers from the Wolfhounds to come down and join us. If you are a former rugger in Louisville and have been looking for a friendly to get your rugby fix Saturday is your day!!! 

Match Details

• Arrive: 10:00am

• Selection: 10:30am

• Kickoff: 11:00am

• Location: Hayes Kennedy Park

• Social: Diorios Pizza Pub 7507 River Rd, Prospect, KY 40059

Weekly Schedule:

sorry for the delay coach had to do his big boy job this week

• Thursday: Seneca Park 6:30-8:00pm

• Saturday Match: D3 HOME v. Wolfhounds D3. 11am Kickoff, 9am arrive and setup. D4 the hounds may be light so be ready to come play rugby

Saturday Match Report: by George Davies 

Louisville @ QC – 2025 09 September 13

Finding their Groove

Did you know Vevay had a casino? Me neither, but that was one of today’s sightings after half the team got caught in standing traffic on 71 advising those behind to take the scenic Ohio river detour through Switzerland County Indiana. Other unintended discoveries of the adventure through this southeastern part of the “Crossroads of America”, the golf cart friendly city of Rising Sun has a navy bean festival that for this weekend only the whole city turns up for… you can imagine those who are excited by that kind of thing… so slow traffic was encountered either way.

Shall we say that a scheduling quirk forced Louisville up to Columbus on an inaugural Labor Day weekend match, and that loss followed by another at home where Louisville led for the entire match until an extra time heart breaking score for the Kelts put our boys into a position not felt for a decade in which this season’s destiny is not entirely in their own hands.

So… despite recent upsets, the up and down training week, a must-win game, and the interruptions to the team’s pre-match routine, could LRFC revive their push for a playoff spot?

Under hot, sunny, cloudless skies, with a slight end-to-end breeze (fortunately the sewage plant was turned off today… not deliberately a metaphor for this opposing team) the QC FH kicked off to Louisville’s new opening gambit of spreading their pack entirely across the field despite knowing exactly where their oppo were going to kick the ball. I won’t labor the point in this commentary, but not for the only time today the first hand on the ball was not a Louisville one.

Regardless, Louisville’s defensive pressure created a turnover and pod played forced an offside penalty against the Queens. Cameron Bernard hammered the kick a full two quarters of the pitch into the corner of the opposition’s territory… had he brought his kicking boots today?

An attritional quarter-match then opened where LRFC exerted control through well executed phase play forcing the opposition to exit when they could. Notably during this series and the entire game the back row of Zachary Dobson, HotRod, and Tyler Lowwhit put in the often unheralded hard yards to hold the line. The tactically important part of these opening salvos was that all the play was happening in and around Cincinnati’s 22. When a QC breakout did occur, or their kick randomly made some distance, it tended to be returned with interest, most notably with Justin Dunn introducing himself to the game by bouncing three, no four, no five tacklers on his way close to the line.

Despite this pressure, every dog has their day, and Queen City got within kicking distance to open the scoring with a penalty kick. 3-0.

Once that nonsense was over Louisville were back on the attack, pressuring the Queen City try line. Offensive pod plays brought Louisville within scoring distance, defensive pressure created kickable penalties, but all were turned down or thwarted during this period… until sticking to the structure bore fruit, and the boys earned the opportunity to go wide putting Jake Schwandt into the clear to get his try of the day. He also converted. 7-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, disciplined ball control forced another penalty which was again banged into the corner. Off the lineout a bit of messing about created a Louisville scrum ten meters out and about a third of the way across the pitch. Captain Antonio Coriano brought himself and other backs to attack the blindside, and all the skilled QC backs followed! Chris Reithmeier took full advantage of the ridiculously overexposed openside to score straight off a pass from the back of the scrum. Very crafty. HT 14-3.

The second half opened just like the first with the Queens’ best player executing a chip and chase which the referee bought once again. Flopping soccer players in rugby, eh?! Who would have thought? Whatever. A Louisville free kick was awarded at the ensuing scrum, and from inside the 22 the kick was sent 50+ yards before it hit grass and then spun into touch. Sublime. Warmed my cockles for sure.

From the lineout, QC executed the one blind side play that seemed to be a chink in Louisville’s armor, and that speedy winger got his try 14-8. Was this game in danger? Er, no.

During the next period you could see the boys relax into executing a game plan well, and their confidence in each other solidifying. Players from the bench, such as Gavan Baker with his hard-nosed direction North carries added clear attacking impetus to the well-drilled phase play that opened up gaps in the defense and allowed the backs to start finding joy out wide. A Tyler Lowwhit out the back matrix style offload to Jake Schwandt fell just short, but the ensuing red-style plays created the opportunity for Cameron Bernard to get his first try and conversion. 21-8

Next, Micah 'Of the Woods' made his dash from one 22 to the other, and from here Louisville executed a series of all-player team moves from coast to coast. Off the back of a ruck on the left hand side 10 meters out, the ball was flipped to Keaton Jander on an inevitable thunderous charge. Another chest thumping score, 26-8.

The boys were rolling now, and another 50 meter breakout from Trey led to goal line pressure. Structured play forced the Queens to fumble their balls again and some sweet attacking kicking to the corners almost got another set of points. Camped in the oppo 22, red pressure led to gaps opening up all across the field, and Cameron Bernard picked his spot to get his second. 33-8.

Introducing himself as THE impact player, Gabriel Macarubbo caught the final kick-off the game, bounced his unfortunate would be tackler, rounded the remaining forwards, and did the team orientated thing of drawing the full back and passing… I think he could have gone all the way… but unfortunately the pass was dropped. Never mind, he got himself on the record with his traditional yellow card before the game ended. FT 33-8.

It was clear to see the boys grow as a team today, not only in what they have the potential to achieve, but also their confidence in each other. A very satisfying performance on all levels. Reminds me of a team and coaching staff breaking into the playoffs for the first time several years ago that developed this way as well. I’m excited for the next round of games. More please!

MOTM: Cameron Bernard

Due to the sheer manliness of our D4 squad we have crushed Dayton D4 by way of forfeit. They heard of the legendary tales of Joe's and Slatt's mustache and dared not face the ferocious new hooker Wild Bill. Thus, there will only be one match this weekend.

LRFC D3 will head north to face Queen City for the final away match of the D3 regular season. The boys are bought in, locked in, and ready to rain hellfire on the frogs. All players and fans are encouraged to join us on this trip to cheer the club on to victory. With 2 spots left in the lineup who knows, maybe you can be the hero that helps save the D3 season.

LRFC D3 Starting XV

1        Ryan Whitaker

2        Gavan Baker

3        Drew Weston

4        Justin Dunn

5        Dan Borkowski

6        Jared Chastain

7        Zack Dobson

8        David 'Tyler' Whitlow

9        Cameron Bernard

10      Antonio 'Fish' Coriano (C)

12      Samuel Thomas

13      Chris Reithmeier (BC)

11      Micah Chowning

14      Jake Schwandt

15      Rory Young

Heroes

16      Nicholas Slattery - Prop

17      Adam Kunkel - Hooker

18      Keaton Jander - Lock

19      Steven Bickel - Lock

20      Sam Newman - Fly half/Wing

21      Gabe Macarubbo - Utility

22      Batman - Dark Knight

23      Robin - Vibes Guy 

LRFC D3 at Queen City 1pm KO. 

• Arrive 11:30pm. 

• Car pool leaves 9:30am from Seneca Park. 

• Location:  7711 Harrison Ave. Cleves, OH  45247 

• Social: Queen City Exchange. 32 W Court St. Cincinnati, OH  45202

LRFC falls to Kelts 24-20

Weekly Schedule:

Tuesday: Seneca Park 6:30-8:00pm

Thursday: **UPDATED LOCATION** Seneca Park 6:30-8:00pm 

Saturday: Double Header

D3 at Queen City 1pm KO. 

• Arrive 11:30pm. Car pool leaves 9:30am from Seneca Park. 

• Location:  7711 Harrison Ave. Cleves, OH  45247 

• Social: Queen City Exchange. 32 W Court St. Cincinnati, OH  45202 

D4 home v. Dayton Park 1pm KO. 

• Hayes Kennedy Park

• Arrive 11:00am For setup. Everyone is responsible to help clean up after the match 

• Social: TBD

D3 Kickoff: Noon

Arrive: 10:00am, warmup starts 11:00am

Location: Hayes Kennedy Park 7003 Beachland Bch Rd, Prospect, KY 40059 

LRFC D3 v. Kelts Roster:

1        Drew Weston (FC)

2        Tyler Redmon

3        Ryan Whitaker

4        Justin Dunn

5        SP Vermaak

6        Jared Chastin

7        George Perry

8        Zach Dobson

9        Cameron Bernard

11      Dylan Ford

10      Cameron Donlon

12      Antonio 'Fish' Coriano (C)

13      Chris Reithmeier (BC)

14      Sam Newman

15      Carson Green

Bomb Squad

16      Johnny 'Knockers' Smith

17      Gavan Baker

18      Larome White

19      Dan Borkowski

20      David 'Tyler' Whitlow

21      Gabe Macarubbo

22      Samuel Thomas

23      Jake Schwandt

LRFC D4 v. University of Louisville XV

Kickoff: 1:45pm

Location: Hayes Kennedy

Captain: Joe Parrish

Roster: All Members and friends in good standing with the club are eligible to play in this match. This includes Kelts extras as well. This is a friendly, not a league match so we can play as many as we want and we will make sure whoever wants gametime gets it. Please be boots by on and report to your captain by 1:00pm. We want to give our friends at the University a competitive match since they had a last minute cancellation. 

Thursday 9/4: Practice 6:30-8:00pm Hayes Kennedy

Saturday 9/6: Home match triple header at Hayes Kennedy

• Arrive at 10:00am for Setup

• LRFC D3 v. Kelts Noon KO

• LRFC 2nd XV v. University of Louisville 2nd XV Scrimmage 1:45pm KO

• Social Plans: Pitch side

Match Report By Coach Frank Viancourt

Self Inflicted Wounds

Labor Day weekend would typically see the boys of LRFC spending their last weekend of summer pouring pints for patrons at the brew at the zoo event, swimming in the lake with family, celebrating the return of college football at a tailgate, or taking the missus out for one last rugby free Saturday date before the turkey is carved in late November. However, the entire rugby season was moved up a week early to accommodate for a small scheduling conflict during the playoffs with a little international rugby match in Chicago. The Midwest Rugby Union must’ve decided in their infinite wisdom that watching international rugby was more important than playing rugby. And so, on this Labor Day weekend the men of LRFC were called up early to represent their club on a 3.5 hour road trip north to Columbus, Ohio for the second match of the season and one of only four D3 matches this weekend in the entire union. So rare was the occasions of Labor Day weekend rugby the United States Air Force provided us with a flyover of F-22 fighter jets to signal kickoff, never mind the OSU v. Texas College football game going on next door. With only 19 men because of Labor Day weekend family activities trumping rugby and some unfortunate illnesses, the match got underway.

Immediately off the Kickoff LRFC looked strong with SP Vermaak stealing the high Kickoff from his countrymen PJ Krugell, was this foreshadowing of their day together? With strong set-piece play and fast attacking backs the boys looked ready for the challenge, scheduling conflict be dam! Alas a nemesis that has plagued this club for over a decade quickly reared its ugly head, penalty against LRFC. Unfortunately, this was the foreshadowing of the day to come. In only 2 penalties Columbus flipped the field and put LRFC deep in their own half and in defense, Try Columbus. 7-0. The boys quickly regrouped and went back to the game plan. Flyhalf PJ found SP in gaps to create momentum, and the backline was finding space to exploit. Carson Green on debut scored the rebuttal try and converted his own kick and 10 minutes later Micah was put through after some strong set piece moves. 14-7 LRFC.

This Backline was electrifying and looked like they could break the line at will, and they did. A couple of mental lapses in decision making after the line break nullified several big runs.  One where PJ did not find his support and another where backs captain Chris Reithmeier elected to grubber kick instead of passing when he had a 3-1. Forgivable errors when compared to the pressure being created. Nevertheless, the threat from the backs was there and it was real. Columbus was feeling the pressure on the defensive side as well with a handful of set pieces being stolen by the LRFC forwards and backs until…. Penalty. LRFC committed 10 penalties in the first half, mostly at the rucks. This breakdown in discipline nullified the progress made from the game plan execution on attack and surely turned what would have been LRFC Trys into Columbus Trys. Halftime score 21 all.

Very little half adjustments were made due to the fact the Bomb Squad looked more like a grenade squad. With 4 wingers and only 2 veteran forwards, LRFC found itself lacking in a resource typically plentiful, big MEATY forwards. Thus, grenade squad seems to be a fair description of the group standing in support. One adjustment was given to the boys and that was to avoid the costly penalties.

10 minutes into the second half and the LRFC openside flanker Jared Chastin found himself in the sin bin for a high tackle. Shortly after an inspired Columbus side found the gap left behind by the tough tackler and scored. 26-21 Columbus. Even after the sin bin came back on the boys still were unable to learn from their mistakes and continued to commit penalties. Another Try to Columbus, 33-21. The fight was long from over though and a couple of members of the grenade squad made their presence felt. Steven Bickel was not going to let SP have all the fun at kickoffs and stole one himself, LRFC would steal 10 Set pieces and kickoffs on the day and only lost 2, giving a clear advantage and boost morale each time. Playing with momentum now, backs Captain Chris found a gap and this time decided not to grubber kick but instead used his natural talent for evasive and aggressive running to score the 4th Try for LRFC and secure the bonus point. Carson Green kicked over his 4th conversion at 100% accuracy on the day and the match was 28-33 with 15 minutes to play!

LRFC was on the path to complete the comeback of what was turning into to be an instant classic until tragedy struck. Flyhalf PJ left the match with a knee injury. Luckily, he was spotted walking later in the parking lot and we pray for his speedy recovery. But the grenade squad was not outfitted with a backup 10 and more on field squad shuffling ensued. The unselfish leadership of Captain Antonio ‘Fish’ Coriano took him from starting center, to 8 man, back to center, to flyhalf, and back to center again to do whatever was necessary to give his side the win.

When you play high caliber matches with worthy opponents’ discipline is not suggestion, it’s a mandatory criterion. LRFC could have battled through low numbers traveling on a holiday weekend, players playing out of position, and losing their talented flyhalf. The 19 members of LRFC who played demonstrated their talent and skill was up to it and the game plan yield 4 Tries as a result. But no team can expect to defeat a formidable opponent when conceding 19 penalties to the opposition 5. Columbus ran in another Try and ironically kicked a penalty goal at full time as if to say, ‘thanks for the penalties Louisville.’

Full time LRFC 28 – Columbus 41.

The good news is that even with all the adversity this depleted side faced this week, they are clearly capable of accomplishing the goal of a Midwest Championship. With the top 2 seeds getting a playoff spot and a lot of rugby to be played between now and the end of October, LRFC is far from out. In order to do so they must fix the discipline issue, time to go to work.

Man of the Match: PJ Krugell

Starting XV @ Columbus Castaways

1        Justin Dunn

2        Gavan Baker

3        Jonathan Smith

4        Ryan Whitaker

5        Drew Weston (FC)

6        Jared Chastain

7        Tyler Whitlow

8        SP Vermaak

9        Dylan Ford

10      Antonio 'Fish' Coriano (C)

11      Micah Chowing

12      Rory Young

13      Chris Reithmeier (BC)

14      Matt Legget

15      Philippus Krugell

Bomb Squad

16      Adam Kunkel

17      Steven Bickel

18      Nick Slattery

19      Sam Newman

20      Jake Schwandt

21      Joe Parrish

22      Mystery Man

This weekend will be a D3 only match. No D4 or third half. 

Pitch Location: Rhodes Park. 1910 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43223

KO Time: NOON

Arrive: 10:30am 

Carpool: Meet at 6:45 am to depart at 7:00am LATEST from seneca park field 2. If you arrive at 7:01, you drive yourself. 

Social: At the pitch after match. Saturday night in Louisville is the Schnitzelburg walk on Hickory from 5pm to midnight. Always a fun night to enjoy a classic Louisville street party with bands and vendors. Check the whats app group for meet up location and time but you can always expect to see some old boys and tight 5 members singing karaoke at the Ole Hickory Inn. 

By Head Coach Frank Viancourt

Great win this weekend boys! This week we are on the road in Columbus, OH for another 11:30am Kickoff to bet the heat. While we offically do not have a D4 match we are working with the Castaways to put togteher a friendly. Please text coach if you are unavailable this weekends by Tuesday! 502-991-2457

Schedule this week:

Tuesday: practice @ Seneca park 6:30pm

Thursday: practice @ Hayes Kennedy 6:30pm 

Saturday: Match LRFC D3 @ Columbus Castaways 11:30am. expect the carpool to leave by 6:30am from Seneca Park

Match Report by George Davies 

Master and Commander 

The brave boys of Louisville ventured into the Kentucky hinterland to take on a Lexington side of unknown utility. Had Lexington pressed enough soldiers of fortune to introduce themselves as yet another challenger for what is already shaping up to be a competitive league this year? By my estimation, at least four teams have a viable chance of taking the top spot and no doubt representing this most-competitive portion of the Midwest deep into the playoffs once again.

The Louisville team rocked up to Wilmore Kentucky at least 30 deep and immediately launched their structured warm-up routine. Certainly, an intimidating sight for a home team with 19 players, half of which were still ‘getting ready’. The pitch, or more accurately, the field, also represented a certain amount of disorganization from the home team, having been mowed maybe two weeks ago and at a jaunty angle to the field of play markings which caught several players out during the match. Of course, kick-off was also 30 minutes late, ostensibly at the ref’s discretion, but really to give more time for late local arrivals.

Regardless of all these distractions, for Louisville the real question was: could this new leadership combination of Frank Viancourt (Head Coach) and Antonio Coriano (Captain) cement their bone fides and start their season off with success in their inaugural competitive game?

The shipping forecast at kick off was sunny skies with no clouds, 77 degrees and warming, with a slight diagonal breeze that stiffened throughout the match. Similarly, Louisville showed early promise, beginning the game with structured phases working their way down the field. This series of downs ended with a nice pooch kick from fly half Antonio Coriano that trapped Lexington close to the line.

Early season penalties then allowed a loss of territory, but a Cameron Bernard kick forced a Lexington lineout just outside the 22. An errant tip of the top was pounced upon by Tyler Lowwhit, who battered his way close to the line and very smartly pushed the ball from the floor to the MadDog (Ryan Whitaker) who opened Louisville’s account for the Fall. Rory Young converted the extras. 7-0.

During the next period of back and forth prior to the new-fangled water break (is this a thing?), new-comer George Perry and the MadDog (Ryan Whitaker) both had separate 50 meter breaks almost resulting in tries except for some courageous last-gasp Lexington recovery work. Nevertheless, off the back of a ruck, Cameron Bernard introduced himself to the opposition with a sharp pick, dummy and go. Rory Young again performed the duties. 14-0.

The second quarter of the match was a test of patience for both coaches. From Louisville’s perspective an old proclivity to second-guess the referee creeped into behavior causing decisions that undid most forward momentum.

That did it for the first stanza, expect for an individual bit of brilliance from the impressive Lexington fly-half, bringing the scoreline to 14-7. The Good News: Dylan Ford managed to inflate his flat tire. The triple-A was not needed. Bad news: the mileage consumed by this joke was exhausting.

Can you define half-time impact subs? How about this… Cameron Michael Donlon kicked off, Sp Vermaak clean caught the ball and charged to about 5 meters out. Two red plays led to Justin Dunn diving over the line for an immediate score. Brilliant stuff, Louisville had clicked up a gear. 21-7.

However, Lexington responded in kind. Forcing Louisville deep off the next kick-off, an errant exit kick to center field allowed Lexington to attack an unstructured chase and resulted in what should be a preventable, but today was an inevitable score. Note: first time ever in D3, Rory Young charged down a conversion kick. 21-12.

It was said by some that during practice this week and in the first half of this game, the Louisville team was about 5% away from really starting to click. Well, the next series showed what Louisville can do when they really start to gel. Off the kick-off the boys regained the ball and executed their structures. Simple stuff, phase play, controlled possession brought the boys towards the try line with advantage. Even running backward as for a distance by Jared 'Hot-Rod' Chastin. 

Using this platform, Cameron Bernard demonstrated outrageous athletic prowess. I swear this guy won both the State high jump and long jump in one go scoring his second of the day: from the back of another ruck, he hurdled at least three confused Lexington players and almost launched himself out of the back of try zone. Outstanding. Stud. Try of the Season contender already.

Missed the conversion though. 26-12

Just before the third quarter ended, in-game introduction of new back-line plays resulted in a turnover and some incisive counter attacking from now two foreign Lexingtoners forced a score. 26-17. Water break, and the scoreline felt insecure.

What happened in the final 20 however puffed the chest of every Louisville supporter. Tim Minor must have added something to the oranges or something, but the team ‘just flowed’ during the final climax. As one coach said, sometimes to close the deal the Missionary position is best. 

Instead of trying to Kama Sutra every play, the team worked their way downfield through controlled possession. This brought beneficial calls from the ref, and once in the red zone, old-school red play bought the next try for Jonathan David Smith. 31-17.

Despite Gabriel Macarubbo earning a penalty by talking to the ref immediately after a team warning, Louisville countered following another 50 meter carry, this time by Justin Dunn. Smart offloads though a mixture of forwards and back resulted in Chase Kelty getting his Zulu try. Definitely one for the ladies. 36-17

Despite some backline errors in the 2nd half, flow was relentless and not to be outdone, Sp Vermaak clocked up his 50 meter run. (How many different 50-meter runs now?) Great support against a tiring defense allowed an offload through Tyler Lowwhit for Gabriel Macarubbo to score. 43-17. Redemption I guess.

One final set-piece allowed the Louisville backline to really start purring. A pass from Cameron Michael Donlon to Antonio Coriano and then back inside to Chase Kelty on a Hollywood line created the final 50 meter break of the day. Offloads galore led to Chris Reithmeier pipping the posts for the final time. 50-17.

So, a rousing final quarter put the icing on the performance to secure the Commenwealth Cup for Louisville again. Repeated in 2026, that will be a decade of one-sided results. As for the original question… this leadership team demonsted the appropriate levels of calm, control, patience and feedback to create the platform for success. Much more competitive games are coming, and soon, but the report from this match is a forecast of strong seamanship. A well piloted performance… more please!

**Man of the Match: ** Tyler Lowwhit

Important information will be posted in this thread. This will include gameday roster, carpool information, location and meetup times, match reports, socials, etc. I (coach Frank) will try to post 3 times a week on need to know information. Monday will be match report and weekly schedule. Friday will be gameday roster and travel information. 

IMPORTANT: You must CIPP asap if you want to play Saturday. Link is below and on this website. 

https://xplorer.rugby/louisville-rugby?fbclid=IwY2xjawMUIihleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE0ckdWTFJ2S0RFRlVWUVJ1AR51O2BmTlv6JPJHX2DPoZTCa66kd4VC0_myAQpKF70ugidDU2ZAj3CZ1e1Ybg_aem_XDd0mL78PbxcnYA6dEv1eg