This past Saturday, after a good match of rugby, Rod Tompkins, along with a group of esteemed individuals associated with Rugby, took the field as Tompkins was awarded the North American Program Development Award.
Tompkins explained that when everything first started, he had never heard of rugby before.
“I think some rugby players came and talked to me about helping them, and I said ‘I don’t know how to spell rugby.’ They said, ‘well you come to a game and we’ll show you what rugby is.”
About 16 years ago students from Wayne State College showed Tompkins what rugby was, and since then he has encouraged the sport and aided in the creation of Wayne Rugby Park.
“The whole story is that this land here was not being used by the city, so I went to them 15 years ago and asked them if we could reshape it into Rugby Park, and the city said ‘yeah sure, no one is using it,’” Tompkins said.
Since then, grass has been planted and the land has been looked at to make sure that the fields were less likely to flood. Next bleachers and club houses were built, and the park became the field it is today. That is, until the tornado hit a few years ago, but since then it has been restored and is still being used for rugby.
“He had a great open ear of a plan to develop a rugby facility that not only would be a good field for WSC rugby, but also additional fields so besides hosting just games, but tournaments,” WSC rugby coach Darrin Barner said. “Our layout of the complex is the talk of any visiting team, we have a news story person from Los Angeles (FOX/ESPN), that thought this would actually be a great story on a ‘field of dreams’ thought for rugby.”
Barner explained that talk of this award began in January when a Canadian ref heard the story behind the Rugby Park, and how the park was rebuilt after the recent tornado with no insurance.
“A Canadian ref who was here for the 80 team tournament was very impressed with the rugby complex, and heard the story that it used to be a 20 acre corn field, and developed into a game setting with an excellent spectator area, clubhouse, press box and broadcast tower,” Barner said.
The area is set up to hold larger rugby competitions and have room for the spectators. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is one of these spectators, and he often visits the field twice a year. Ricketts is a confirmed fan of Wayne State Rugby.
However, Barner mentioned a different VIP visited last Saturday.
“It was great to have USA Rugby fly out Rich Cortez the Director of College Rugby from the rugby Olympic office. We're very honored he would stay here for the playoffs and also present the award last Sat.”
Barner also wanted to mention Sand Creek Post and Beam put on the finishing touches for Rugby Park with a two-story club house and VIP deck. This gives a view up to the 50 yard line, and allows for displaying rugby memorabilia.
Tompkins has aided in the building and creation of rugby park, but when asked he said he had not been expecting the award and gave praise to the rugby coach at WSC, Barner.
“I’m really proud of Darrin Barner, and all of the trophies that he’s won. He’s Midwest division champion for 17 years in a row, in addition to the national championships that he’s won in the last five years with the girls’ rugby. That’s what counts, not a bunch of grass.”
