Origins of the Washington Poltroons--like many of its players--remains mostly shrouded in mystique. In-depth research reveals the original seed was planted when an advertisement appeared in the official program for the 1980 Washington Rugby Club's Cherry Blossom Festival. The ad appealed for a collection of "old boys" drawn from different clubs in the Washington area to joint together to form a new organization to play Over-35's Rugby.

Legend has it, the advertisement was never paid for, but nevertheless the first genuine old boys club in the Washington area was launched with few players and even fewer dollars. Evidence of this was seen when the Poltroons entered a team in the Second International Golden Oldies Festival held at California State University, Long Beach, CA, in June 1981. The club's entry had to be scrubbed when only Gerry Fenton and Jack Gordon showed up. But at least the club made the program listings which showed they were scheduled to play Tarunui, Brisborne (sic) and the College Rifles.

Fenton (left in picture) and Gordon (right) represented the Poltroons in great fashion at the Festival despite their lack of supportive manpower. Both claim to have played in at least one 20-30 minute period in 13 games during the week-long event. Gerry participated with teams from four Countries (Japan, Canada, USA and New Zealand), and was miffed because he missed a period promised by a Dutch team.

Reports from Long Beach were that some 35 former All-Blacks participated, but were heavily defeated by the American team in every boat race during the Festival.

It was about this time that Gerry came up with the slogan, "Hostile, Senile, Fragile" which the Poltroons still proudly carry to this day. He also produced the first newsletter which shows the club was officially established in 1980, and had a deficit of $728.72. Another of Gerry's innovations was the Poltroons name. Anyone requiring a clarification of the meaning of the term will find it listed in their dictionary as a "sluggard, an arrant coward, idle, lazy, one who does malicious acts." The definition, in turn, is translated to the popular Poltroons jersey which features a broad yellow stripe down the backbone.

The Poltroons have always had a liking for long, distance tours to exotic places in far away lands. In 1983, for example, Jamaica was the selected destination. The following year the Caribbean was again the venue as the Cayman Islands RFC was the host.

Despite lots of advance planning and the usual firm promises, the Poltroons lived up to their name on the Cayman tour and many dropped out just prior to departure. A party of 13 trooped off the plane on arrival, which didn't seem too bad until the composition was scrutinized. The group consisted of three women, four children and six men--comprising, four players, a touch judge, and the official Poltroons photographer who unfortunately didn't bring his camera. The Cayman club immediately effected a slick counter-poltroonery maneuver and recruited the Poltroon players to participate in a local Cayman intra-club game within the hour.

Reports of the Cayman trip seem to dwell more on the "splendid beach barbecue", bar hopping, indulgent eating, swimming, snorkeling, wind surfing and volleyball, rather than the quality of the rugby. In fact, by pulling their usual stunt of recruiting good local talent the Poltroons managed to pull off a notable victory in the volleyball competition.

Eventually, one more Poltroon player arrived so when the big match day arrived, the visitors had five bona fide players and ten honorary Poltroons to play the Cayman Golden Oldies. Down 0-4 at the half, the Poltroons rallied and won a tough game 12-4. Mike Scully repeated his feat of the first game by scoring another try for a combined distance of five yards. Other Poltroons who also played well were Jon Cook, Rob Reverley, Bob Mecaughey and Jon Greenwood.

Despite the many early problems experienced by the club, it took the Poltroons no time at all to fit into the unique worldwide fraternity who play Over-35's rugby for the love of it, without any thought of financial gain. It's a world which allows players to remain actively involved in a robust sport long after normal retirement age. A veterans game where players enthusiastically clap each other off the field, enjoy a few dubious rugby songs and social intermingling afterwards, and make the types of solid friendships that last a lifetime.

Always strong supporters of the International Golden Oldies Festivals, the Poltroons have gotten away from the poor turnouts of their early days and have fielded good representative sides at the biennial festivals in London, Auckland, Toronto, Perth, Dublin, Christchurch, Vancouver, South Africa, Adelaide, Toulouse, Brisbane, and San Diego. They were one of only two U.S. teams to travel to Perth, Australia. Second row forward and former club captain Mike Scully was impressive enough on these tours to be nominated U.S. representative for the Golden Oldies international festivals.

Not only have the Poltroons participated in the week-long international festivals, but they have also generally spent a second week abroad playing other old boys clubs. After London, for example, the team visited Germany and played in Hamburg and Berlin. From Auckland they visited Sydney to play, and after Perth they became the first U.S. club to perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in a match played in a tremendous tropical downpour. This was followed by a fixture against the Singapore Cricket Club on a sweltering, hot day in this always humid equatorial location.

This extensive travel has created worldwide friendships for the club which in turn has resulted in several overseas teams visiting Washington. These have included two favorites-- Siemenstrasse of Berlin and the Old Golds from Perth. The Poltroons typically showed no mercy to either on the field beating them both soundly, but then made up for it afterwards with their hospitality.

The club has recruited innumerable "honorary Poltroons" throughout the rugby world, and these old veterans turn up wearing the club colors of royal blue, with green and yellow stripes on the chest and arms, and in most unlikely places. The Poltroons jerseys, custom made in England, are always much in demand when the club travels.

The festival concept has had a definite impact on the Poltroons. Starting in 1983 the club inaugurated its own East Coast Golden Oldies Festival, an event that has been held every year since. Other rugby tournaments may have included old boys divisions, but this has remained the only festival specifically for Over-35 ruggers on the entire eastern seaboard.

Dave Riley was among the early organizers of the Poltroons festivals before leaving the area for the West Coast. A former Boston Club prop and much decorated Vietnam helicopter pilot, Dave found the perfect way to get Poltroons to attend his committee meetings. He held them in his apartment where he cooked lavish meals and had a plentiful supply of beer on hand. As a result, members of the committee constantly voted for more meetings. Attendances have been much sparser since his departure.

Since their first early traveling days and desperately trying to pull a team together, the Poltroons have developed into a regular veteran club side customarily playing six fixtures in the Spring season and the same number in the Fall. A pool of some 35 players regularly represent the club, drawn from all walks of life and several countries. Many of them are now past the 50-year-old mark, with Gerry Fenton the oldest at 72.

Represented in the ranks are players from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and the North End of Boston. Other ruggers occasionally travel from as far afield as Georgia, Colorado, Maine, New York and Connecticut for a Game with the Poltroons.

Helping keep club players and activities organized was the behind-the-scenes work of Dick Rennick - described among other things as the club's manager, secretary, treasurer, tourczar, banner carrier, fixture contact man, party activist, and general harasser. He became involved with the Poltroons shortly after its founding and retired from this responsibility at the conclusion of the San Deigo Olds Boys Tournment in 2005.

Others helping to keep the Poltroons in line are the Club's captain, Blitz Antlitz and the president, Mike Keane, who do their thing on rugby days in the heat of battle. Jay DeMarco, a relative new-comer [circa 1994] has helped bolster the clubs image, festive flair and atmosphere for good spirited play and partying, as well as gaining the club notoriety on and off the pitch. He has assisted in fund raising; The Poltroons' Annual Rugby Feast - held from 1981 through 1995 on the Washington, D.C. Mall; the 1995 New Zealand Tour; and the Mark Bingham Memorial Cup in September 2003.

The Washington Poltroons RFC have become a legend in their own minds amongst old boys sides. They plan to continue these ways in the spirit of fraternal play and social poltroonery.

The tall yellow cone "Smiley Face" hats the Poltroons took to Vancouver were symbolic of the week spent in British Columbia. It was a smiley kind of week. The weather was sunny (in sharp contrast to the cold and snow encountered in Christ Church), playing the fields a lush green, the quality of rugby excellent, the organized Golden Oldies events among the best ever, the Labatt's very drinkable, and the Poltroons behaved as Poltroons. Nuff said.

Tauntingly sporting their yellow headpieces during the grand opening parade the Poltroons were truly a legend in their own minds. One of the smiley hats later rested on the stately head of a 70-plus Indian priest participating in the opening ceremonies, while another Poltroon (Gordon Blakey) broke all political correctness rules by rushing out to dance with a shapely but disciplined Canadian Mountie policeman - much to her consternation. She had strict instructions not to leave the VIP dais. Much later, three Poltroons sporting their headgear were among those featured on the front cover of the Golden Oldies magazine.

On the opening rugby day for the enthusiastic two-team Poltroons squad at Barnaby Lake the opposition was from Australia in the form of the Rampant Rebels and the Silverados. Result-two wins for the good guys. The next outing at the Klahani Club was much tougher against two Canadian clubs - Ebb Tide and Valley Vicars - both keen to drub the Yanks. Result-a hard fought win and a tie. The tie resulted from a "sporting" decision by a Welsh referee who obviosly had not heard the Poltroons always include the official on their team roster. Sometimes, poltroonery is just not enough. Unfortunately, these games also resulted in serious injuries to two key backs. Tim Newland broke his hand, and even worse Bob "Robo" Bradley snapped his Achilles tenden.

Three players had left for home prior to the third rugby day, and along with injuries and a beaten up contingent, the Poltroons faced their stiffest competion against the Toronto Rowing Club. This was a hit team that included five regular A ateam players and the Poltroons went down heavily for their only team defeat. It should be said the squad boldly voted to play against the tougher side when the originally scheduled English team declined.

In the final game against the French Cisou Boys from Montpelier the Poltroons reached deep into their poltroonery bag and in a gutsy display eked out a narrrow victory by five tries to four. This brought an enjoyable rugby week to a close with four wins, one tie and one defeat.

Among the other highlights of the week was a sail to nearby Victoria Island (home of the Ebb Tide Club) so Bart Cuomo and Gordon Blakey could smell the flowers. And another first, a club dinner attended by over 30 participants at the Cannery, a popular seafood restaurant with large plate glass windows overlooking the waterfront and a spectacular lit up Vancouver skyline.

In August, the Poltroons returned to the Rockies for their second annual visit to Vail. Although player turnout was disappointing the Poltroons resorted to their old recruiting tricks and finished up with two narrow wins and a tie. How do they do that?

Then it was on to Cape Town, South Africa. This was the only continent where the Poltroons have never displayed their colors - the infamous broad yellow stripes down the backbone. Unfortuantely the Poltroons had "the slipper put to them" much too often and suffered great setbacks in a short time on a short pitch! The Poltroons won 1 of 3 matches at this Golden Oldies Festival; actually winning against the most vigorous and staunch opponent. In October 1999 the Poltroons went off to Adelaide, Australia for pre-Olympic tryout. Even with the help of Ross Kronkoren [Poltroons’ Croc Dundee] and his ‘mates’ – Australian for beer – assistance we faired badly Down Under.

Poltroons Toast Toulouse - May 2001

Whenever the Poltroons set sail for another Golden Oldies adventure it has been customary to grade the team high and request a regular game of rugby similar to what the side plays in the Spring and Fall.

Inevitably, the requests have resulted in the Poltroons taking on the strongest local sides with experienced players and plenty of skilled reserves. Such was the case when the trip was made to Toulouse, the Red Rose City.

The first game against the Musketeers turned into a disappointing rout in quick time. The local side, drawn from the Pyrenees, all appeared between 35 and 40 years old, were extremely fit and fast, played in a league together on a regular basis, and revelled in their superior talent in a one-sided encounter. Their biggest disappointment came when the Poltroons scored their only try as Greg Robinette used his weight and strength to barge over. The Musketeers evidently were not used to being scored on.

Enthusiasm was still high for the second game when the Poltroons took on the Swiss Gnomes, apparently a mix of Brits and banking types domiciled in Switzerland. This was a much easier match and the Poltroons were comfortable victors. One disappointment occurred when hooker Eamon Harper was injured as he was heavily tackled by a former Scottish trialist.

The victory reinvigorated the Poltroons as they approached their final match against a formidable Queensland club with its selection of strong Aussie players.

This was by far the best fixture of the trip as both teams were evenly matched and both went all out for victory in a cut-and-thrust battle. With time running out the Aussies were ahead by 5 tries to 4, when Willy Moynihan broke clear and sprinted 50 yards for what looked like a certain score. But the opposing winger from the far side of the pitch showed remarkable speed and tackled Willy a couple of yards short of the try line. A melee followed and Bart Cuomo picked up a loose ball and, showing his skill at taking charge when the game is in the balance, crashed over for the try. It was a try the rest of the team had to hear about for the next 48 hours, but the end result was justified and deserved. So the Poltroons finished up their first trip to France with 1 win, 1 loss and 1 tie. Not great but not bad either.

Some of the social events were highlights of the tour, particularly a day trip to the famed walled city in Carcassone, a welcome party on the banks of the Garonne River, and our unusally rowdy club dinner. And not forgetting the local cassoulet.

Brisbane - May, 2003

Problems surfaced early before the Poltroons even embarked on their Golden Oldies International trip to Brisbane, May 17-14, 2003. Some weeks before Hillary Robinette, a key member of the pack and a stalwart of the Toulouse Festival had to drop out. But worse was to follow. Two weeks before the kick-off in Brisbane, Captain Mike Keane (flanker) and Bart Cuomo (center) also had to withdraw.

This called for the high degree of Poltroonery which has worked so well for the club in past years.

Fortunately, our ace in the hole turned out to be Ross Crunkhorn. Ross, a former major in the Australian army, was born and raised in Brisbane. As such he knew the local scene along with a number of talented rugby players he attended high school with.

The Poltroons immediately elected Ross captain with instructions to do some heavy recruiting in the Brisbane area. The idea worked like a charm. The Poltroons started out with one of the strongest touring sides they had ever fielded. And what a surprise for the Australian and New Zealand opponents who consider teams from the U.S. as easy pickings.

The opening match played on a perfect pitch in beautiful sunshine against the Eastwood Charcoals from Sydney – considered one of the best old boys teams in Australia. The Poltroons took it to them from the onset, clicking on all cylinders. The visitors fit in perfectly and the result was lots of open three quarter play, good backing up and accurate passing along the line. As the game progressed the Poltroons eased up, brought in the reserves, and still finished up winning by 8 ties to 2. One old friend playing in the pack was Darren Ken who turned out for the Poltroons while on a three-year tour of duty with the Australian Army in Washington.

Latest news on Darren is that he was transferred to Pakisten. No word on whether this was retaliation for beating up on an Australian team.

Second game for the Poltroons was against a Pub team from the North Island, New Zealand. Fortunately, our Australian recruits see “red meat” when playin a Kiwi side, regardless of the level. So the energy level was again high, some complained too high as the tries mounted up and the tackling was unrelenting. Two recollections from this encounter were a crushing tackle by “Colonel Mustard” on the Kiwi scrum half who he considered was breaking too many of the rules, and a scintillating 35-yard run by winger Tony Nuland, for what appeared one of the best individual efforts of the tour. But not so fast, the referee changed the rules in mid-game and said no player could run more than 20-yards with the ball. It was news to use. The ref also blew up the game early to stop the rout.

An interesting comment came after the game when the opposing skipper asked “where did you pick up all these monsters?”

After two strong games the reputation of the Poltroons as an awesome team spread throughout the Festival. So much so, our third opponents – Newcastle Rugby Club, an Australian side, was said to be afraid of us. This might be another new first for the club.

But in the true spirit of “fun, friendship and fraternity,” the Poltroons waltzed through an easy game for their third win of the Festival. This marked another first. The club had never won all three games previously, usually failing in the last game due to seven days without sleep, and numerous other dubious causes.

The Brisbane Festival was a great one sprinkled with such extra curricular events as a private tour of Government House (at the invitation of the Queensland governor), and a private conducted tour of the local XXXX brewery. The club also was heartened by the terrific reception of the Australian public who showed their enthusiasm for the U.S. during the opening day parade. “Good on you, Yanks” was an often heard call as the players passed through the streets.

The grand finale dinner at the Brisbane Convention Center completed a most enjoyable week as the players celebrated their three wins, achieved with no serious injuries. Afterwards the group split up as some went to the Great Barrier Reef, other drove down to Sydney along the picturesque coastal road, visited the Hunter Valley wine country, hit the local beaches, or went to the local race track where the horses were reportedly hospitable to the Poltroons who all made money – An example was Chris Trapman’s gamble. Arriving at the track he went to the betting window and put $50 Australian on number five. “My father always told me to back number five”, he said, without even looking at the odds on the field. And, sure enough, number five won the first race.

Mark Bingham Tournament - September, 2003

Poltroons “Idea Man”, Tenured Match/Social Secretary Jay DeMarco, came up with another bright one when he inaugurated and organized the Mark Bingham Memorial Tournament for old boys teams. Mark was an outstanding rugby player who died September 11, 2001, when his plane (United Flight 93) was high-jacked by terrorists on that fateful day and crashed in a field in western Pennsylvania. Mark, along with other courageous passengers may have subdued the hijackers, resulting in the crash.

What happened on that flight remains somewhat a mystery, but it is thought the terrorists had a target in Washington, D.C. in mind (possibly the White House or Capitol) only to be thwarted by the passengers on board. Mark was likely one of those involved.

Playing for the University of California, Berkeley, Mark helped the school win two national championships. At the time of his death he was playing for the San Francisco FOG club. A passionate rugby play, Mark was a strong supporter of youth rugby in the U.S. DeMarco contacted Mark’s mother, Alice Hoglan along with form teammates and friends, seeking permission to use Mark’s name on the cup and raise funds for youth rugby. The response was over-whelmingly positive.

Six old boys clubs participated in the tournament held September 14, 2003, at Gravely Point. Along with donations some $3000.00 was collected to help U.S. youth rugby. Winners of the first Memorial Tournament were the Poltroons who hold “The Cup”.

San Diego, California - May 2005

After what looked like the Poltroons would be scratching for players for the 2005 San Diego Golden Oldies Festival, the Poltroons came up strong, ending up with 26 players, plus Bart Cumomo. This was due to some late arrivals and addition of the Whoresmen to our roster.

It was surprising how well the team welded into a team, showing toughness, speed, and character whenever they were on the pitch. Many of the Poltroons, including Capt. Blitz Antlitz, had never been on a Golden Oldies Tour before, and all were loud in their praise of how much fun it all was.

There was so much enthusiasm, that many of the Poltroons helped out a Russian side (The Moscow Stars), that had made the long journey to participate in its first Golden Oldies. This resulted in the Russians winning all 3 of their matches. In addition, many Poltroons played matches with the New York Whines, a club staying at the Hilton as well.

The Poltroons did not fare quite as well. The first two 'official games' against the Australian Ratbags and The Puddy Tats were comparatively easy wins. The third encounter, against a tough New Zealand "team" was a real donnybrook. In fact, the opposition was composed of players from four different clubs, including two former Springbok internationals. It was a back and forth game with some tremendoues defensive tackling, but the toll of playing six games plus accumulated injuries led to the Poltroons 1st defeat, when 'fistacuffs' and 'rough play' forced the ref to blow the match up before time had expired. The opposition won by a try. It was a great finish to the trip and the Poltroons gave it their all in a thriller.

Singling out players and plays was impossible, as the whole side gave it their best in every test match. However, the addition of The Whoresmen in total, and first timers Blitz, "Beads" Freeman, and Jim Burke, were definitly a plus.

Social events were fun too. The opening cocktail reception was held at PETCO Park, MLB's home of the San Diego Padres. Many enjoyed a picnic trip south of the border at Rosarita, Mexico, while a small independent group made up of Whoresmen and tour 'adopted Whoresmen' made a pharmaceudical, 'lobsta' and tequila run to Porto Nuevo, Mexico. The finale banquet had an unusual setting - on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Midway, truly outsanding event and venue.

The club dinner was the usual rowdy occasion with speeches from all the loquacious Poltroons (there are many) and a gift presentation to retiring tour manager Dick Rennick, who has steered the tourists to these events for over 20 years.

A plethora of photographs (700+) were taken and presented in disc format to all tourists, thanks to the hard work and every ready Donna Henderson and Lisa Ritter - many thanks ladies.

The Poltroons next milestone in History was the celebration of 25 years of existence and stalwart rugby performance in October 2005.

Brigadiere & Boston Jay