Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Football Club hosts 42nd Annual Ruggerfest

September 17, 10:18 PMColorado Rugby ExaminerRick Gustafson

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Photo by Rick Gustafson

It has been forty-two years since Englishman Steve Sherlock recruited players from Aspen’s bars to play in the first Ruggerfest.

Dressed in red and black basketball jerseys borrowed from the local high school, Aspen’s new rugby team took the field with three players out of fifteen that knew anything about the game.

Since that day in 1968 Ruggerfest become as much of a fall fixture in the silver mining town turned luxury ski resort as the golden aspen trees that cover its mountains.

In the first day of competition, five, age 45 and older teams and five, age 50 over and older teams squared off in their respective divisions (see available results below).

The over 50s division final is scheduled for 10:00am on Sunday and over 45 division final is at 10:55. Both will take place at Wagner Park.

The tournament continues Friday when ten teams representing the over 35 division and a three teams representing age 55 and over will begin play. On Saturday nine teams are scheduled to compete in the men's open pool competition.

New to Rugby? 
Rugby is normally played in two forty-minute halves (thirty for high school) with a ten-minute halftime. The clock continues to run through the game unless a serious injury prompts the referee to stop time. During one and two day tournaments, such as Ruggerfest play is shortened to allow teams to play multiple games in a single day.