About the club

The Village Lions Rugby Club was spawned from Greenwich Village's Red Lion pub in 1989, bringing together a collection of bartenders, bouncers and boozers from all corners of the globe. Founder and Red Lion owner Alan Whelan, an Irishman, opted for black and white stripes on the Lions jerseys as an homage to the Barbarians, the global invitational team, while the Red Lion logo on the chest saluted the pub where the club was born.

The early Lions took the Met NY union by storm, winning the third division in 1991, then grabbing the Division II title a year later. Whelan would frequently fly in talent from rugby nations to work at his bars and play for the Lions, including Kiwi captain Joe Kelly. The Lions were celebrated for their Southern Hemisphere flair on the pitch, and for post-match hospitality that was the envy of their opponents.

After a season in the top division in 1993, the Lions dropped to Division III once Whelan stopped flying in premier talent and several players left for stronger clubs. A small nucleus, including Ken Murphy, Rob Babcock and Chris Ratay, kept the Village Lions afloat and helped rebuild the struggling club into the one it is today.

The Leonas

Spring 2000 saw the Lions launch a women's team on the backs of Jennifer Lightbody, Jessica Houser, Gretchen Doughty, Rachel Liberatore and other pioneers. In that first season they were happy to have 15 players turn up on a Saturday and a men's player to lead practice. Momentum built quickly, and the Leonas had a meteoric run of success under the coaching of Greg Parsons, Mary Holmes and Mike Barry.

National championships

From 2002 to 2008 the women earned a spot in the Division II National Championship every year, winning the national title in 2002 and following it with third-place finishes in 2005 and 2008 and sixth-place finishes in 2004 and 2007. With leadership from the likes of Jackie Finlan and Meg Collins, those trips to Nationals came alongside several Division II Northeast Championships, and preceded the move to the top division in 2009 against powerhouses like NOVA and Beantown.

The men earned their ticket out of Division III in 2002, winning the Met NY title under then coach Paddy Bartlett. With Bret Costain serving as club president, they climbed out of Division II eight years later under coach Expo Mejia, after a heady tear through the playoffs. Smashing Boston's Middlesex club 39-13 in the 2010 Northeast Championship, the Lions ventured to the National Sweet 16 and lost a tough one to Doylestown, 35-33.

With Andrew Britt as head coach, the Lions stepped onto the national stage again in 2016. Running the table in the playoffs, including a 37-19 Atlantic North title match against the Mystic Barbarians, they headed to Pittsburgh and won their Sweet 16 match against Wilmington 21-7, then lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the Detroit Tradesmen after holding a lead for 79 of the first 80 minutes.

An international club

The club has retained its international flair over the decades, with players from more than 40 nations wearing the Lions jersey. The men made trips to Louisiana Mardi Gras tournaments in 1994 and 1995; Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm in 2000; Italy a few years later; England and Ireland in 2005; Argentina in 2009; Portugal and Spain in 2010; and Argentina again in 2018. The women toured Italy in 2001 and Spain and France in 2010, and made regular rugby pilgrimages to the Las Vegas 7s and the Savannah St. Patrick's Day tournament.

Several Lions have suited up for national teams, including Brendan Reidy for Western Samoa; Clay Luraschi, Kenneth Stern, Chris Hitch, Jackie Finlan and Rosette Rough for the Philippines; Luis Schroeder for Luxembourg; Mike Villalobos for Mexico; and Nils Clotteau for Benin. Leona stalwart Jessica Houser has represented the United States women's national team, as has Ilona Maher, who played a summer of sevens for the Lions while a student at Quinnipiac.

Village Lions RFC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The club is run by its members, and dues alone do not cover the cost of field permits, referees, kit, and travel, which is why donations and sponsorship matter.

Membership is open to everyone, whatever their sex, age, race, religion or sexual orientation: a member is anyone who has paid their dues and takes part in the club. The members meet once a year at the Annual General Meeting, held on or about June 15, where they elect the club's officers: the president, secretary and treasurer, four vice presidents, one each for the men's and women's 15s and 7s, and a match secretary each for the men and the women. Every officer elected must be approved by the Board.

The Board of Directors has at least three members, each serving a three-year term, and meets at least four times a year. The president, the treasurer and the director of rugby sit on it for as long as they hold office. The Board appoints the director of rugby, who appoints the head coaches with its approval.

All of this is set out in the club's by-laws, which anyone can read or download. To support the club, see sponsorship or make a donation.