
News Blog

FRONTIER 7S CHAMPS LOOK FORWARD TO AUGUST
The Denver Barbarians won the Fountain City 7’s 19-12 against the Kansas City Blues. After a day in the hot sun and stifling humidity, the men in Green & White hoisted hardware for the second time this summer. They will take forward learnings and adjustments as the team preps for an exciting August to round out the summer.

BARBOS WIN 4TH STRAIGHT DENVER 7’S, TURNING FOCUS TO KANSAS
The Denver Barbos A side defeated the Kansas City Reds 21-5 in the Final to wrap a Denver 7’s to remember. The team let in a single try throughout the tournament, and won relying on defensive cohesion. Marco LaPierre was a standout all day as he dominated the kick-restarts and won back valuable possession for the men in Green & White.
BARBOS NAME TWO STRONG TEAMS MIXED WITH YOUTH AND WISDOM
Denver Barbarians 7’s A:
Mickey Bateman
Alex Wormer
David Hightower
Jack Miller
Nick Johnson
Campbell Johnstone
Cody Melphy
Marco LaPierre
Luke Neely
Iosefo Salavasio
Andrew Wulf*
Cian Barry*

DENVER 7’S AT COOK PARK FEATURES A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MIX OF TEAMS
Nothing gets me more excited than watching the Barbos compete in a high stakes 7’s qualifier tournament on home soil. This year’s Denver 7’s Frontier region qualifier will be held at Cook Park, Saturday June 28th, from 8am-5pm. While the men in Green & White have won the past three Denver 7’s tournaments, they will surely be challenged this year by some highly competitive teams from the Heart of America conference in the Midwest.
Pool A: Denver Barbarians A, Air Force Rugby 7’s A, Kansas City Blues B
Pool B: Kansas City RFC, Denver Highlanders, Air Force Rugby 7’s B
Pool C: Kansas City Blues A, Vail Rugby, Colorado Springs Spartans
Pool D: Omaha Goats, Gentleman of Aspen, Denver Barbarians B
HONORING DEVIN MARTLING

BARBOS OPEN UP SUMMER 7s SERIES IN AUSTIN TEXAS AT BLOODFEST
Denver Barbarians Roster - Bloodfest 7’s - 6/14/25
Nick Johnson
Rashon Jennings
Ben Haapapuro
Ian Wormer
David Hightower
Marco Lapierre
Logan Liar
Arnaud Agasse
Luke Neely
Sefo Selevasio
Zach Thies
Sean Kilfoyle
Gavin Oleson
BARBO SUMMER 7’S - TOURNAMENT DATES AND NEW SPONSORSHIP
The summer of 2025 is primed for success thanks to a strong schedule of tournaments and two key sponsors. Head coach Jason Kelly’s Koru Movement and assistant coach Steve LaPorta’s Perfect Denver Homes have generously sponsored the Barbo 7’s efforts to perform at the highest level.
The team will open up the summer on June 15th, travelling to Austin Texas to compete in the premier bracket of Bloodfest 7’s. They will follow that up by hosting the 56th annual Denver 7’s, with a final qualifying tournament in Kansas City. The summer campaign will end with the club national 7’s tournament hosted for a 3rd straight year in Madison Wisconsin.
June 14th - Bloodfest - Austin, Texas
June 28th - Denver 7’s - Denver, Colorado
July 12th - Kansas City 7’s - Kansas City, Missouri
August 9-10th - Club 7’s National Championships - Madison, Wisconsin
HEAD COACHING CHANGE - COACH ERICHSEN STEPS AWAY AFTER 8 YEARS
The Denver Barbarians are proud to honor Brian Erichsen as he steps away as head coach of the club he has dutifully served for eight years. The Erichsen Era is one of the proudest and most fruitful periods in the club’s rich history. Brian led the Barbos to three Division 2 National Championship Finals, winning the title in 2018 and 2023, solidifying the club’s indomitable reputation.
SPRING 2025 FEATURES FAMILIAR RMR FOES
Spring has arrived, at with it, the bubbling rugby anticipation that comes with the dormant winter months.
Your Denver Barbarians will face a familiar lineup of RMR teams in the coming weeks as they look to build back momentum from a challenging fall season.
SPRING 2025 MATCH SCHEDULE
Denver Barbarians 2nd XV vs. Queen City RFC - Saturday, March 29, 2025 - 11:00AM - Infinity Park Turf
Denver Barbarians 2nd XV vs. Colorado Springs Grizzlies - Saturday, April 5, 2025 - 1:00 PM - Flanagan Park
Denver Barbarians 1st XV vs. Aspen Gentleman - Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 4:00 PM - Infinity Park
Denver Barbarians 1st XV vs. Waterdogs - Saturday, April 19, 2025 - 6:00 PM - Infinity Park
Denver Barbarians 1st XV vs. Waterdogs - Saturday, April 26, 2025 - 1:00 PM - Infinity Park
BARBOS LOOK FORWARD IN 2025
To reach the heights that we can achieve as a rugby club, we must put forth a tremendous effort for the year 2025 and beyond.
We’ll be introducing different ways for the Green & White community the team of (players, coaches, fans, old boys, & family) to support each other in the coming months.
It’s an exciting time to be a Barbo or a member of the family. Hardships prepare people for an extraordinary destiny. We plan to take the learning lessons from the fall season and fortify the bonds of our club in the coming year.
BARBOS END SEPTEMBER HOT AND COLD
Your Denver Barbarians opened up their XV’s fall season with four wins on the trot. After a high scoring opening weekend, the try scoring continued on through Ruggerfest weekend. There, up in Aspen on Wagner Field, the Barbos fell just short the the Gentlemen of Aspen. It was no gentle match, with both teams dealing blows through the final seconds. While men in Green & White scored more tries on the day, the final result was a loss at the death. 36-32 Aspen victory.

BARBOS NAME STRONG TEAM FOR CLUB 7’S NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
It was easily the most competitive summer of 7’s we’ve had since the American rugby landscape began its slow crawl back in the summer of 2021. The core of this player group have been together since 2021, and each year they push themselves to get better each day. The results have shown through the intensity in which this team trains. It’s really something to see. After a long and tiring summer, teams usually fall off in August, but what separates this summer’s group is player depth and team commitment. Only 13 names were able to be selected for our traveling roster, but the larger group knows the group selected represents all 30 players that trained throughout the summer.
And without further ado, the team for the 2024 Club National 7’s tournament:
Alex Wormer (c)
John Ryberg
Nick Johnson
Eric Sykes
Jack Miller
Campbell “Soup” Johnstone
Mickey Bateman
Arnaud Agasse
Luke Neely
Ian Wormer
Iosefo Selevasio
Kobe Millar
David Hightower

BARBO KE'VON WILLIAMS CAPTAINS USA MEN’S 7’S IN PARIS OLYMPICS
The only thing better than seeing a great talent join the Denver Barbarians is also watching them leave for greater rugby opportunities. This was the case for Barbo great Ke’Von Williams who joined the Barbo 7’s program in the summer of 2014. Even though he had only recently started playing rugby at New Mexico Highlands University, he arrived in Denver as one of the best pure athletes the team had seen in years. At the wing, he dominated the men’s club 7’s circuit for the next four summers before he was called into the USA Men’s Eagles 7’s camp in Chula Vista. Not only did he make the team, but transformed himself as a rugby player, learned a new position, became one of the most potent halfbacks on HSBC 7’s circuit and eventually was named Captain of the national team.

BARBOS SWEEP 55TH ANNUAL DENVER 7’S
After posting a 4-0 record on a successful trip up to Aspen Colorado for an afternoon of 7’s matches, the men in Green & White turned their focus toward their home tournament. The 55th Annual Denver 7’s. An event that once stood at 30+ teams across the Men’s, Women’s, Social and High School brackets at the pristine Dick’s Sporting Goods Park fields, is now a more humble gathering of teams at Cook Park. After semi-final victories over Aspen and Park City, it was the Denver Barbarians who raised the hardware in the end, defeating the Barbo 2nd side in the final match of the day. The day featured great moments of 7’s excitement, a strong showing from the local rugby audience and pizza for all after the final from Guido’s Pizza in Genesee.
SUMMER 7’S HAVE ARRIVED
The Barbos opened up their 2024 summer 7’s with a strong showing in the Gateway 7’s in St. Louis, Saturday June 15th. The men in Green & White played sharp throughout the day, winning 4 straight pool games before a tantalizing final against the St. Louis Bombers. The cup final went into sudden death, and the home side won 26-21 after 5 minutes of extra time. The Barbos played with strong cohesion throughout the day, and the lessons from the first tournament in the summer will be valuable.
The Barbos lineup for Gateway 7’s:
Nick Johnson
Eric Sykes
Campbell Johnstone
Alex Wormer
Mickey Bateman
Rufus McLean
Ian Wormer
Arnaud Agasse
David Hightower
Jack Miller
John Ryberg
Kobe Millar
Logan Lair
BARBOS RIGHT THE SHIP HEADING INTO PLAYOFFS
Spring has sprung, flowers are blooming, hibernation ends as life begins again. The men in Green & White step into the arena once again, to defend what is currently theirs. A nation club championship. But those who have won in the past know how fleeting success can be. In order to maintain a winning form, your Denver Barbarians will face their most daunting opponents they have seen since last year’s club finals.

THE LEGACY OF OUR CLUB FOUNDER TERRY FLEENER
When a club member passes, the mood is often somber. But Terry Fleener’s legacy was full of the happiness and exuberance that the sport of rugby brings to our lives. He founded our beloved club, the Denver Barbarians in 1967 in addition to the Rocky Mountain Rugby Union. As a player, coach and organizer, he did it all. In 1975 he was selected for the first Board of Directors for the United States Rugby Football Union and served on different roles until 1999. It takes a true titan of the game to see our national union through three decades of growth and Terry was indeed that titan. We are truly indebted to the efforts he made to grow the game of rugby throughout the years.
BARBOS OPEN SPRING SEASON AGAINST STOUT KCRFC
Ethan Harrison - The Washington State Cougar isn’t afraid to hunt for contact on the prairie. A Prop who can tackle like a Flanker.
Kyle Hiyard - If MMA was legal on the rugby pitch, he’d surely whip out the choke hold. Undersized forwards are forced to scrap in games like these.
Bryan Todman - This Prop plays more like a frisky 6. Not afraid of a highlight reel run either.
Kierian Langskov - High motor guy, but can he make more tackles than vowels in his name?
Sean Gorman - A traditional Flanker that can play at lock too. One could say your modern day Jack-Knife.
Dakota Southworth - The young and talented ICCC alumni knows how to bring the heat.
Donny Ronan - If Groundskeeper Willie and Sonic the Hedgehog had a baby, it would be Donovan Ronan.
Alex Wormer (C) - The skipper embodies what it means to wear the Green & White.
Brett DeBoy - A Winger turned Scrumhalf, DeBoy shows an ability to move into new spaces.
Hank Kafonec - Last year’s Scrumhalf, turned Flyhalf. This guy can get you into (and out of) out of a deep hole.
Hunter Wade - A shade of red hair never hurts in the month of March. Can this dancing winger find a pot of gold?
Alex Schultz - I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again … no one runs a better cannon-ball straight line hit up than Schultzy.
Todd Oswald - A man so wise and discipline, he tended to dreadlocks for 3 plus years. The “Tadd Hatter” always has a bag of tricks.
Jack O’Connor - Heading up the Barbos Community Service Dept., Jack leads by example. Community First!
Sean Kilfoyle - No stranger to the Rocky Mountain Rugby Union, Sean looks to make an impact in colors.
BARBOS FALL TO PARK CITY IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FINAL
Your Denver Barbarians fell to Park City Haggis 63-26 in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Premiership Final. The match remained close at the 60 minute mark, but the Haggis closed out the game with 6 unanswered tries. This was the 6th time in two years that the teams have played.
BARBOS SQUEAK BY PARK CITY IN SNOWBOWL
Your Denver Barbarians defeated Park City Haggis 20-19 in a thrilling defensive snow game. While the Barbos opened up with three tries and a 15-0 lead, Park City came storming back and took the lead 19-15. But it was Luka Pavlakis who crossed over for what would be the game winning try in the 72nd minute (pictured below). The Barbos defense then held up at their own try line, holding up the ball on the final play.