News Blog
BARBOS LOOKING TO RIGHT WRONGS AS PARK CITY COMES TO TOWN
The coaches have selected 4 backs and 4 forwards on the bench, creating unique options for any 2nd half subs. Max Murphy has proven he can bump straight into prop from flanker or 2nd row and not miss a beat. The veteran’s defense and fitness has been stellar all fall and he’ll look to amp up the pace tomorrow morning as the dew dries up on a luscious Cook Park grass pitch.
BARBOS 2ND XV SLAIN BY CO SPRINGS GRIZZLIES 57-36
BARBOS DOWN THE WATERDOGS 69-14
Your Denver Barbarians defeated the Denver Waterdogs 69-14 on a perfect October afternoon at Infinity Park. The game was physical and included some impressive ball work as the two side duked it out for 80 minutes. Alex Wormer was impressive in attack all day as the open side flanker and lineout operator consistently broke the gain line finishing four tries (most of the under the posts). In the end, the relentless Barbo attack was too much for a Waterdogs side who had a man sent to the bin with a red card.
BARBOS FALL TO PARK CITY IN A TALE OF TWO HALVES
When the team travelling to Park City was named on Thursday night, we saw some new names looking for new opportunities on the rugby pitch. Luckily for them, there is no greater opportunity that travelling west to face our Utah based league rivals Park City Haggis.
BARBOS HEAD NORTH TO FACE THE FOCO FLAMINGOS
Your Denver Barbarians head north to face the Fort Collins Flamingos rugby club in a highly anticipated Rocky Mountain Rugby Championship matchup. The Barbos have old ties to the city of Fort Collins, with many a CSU alumni joining up with the Barbos after their college careers. The lads will look to continue their winning ways as they face their first test on the road. The Denver Barbos executive committee has had this Saturday circled on our calendar as we look to roster two different side in two different locations.
BARBOS FACE BIG TEST AGAINST PARK CITY HAGGIS
Can the Barbos continue their 2022 winning ways out in Utah? Some new names and faces to the first team lineup have the BarboFam excited and aroused for some potential first team debuts. If you love this team as much as I do, you’ll allow the tingling sensation in your extremities to take over as you read the below lineup.
Steve Karas (c)
Solo Charboneau
Max Murphy
Mitchell Jarosinski
Kierian Langskov
Brian Rice
Eric Sykes
Luca Tani
Conor O’Brien
Noah Pflaum
Landon Banks
Liam Wynne
Dante Brown
Brett DeBoy
Harold Hernandez
Corey Jacobs
Jack Grisanti
Kaleb Boleyn
Glenn Hughes
Devarius “Beanie” Miller
Todd Oswald
Gus Sokol
BARBOS EDGE OUT A STRONG QUEEN CITY
The men in Green & White finished out their first two game sweep by defeating the Queen City Rams 35-17 (after dispatching Boulder in the previous match). Captain Todd Oswald led the men to a well earned victory in a battle that started tight and kept its intensity throughout the match.
BARBOS DEFEAT BOULDER TO OPEN 2022 FALL SEASON
The men in Green & White crossed the white line early and often in the first half, opening the scoring through the young (but experienced) fullback Luka Pavlakis. A line break in the first minute resulted in Pavlakis’ first try of the day as the Barbos got 5 points on the board in the first minute. Boulder countered back with a score of their own, and the score was knotted at 5-5, 8 minutes into the match. But, it was from that point on when the Green & White attack grabbed a hold of the game. A barrage of tries from the 10-40 minute mark put Dante Brown, Alex Wormer, Conor O’Brien, Stevie Karas (the skipper), Alex Schultz, Luka Pavlakis (again), Jason Tubbs Christensen, and the entire forward pack (penalty try) on the score sheet. Liam Wynne ticked over 6 conversions and score at halftime was 59-5.
BARBOS FINISH 4TH IN THE COUNTRY, CLOSING OUT THE 2022 SUMMER
The Barbos were victorious in their first two pool play games against Detroit Tradesman and Westside Ronin. The tied their final game with National Athletic Village (NAV) 14-14 after coming back in the second half. The theme of the day was physicality in the breakdown.
MEET CONOR O’BRIEN
MEET GUS SOKOL
MEET NICK JOHNSON
Every team needs a crafty veteran. Nic “Johnno” Johnson is exactly that. He’s played so much rugby, there isn’t much he hasn’t already seen. His professional rugby career features shifts with the Austin Gilgronis in the MLR and the Loggerheads of PR 7’s. His burly thick chest can be found barreling into the gain line as defenders do their best to soften the impact of his mighty blows.
MEET DEVARIUS “BEANIE” MILLER
When Devarius, better know as “Beanie” first showed up on the scene in 2018 competing for the Denver Selects. As a NMHU Vato, he continued the legacy of playing for the Green & White when he joined the summer 7’s squad in 2019. When I first saw him play that summer, I was definitely impressed. Here’s someone who punches well above his weight, and has a game changing step. He returned home during the pandemic and began shining with the Palm Beach Panthers. He was instrumental in their D3 National Championship this past may. But now, he’s ready to show the world he can play at the next level.
MEET LIAM WYNNE
Liam Wynne (at all costs) has cemented himself in the Colorado rugby community ever since his days down in Colorado Springs. He then took his game up North to Fort Collins where he led the Colorado State Rugby team (Ram for life) for 4 years. Word on the street is Liam actually tackled and poached the great Ben Pinkelman at a chilly evening training back in the FoCo days.
MEET MALIK BRYANT
Having top speed doesn’t always translate to the best rugby player, but CHANGE in SPEED can break open a game, and Malik has burst. His explosion is undeniable, but his burst into rugby is even more impressive. After getting his first taste for the game back in his home state of Florida with FIU, he returned to the sport through the Colorado XO program. After showing out in the 2021 summer season for the Barbos (highlights below), he hasn’t looked back. He continues to bring a professional level of hard work and dedication to crafting his skills and improving his rugby.
MEET LUCA TANI
Meet Luca Tani. 4 Syllables, 8 Letters. A creature of flight in the air (he’s tall and can jump), and a galloping land creature when comes back down to earth. His versatility helped earn him a Rugby Rent Scholarship last spring, and he’s been a club man ever since. You can’t miss the beard, the tatts and of course, the chicken legs.
MEET CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE
Maryland born and bred (crab cakes and rugby), Campbell “Soup” Johnstone lives and breathes the sport. Size, power and grace goes into each step when he takes the pitch. His passing is subpar to none, putting the ball on a rope even as he straightens and challenges the defensive line. He’s a 14 minute man in the 7’s game, and his gas tank is never empty.
MEET NOAH PFLAUM
Noah is simply the type of guy you want on your team. Calm, collected and straight up cool as a cucumber. When he attacks the line, you can feel his brain neurons firing as he pokes and probes … Looking for the smallest signs of weakness or misalignment before he rounds a gap or puts someone through one. Can’t wait to watch him carve up defenses at Nationals in St. Louis.
MEET JACK MILLER
Jack Miller (and his scandalous leg tattoos) have been playing rugby in the Front Range for some years now. The Hong Kong raised Miller began playing rugby when his parents made him “go outside and start playing with other kids”. Once he broke the shackles of his inert shyness, Jack shined brighter than the Rocky Mountain sunshine.
MEET MICKEY BATEMAN
If you don’t know Mickey Bateman, then you clearly haven’t been to a Barbo 7’s outing in the past two years. He’s the loudest voice on the field, bar none. And that’s extremely important in rugby, especially 7’s. There’s no place on the pitch for hushed voices and low tempo. Mickey loves to spice things up on the pitch.