The Chicago Dragons were founded during the summer of 2003 on Cricket Hill at Montrose Harbor. It started with a few experienced and a few inexperienced guys throwing the rugby ball around. They quickly decided to do whatever was necessary to start a rugby club.
"We've come a long way in terms of being a very dedicated and organized club off the pitch," said Paul Cannella, a Dragon since day one. "On the pitch, we have certainly had our high and low points, but the old rugby saying is, 'That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger' and that certainly can be referenced at certain low points. We've taken a few lop-sided losses [ over the years ] , but it has never broken our spirits. A little bruised ego, but not a broken spirit."
Flash forward to today, and the Dragons are the city's only predominantly gay rugby cluband ready for the 2010 CARFU ( Chicago Area Rugby Football Union ) season, which starts in September.
"The foundation of the club we have right now is really good," Cannella said. "I think we're three to five new players from being a competitive team, and those three to five guys could be in our system right now and getting ready to come into their own. I helped start this club to give back to the greatest sport by sharing it with others. As I see players develop, grow and get bit by the rugby bug, it makes me smile. I think there are a couple guys ready to break out and make me smile this fall."
Cannella, 40, who lives in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, is the Dragons' assistant coach in his seventh season with the team. The head coaches are Andrew York and Denise Abramson.
Cannella said about 80 percent of the Dragons are gay, and the majority of the straight players are either married or engaged.
"The Dragons are a diverse group for sure," Cannella said. "We have about 25 to 30 active players on the club, and then 10 or so social members. It's an awesome group of guys and there is somebody who you'll bond with because we like to have fun. I live my life under the 'work hard, then play hard' mantra, and that would be an accurate description of the Dragons. Club members range in age from the low 20s to the 40s and professions are all over the board. We have business executives, students, painters, doctors, teachers, IT [ personnel ] and many others.
"It's the people who volunteer to make the organization what it is [ that make the Dragons special ] . That goes from coaches, players, board members, social members, volunteers, sponsors, fans and more. Nobody has to do this; we all want to do this. When you have a bunch of passionate people all bonded together in probably one of the most intense games on the planet, it creates a unique atmosphere that is hard to explain, but easy to enjoy."
So truly, how tough is rugby?
"If you're totally out of shape and know nothing about it, it can be tough to get started," Cannella said. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it to get someone out there. Rugby is tough and it takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work, but I can tell you after doing this for 20-plus years, it is all worth it. I have friends and experiences that span the globe. Anything that is worth it in life, takes effort, and rugby is certainly worth it. With that said, we all have to start from somewhere, and the truth of the matter is, we all have zero experience when we get started, so don't let experience or lack of it, stop anyone from coming out."
Interested persons can get a taste of the sport Saturday, Aug. 14, when the Dragons host Rugby 101 12-3 p.m. at Lerner Park, 7000 N. Sacramento.
"Rugby 101 is a one-day workshop on the fundamentals of rugby, offering a basic overview of the sport, positions, commitment involved, and will conclude with some live rugby by the current members," Cannella said. "At the end of the day, [ newcomers ] will either just walk away a little more knowledgeable about the game, or know if it's in their hearts and minds to play rugby. Rugby 101 and the Chicago Dragons are open to all ages, sizes, old, new, gay and straight male players. Plus, we always need fans and social members."
Rugby, though, isn't for the weak.
One of the sport's biggest misconceptions is the injuries.
"There are serious injuries that can happen in any sport, but they happen at a lower degree [ in rugby ] than football," Cannella said. "If you learn to play the game, tackle properly, [ and ] follow your teammates, you'll be fine.
"There are a variety of positions on the pitch and we'll figure out where you belong. In my 20 years, we've never once said, 'Hmm, we don't have a position for someone your size,' because you're too small.
The Dragons are members of CARFU's Division III ( now one division, as opposed to a North and South Division, as was the case in the past ) . The Dragons will play all the teams in the division, either home or away, for a total of nine matches.
"To put this season in perspective, it's about twice as many league matches as we were playing," Cannella said.
Some of the top Dragons are Mikey Funtera, Josh Restrick, Dennis Razon, Bob Schumacher and Ryan Akers, among others.
For more information on the Dragons, including the Aug. 14 event, go to www.chicagodragons.org .