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Boksprings Rugby Football Club
Faribault, MN (Since 1971)

FARIBAULT IS A RUGBY TOWN


Team History

The Faribault Boksprings

a.k.a. Southern Minnesota Boksprings, Faribault Turkeys, Southern Minnesota Touring Side,

The Boksprings are the longest tenured non-combined rugby club in Minnesota, Since their establishment in 1971 as a summer side by Mike Markman, the club has since withstood the test of time by continuing in their operation for thirty-one years. The team from the seventies was a hometown team. Comprised mostly of local people they played such teams as: the Rochester Rogues, the Albert Lea Animals, the Waseca Wedges, and Currie Rats. Our traveling mainly was Southern Minnesota. Team mainstays included but were not limited to the Markmans', the McComases', the Westerhouses', as brotherly teammates and Benny Olson, Downtown Rock and Roll Allen W. Krueger and the author of this section, Mike Jones. The team was relatively young as rugby goes and competitive with the fledgling rugby teams of the time. Leadership was by the few who were willing and times and values were characterized by a "Loosey Goosey" attitude. In the latter seventies the Boksprings gained membership as smaller outstate teams lost interest in the sport and folded.


1980-1990

Furthering the foundation of the local players and building from within, the Faribault RFC grew in number of players, matches played, team victories, and expanding matches played to include rugby teams from throughout the Midwest. In 1983 came the start of the influx of rugby players from Mankato State University. The player, and long time playing fixture, Brad Palmer, started the foundation of players to make the Faribault RFC their rugby home. Other players to follow Brad were Dave Harms, Jay "Spaz" Ziesmer, "Precious" Paul Fashing, "Wild" Bill Garwood, Kraig "Spooge" Knoll, Brad "Fu" Fericks. Adding to the foundation of the Boksprings during this time of growth were players Mark Moorhead, Shaun Lougan, Sam Michles, and Charlie Brown, from the defunked Rochester RFC.

With this injection of experienced players and a solid core of very close players, the Boksprings made annual appeances at the Winnipig SNAFU Tournament, the Grand Forks SandBag Tourney, Rugger-Rama Tournament, and top 4 finishes in the annual All-Minnesota Rugby Tourney.

The Boksprings established a broader administration process as their team continued to grow and the administrative needs grew. This necessitated players taking more ownership in the Boksprings. Bokspring members who guided the club as President during these years included long standing President Mike Jones, Todd Markman, Brad Palmer, and Harry Henderson.

The home of the Boksprings also changed during the 80's. The team moved from their first home, Alexander Park, to the "friendly confines" of Tee Pee Tonka Park. This has long been a favorite pitch site for all teams that come to play the Boksprings in Faribault. With wooded surrounding, being enclosed by the Straight River on three sides, and having one of the finest playing surfaces in the Midwest, the Boksprings established Tee Pee Tonka Park as one of the strongest home field advantages in Minnesota Rugby.


1990- Present

The team was growing old and more family like. The term Bokspring Family took on new meaning as the long-standing members were growing families and therefore the team traveled by caravan to tournament fixtures. Not only did the team now play rugby, but they also spent their social times together. The team expanded into winter basketball teams, winter rugby teams, and hosting golf tournaments. The team was able to keep youth on the team by expanding on a New Prague connection. New team members included Tom "Mongo" Chromey, the"Tick Bros" Dan and Dennis Tikalsky, and Ron "Kutz" Kaderlik. Towards the latter part of this era kindled a spirit of unity as the team voted to combine with a folding Bloomington squad. The attempt was short lived as only Dave Ford, Nate Redlin and Jim "Trout" Trautman became mainstays to the team while the rest floundered out on their own endeavors. This appeared to be the misdirected, yet good intentioned, expansionist movement of the Minnesota Rugby Union. Yet, the Boksprings were able to survive due in part to local membership and the willingness of a foreigners joining in our fun. Our recruitment came from the South Metro area and local towns. Besides the Boksprings, Rochester had given birth to a team. While the growth has continue; Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Dennis "The Menace" Nestje, Steve "Matta" Matecjek, Graham " Welchy" Faulkes, there are still some of the old mainstays; Mad Brad, Downtown, Benny, Turbo, Martino, Marky Mark, Spaz, and others too numerous to mention within the family, but certainly appreciated. The service to the community was initiated by taking part in our town celebration adoption of the local parks for hosting ecological events.

From the Boksprings humble beginnings to the present, the Boksprings are still a blue-collar team. They are dedicated to playing locally with a competitive spirit and focus on the Bokspring families. Without the support of these families and their members the Boksprings would not have survived. This Bokspring piece is dedicated to "Precious" Paul Fasching, Dan "Boone" Anderson and Dave "V-Man" Vroman who are now on the pitch of the Higher Power. Viva-La-Bokspring!


Bokspring Rugby Hall of Fame

Inaugural Inductees 2004
Todd Markman
Mike Jones
Paul "Benny" Olson

Inductees 2005
Mark Moorhead
Randy Brennan