Congratulations to the 2008 USA Rugby Award Winners!
The winners of World Rugby Shop’s 2008 USA Rugby Coach of the Year, Men’s Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year were honored on November 8th during halftime of the USA Eagles/Uruguay match at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Presented by World Rugby Shop, the USA Rugby Awards were meant to recognize volunteers, coaches and players that help ‘Inspire America to Fall in Love with Rugby’ everyday. While performance on the pitch was a factor in the decision making process, other qualities like dedication, sacrifice, and giving back to the game of rugby in the U.S. were paramount in deciding the winners of these awards.
“I don't usually get excited about awards, as there are so many people that do such wonderful things across the game, singling out one or two people is always a challenge,” USA Rugby’s CEO and President of Operations Nigel Melville said. “On this occasion though, the awards went to three people who make a tremendous commitment to the game of rugby in their particular field. John, Christy and Todd accept their awards on behalf of all those who make such a valuable contribution to the game and it is well deserved.”
World Rugby Shop CEO Bernard Frei said, “ Nigel Melville and Dave Voth had the foresight to bring this project to us and we’re delighted that they did. It is an honour to be involved. When you consider that over 300 different players and coaches were nominated for the USA Rugby awards it makes you appreciate just how special Christy, John and Todd are. These are the best of the best and it is a privilege to be involved in recognizing them”.
2008 USA Rugby Coach of the Year- John Klein
John “Chin” Klein was the recipient of this year’s award for his outstanding performance on and off the field. As coach of the Divine Savior Holy Angels High School Girls team in Milwaukee, Wisc., John has been with the team for over 11 years and has brought home five national titles in that time. In addition to his on field exploits, he has managed to serve as an outstanding role model and mentor for all of the players on his team.
What People Had to Say About John-
“John Klein (Chin) has shown remarkable skill, tenacity, and leadership in making the DSHA Girls Rugby Club a place where high school girls learn teamwork, goal setting, and exhibit strength in numbers. His insight into the game of rugby, teaching both players and parents, is legendary in Wisconsin. He truly is the US Coach of the Year.”
2008 USA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year- Todd Clever
Todd Clever received this year’s award for his remarkable efforts in captaining and representing his country. The 2008 award winner started playing rugby when he was 14 years old and most recently has been playing for both the USA National 15s and Sevens Team. Todd has consistently proven himself to be one of the most outstanding Eagles players. In addition to captaining the Eagles, Todd has recently signed a professional contract for the Xerox Lions in South Africa. His remarkable on-field achievements coupled with his dedication to and leadership of the USA national team has earned him this well deserved honor.
What People Had to Say About Todd-
“I have had the pleasure of being able to watch Todd since early in his international career due to my appreciation of the Seven's Code. Having watched him the past few years at the IRB Events in Southern California and representing the USA in France, at the World Cup, it is obvious that he is the dual leader, on the field, for American International Rugby. Although a number of our players play both games, no one else that I am aware of is such an impact player in both. Accordingly, Todd should be the US Men’s Player of the Year.”
2008 USA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year- Christy McFarland
Christy McFarland, formerly Stelzer until her recent marriage, is this year’s winner and a perfect example of the dedication and honor of the game that these awards sought to identify and reward. A graduate of Illinois State University, Christy recently captained the team on the field as an all-star player and was president of the team off the field. Her commitment to her team and the game as a whole won her accolades from coaches, players and administrators from across the country.
What People Had to Say About Christy-
“Christy Stelzer deserves this award of Women's player of the year because she has been with this team through thick and thin. We are on a team with no coaches and our captains run our practices. Christy is there as a Captain as a President as a Teammate and as a Friend for everyone on the team. She is an outstanding player herself, playing outside center and a great motivational speaker when our team needs it. She helped the team make it to nationals as a Freshman and helped our team emotionally through trying to find a coach. She is so organized and on top of the behind the scenes work that not everyone on the team knows everything that she does for the team. If for some reason she had to miss a game (which was not often) she was calling to check in on the players and the game. She is a great communicator with the team, other teams, and officals. Christy Stelzer deserves this award because (she) is the ultimate teammate and has never let anyone down.”
Congratulations again to our winners and thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for the 2008 USA Rugby Awards!
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