Warrenton RFC - Team Info

As a dejected football walk-on in college, he was introduced to the game of rugby in 1985 by his roommate, the son of British expatriates. As one of the few freshmen who were offered the chance to join the Virginia Military Institute Rugby team (where he earned the nickname, “Jake”), he quickly took to the sport which was much more dynamic than what he had experienced in his previous athletic pursuits. At VMI, he played Inside Center, competing throughout the MARFU/Rugby South and traveled to England during Spring Break in 1987 for a 10-day tour – a very formative experience.

After graduation, he was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. While undergoing flight training to become an aviator, he played Rugby for the base team. He was an Inside Center for the Pensacola RFC, winning/placing in (3) Nat’l Military Club Championships and was chosen for the All-Navy Select XVs and twice to the Combined Services Junior Select side. After earning his “Wings of Gold” as a helicopter pilot, he transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps, selected to the All-Marine Rugby team and started playing Flanker.

After a five-year hiatus from the game due to operational commitments (with a few opportunities to play some touch and compete against overseas teams), he returned to playing Rugby. While stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, he captained, coached and presided over the base team for nearly six years during which the “Hooligans” advanced to the MARFU Championships three times, having won (2) Potomac Rugby Union championships, and were Nat’l Military Club Championship runner-ups. As a player, he was once-more selected to the All-Marine rugby team (spanning 15 years from his initial selection), and in 2009 took over as Head Coach of the Marine Corps rugby team, which he continues to lead.

Having moved back to his boy-hood home in Gainesville, Va., he started coaching the “Marauders” in the Spring of 2010 during their bid for MARFU success after they secured the 2009 Potomac Rugby Union Champions title.

As a current coach for Warrenton RFC, Jake also endeavors to support the growth of Rugby within our region as the Commissioner/Head Coach of the Prince William Youth Rugby Football Club, as well as serving as the elected Potomac Rugby Union Senior Men’s Director. He continues to play, whenever given the chance – he is an active member of the Marine Corps “Old Breed”, a team of ex-All-Marine rugby players who play at numerous “Old-Boy” Rugby events throughout the year.

Chris Russell

(2006-2009)

Born in 1943, he started playing rugby in England at age 12.He also played high school and town rugby before immigration to the United States in 1962.

Joining Eagle Rock in California he played in 1963-1965,1968-1969, 1972-1975 making the Southern Cal select side twice in the early 60’s.

From 1966-1967, during US Army service in Germany, he played with the Frankfurt 1880 Club.

When work took him to Australia for two years in 1970 he played for North Sydney.

A work transfer brought him to Washington, DC in 1976 and he played for and coached GWRFC (now PAC) for the next three years.

From about 1980 to 1989 he coached his children in select youthsoccer and had no time for rugby. When his daughter took up the game at JMU he got back involved and helped them develop into one of the top women’s collegiate teams on the east coast.

Indirectly that led to a two year stint as coach with the Washington Furies starting in 1998.

Moving to Rappahannock in the early 2000s he assumed that his rugby experience was over, but a serendipitous lunch at Molly’s Irish Pub in Warrenton changed all that. And the rest is history in the making.

Chap Shephard

(2006-Present)