Orca Rugby

About Orca Rugby - We are ALL true volunteers!

EVERYONE IS WELCOME
We train boys and girls ages 12 to 19 to play one of the toughest and most enjoyable sports in the world - rugby.  Rugby has a place for all body types: small and fast, big and strong, tall or short.  WE EXPECT EVERYONE WILL BE A BEGINNER!  Although rugby is wildly popular around the world, relatively few people in the U.S. are familiar with rugby, so we start from the beginning so everyone can learn.  Even though it looks like chaos to begin with, after a few weeks of practice and a game or two, even beginners "get it" and have a lot of fun!

TEAM PHILOSOPHY
Orca Rugby is designed for beginners and everyone plays. Orca Rugby does not "cut" or drop players from the team, except for bad behavior. All we require is your good attitude and effort.

Orca Rugby limits team sizes to ensure no one "rides the bench," to ensure that everyone gets close attention from coaching staff, and to allow each player to develop fully.

Rugby keeps substitution to a minimum and does not stop, except briefly at half time. Therefore, some players inevitably will play more than others during any given game, but usually all players get significant playing time in every game.  The coaching staff strives to ensure every player is on the field every game, and attempts to even out total time on the field among players over the season.

While taking into consideration the individual's preference for a particular position, the coaching staff will make the final decision on player positions, which may change game to game.

The following are examples (but not a complete list) of behavior that could lead to ejection from the team: speaking to or about the referee; fighting with anyone; insulting anyone (including opposing players); possession or use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco at any time; or repeated unexcused absences from practices or games.

CLUB HISTORY
Orca Rugby (also known as the Killer Whales and formerly known as Channel Islands Youth Rugby Football Club) is a division of Santa Barbara Rugby Association.  SBRA was incorporated as a California non-profit corporation in 2002 and is recognized as a charitable organization by the IRS under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.  All donations to Orca Rugby are tax deductible as charitable donations.  IRS Charity Letter

Orca Rugby is part of Rugby California, USA Rugby, and the International Rugby Board ("IRB"). The IRB has large team organizations in over 100 countries.

Orca Rugby exists to serve the youth of Ventura County.  Players come mostly from coastal Ventura County:  Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Somis, Port Hueneme, Newbury Park, and Thousand Oaks, but ALL youth are welcome.

CLUB LEADERS
President -- Sylvia Soto, Esq.  President@OrcaRugby.Org

Vice-President -- Steve Sickle, Esq.    VP@OrcaRugby.Org

Secretary -- Kurt Dulka    Secretary@OrcaRugby.Org

Treasurer --   Michael Ireland, Esq. Treasurer@OrcaRugby.Org

Field Master -- Bob Miller

Social Director -- Gretchen Luchsinger Social@OrcaRugby.Org

Head Coach -- Francis Mariner  Coach@OrcaRugby.Org

Recruiter -- Michael Ireland, Esq.  Recruiter@OrcaRugby.Org

Fundraiser -- *

Webmistress -- Mareque Ireland  Webmistress@OrcaRugby.Org
Mareque is a woman of many talents.  She is an adjunct assistant professor of Theology at Fuller Seminary where she is known as Dr. Ireland, she races her red #350 Corvette at tracks around Southern California where she is known as the "Rydell Red Speed Racer Chick" and she is a fifth degree black belt in Taekwondo, so she is also known as Master Steele.  She likes watching her step-kids play rugby.

COACHING STAFF
NONE OF OUR COACHES RECEIVE ONE PENNY FOR THEIR WORK.  ALL ORCA RUGBY COACHES ARE PURE VOLUNTEERS.  All of our coaching staff have passed background checks through USA Rugby and have significant experience in rugby.  Every one of our coaches volunteers hundreds of hours each season to pass on their love of rugby to a new generation.  The coaching staff includes Coach Tim Hoffman, Coach Kurt Dulka, Coach Francis Mariner, and Coach Michael Ireland.  Many others help out every season, and their help is invaluable.

Coach Chris Davis
Chris started playing rugby at high school in England when he realized that the girls were not dating the orchestra members but were more interested in the rugby team (Chris was playing clarinet at the time).  At a time when he possessed speed Chris was a successful fullback and wing player in the high school team before carrying on the role in his time at University in the UK.  Most recently Chris has been active in the local AYSO program where he is training and mentoring soccer referees.  With two sons in the Orca program, Chris is looking forward to assisting with the development of youth rugby in the area.

Coach Jonathan Dimauro (aka Moose)
Jon started playing rugby in Naples, Italy for the NATO team.  He played there for 4 years.  While in Naples, he also played for the all NAVY team.  When he transferred for the military to Sicily, he started to play for the Division 1 Amatori Catania team.  He played for the Base team at Camp Smith in Hawaii while stationed there as well.  He now enjoys coaching the Orca Rugby teams and watching his kids play rugby.  Once a Prop always a Prop!!!

Coach Kurt Dulka
Kurt Dulka played rugby for the Los Angeles Rugby Club. Kurt has coached youth rugby for several years.

Coach Tim FitzGerald
*


Coach Tim Hoffman (aka Hoff)
Tim played rugby for the University of San Diego during college (some matches against Coach Michael!) and continued playing club rugby about 15 years.  Tim founded Orca Rugby (then known as Channel Islands YRFC) and was the primary force that kept Orca Rugby moving forward its first seven years.  This is Tim's ninth year coaching youth rugby with Orca Rugby.

Coach Michael Ireland (aka Spike)
After playing soccer and wrestling at Simi Valley high school, Michael played rugby for Loyola Marymount University for four years (some matches against Coach Tim!), then played for Santa Monica Rugby Club for a year before taking up triathlons and Taekwondo. Michael has coached kids in AYSO soccer for several years, T.O. Flyers track team, Little League baseball, archery, and US Youth Volleyball and earned his black belt in Taekwondo. This is Michael's second year coaching youth rugby.

Coach Francis Mariner
After watching his brothers play rugby, Francis decided to play competitive rugby in his last year of high school.  Where there was a game, there he was, as a spectator or a player, in the States or overseas.  Francis played for the Santa Barbara Grunion Rugby Club before he was enlisted to coach youth rugby.  Francis wants to give back to the sport by sharing the game with the youth.  Francis has been coaching youth rugby for several years.

Coach Drew Reimers
Drew played six years of rugby both for military (Ft. Polk, Ft. Rucker) and adult clubs (Tempe Old Boys and San Fernando Rugby Club).  The highlight of his rugby career was starting as the hooker for the Ft. Polk team that placed 3rd in the US Military Championships.  Coach Drew also played 15 years of football on youth, high school and college teams.  Recently, he has helped coach his son's Gold Coast Youth Football League (GCYFL) team for the past five years.  Last year, their team won the GCYFL Championship.

COACHES EMERITUS
Orca Rugby has been blessed by many dedicated coaches and volunteers who have had to move on.  Here are just a few who have contributed hundreds of hours of their time for the benefit of Ventura County youth.

Coach Patricio Alban
After playing varsity soccer and basketball in high school, Patricio Alban (32) played for Universidad Simon Bolivar Rugby in Caracas, Venezuela for five years. During this period he also played with Badalona Rugby Club in Barcelona, Spain. He coached USB's ladies rugby in 1997. Coach Patricio worked with Orca Rugby in 2008.  Coach Patricio relocated to Indonesia in January 2009.  We wish him and his family a safe and exciting life in Indonesia.

Coach Thom Pairo
After an undistinguished football career in high school, Thom joined the Montgomery Rugby Club, a second division club in the Potomac Rugby Union, based in Montgomery County, Maryland. Two mergers later found Thom playing for the Maryland Exiles in the 1st division of the PRU. 1st division rugby and a new family were not compatible, so Thom join the 3rd division Kent Island Rugby club. Kent Island was able to move out of provisional status, win the 3rd division and challenge for the 2nd division in the Mid-Atlantic. A series of weddings, new babies, and the death of a player led to the demise of the KIRFC. Thom joined the Severn River rugby club where he played six years before relocating to California and joining the Santa Barbara Grunion men's rugby club. When Thom arrived in California he also met Orca Rugby, where he was been an assistant coach for several years. In 2008, he was invited to take over the head coaching duties.  Coach Thom made a career move back to the East Coast (Maryland) in June 2008.  We wish Coach Thom and his family well.

Coach Jessica Sanchez
Jessica Sanchez played four years as lock on the UC Davis women's rugby team.  She was selected a few years in a row to play for the Northern California women's all-star rugby team -- the Pelicans.  Coach Jessica also made it about half way through about six rounds of qualifying for the U.S. Eagles women's team (also known as the National All Stars or select side team).  Playing rugby with some of the best women in the country was an intense experience Coach Jessica will never forget.  Coach Jessica worked with Orca Rugby in 2008.  Coach Jessica is pursuing graduate studies in Humboldt.  We hope she comes back to Ventura some day.

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