OUR MISSION

Stamford Rugby Club, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2023 to foster the growth and development of rugby union in Stamford, Connecticut, and neighboring towns. Our mission is to provide youth and high school rugby programs for boys and girls from kindergarten to high school, offering a safe, inclusive, educational, and enjoyable environment for learning and playing rugby.

OUR PEOPLE

COACHES

High School Boys

Simon Walker, Head Coach Varsity
Simon has played rugby for 12 years, beginning in 2009 with the original Stamford Spartans RFC. He has competed with various men's clubs at the DII and DIII levels, including White River RFC and Greenwich RFC. Simon is a World Rugby Level 1 Coach.

Carlos Martinez, Assistant Coach Varsity
Carlos played for the original Stamford Spartans RFC and is a current player with the Greenwich RFC men’s team. In 2023, he coached the Stamford U14 team and will transition to coaching High School Boys in 2024.

Joe Kestebaum, Assistant Coach Varsity
Joe played rugby at Ursinus College and is an active player with Greenwich RFC.

Chris Moran, Head Coach Froshmore
Chris played rugby for the Greenwich RFC men’s team.

Ric Gordon, Assistant Coach Froshmore

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Youth Tackle

John Barrot, Head Coach U14
John is a lifelong rugby player, coach, and fan. He played rugby in middle and high school at St. Stanislaus’ College in Bathurst, followed by University of Sydney RFC, Waverly Rugby Club, and later New York Athletic Club. John is a World Rugby Level 1 Coach. He previously coached youth rugby at Fairfield Rugby Club and now coaches at Stamford Rugby Club.

Kris O'Brien, Head Coach U14
Kris previously coached at Fairfield Rugby Club's youth program and now coaches at Stamford Rugby Club. He has extensive experience coaching football, baseball, and soccer in Stamford.

James Dailey, Assistant Coach U14
James played rugby in college and for men’s rugby clubs. He also coached at OGRCC in Greenwich and is a World Rugby Level 1 Coach.

Mario Carpanzano, Head Coach U12
Mario played Division 1 college rugby at Norwich University, competed on the All-Army rugby team during his active duty, and played for several other clubs in the USA.

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Youth Flag

Pia Suzanne Reyes, Head Coach
Pia is a current player for the Fairfield Lady Yankees and has been playing rugby for several years. She works as an elementary school paraprofessional in Greenwich and is a World Rugby Level 1 Coach.

High School Players, Assistance Coaches
Keeping with our goal of fostering a club environment, our High School age players will assistant coach our younger flag teams.  As with all our coaches they will receive training and any required certifications to ensure that we delivery high quality coaching to our player.s 

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John Barrot
John is a lifelong rugby player, coach, and fan. He played rugby in middle and high school at St. Stanislaus’ College in Bathurst, followed by University of Sydney RFC, Waverly Rugby Club, and later New York Athletic Club. John is a World Rugby Level 1 Coach. He previously coached youth rugby at Fairfield Rugby Club and now coaches at Stamford Rugby Club.

Kris O'Brien
Kris previously coached at Fairfield Rugby Club's youth program and now coaches at Stamford Rugby Club. He has significant experience coaching football, baseball, and soccer in Stamford.

Bridget Barrot
Bridget brings extensive expertise in business, sales, marketing, and customer success to the club, with a background in working with startups and scaling organizations.

GOVERNING BODIES

Stamford Rugby Club operates under the governance of Rugby Connecticut, USA Youth & High School Rugby, and World Rugby.

OUR PARTNERS

We extend our gratitude to our partners, nonprofits, and local businesses who share our passion for community, youth programs, and rugby. They are integral to our club's success.