History
est. 1967
In 1967 Clint Evans conned Bob Rialland into a jog along Churchill Drive, one early June evening. Heading back home in front Rod Kachulak’s house they stopped to have look at a bunch of guys tackling without helmets. Bob thought they were nuts. Clint told Bob it was Rugby.
The smallest of them, came over and introduced himself as Ian Williams. They joined him on the field and also recruited more guys.
These are the guys that came out:
Clint Evans, Dwight Evans, Bart Evans, Rod Kachulak, John Silver, John Samm, Greg Hull, Vic Krisciunas, Mike Forbes, Bob Rialland, Dennis Caine, Gord May, Don Steele
When they showed up at the next practise, they could not believe their eyes. It did not take to long before they won the season.
In the fall of 1967, in fact right after in the parking lot of the last game, they began to speak about having their own team; being that they supplied the Wasp’s 13 out 15 players.
Jim Platt (a scrum half), shared the “new team” idea and soon after Rialland and Evans began having meetings in Bob’s parent’s house with a 24 of beer & a bag of chips; free of course to those who showed up.
Clint and Bob had already talked to the interested parties who would make up the executive. Many names were thrown around including Bingo as well as other selections that are not to be mentioned. Jim Platt sold the name Assassins and it stuck.
Jim Platt loaned the money for sweaters and they had bonfires & beer to raise money. They also had a social and Grey Cup Party at Rialland’s house, where they wore their new sweaters. They were Blue with white squares, a white collar and red numbers created by Jim’s wife, Jan. Bob’s brother-in-law designed the Crest. It became the letter A; a symbol of the club.
When the 1968 season started the Assassins were ready with new red and white knee high socks and two scrum caps and two old rugby balls.
We had more and more supporters at every game and more players willing to give it their all for the Assassins Rugby Football Club.
Names like:
Al Wilson & his Brother, David Samm, Bill Forbes, Bill Dowie, Dick Forbes, Bob Boughey, Jamie Horne, Don Wiles, Tom Poff, David Iles, Bruce Zimmer, Ken Crozier, Basil(John) Crozier, Vince Aiello, Terry Gregg, Ron Odgers, Jim Platt.
And the following year (1969) and years to follow::
Tom Haines, Jim Brown, Garry Milne, Sheldon Ready, Nick Atkinson, John Burman, Wilf Ericksen, Ed Chapman, Adrian Long, Vince Lovallo, Mike Murray, Don Pincock, Scott Gibson, Gary Gilbert, Trevor Holland, Bob Keating, Karl & Tony Ruban, Larry Shields, Jim Jarman, Dan Farkas, Brian Fries, Remo Aiello, Ray Ash, Barry Brolly, David Yauniskis.
And to this day they keep on coming!
Thanks to the many Guys & Gals who come out every year to play for the Assassins Rugby Football Club. The Assassins will continue to be a Premier Rugby force in Manitoba because of you.
Let us not forget its beginning… From Sunday touch & tackle football in the snow on Churchill Drive, what a future Rugby has become in the hearts of young men and women.
