Making The List: Dr. Glyn Meyrick
jcollingsworth via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
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With the Olympics in Rio almost upon us and all of the wondrous bliss for a sports junkie that it offers I am encouraged by a recent article I wrote on Nate Ebner and his making of Team USA for Rugby 7’s. I have come to enjoy this game with tremendous enthusiasm. My intent in the coming days as Rio comes into our homes via our flat screens is to bring updates of Nate and Team USA to Buckeye Nation.
In that proclamation I am going Rugby this week for Making the List. Nate Ebner has already made this list – so deserving so. So where can we go from here? Why don’t we journey into the birth of Rugby at The Ohio State University.
The Ohio State University Rugby Football Club was founded in 1966 by two physicians working at University Hospitals, along with the support of displaced foreigners and some homegrown talent. Former faculty adviser, Dr. Glyn Meyrick, was among this devious troop. Today, the club is dedicated to a path of vibrant rugby in quest of the Midwest title and National Championship.
The OSURFC was a significant force in the formation of many local and state clubs, and of the Ohio Union itself. By 1973 (when the Union was formally founded), there were 18 clubs in Ohio and the OSURFC was fielding five sides.
In 1975, Scioto Valley RFC was formed from most of the senior players on the OSURFC. This movement was to provide students an opportunity to play at the 1st and 2nd side level, while also providing Scioto Valley with experienced players upon graduation. It took a few years, but both clubs have secured substantial rewards in coordination with this relationship.
The OSURFC has had many Eagles from its’ ranks. The Buckeyes have been coached by two Eagles (Parthmore, 1980-1982, and Steve Finkel, 1988-1991), and have had many players selected as All-Americans since the USARFU began naming an All-American squad in 1988, along with numerous other Midwest-select and Ohio-select players.
The “clum” is repeatedly a top challenger for the Midwest title. It claimed the Midwest Championship and 3rd in the National Championship in 1990 and 1991.
The OSURFC A team was 2nd place in the 2014 BTU Rugby Championship with the B team winning their Championship game. They would be runner-up Big Ten Champs in 2015.
This ‘glamorous’ progression of the down-and-dirty game of rugby is attributed to Dr. Glyn Meyrick. Arguably we can project that he had a vision for the Buckeyes simply with the introduction of the sport. We can also assume that any athlete, or leader of athletes, don’t stomach defeat well. There was never any intent to witness a middling, ordinary, or unremarkable undertaking for the lot that appeared and prepared to rumble rugby style.
There isn’t a lot of information to be found of Dr. Meyrick. But in such an attempt we only need to know that if it hadn’t been for him bringing rugby to our special little corner of heaven in Columbus in 1966 we may not have been introduced to this fantastic game until much later. In his introduction I did find one quote from him: “Rugby has arrived in the Hub of Football. It too one day will be the Hub for Rugby.” With the Buckeyes getting better and better – I have a strong feeling his visionary statement will be happening.
Dr. Glyn Meyrick deserves to be added to our wall for Making the List just as any other great Buckeye is. He isn’t necessarily a household name within the realm of Buckeye Nation – outside of the Rugby circle, of course. But his vision and resilience to introduce a foreign sport onto the shores of the Olentangy at the height of the football religion that dominates Columbus was both courageous and fun. I, personally, am glad Rugby came to OSU in 1966 instead of, let’s say in the 70’s, or later, because it gave it more time to marinade and roll into the fantastic program of the sport that we have today.
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