Red Bank’s Monmouth Football Rugby Club — in blue, seen scrumming with the striped shirts of the like-named Monmouth Rugby Club of Wales in a file photo — host their second annual Showdown at the Shore extravaganza this Saturday, at Thompson Park.
If you’ve spent any appreciable amount of time on redbankgreen over the past seven years, you’ve no doubt thrilled to our ongoing and comprehensive coverage of the Monmouth Football Rugby Club, that long-established, hard-playing squad of (men and women) scrummers who make their home at the private Wilde Rover club on Shrewsbury Avenue. From tough tussles on the field, to turbulent times in the air, the rugged ruggers of the 41-year-old sporting organization have made for colorful copy, and even more colorful pictures.
This Saturday, June 21, the lads and lasses of Monmouth Rugby play host to the biggest event of the year — the second annual Showdown at the Shore, a day of play that draws over 40 teams (hailing from six states) to a competitive slate of matches in men’s, women’s and high school divisions. Set to take place on the five back fields of Lincroft’s Thompson Park (with the school-age scrum going on at nearby Christian Brothers Academy), the mega-match is being described by club president Nick Lynch as “a great day for rugby in the area…with rugby being an Olympic event for 2016, there is a much larger following now for local matches.”
Lynch is, of course, alluding to the addition of Rugby to the 2016 Rio games. “Sevens” is the brand of play to be showcased in the Olympics — a format that featuring seven players per side on the field, and a much more fast paced and high scoring version than the traditional 15 per side games that make up the majority of the rugby year.
For more information about Monmouth Rugby and the Showdown at the Shore (including registrations), email club trustee Rob Morello at [email protected].
