Mark Gerrard didn’t come to Ruggerfest expecting to play all that much, but the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club was glad he saw the pitch as much as he did. The Australian rugby great, who retired from the professional game in 2018, was among the catalysts for the Gents on Sunday in their return to glory at their annual tournament.
“He was great for us. He was almost the difference today,” said Aspen rugby player Darren Barth. “Just his character and presence, the way he speaks to people and controls everything. Everyone just respects him. He’s a leader up front, so having a guy like that with so much experience to back on, it doesn’t hurt.”
The Gents needed all of it to overcome the American Raptors, a relatively new side based out of Denver’s Infinity Park, in the championship game Sunday afternoon at Wagner Park. Aspen overcame a halftime deficit to rally for a 44-36 win to claim the men’s open division of Ruggerfest 53, the Gents’ first win in their prestigious home affair since 2018.
Played about a week later than usual to allow for the delayed Food & Wine Classic this fall, Ruggerfest 2021 was essentially the last major event of the season for the town.
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