Glendale Merlins

Glendale Merlins

Founded	2006[1]
Location	Glendale, Denver, CO
Ground(s)	Infinity Park (Capacity: 5,000)
President	Scott Smith
Coach(es)	Luke Gross & Kittery Wagner
Captain(s)	Zach Fenoglio & Sarah Chobot
League(s)	Pacific Rugby Premiership & Women's Premier League
1st kit 2nd kit

Glendale Merlins is an amateur rugby club based in the municipality of Glendale in Colorado, United States. The club was founded in 2006 and first played in 2007 under the name Glendale Raptors.^[1][2]

In 2017, a Glendale Raptors team was accepted into the professional Major League Rugby competition and the amateur Glendale teams changed their mascot from the Raptor to the Merlin, transitioning to the new brand before the inaugural season of Major League Rugby in 2018. The Glendale teams play at Infinity Park.

History

The men's squad won the 2011 Division I Championship. They were 2014 runners-up in the inaugural season of the Pacific Rugby Premiership losing to the San Francisco Golden Gate RFC 39-38 on the last play. The team won the Pacific Rugby Premiership in 2015, defeating San Francisco Golden Gate by 25-11. They repeated the feat in 2016, winning the Pacific Rugby Premiership title by 44-20 against San Francisco Golden Gate at their home field, Infinity Park.

The women's squad advanced from USA Rugby's Division I into the Women's Premier League in 2012. They placed third in 2013, won back-to-back national championships in 2014 and 2015, and placed second in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Players

Five of Glendale's women's players - props Jamie Burke, Sarah Chobot, Sarah Wilson, hooker Kittery Wagner, and flyhalf Hannah Stolba - represented the U.S. team for the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Two of Glendale's men's players — hooker Zach Fenoglio and scrum half Niku Kruger — were named to the U.S. team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Additionally, Iniki Fa'amausili played for the US U-20 national team that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Three of Glendale's men's players represented the US national team at the 2011 Rugby World Cup: James Paterson, Nese Malifa, and Nic Johnson.

Men's squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Ami Lavakeiaho Hooker United States James DelBozque Hooker United States Moses Saole Prop United States Fehoko Faniaka Prop United States Marcus Thomas Prop United States Stephen Karas Prop United States Scott Smith Prop United States Christopher Schoelch Lock United States Nathaniel Shipley Lock United States Joshua Gihring Lock United States Alex Fitch Flanker United States Justin Oles Flanker United States Joseph Kamara Flanker United States Devin Vaughter Number 8 United States

Player Position Union Vita Makasini Scrum-half United States Trevor Wilder Scrum-half United States Colin Gregory Fly-half United States Siale Maka Centre United States Campbell Johnstone Centre United States Clint Cook Centre United States Zach Rademacher Wing United States Alexander Wormer Wing United States Ryan Chavkin Wing United States Samuel Enari Fullback United States Alexander McKenzie Fullback United States

Women's Squad

Notable former players

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Jamie Burke Prop United States Nic Johnson Number 8 United States Nese Malifa Fly-half United States Ata Malifa Fly-half United States

See also

• Colorado Raptors

References

External links

• Glendale Merlins on Twitter