Rugby has long been a staple of the Binghamton community. In 1973, Doug Stento marshaled together several friends and fellow patrons of the West Side’s Pine Lounge and took to the fields of Rec Park to introduce the Southern Tier to rugby union football.
Players had come from Binghamton University and around the globe, but mostly from the Triple Cities. The Barbarians were victorious in their first match against the Syracuse University C side, in a 6-4 battle, and the rest is history.
Now, the club’s 50th chairman, Steve Fediuk is looking to honor the club’s history of success and strong sense of community for their major anniversary.
This year, the Binghamton Barbarians Rugby Club is celebrating the club’s 50th anniversary and are inviting the community to join the celebrations. The milestone anniversary will be celebrated on August 12, from 10am to 2pm at the Binghamton Barbarian’s home field, 4300 Watson Blvd., Johnson City. There is plenty of parking and this event is free and open to the public. There will be a food truck onsite with a large tent, seating, and areas to bring chairs/blankets/etc.
Planned matches are to include:
• Old Boys Match at 11:00am
• All ages touch rugby at 12:30pm
• Men’s club vs TBD at 2:00pm
Additionally, there will be team raffles and many kid friendly family activities. The Binghamton Barbarians have always been greatly committed to our local community. Their crest symbolizes their dedication to the Greater Binghamton area featuring the character “Grog” by the creator of B.C. Comics, Johnny Hart, in the upper left quadrant, while the bottom half of the crest shows the skyline of Binghamton with the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers, as well as the carousel horse.
The Binghamton Barbarians takes pride in their community and always looks to find ways to connect and give back; the team looks forward to seeing everyone at their 50th anniversary this weekend.
For more information visit https://www.binghamtonbarbarians.com or contact Steve Fediuk at [email protected] or 919-672-7232
