2022
In 2022 the Hall of Fame event featured for the first time the awarding Distinguished Service Awards, the inaugural Alan Sharpley Memorial Award, and we honored the Woodlands RFC team that won the 2001 USA Rugby Men’s XVs National DII Championship.
Distinguished Service Awards
Beloved leader of the former Houston RFC Jim Cornelius, a former TRU VP, has been selected in the Club category. Texas A&M coaching pioneer Roger Boos will be honored with the Collegiate DSA. Rick Marshall, the first president of Rugby Texas and a long time leader of the Katy Barbarians program, was selected in the HS/Youth category.
Alan Sharpley Memorial Award
The first recipient of The Sharpley is the Houston SaberCats organization and its founders, former rugby players and principal owners Mike Loya and Marty Power. The SaberCats have created for their organization and the local rugby community a terrific three-plus field complex and gym, including a professional stadium, the only purpose-built facility of its kind in the country. Like the original Austin group, the partnership group dug deep into their own pockets to provide Houston and Texas a $15 million+ facility. By hosting international events and serving as a home to a professional franchise, a new D-1 club side and youth teams among many other uses, the complex has raised the profile of rugby throughout the state and beyond. As charter members of Major League Rugby, the organization is leading the way in raising the level of play in the USA to an elite level. Congratulations to the entire SaberCats organization, including, President JT Onyett and his staff, and all the new award winners.
