News Blog
MEET NICK JOHNSON
Every team needs a crafty veteran. Nic “Johnno” Johnson is exactly that. He’s played so much rugby, there isn’t much he hasn’t already seen. His professional rugby career features shifts with the Austin Gilgronis in the MLR and the Loggerheads of PR 7’s. His burly thick chest can be found barreling into the gain line as defenders do their best to soften the impact of his mighty blows.
MEET DEVARIUS “BEANIE” MILLER
When Devarius, better know as “Beanie” first showed up on the scene in 2018 competing for the Denver Selects. As a NMHU Vato, he continued the legacy of playing for the Green & White when he joined the summer 7’s squad in 2019. When I first saw him play that summer, I was definitely impressed. Here’s someone who punches well above his weight, and has a game changing step. He returned home during the pandemic and began shining with the Palm Beach Panthers. He was instrumental in their D3 National Championship this past may. But now, he’s ready to show the world he can play at the next level.
MEET LIAM WYNNE
Liam Wynne (at all costs) has cemented himself in the Colorado rugby community ever since his days down in Colorado Springs. He then took his game up North to Fort Collins where he led the Colorado State Rugby team (Ram for life) for 4 years. Word on the street is Liam actually tackled and poached the great Ben Pinkelman at a chilly evening training back in the FoCo days.
MEET MALIK BRYANT
Having top speed doesn’t always translate to the best rugby player, but CHANGE in SPEED can break open a game, and Malik has burst. His explosion is undeniable, but his burst into rugby is even more impressive. After getting his first taste for the game back in his home state of Florida with FIU, he returned to the sport through the Colorado XO program. After showing out in the 2021 summer season for the Barbos (highlights below), he hasn’t looked back. He continues to bring a professional level of hard work and dedication to crafting his skills and improving his rugby.
MEET LUCA TANI
Meet Luca Tani. 4 Syllables, 8 Letters. A creature of flight in the air (he’s tall and can jump), and a galloping land creature when comes back down to earth. His versatility helped earn him a Rugby Rent Scholarship last spring, and he’s been a club man ever since. You can’t miss the beard, the tatts and of course, the chicken legs.
MEET CAMPBELL JOHNSTONE
Maryland born and bred (crab cakes and rugby), Campbell “Soup” Johnstone lives and breathes the sport. Size, power and grace goes into each step when he takes the pitch. His passing is subpar to none, putting the ball on a rope even as he straightens and challenges the defensive line. He’s a 14 minute man in the 7’s game, and his gas tank is never empty.
MEET NOAH PFLAUM
Noah is simply the type of guy you want on your team. Calm, collected and straight up cool as a cucumber. When he attacks the line, you can feel his brain neurons firing as he pokes and probes … Looking for the smallest signs of weakness or misalignment before he rounds a gap or puts someone through one. Can’t wait to watch him carve up defenses at Nationals in St. Louis.
MEET JACK MILLER
Jack Miller (and his scandalous leg tattoos) have been playing rugby in the Front Range for some years now. The Hong Kong raised Miller began playing rugby when his parents made him “go outside and start playing with other kids”. Once he broke the shackles of his inert shyness, Jack shined brighter than the Rocky Mountain sunshine.
MEET MICKEY BATEMAN
If you don’t know Mickey Bateman, then you clearly haven’t been to a Barbo 7’s outing in the past two years. He’s the loudest voice on the field, bar none. And that’s extremely important in rugby, especially 7’s. There’s no place on the pitch for hushed voices and low tempo. Mickey loves to spice things up on the pitch.
MEET ERIC SYKES
If you know Skyes, you know he likes to “Let Em Know” who he is on the pitch. After winning a stack of championships (between his college team NM Vatos, his club the Denver Barbos, and two Rugbytown titles with Rocky Mountain 7’s Selects), players SHOULD know who he is.
MEET ALEX WORMER
Born and bred in Colorado, rugby runs through Alex ‘Worm’ Wormer’s icy cold veins. After graduating with an engineering degree from Cal Poly, he returned to Colorado and immediately tried his hand at men’s club 7’s. Like a good late night candle, he burned slow and steady … time was in his favor.
BARBOS NAME THEIR TOP SIDE FOR CLUB 7’S NATIONALS
Mickey Bateman - Auckland, New Zealand
Malik Bryant - Miami, FL
Campbell Johnstone - Annapolis, MD
Nick Johnson - Denver, CO
Devarius “Beanie” Miller - Palm Beach, FL
Jack Miller - City of Victoria, Hong Kong
Conor O’Brien - The Bronx, NY
Noah Pflaum - Singapore, Republic of Singapore
Gus Sokol - Cleveland, OH
Eric Sykes - Norfolk, VA
Luca Tani - Sunnyvale, CA
Alex Wormer - Evergreen, CO
Liam Wynne - Colorado Springs, CO
BARBOS WIN 7’s QUALIFIER IN PARK CITY UTAH
BEN PINKELMAN RETURNS TO HIS RUGBY ROOTS
Hoops, Green & White - A Barbo 7’s Saga
SUMMER 7’S SEASON HAS ARRIVED; A LOOK AHEAD
BARBOS LOSE TO CHARLOTTE IN HEARTBREAKING FINAL
BARBOS BEAT BUFFALO, ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY
The Denver Barbarians defeated Buffalo RFC by a score of 62-10. On a steamy hot Saturday afternoon, your Denver Barbarians scored 10 tries and survived what was a hotly contested first 20 minutes
BARBOS HEAD TO NATIONALS, SQUARE UP WITH BUFFALO
When you score a combined 143 in a playoff weekend (individual game reports to follow), it’s easy to gain confidence. After all, that much scoring is a statement. A statement of intent. The team wants to raise another trophy, and deliver a national championship to the club’s legacy. But two remaining games stand in the way of that goal. The hard part of success is leveling off your emotions and expectations. Last weekend’s playoff wins mean next to nothing in the following round. It will be hotter down in the heart of the American south, and the competition will be fiercer.
Enter Buffalo RFC.
WHO LIKES PLAYOFF RUGBY? DENVER BARBARIANS VS. CLEVELAND CRUSADERS
It’s that time of year. The flowers are blooming, the brooks are babbling, the rabbits are mating, and the Barbo boys are buzzing. Spring has officially sprung, and with the seasonal change also comes our favorite thing of the year...
Playoff rugby!