Profile
The Village Lions Rugby Club was spawned from Greenwich Village’s Red Lion Pub in 1989, bringing together a collection of bartenders, bouncers, and boozers from all corners of the globe. Founder/Red Lion owner Alan Whelan, an Irishman, opted for black and white stripes on the Lions jerseys as an homage to the Barbarians, a global invitational team, while the Red Lion logo on the chest saluted the pub where the club was born. Spring 2000 saw the Lions launch a women’s team on the backs of Jennifer Lightbody, Jessica Houser, Gretchen Doughty, Rachel Liberatore, and other pioneers. In that first season, they were happy to have 15 players turn up on a Saturday and a men’s player to lead practice. But momentum built quickly, and the “Leonas” had a meteoric run of success under the coaching of Greg Parsons, Mary Holmes and Mike Barry.With players aligning with select sides like the Northeast Academy and Empire All-Stars, the women’s future looks bright.Training Ground: Randall’s Island field 74/75, New York, 10035. #villagelions
