Local Player is Rugby All-Star

Clint Moore: 20 Year old Republic man learns game quickly to make the Western Territorial team.

By Francis Skalicky

The News-Leader: August 1993

Clint Moore has come a long way in his short rugby career.

The 20 year-old from Republic, who plays wing for the Springfield Rugby Football Club, has been named to the Western Territorial team of the United States Rugby Football Union. The squad, which is the equivalent of a regional all-star team, is selected from the 217 clubs in the Western Territory.

Moore's Western team will play squads from the Rugby Football Union’s other three territories (East, Midwest, Pacific) in the Inter-Territorial National Championships Saturday and Sunday in Hartford, Conn.

Moore’s transition from rugby rookie to all-star has been quick. He began playing competitively with the Springfield club last spring after watching friends and relatives play for several previous years.

“He was aware of the game and how it flowed, but getting on the field and actually doing it is a different story,” said Springfield coach Colin Jones.

It’s a story Moore has learned fast.

“He's got speed, he’s a good tackler and just his general awareness of the game is real good,” Jones said.

Moore was en route to Connecticut and was unable to be reached for comment.

Moore is the third player from the Springfield club to be named to a Territorial squad. The others were Greg Gurke and Fred Lawrence.

“It’s not really unusual for us to 7 get a player on the Western 'Territorial team,” Jones said. “It just doesn’t get publicized very much.”