Congratulations to the March Alumnus of the Month, Kevin Cunningham.
When did you play?
I played at Michigan from the fall of ’80 through the spring of ’82 while I earned my MBA at the business school. While Michigan Rugby only represented a short span of my 20-year playing career, my rugby friendships developed during my brief stint in Ann Arbor have had an outsized impact on my life. Fortunately, the MBA program easily accommodated the rugby lifestyle. At that time, there were no b-school classes on Fridays; which dovetailed nicely with Thursday evening rugby practices that always concluded hours later at Fraser’s Pub.
After Michigan, I moved to New York to pursue a career on Wall Street. Bill Haldane, former Michigan standout flanker from the late ‘70s, was playing for Wingfoot (NYAC) Rugby, so, of course, I joined Wingfoot, too.
What position did you play?
I arrived at Michigan as a fullback, but Jack Goodman–an experienced and stellar fullback–already locked down that position on the A-side. I moved to outside center, which was probably my natural position, anyway.
Special Honors?
No honors for me, but I did receive the dubious distinction of being elected President of the club in ’81. The primary duties of that position occurred on Fridays before a home match and entailed lining the pitch with David Weber (captain) and riding in the “Bondo Bandido” with Jack “Hacksaw” Atkinson (social chairman) to pick-up kegs of beer.
For me, it was an honor to represent Michigan during the Spring of ’82. Even though (future Eagle) Johnny Hartman was absent from the squad because he was playing in South Africa, we still produced a very successful season which included drubbing arch-rival Chicago Lyons, traveling to Victoria, BC for the UVic tournament, winning the Midwest Championship, and traveling to Greeley, Colorado for the National Championship.
Favorite memories of the club?
I have many, many fond memories from those days, however I’ll abridge my remarks in an effort to not bore you readers. One unique feature of that period (early 80’s) was the residence of six players; a very large home at 2030 Hill Street known affectionately as, “the Manor.” I had the pleasure to reside there one semester when the Manor played host to most post-match parties, including host venue for Billy Chung’s wedding reception (at which all players were invited to attend). Billy was the quickest inside center I ever teamed with and he flaunted a deft and deadly side-step – unfortunately we didn’t see much of Billy after the wedding.
I had so many great teammates from that time who were all friends and a positive influence on my life. But I would be remiss not to mention David Weber, who was the soul of Michigan Rugby back then. David spent countless hours and effort as captain, coach (unpaid), and selector, to lead us all by his example. (I’d like to remind you younger readers that this was before we had cellphones, laptops, spreadsheets, email, and the internet, so David’s organizational skills were also exceptional.) Everyone, regardless of experience or talent, was welcome at a Weber-led practice as long as you were willing to work hard and learn. And David spent as much time on B-side and C-side (“Killer Bees” and “Narwhals”) selections as he did on the A-side. David seldom tolerated mediocre effort, but he spent many hours developing and teaching new and young players, which he recognized as the best way to ensure the future of the club.
What are you doing now?
I recently retired from the investment management industry, so now I have more time for other activities such as personal growth and leadership, travel, personal investing, and fitness. I stopped playing rugby around age 40 and moved on to endurance sports such as Ironmans and Ultramarathons. More recently, I have focused on functional fitness activities such as SealFit and Unbeatable Mind.
Do you have any other interesting stories to share?
Many great stories and fond memories but this post is already too long.
Again, congratulations to our March Alumnus of the Month, Kevin Cunningham! Kevin, thank you for everything you’ve done for Michigan Rugby.
