November Alumnus of the Month: Tom Warburton

Tom Warburton is our November Alumnus of the Month

When did you play?
Michigan Rugby 1990-1997. Other clubs – Kalamazoo Dogs 1988, Traverse Bay Blues 1997-1998, Old Puget Sound Beach 1999-2003 

What position?
I started playing in the forwards at 2nd Row & Flanker, but moved to inside center and played mostly there for the rest of my Michigan Rugby career.

What got you started?
My first exposure to Michigan Rugby was actually as an opponent in the spring of 1988. I had begun my college years at Kalamazoo College after being recruited there to play football. Although I decided to leave K-College after my freshman year, I had joined the newly formed Kalamazoo Rugby Club and was one of the original 15 for the Kalamazoo Dogs. We traveled to Ann Arbor that spring. After watching the A- and B-sides play Scioto Valley, we played the Michigan C-side and the Dogs were sent home with our tails between our legs. After that experience, I was eager to start with the Michigan Rugby Club after transferring to UM.

Special honors:
Club captain/co-captain 1992-1994. Co-Social Chair in 1996-97

Favorite memories or teammates:
My favorite memory was winning the Men’s DII National Championship in 1995. I also have some great memories of winning several Michigan Cup tournaments in the early- to mid-1990s. The most memorable for were against Kalamazoo Dogs in 1993, which was our first in the 1990s era, and then beating the Detroit Tradesman in a mud bath in 1996. We had some great rivalries against Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and the Tradesman during those years and it was satisfying to come out on top more often than not.
It’s not easy naming a favorite social highlight, but making a guest appearance marching in the 1996(?) Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade with my karate trophy is amongst the favorites. Of course, there are many great memories of tours and off-pitch hilarity, but those are best discussed at Olde Boys or other gatherings with old friends.
Picking favorite teammates from a host of really great guys is nearly impossible. I had so many “favorites” on the pitch and off from the start of my Michigan career to the end, but only one stands out for longevity. Lee “Satan” Gray and I played together in college at UM through to our years with OPSB in Seattle, we were co-social chairs in 96-97, we were housemates in both places, and now we’re brothers-in-law and uncles to each others’ children. So if the family gatherings ever get boring, we can always sneak away to reminisce about the hi-jinks during our rugby years (and there were many!).

What have you been doing since Michigan Rugby?
I moved to Seattle in 1998 and graduated from the University of Washington with my MBA in 2000. Since then I’ve been working in the investment management industry, currently as Director of Equity Research at Russell Investments where I’ve worked for 18 years. Working in a field where hard work is not always rewarded with instant results, I find that my Michigan Rugby experience was instrumental in building my persistence and commitment to a team that has helped me through some challenging periods. Outside of work, I enjoy being a dad, traveling a bit, boating & fishing in summer, and skiing in winter. 

Congratulations to Tom as our Alumnus of the Month for November 2020!