December Alumnus of the Month: Joel Penoyar

Photo from the Michigan Daily of a game Michigan Rugby played in the Big House against Missouri. Joel is on the left and Jeff Grill is on the right. “Apparently I thought the throw-in was to me” – Joel Penoyar

Joel Penoyar is our December Alumnus of the Month

When did you play?
1968-1970

What position?
I played in the second row with Bob Jagonich.

What got you started?
I kind of stumbled into rugby when I was out jogging. I was a pretty serious rower and had been in a national championship boat. So I was thinking about that when I jogged by a rugby practice by Yost. I talked to one of the guys when they were leaving and he told me to just show up for the next practice, where I got pretty beat up in the front row.

Special honors:
As to honors, I don’t recall any kind of formal honor award system but I remember I was captain for a while, around the time we took a squad over to Great Britain. I called the throw-ins if that is an honor.

Current photo of Joel and his wife Betsy at their old house law office

Favorite memories or teammates:
I remember Colin Warbrick from Wales playing whatever we called the guy who hung back (fullback, I think). Other names I remember were Tom Raboine, Jim Cruickshank, Mike Johnson, Tom Webster, and Tom Fagan. The coach was Dr. Robson who was British and some sort of nutrition expert. We did a Christmas tour of England and Scotland and got our butts kicked. I scored one of our very few tries when they stuck me in at halfback for a play. On the England-Scotland tour, we were clearly bigger, faster, and stronger. But I remember one play that was typical of the tour. We had put the ball in for a scrum and in three seconds blasted the Hartlepool Rovers boys back ten feet. But then we looked up and the ball was already with their outside half. We had something like eight matches in twelve days and between that and the parties, it was an exhilarating but exhausting experience.

I will recall that rugby almost cost me my wife. We were starting to date and I invited her to come and watch a game at Ferry Field. Unfortunately, the girl I was trying to let down easy also showed up and of course, they got to talking. My old girlfriend was quick to point out that she was there to watch, “That great big guy, my boyfriend”. I could see what was happening but of course, had to keep playing and I watched as the new girlfriend stomped off. We won and then I got talked into playing in the B game because my priorities were well ordered. But after that game I ran all the way over to Couzens dorm and walked into the cafeteria, cleated and all muddy and bloody, to try and win her back. It worked! And she is still around to this day. But maybe not after she reads this.

Maybe our best win was over Toronto when they were ranked #1 on some ranking or other. I had a great experience playing for Michigan. I came out west and played for Oregon for two years and they, and the whole of the West Coast college teams, were terrible compared to the Midwest college teams of the time.

When we played in the Big House it was after the football game with Missouri. When we ran on the field everyone was still there and it was cool to hear the cheers. But when I looked up before a scrum a few minutes later there were just our usual twenty fans, including my mom, and the cleanup folks.

What have you been doing since Michigan Rugby?
Betsy and I went off to law school in Eugene and we ended up as judges in rural Washington. Five kids and 9 grandkids. I’m still judging for a Native American tribe and doing some lawyering with three of our kids and Betsy.

Congratulations to Joel as our Alumnus of the Month for December 2020!

3 comments

    • Henry Silverman on December 20, 2020 at 4:32 am
    • Reply

    Great article, Luke I am so proud of you and how you are growing up.

    Love,
    Henry

    • Jeffrey P Hagan on December 31, 2020 at 1:27 pm
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    Well done Luke!! Aside from Tom Raboine, we don’t get much first hand knowledge of the tour to England & Scotland under Doc Robson. funny how Joel’s experiences are so often repeated on UM campus! Thanks to you & Joel for capturing his experiences. Tom Fagan has passed as many of you know, To honor Tom, we (old boys) played Dartmouth ?2 years in a row for the Tom Fagan Cup while the college boys were at National 7’s out in Philly. Talking about legends … Tom Raboine aka “Father Time” and team mate of Fagan & Penoyar was there for the event.

    • Hugh Whinfrey on June 15, 2021 at 3:50 am
    • Reply

    Excellent choice. Joel’s committment to truth, justice and fairness have characterised his struggles in Washington State in a county on the coast sinking ever deeply into a drug-infested quagmire over the decades of his public service there. His pro bono work for the ACLU is indeed something to write home about. As well as his steadfast support for the lesbian, gay and trans communities in the area. not to mention the time spent teaching basketball to teenage girls from the local high school. His charity work with for example the boy scouts was massive. A man with four sons would generally be expected to do far less. His teaching of ethics classes to lawyers via the state bar association is another place where his valuable expertise in the area has benifitted others, not to mention the entire state. And of course the time spent volunteering at the state bar association in adjudcating cases of complaints againsts lawyers and in resolving judicial misconduct cases has absolutely inured to benefit hie reputation far and wide. A wonderful guy who is all things to all people. A one in a zillion.

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