Krewe HISTORY AND COACHING STAFF
Krewe Rugby started in 1991 after breaking away from another local rugby club, Tampa RFC. With a goal of starting a locally respected team, Krewe aimed at saving a strongly bonded group of rugby players. Starting with 17 players, the team was told time after time they would fail by other local clubs. Playing their games in St. Petersburg, Krewe traced many challenges both on and off the field. They played Tampa RFC, their former team, a few times and never lost. Through these tough times, Krewe endured practices with only 4 players and other challenges presented to this relatively new team. Krewe always found enough guvs to play their games no matter what.
Over the past five years, Krewe has experienced a large growth in numbers with many players both coming and going. Quickly becoming a southern power house and a nationally respected team, Krewe has been fortunate enough to field both a Division 2 and Division 3 team. In the 2008-2009 season, under the leadership of new coach Kevin McWilliams, Krewe advanced to the Division 2 National Sweet 16 falling short to a strong squad from Milwaukee, WI. In the 2009-2010 season, with the addition of new coach David Morgan, Krewe looks for a strong return of both Division 2 and Division 3 teams to the national table. Recently, Krewe is celebrating the Division 3 dominance in the Florida cup and look to build on this success on a national level.
Krewe Coaching Staff
David Morgan - head coach:
Born m Wales, David (a-k.a. Dai) Morgan was
born into a rugby, learning much of what he knows from his father, a
then rugby coach himself. While growing up, Dai gained much experience
playing an extensive amount of rugby in Wales, England, France, and the
United States. After ending his playing career, Dai quickly and
smoothly transitioned into a coaching role in the
U.K. as the Head Coach of the Sale Boys' GS team. Throughout the years,
he has coached teams throughout the U.K., Western US. and France. In
the fall of 2009, Dai moved to Sarasota and began coaching the Krewe
Rugby Team in which they look forward to a very prosperous future
together. On top of all his rugby accomplishments, Dai also has gamed
multiple coaching certifications including as of recently the FFR EFB
(Level 3) Coaching Award - 2008, the USA Coaclung Award (Level 1), IRB
Rugby Ready and a Positive Coaclung Alliance Member all
in 2009
Kevin McWilliams — Assistant Coach: Kevin begun playing rugby in 1990 for Blacksburg Rugby Football Club, a Men's Division III club located in Blacksburg, Virginia. During his time in Blacksburg, as a player, a player-coach and as club president, he watched the club grow from a small social club, sometimes 4 or 5 guys at practice, to an annual contender in the Virginia Rugby Union and Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union. The high point of his player-coach time in Blacksburg, was a 2002 MARFU Mens Club Division III Championship. In 2003 he and his wife moved to Tampa where he joined Krewe Rugbv. For the first few years with Krewe Rugby his availability was limited, but in 200S, he committed to coaching the club for the 200S/2009 season. Through the hard work of all the players, thev were fortunate to win the 2008 Dill Florida Cup Championship and 2009 D1I USA Rugbv South Men's Club Championship
Jerry Morone — Assistant Coach: Jerry Morone started his coaching career in 1997 at St. Petersburg's Eckerd College, he then moved to the Head Coaching Position at USF which he held from 1998 2002. Throughout his USF career, he led the collegiate men's team to two FRU championship's in 2001 and 2002 as well as a USAR Elite 8 appearance in 2002. Jerrv recently joined Krewe in the Fall of 2009 and is an important assist our Krewe tenured coaching staff.
Ricardo Urezcano — Assistant Coach; Ricardo Erezcano began his coaching tenure in Argentina as the Technical Advisor of the Buenos Aires Rugby Union (URBA) as well as the Technical Advisor of the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR). He then served as the Liaison Officer for the UAR Cup Latin m 1995, working with the Italian National Team. He also served as the Liaison Officer for the U-19 Rugbv World Cup working with the Romania National Team. Next, he was a Romania Rupby Federation (FRR) Representative in South America. He then gained his French Federation of Rugby IV Coaching Degree and is certified m FIRA/AER at all coaching levels. He recently joined the Krewe coaching staff focusing mainly on technical play of the forwards.
Laura Taylor — Medical Trainer: In 2001, Laura Tavlor started as the Medical Trainer for the West Palm Beach Rugby Club Trainer where she met her husband who had started playing for the small Dill team. They were generally lucky to only have 14 15 plavers arrive on game day so players needed to be patched up quickly and sent back into the game. Since that time she has worked with many teams in Florida giving her a chance to work with the US Eagles as they prepared for international competition. She's seen her rugby training kit grow from your basic band aids to electric tape, steri strips, kenesio tape, bubble wrap and a whole lot more. Tampa Bav Krewe was happy to adopt her as their team mom and together they've become one huge happy family where Krewe is forever grateful for her unconditional dedication to the team.
