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MANKY CODGERS RAISE OVER $12,000 FOR ST BALDRICKS;
TAKE THIRD PLACE IN TOURNAMENT PLAY
Paddy's Day Weekend saw a combined team of Lansdowne Rugby's old boys and young bucks hitting the
exacta as they raised over $12,000 to benefit the St Baldricks Foundation and placed third in the March 19 Four
Leafs Rugby Tournament on New York's Randall's Island. The team fielded over 25 players on a day blessed
with sun and warm temperatures and then retired to the San Marcos pub and restaurant for the St Baldricks' festivities. In
the weeks leading up to the tournament, the players had solicited donations in MacMahon's, the Heritage, and other Bronx pubs,
and put the touch on co-workers and friends, all in an effort to raise money for St Baldricks. In its short existence,
The St Baldricks Foundation has raised over $7,000,000 through volunteers like the Lansdowne who have their heads shaved
to aid childhood cancer research. The head-shaving not only raises much-needed research dollars, but is an expression
of solidarity with the children, who so often lose their own hair to chemotherapy. More information on St Baldricks
is available at http://www.stbaldricks.org/ . The Lansdowne players who went under the St Baldricks buzzer this year were Smooch Delaney
(see photo), Ned Browne, and Pete Maloney.
Prior to the ceremonial shearing, however, the Lansdowne had to
play four half-length games of rugby. The teams that took the field for those games featured both young
and old players, with any number of 40+ year olds threaded through the youth's ranks like so many silver hairs on an
aging head. Hence, the team's name for the day: the Manky Codgers. Lansdowne drew its first match
of the day 0-0 against a beefy, angry Widener University Law School. Lansdowne's backline of Johnny Coughlin, Bobby
McKeown and Gene Mone played valiantly through the match, but could not pierce the Widener defense. The game ended
dramatically, as Coughlin's desperately long penalty kick went a few metres wide of the cross-bar and the Lansdowne
settled for a draw. This put the pressure on for the next game, which was a must-win if the team were
to advance. Lansdowne did not disappoint. With Dublin/Levittown's Niall Freeman returning to the pitch and
the prop position for the first time in years, Lansdowne handily beat Sufolk County's Bullmoose Rugby Club 29-5. Flanker
Delf King's hammering tackles and lock John O'Sullivan's brilliant snares in the line-outs kept the Bullmoose on their heels.
The only drawback of the game was that several players, including stand-out back Tom Farrell, came up lame as
hamstrings that wintered o'erlong soured in the fray. The following match against Rockaway saw the Lansdowne lose
17-0, as Rockaway's blisteringly fast wing scored two tries in the first 10 minutes. By the time Lansdowne adapted
to the fast play, the game was nearly over. The final match was played against the Hudson Valley Rugby Club, with Lansdowne
prevailing 12-6 as stand-out flanker Chris Bedevian scored the second of his two tries and 41 year old
Gerry Powers commanded play from the fullback position. That victory gave Lansdowne the third place prize.
Men of the tournament honors went to 46 year old prop Mark Maher, who played furiously in each match, Bedevian,
who lead in scoring, and scrumhalf Smooch Delaney, who put his GAA skills to work on several brilliant runs.
The Lansdowne team is training Sundays at 3 pm in Van Cortlandt Park at 240st and Broadway until further
notice. Its next tournament is May 7 on Long Island, and friendly matches against area teams have been scheduled other
weekends, all in preparation for the Fall league season. Further information on training and the Spring season is available
at http://www.lansdownerfc.com/. Interested players can also call (914) 584-4541 or e-mail lansdowne@hotmail.com.
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