COACHES

CRAIG PERKINS, originally from Florence, Oregon, has a deep appreciation for the game of rugby. Having been a player himself for Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Craig not only understands the philosophy behind the game, but also knows all too well what it feels like to step on the pitch and play a match: the good, the bad and the ugly of it all.

“My favorite part about rugby,” he says, “is the friendship and camaraderie which extends to the opponents as well.”

Craig started coaching rugby in 2011 with the Pendleton East Oregon Bucks Rugby Club. He has three boys—one in high school, one in middle school, and one in grade school—and yes, they play rugby (of course). Craig is also a certified rugby referee and uses his extensive knowledge of the rules as a foundation for teaching newcomers about the sport. CraigPerkins1@gmail.com

CHRIS PERKINS got his first taste of the game of rugby in 2006 as a member of the Western Oregon University rugby team. After graduation, he coached at WOU as first an assistant and then as head coach while he continued playing for the Corvallis Rugby Football Club until returning to Pendleton—where he was born—and has been involved with the Pendleton East Oregon Bucks Rugby Club ever since. 

Chris’ coaching background runs the gamut. Not only has he coached at the youth and high school levels, but he served as his college alma mater’s head coach of the men’s team in 2013-2014 and worked as an assistant coach to the women’s program. Chris is a Social Studies teacher at Pendleton High School. CJPerkins06@gmail.com

“The camaraderie and friends I’ve made over the years, the physicality, mental toughness, and the tactics required … Rugby is a sport that rewards all forms of effort, whether they be physical, mental, or emotional.”

ERIC GABRIEL, founder of the Pendleton East Oregon Bucks Rugby Club (previously the Sasquatch), grew up in Albany, Oregon and was an American footballer for most of his younger days including the few years he played tight end for Mississippi State University. He fell in love with the game of rugby in the early ‘90s while living in Germany and has been playing ever since. He started coaching in 2005 when he lived in Wyoming, for the Jackson Hole Moose Rugby Club. Eric has one son in high school and works as a consultant in the tribal health care system. BlueMtnRugby@hotmail.com

Eric has since moved to Charlotte South Carolina (the bum!) but we maintain his presence here as a founder of the program

“The best part about the game is the community feel and ultimate sense of brotherhood that exists with everyone on the pitch, be it your own teammates or the opponents. Rugby is a fast-paced game with a solid ethical foundation that promotes courteous competition, be it fierce competition at that.”

HUNTER ERWIN came to the sport of rugby in a roundabout kind of way.

“I once met a guy in Alaska who was wearing a jersey and asked him about it,” says the Pendleton native. “Next thing you know I am playing on a team up there in an annual tournament.”

And he’s loved the game ever since. Like many of the other coaches, Hunter’s favorite part of the game is the camaraderie among players and the opportunities the sport provides. He’s been coaching off and on for the past decade and is happy he gets to stay involved in the sport and bring his love of the game to community youth. Hunter and his wife, Samantha, are both teachers in the city’s school district. Together, they have one son and a baby girl who are both still too young to play rugby, but is often found on the pitch alongside his father during games. HErwin@pendletonsd.org