Dear Parents, Players and Supporters,

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Before you dive into the below individual biographies of our coaching team, we want to emphasize what sets us apart.

 

While our individual qualifications and accomplishments in rugby are relevant, we believe that our approach to coaching goes far beyond the game itself.  Our shared philosophy places equal importance on fostering greatness on and off the pitch. We are not just here to teach rugby skills; we are here to nurture personal growth, confidence, and a sense of social and civic responsibility in each young athlete we have the privilege to mentor. As a team of coaches, we are united in our dedication to developing not only outstanding rugby players but exceptional human beings. We invite you to get to know each of us individually, and we hope you'll find that our commitment to these principles is reflected within our coaching of Front Range Youth Rugby players.

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With Camaraderie,

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Coach Clark, Coach Vic, Coach Colin and Coach Paul

 

 

Coach Biographies

Coach Colin (Colin Chappell) began his rugby career 50+ years ago in his home country of England.  Coach Colin’s early playing experience includes over 200 1st Team Games for Weston-Super-Mare RFC, an English rugby union team based in Somerset, and 40+ 1st Team Games for the UK Rugby Union Club, Bath RFC.  Following his emigration to Canada, Coach Colin continued his competitive rugby career with over 60 1st Team games for the British Columbia Nanaimo Hornets RFC.

 Following his retirement from competitive rugby, Coach Colin continued actively coaching, refereeing and following competitive rugby.   Coach Colin again began coaching U16 in 2007 and founded a Mini Rugby Program with the Comox Valley Kickers Club in 2009.  Coach Colin served a leadership role within a North Vancouver Island Tsunami Rugby Academy group which created a Development pathway for Youth players from 6 Clubs across the region.  Coach Colin also served as a Vice President for Youth Rugby Vancouver Island.

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Since relocating to Colorado, 2019. Coach Colin has continued actively supporting youth and collegiate men’s and women’s competitive rugby.   A Certified Level 1 USA Rugby Coach, Coach Colin presently serves as a coach for the University at Colorado at Colorado Springs Men’s Rugby team and a head coach for Front Range Youth Rugby’s high school teams. 

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Coach Clark (Jessyka Clark) has been playing and coaching rugby since 2016.   A Certified Level 1 USA Rugby Coach, Coach Clark led the State Championship rugby team at her alma mater, Roosevelt High School.  Coach Clark also served as assistant coach to Iowa Hawkettes select side and Simpson college rugby teams and was recognized as female coach of the year by the Iowa Youth Rugby Association.  

Since relocating to Colorado Springs in 2020, Coach Clark has been actively involved in promoting the growth of women’s rugby within the greater Colorado area.  Coach Clark presently serves as the head coach for the University at Colorado at Colorado Springs Women’s Rugby team and is a head coach for Front Range Youth Rugby.

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Coach Vic (Vic Tise) began his rugby career decades ago as a Cadet at the United States Military Academy. After graduation, he continued his involvement with the sport of rugby, distance running and triathlon while serving as a Military Intelligence Officer at various postings around the Western Hemisphere. At his final military assignment as the Senior Army Officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy, he served as an Assistant and Head Coach for the Falcons Women's Rugby team. Air Force Women’s Rugby was consistently ranked in the Division 1 top ten collegiate Rugby teams and went on to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003.

After retirement from the Army, Coach Vic became the running coach for the USA Modern Pentathlon team. Pentathletes he coached won National Championships, PanAmerican Games and earned spots on World Cup and Olympic teams. Additionally, Coach Vic contributed to producing 12 All-American rugby players, three of whom played on the USA Eagles team, and he served as a selector for U19s and U23s Rugby. A Certified Level 2 USA Rugby Coach, Coach Vic presently serves as the head coach for the Colorado College Women’s Rugby team and is excited to continue supporting the growth of Colorado youth rugby as a Head Coach for Front Range Youth Rugby.

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Coach Paul (Paul Tomkins) Coach Paul's journey in rugby began over 25 years ago when he stepped onto the pitch as a competitive player for the St. Lawrence University RFC (D3) in Canton, NY, following his college football career. Over the course of two decades following his graduation, Coach Paul continued contributing his talents to teams such as the Binghamton Barbarians RFC and the Raleigh Vipers Men’s RFC.  Coach Paul has also dedicated substantial time and efforts to youth advocacy off the rugby pitch. He founded a non-profit organization that provides support services to survivors of childhood abuse and has dedicated decades to serving as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, where he represents the interests of children in neglect and abuse proceedings.

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Upon retiring from competitive play, Coach Paul's passion for rugby found new purpose in nurturing the growth and development of young rugby enthusiasts. As a Certified Level 1 USA Rugby Coach, he has shared his expertise with U8, U10, U12, and U15 boys' and girls' rugby teams. Coach Paul's coaching contributions now extend to Front Range Youth Rugby, where he hopes to shape the future of the sport he loves.

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