The most influential person in the club’s history: The Gentlemen of the Aspen Rugby Football Club honor the late founder Stephen Sherlock

Stephen Sherlock, the feisty founder of the Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Football Club and former Aspen ski instructor, died on Sunday, July 7, in Wimbledon, England. He was 92 years old.

His legacy, team members say, lives on in the club he built with passion and in the countless lives he touched.

The Gents are planning a memorial service to coincide with the upcoming Ruggerfest in September, a fitting tribute to a man who left an indelible mark on their lives and the sport he loved.

Buddy Ortega, longtime member of The Gents and former Ruggerfest announcer, knew Sherlock well. He told of plans for a special event during Ruggerfest in honor of Sherlock’s daughter.

“Sherlock’s daughter will be coming during Ruggerfest and we plan to have an event at the Eagles for all the players who played with Sherlock and any other players who want to attend,” he said.

He mentioned that the event would be open to the public, but the exact date had not yet been confirmed.

“I think everyone is leaning toward Friday (September 20) during the Ruggerfest tournament,” he added.

Ortega remembered Sherlock’s first days at the club.

“A lot of people don’t know that Ruggerfest is older than The Gents. Sherlock, who is English, heard that they were going to have a rugby festival in Aspen,” he said with a laugh, adding: “He got a group of guys together and they played in basketball jerseys. It was quite a scene.”

Bronco Lane, a former Gents player who knew Sherlock well, fondly remembered their time together.

“He was an intellectual. He could remember all the scores of the past games and all the players,” Lane said. “He taught English and ran a book club. Those are all fantastic memories.”

Lane also remembered Sherlock’s playful side, describing him as a joker who enjoyed wine and a good time.

“I shared some photos with friends when we were in France with Sherlock,” he said. “We were drinking and having a great time.”

Sherlock’s colourful stories, cheeky limericks and spirited party games were legendary and showcased his lively personality. His love of red wine and Scotch whisky was well known, and his daughter Nickie joked in her father’s obituary that it may have been the doctor’s orders to stop drinking that ultimately proved his undoing.

“He was 92, man,” Ortega said. “Sherlock was just phenomenal.”

In 1968, Sherlock, who had come to Aspen to ski, gathered a group of 15 men to form The Gents and worked with the city of Aspen to make Wagner Park the club’s rugby ground. Many of the players were a ragtag bunch recruited from local bars, according to The Gents’ website.

Since then, the Gents have grown in popularity and were recognized as the official Aspen rugby team in 1977. They are currently competitive not only in Colorado, but also nationally.

Cam McIntyre, the former head coach who still handles logistics for the Gents, emphasized the importance of their rivalry with Vail.

“Saturday is our biggest game,” he said. Aspen hosts the Vail Rugby Club at Wagner Park on Saturday. “We’ll judge the season by our performance against Vail.”

He noted that Vail is the club’s main rival and that their summer season, known as the Rocky Mountain Rugby League, culminates with the Ski Town Rugby Tournament, where they compete against rugby clubs from across the West. After the summer season, the Gents move up to Division II, a national league with the opportunity to play in a national final.

McIntyre explained that the Division II season is split into fall and spring.

“The club’s goal is to reach the national championship and take steps to reach that higher level,” he said.

Head coach Ben Mitchell reiterated the club’s ambitions and highlighted the club’s strong start to the season.

“We’ve just started the season. We’ve played a game in Willits, Grand Junction and Steamboat so far,” he said. “We’ve played some good rugby.”

He added that while these games were tournament games with no official record, the team has 35 to 40 dedicated members each weekend. Looking ahead to the fall, Mitchell hopes to see strong support from the community as they begin competing at the national level.

In memory of Sherlock, the Gents will hold a moment of silence before Saturday’s game against Vail. Mitchell said club members who knew Sherlock personally are coming up with a plan to honor him during Ruggerfest, which Ortega is helping to organize.

Recalling an impassioned speech Sherlock gave to the team at Ruggerfest 2017, Mitchell said: “Sherlock is the most influential person in the history of the club.”

Westley Crouch covers Aspen and general issues for The Aspen Times. Reach him at 970-384-9124 or [email protected].