Daily Inspiration: Meet Jason VanBlarcum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason VanBlarcum.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sunday Morning Rugby Club, much like many of the rugby clubs in the St. Louis area, owes its existence to Harry Langenberg. Harry was a Princeton rugby player and philanthropist. Called “one of the busiest buzzers west of the Mississippi,” by the Princeton Alumni Weekly in 1921, Mr. Langenberg was intent on making St. Louis a rugby hub in the 1930s, helping to found Missouri Rugby Football Union (MRFU) and many of the first teams in the area.

In the 1970s, St.Louis began to realize the vision of Langenberg when more rugby clubs were founded. The story of Sunday Morning Rugby Club begins in 1974 when four veteran players from the North St. Louis Rugby Club (a team that would later be called the Norsemen) wanted to create a more social club in St. Louis City.

They wanted to establish a rugby team for those who had less time and resources to devote to the sport due to work and family constraints. These gentlemen met with Harry Langenberg and he agreed to fund the establishment of the Sunday Morning Rugby Club (“SMRC”), so-called because the founding members met with Mr. Langenberg on a Sunday morning, the only time they had free.

Since 1974, SMRC has changed and evolved with the times, including regular Saturday games. Now a competitive Division III squad, SMRC strives to continue the tradition of financial assistance for communities that want to launch a rugby team, expand public knowledge of the sport, and participate in local philanthropy and social events.

SMRC has assisted in the establishment of the men’s team the Belleville Mercenaries and the women’s team St. Louis Sabres. SMRC is also proud to partner with RugTheLou, an organization that is bringing rugby to Inner City St. Louis schools while providing scholarships, mentoring, and financial assistance to students and their families.

SMRC has supported international rugby development by contributing to efforts to build a stadium and supply gear to community teams in Rwanda.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Apart from the challenges we all faced with COVID-19 and being a contact sport, we have managed well.

Overall, SMRC has enjoyed a relatively smooth road in its almost 50 years as a St. Louis rugby club. Along the way, the club has purchased and renovated a team clubhouse in the Bevo area, and maintaining and improving that space has been an enjoyable challenge.

The team is proud to be a member of the St. Louis City community and works hard to support our neighbors.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There are a number of amazing rugby teams in the St. Louis area, and SMRC is proud to be a part of the vibrant St. Louis rugby culture.

What sets rugby apart as a sport is its dedication to inclusion, sportsmanship, camaraderie, and the promotion of community and community service. Rugby is also unique in that players may try to destroy each other on the pitch, but it is tradition to meet the opposing team after the game for drinks and food.

SMRC is unique as a team due to its ownership of a clubhouse, a place where the team can gather, host other teams for post-game socials, hold events such as Mardi Gras parties and Oktoberfest, and be used by members for their own special occasions.

For example, my wife and I held our 10th wedding anniversary party at the SMRC clubhouse, and other members have had baby showers and birthday parties there.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Win or lose, rugby is life! Seriously, though, rugby is a lifestyle with space for everyone.

We celebrate inclusion and diversity at all levels of the sport. Former players, spouses, children, and other supporters of rugby teams are forever a part of the rugby family.

Pricing:

• Full Membership Dues: $245 (1yr with the team).
• Associate Membership Dues: $185
• Full Non-Player Dues: $100
• Associate Non-Player Dues: $40

Contact Info:

• Email: smrfc.recruitment@gmail.com
• Website: www.sundaymorningrugby.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundaymorningrugby/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SMRFC/