Connecticut Wildcats
Encyclopedia
The Connecticut Wildcats are an American semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...

 rugby league football team based in Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...

, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. They currently compete in the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...

 (AMNRL).

The Wildcats, along with the Washington D.C. Slayers
Washington D.C. Slayers
-Home and practice fields:The Slayers' home field is Duke Ellington Field near Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. Their practice field is Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park downtown.-Statistics and records:*AMNRL Championship titles: 0...

, joined the AMNRL as expansion teams for the 2003 season. Since joining the league they have been one of the most successful teams on the field. They have made a total of seven playoff appearances, advancing to the Grand Final five times, and winning the title in 2003, 2006, and 2007.

History

The team was founded in 2003. Along with the Washington D.C. Slayers
Washington D.C. Slayers
-Home and practice fields:The Slayers' home field is Duke Ellington Field near Georgetown University Hospital in Washington. Their practice field is Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park downtown.-Statistics and records:*AMNRL Championship titles: 0...

, they joined the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...

 that season, increasing the number of teams to eight. Their inaugural roster consisted primarily of experienced players who formerly played for the New York Knights
New York Knights
The New York Knights were an Arena Football League team based in New York City. They played in the league for one season, 1988. They played their home games at Madison Square Garden. After going 2-10 overall in their only season the team ceased operations...

 and other AMNRL teams, giving them an early advantage. They went on to win the Grand Final in their inaugural season, defeating perennial champions the Glen Mills Bulls. They met the Bulls in the Grand Final four more times from 2004–2007, winning in the 2006
2006 AMNRL season
The 2006 American National Rugby League season was the ninth annual American National Rugby League season, and the 26th since the first season of semi-professional rugby league began in North America. The season began on May 17, 2006 with a match between defending premiers Glen Mills Bulls and the...

 and 2007 seasons
2007 AMNRL season
The 2007 American National Rugby League season was the tenth annual American National Rugby League season of semi-professional rugby league football in North America...

. In doing so they were the first AMNRL team to go undefeated and win titles in two consecutive years. In 2006 they were coached by former National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 (NRL) player Nathan Hollingsworth and in 2007 by Tim Gee and Mathew Pitman.

Since 2008 the club has worked on building a new image and new attitude under the leadership efforts of CEO and Current USA Tomahawk co-captain Curtis Cunz. They advanced to playoffs in the 2008
2008 AMNRL season
The 2008 AMNRL season was the 11th season of the competition.- Results :Round OneJacksonville Axemen at Philadelphia FightGame Date: 5/31/08Game Time: 12:30 pmGame Venue: West Chester University-Farrell StadiumReferee: Robert Irwin...

 and 2010 season
2010 AMNRL season
The 2010 American National Rugby League season was the 13th season of the AMNRL. The Pittsburgh Vipers are the newest team to enter the competition and the Bucks County Sharks have withdrawn from the competition.-Teams:...

.

Logo and colors

The Connecticut Wildcats have a team partnership with the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...

 of Australia's National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 (AMNRL), and with its two feeder teams, the Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...

 and Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...

.

Their home stadium is Andrews Field near Norwalk High School.

Current roster

  • Dan Issac
  • Steven Annunziato
  • Sebastian Berdichevsky
  • Christopher Bristol
  • Ian Taylor
  • Curt Christian Cunz
  • Ted Cacciolat
  • Ehson Shafie
  • James Everett
  • luke Barron
  • William Garcia
  • Christopher Giaccino
  • Gareth Gibbs
  • Pete Mannion
  • Doug Fraser
  • Mike Pitassi
  • Joe Kowakczyk
  • Dan Stuart
  • Darragh Lynch
  • John Nugent
  • George Magdalinos
  • Daniel Schipul
  • Mike Schacter
  • Phill Shacter
  • Rory Parcel
  • Rich Baron
  • Simon Hawkins
  • John Tublin
  • Matt Walsh
  • Nick Vornle
  • Carl Yacoub
  • Waylon Jaques
  • Mike Phillips
  • Joe Judge
  • Mike Thompson
  • Charlie Rizzo
  • Drew Duggan
  • Alex Atkinson


See also

  • AMNRL Championship
    American National Rugby League
    The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...

    : 2003
  • 2006 AMNRL season
    2006 AMNRL season
    The 2006 American National Rugby League season was the ninth annual American National Rugby League season, and the 26th since the first season of semi-professional rugby league began in North America. The season began on May 17, 2006 with a match between defending premiers Glen Mills Bulls and the...

  • 2007 AMNRL season
    2007 AMNRL season
    The 2007 American National Rugby League season was the tenth annual American National Rugby League season of semi-professional rugby league football in North America...

  • Connecticut Yankees RFC
    Connecticut Yankees RFC
    The Connecticut Yankees Rugby Football Club is a division 2 men's rugby club based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Founded in 1975, the club has fielded teams in the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union as well as the New England Rugby Football Union...

    club team at Andrews Field

External links

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