Fifty years. Thousands of tackles, tries, tours, and post-match stories. But 2025 felt different—in the best way. We didn’t just celebrate where we’ve been; we planted a flag for where we’re going next.
Here’s our countdown of the ten moments that defined the Barbarians’ 50th anniversary year.
10. Polar Bear Plunge: two buses, one frozen lake.
We kicked off the anniversary year the only logical way: charging into Lake Michigan at Bradford Beach. It was cold, chaotic, and perfectly Barbarians—an “all-in” tradition that doubled as the first official 50th anniversary event of 2025.
9. Awards Banquet: Tom Fossell earns “Barbarian of the Year”.
The annual awards banquet always delivers, but this year’s big headline was Division 2 Captain Tom Fossell taking home the club’s top honor — his fourth major award with the Barbos.
8. MLR road trip: Chicago Hounds matchday with friends.
A 50th anniversary schedule needs at least one proper road trip. Our Major League Rugby day out—Anthem RC at the Chicago Hounds at SeatGeek Stadium—was a great reminder that rugby’s community doesn’t stop at city limits (and it was even better with other clubs joining the fun).
7. Rivalry season: statement games vs Wisconsin RC and Milwaukee RFC.
Some years are defined by silverware. Others are defined by rivals.
Against Wisconsin RC, the Barbos flexed their depth in a 27–5 win at Brown Deer Park that set the table for future showdowns.
And the Battle for Milwaukee delivered again—another classic barn-burner, another tight finish, and a 35–33 win over Milwaukee RFC to open the 2025–2026 D2 campaign.
6. Papa Joe Golf Outing: giving back, one swing at a time.
The outing keeps growing—18 teams entered this year—and it delivered real impact: about $3,000 raised in 2025, pushing total donations to the Wisconsin Parkinson Association to $20,000+ over the life of the event.
5. Christmas Party + clothing drive: 500 items for Milwaukee Rescue Mission.
A club anniversary is about more than parties and matches—it’s about community. The Christmas Party was also a clothing drive, collecting 500 items for the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. (If you donated, sorted, hauled, or helped—thank you.)
4. We made the news: CBS58 shines a light on “Rugby for Everyone”.
One of the coolest moments of the year was seeing the Barbos featured by CBS58—highlighting what we’ve known all along: rugby is for every body type, and what we build here is bigger than the scoreboard.
3. The matching campaign: $55,433 raised and momentum unlocked.
This was the community at its best. The campaign raised $55,433 total, powered by sponsor matching support and a tidal wave of individual donors—plus 24 “Founder” level gifts that helped set the pace for the next phase of the Milwaukee Rugby Complex effort.
2. The 50th Anniversary Gala: Harley-Davidson Museum, 250+ strong.
The centerpiece celebration: our 50th Anniversary Gala at the Harley-Davidson Museum (and a weekend that felt like a living reunion). With 250+ in attendance, it was part celebration, part history lesson, and part “how is this our life?” (In the best way.) The photo gallery and video replay let us relive it all.
1. The biggest announcement in decades: a dedicated rugby facility in Milwaukee.
This is the moment 2025 will be remembered for long after the confetti’s gone.
We officially launched fundraising for a dedicated rugby facility—backed by $25,000 in matching funds, and with $150,000 already raised and invested at the time of announcement. The vision is clear: a family-oriented rugby community centered around a permanent home, guided by a multi-generational committee with deep club roots.
Thank you, Barbos!
To every player, alum, sponsor, volunteer, family member, and fan: you made 2025 a year worthy of 50 years of history—and you helped launch what comes next.
Here’s to the next chapter.
