In the spirit of  making those Lowell connections, I note that author and professor Jay Atkinson has penned an interesting article for the Improper Bostonian. Atkinson deftly connects the U.S. version of rugby – as played as a club sport in Boston to  “a model for social justice, volunteerism and youth development.” Further he declares:

It’s poised to become the next hot pastime, with upbeat, irreverent characters and a culture offering a bracing alternative to the corporate sterility of mainstream American sport. Sure, players drink and, occasionally, fight. But if the members of two local clubs are any indicator, these guys should be running our civilization.

The article has some political overtones as Atkinson includes the story of Alex Goldstein – Governor Patrick’s poitical action committee guy, the element of gay rugby players and ethnic diversity on a broad scale. As one who only knows rugby from Brit school-boy movies and through constant references in my favorite Brit comedy “As Time Goes By,” I appreciated the telling of this local rugby tale.

Jay Atkinson will be telling more tales as a Saturday speaker during the annual Lowell Jack Kerouac Festival being held on October 10 thru’ 14. Atkinson will discuss Kerouac’s athletic career.

Catch the rugby story here: http://www.improper.com/features/tackling-the-issues/

Learn more about the Jack Kerouac event here at Lowell Celebrates Kerouac: http://www.lowellcelebrateskerouac.org/festival

About Jay Atkinson from his FB page:

 Jay Atkinson is a novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, investigative journalist, and itinerant amateur athlete from Methuen, Mass. He is the author of two novels, a story collection, and three narrative nonfiction books. His nonfiction book, ICE TIME, was a Publisher’s Weekly notable book of the year in 2001, and LEGENDS OF WINTER HILL was on the Boston Globe bestseller list for several weeks in 2005.