FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – (Washington, D.C.- March 15, 2019) – Old Glory is honored to announce the signing of our first player, back row Josh Brown. This move makes Josh the first professional rugby player for the first professional rugby union team in the history of the greater D.C. area and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Josh is a Maryland native and a professional first responder. Josh started playing rugby at Salisbury University after playing football at Long Reach HS in Maryland, where he graduated with the single-season and single-game rushing records. For Salisbury Sharks rugby he was a captain for four years and led the team to regional championships for 3 years in a competitive college division. Today, Josh is well-known as a standout for Rocky Gorge Rugby Football Club, having helped to lead the club to National Men’s Division 2 Championships in 2012 and 2014. In the 2014 National Championship game, Josh was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Josh also performed well as a player in the MLR New England Freejacks recent exhibition season and is now excited to be playing at home for Old Glory.
“Josh Brown represents everything we hope to see from Old Glory players.”
-Chris Dunlavey
Josh works as a firefighter/paramedic in Anne Arundel County. In his free time, he play guitar and trains for athletic achievement. He is committed to the development of young adults through the sport of rugby, having coached Howard County Hurricanes-Express youth rugby for the last 7 years(and winning the MD state 7’s final this past summer). Numerous players Josh has coached in his u19 program have gone on to play college rugby at a high level.
“Josh Brown represents everything we hope to see from Old Glory players,” said Old Glory chairman Chris Dunlavey. “Not only is he homegrown talent who has achieved excellence on the pitch at every level, but he also demonstrates a set of personal values that reflect the very best of rugby. We could not be more proud to have signed him as our first player ever.”
About Old Glory DC:
Old Glory DC is a professional rugby club based in Washington D.C. that officially joined Major League Rugby in November 2018 and will begin league play in MLR’s 2020 season. The club will play a series of exhibition games throughout the first half of 2019. As a recent addition to the fabric of the nation’s capital and the entire Mid-Atlantic community, Old Glory DC’s vision is to grow the sport of rugby in our region by 50% by 2023. The club is owned by life-long rugby players Paul Sheehy and Chris Dunlavey, who are proud to bring professional rugby to their hometown for the first time ever. For more information please visit oldglorydc.com.
