Requiem
This page will be reserved for our rugby brothers who are no longer with us.
"Grant them eternal peace and may everlasting light shine upon them as they play on that pitch of higher power"

It's now been over 35 years since we suddenly lost Paul to a brain hemorrhage, and it's still hard not to think of him not being with us both on and off the rugby pitch. He was my closest friend, and to lose him at age 25 is something you can never prepare for, especially when the both of us were in what prime we had of our rugby playing years.
Paul's friends miss him as much today as we ever have. For those of you who knew Paul, you have the satisfaction of what he brought to our lives. Those of you who never had the chance to meet Paul, or play rugby with him, I hope some of the words that follow will give you a snapshot of what he meant to MSU Rugby, and to us, his friends.
I've always been told that if a person has never played rugby they will never understand the bond that rugby players have for the game and the people we played with. We often refer to this as our rugby family. I believe this is true in every sense. Here are some of my remembrances of our rugby brother, Paul Fasching.
The first time I can remember meeting Paul was in the back of Big JD's 1974 Camaro, as we were leaving Mankato one early morning in 1981 to play the Sioux Falls RFC. In the front seats, Big JD and Little John. I was stuck in the backseat with this guy who was wearing bib overalls, no shirt, rugby cleats, a Northrup King Seed hat, and he was reading an Advanced Organic Biology book. This could only have been Paul Fasching. I'm not sure if we won the match that day but from that day forward, the new rookie prop and the 8-man in the bib overalls became best friends.
Over my seventeen years of playing rugby, Paul was one of the few that immediatly understood the game of rugby, as least the forward positions, since the backs were mostly comb carrying pretty boys. Paul was always the first and last player at our Tuesday and Thursday MSU Rugby practices. He held the same promptness for matches, parties, and road trips; although he was famous for always being late to any other kind of function. On the pitch Paul was the steadying force behind the scrum from his anchor position at 8-man. I could always toss the ball long in the lineout knowing that Paul was there to cover what were often my mis-placed lineouts.
Paul became my rugby road trip partner every early in our rugby lives. For three years at MSU, and another three years with the Faribault RFC, there was never a time that we did not take to the road together on what ever rugby adventure was ahead of us. Big Pete and I were fortunate enough to have taken many rugby road trips with Paul. Canada, Florida, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and all points between. I want to thank Ron Kadrlik, another member of the 1982 Dreamteam and one of Paul's close friends, for stepping in and filling Paul's shoes as my road trip partner for the remaining years that Ron and I played rugby together. Ron took the emptiness that could have been their for me with the loss of Paul, and without complaint or hesitation was there for me. Ron is another example of our rugby family.
Paul always volunteered to help get anything done for the rugby club. Paul and his future wife Connie, were instrumental in putting together the first MSU Rugby Flag what was flown for several years at each MSU Rugby match. It was Paul who nominated me, and helped get me voted in, as Scrum Captain in both 1983 and 1984. Paul later told me he nominated me because I was the best man for the postion. The real reason was so that he could hold fact over my head that it was he who got me elected and that gave him the right to be critical of every move I made as Scrum Captian for MSU Rugby. This made him happy.
He always played with his heart. It was this genetically bad heart that in the end, took him from us. He was everyone's best friend on the team, and was loyal to every member on the club no matter what kind of of stupid or insane things we did as rugby players. He was a true son of MSU Rugby. He also loved the game of rugby, and truly believed in the tradition and attitude that comes with being a rugby player. The MSU Rugby Alumni now use Tradition and Attitude as our motto. The interesting thing about Paul was that when people, from outside the rugby world, usually females, could be overheard saying at parties, that Paul was, "Not like those other rugby players". Paul loved that comment, and although he did the same type of stunts as "those other rugby players", he got to hold this as his reputation, with much pleasure, over all of his other teammates.
There are hundreds more rugby stories to be told about Paul. I wish I could share all of them with you, but those of us who where there and got to play with him, teammates, Palmer, Harms, Kuts, Animal, Big Pete, Shenny, and Fu, are able to get together at alumni matches and share our memories of Paul. With respect to Connie, Terry, Ed, and Irene, some of these stories with have to go to the grave with us.
Sometimes out of the blue there will be little things that will remind me fo Paul. White painter pants, stone hands, Northrup Seed hats, a car going 45 miles an hour for no reason, and coconut donuts. Pure Precious Paul.
If I've given you the impression that Paul Fasching was a remarkable person. friend, and rugby player, then I'm pleased.
Jay Ziesmer - MSURFC Captain 1983-1984
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I got to know Paul Fashing in Mankato, Minnesota while playing Rugby with him in the early 1980's. It was a time of studying, getting to know ourselves, and having fun. Paul was a good friend to everyone on the team.
Paul brought a farm boy attitude with him to Mankato State where he worked hard at everything he did. I got to know Paul best, on and off the pitch, while involved in rugby. Paul brought the best out of all of us fortunate enough to spend those carefree days finding ourselves. I can remember practicing with Paul and had so much fun getting into rugby shape. I also remember Paul as terrific competitor on the pitch; a guy you could always count on. Paul had a special ability to make road matches memorable by planning, organizing, and keeping us all on the right path.
I have many stories of Paul burned into my memories. I share those with MSU Rugby Alumni for time to time. To be honest, I have a difficult time writing down these stories. I think it best to leave most of these stories out for now. Well maybe one or two stories I can share.
Paul, Jay Ziesmer, and I were out and about on one of those remarkable Thursday evenings in Mankato. As we moved from party to party, some how a bottle of Nair hair remover was misplaced as shaving cream. I believe the Nair came from Linnea Jenkins if memory serves correct. Well, after several hours, and even more beers, the Nair some how made its way to Paul's privates. Even thought the loss of hair where you don't want to lose hair, the itching, rash, and suspect smell, Paul was as always a good sport.
Final story, we went to St. Cloud to play a match around the Spring of 1983. Of course we drove up the night before the match and stayed the MSU 'economy style", which was the entire team in one hotel room. Paul requested donuts the next morning as a pre-match meal. He had only one request, "anything but coconut donuts". What did we bring him, a whole box of coconut donuts. This may not seem funny, but when ever I see Jay Ziesmer we always have to say, "Donuts, very nice donuts", just the way we said it 25 years ago and recall the look on Paul's face just staring at those coconut donuts.
Paul was innovative with the 8 man position. I saw him foot the rugby ball in a game vs. Faribault as any good 8 man would do. However, Paul pressed the ball between his feet and hopped from about 5 meters out as the scrum pushed the opposition over the try line. It was a sight to see.
Finally, I remember Paul's smile, sideburns, Pioneer Seed hat, and keen sense of who he was and where he was headed in life. He met and married Connie and started a family, blazing a trail for the rest of us to follow. He was a good man, husband, son, friend, and teammate. I truly miss Paul.
Brad Palmer - President MSURFC 1982-1983
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Having been a wrestler for MSU for my first few years in collage, I was looking for something different. I remember reading about tryouts for the MSU RUGBY CLUB in the Reporter and seeing similar signs around campus.
There were several new guys, besides me, to show-up for that first try-out. After a few sprints and ball handling drills, I was asked if I wanted to be a back or a forward. I solicited recommendations from the team captians. They noted my blazing speed, or lack thereof, and subsequently recommended a forward position. That is where I first met Paul Fasching. The new forwards were put through a battery of drills, and it was decided I would be a second row. Paul liked my jumping ability, although he did mention that I "couldn't catch a damn thing when I was up in the air". Paul then started to work with me on catching the ball in the lineout and getting the ball cleanly out to the backs.
I found rugby players to be an eclectic group. They were a fun lot who liked to play hard, hit hard, and drink hard. I fit right in. They also appreared to have an IQ higher than the football or wrestling teams of the day. Which, by the way, is not saying much. The word "normal" does not apply to rugby players, and Paul was definitely not your normal rugby player. I was taking a biology course at the time (I have no idea why), when Paul came into the classroom towards the end of this particular lab. We were having difficulties, and he expertly answered all of our questions. Paul then told me that he was in the Masters program for bioogy at MSU. I guess this is something he kept to himself, not wanting to lose that age old stereotype that all rugby players had to only have the collage skills to tap a keg. A rugby player with brains? Paul's intilect was also made prominate during some of his lineout calls. The more memorable were, "Smoke in the western sky", "Bluefish jelly jelly", "Whisky Tango Foxtrot". Paul was one of the rare rugby players with both brains and the true spirit for the game of rugby.
Paul played eightman and wing forward during my tenure at MSU. He even tried to teach me a few things about the eighman position. I found him to be bright, even tempered, and hard working. He was an excellent rugby player and a good friend.
Courntney Voehl - President MSURFC Spring 1983 

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He was always known as Little John by his teammates and fellow rugby players. There was nothing "little" about him. He was a force in the front row. Little John was the Moral Compass for the MSU Rugby Club. Make no mistake, he was part of every match, party, road trip, and rugby social gathering. When things might be ready to "cross that line", John was there to make sure we did not. He was a proud member of the 1982 Dream Team and Proper Rugby.

To let you know what type of rugby brother he was, I share this story. I started every match of my four year MSU Rugby career, except for one. It was my first match after just one practice. The club was traveling to Sioux Falls, SD for a match. As we gathered in the lobby of Gage Tower to see who was riding in who's car, John came up to me and said, "your going to be a prop. You are riding with us". In that first road trip it was me, Big JD, Little John, and Precious Paul. When we got to the match, John told me to, "just watch everything I do out there. I'm at Loose Head Prop." The next week's match was home in Mankato. When the selections were made I was announced as the starting Loose Head Prop. I went to Little John and said, "I thought you played Loose Head Prop?" John replied, "I did, it's your position now, I'm moving over to Tight Head Prop." He gave me his position in the scrum. This is just the kind of friend and teammate he was. In the last 5 years of Johns life he moved back to Minnesota and became a fixture as MSU Rugby matches and Alumni Reunions.



Jay Ziesmer

Scrum Captain 1983-1984

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In February of this year, we said good bye to a brother that was one of the great ones. RIP Little John Evanson. Little John was a teammate, roommate, and a lifelong friend. He absolutely loved rugby and the relationships that go with it. On the pitch, Little John was an unmovable object at Loose Head Prop. Off the pitch, he was as kind as any human being you could ever meet. Little John was going to be the last one at the rugby party. He did not need to be the center of attention socially. He was blessed with common sense (regardless of what years you played at MSU, you will probably agree this is a valued commodity and in short supply).

We lost him too soon. Little John leaves a legacy of being a kind, intelligent, and caring person. He was an exceptional teacher and wrestling coach. He made a difference in people's lives.

Well done my friend! You are now enjoying heaven.


Ron (Kutz) Kadrlik

MSU Rugby 1979 - 1982

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JP was the type of person who you immediately recognized weather you knew him or not. That's how it was for me the Fall of 1983 as I walked onto the Rugby practice fields behind Gage Towers for tryouts. I was new to campus as a Junior and I remember JP was one of the first people I connected with that day. Other than the exhilaration of playing rugby for the first time, knowing that I had a new friend on campus made being part of the MSU Rugby Club all that much better.

For as many people as he was acquainted with, there will be that many stories, times 10 or more, we all had with him during those years - and all of the years after, for those who got to know him after MSU Rugby. Here are a couple of "classic" examples of JP.

We had a double-header with Rochester. We piled in a bunch of cars early in the morning and made the trip to Rochester. I was riding with JP and a couple of others in the car. During the first game, he got a pretty big cut above his eye- bleeding really bad. Course of action was to tape it up tight and continue to play. I can still see his green and yellow jersey half covered in blood as he continued to play. He seemed fine even during the second game. After the second game, a couple of of the players from Rochester, who were doctors, convinced JP to take the tape off his head so they could look at the wound. It started bleeding pretty bad again. They said they could sew him up right there, so JP decided to let them. He needed some anesthesia (beer and lots of it) first. We watched as they stitched him up in the parking lot. There were now two problems, some of the other players/cars took off back to Mankato - didn't want to wait for the stitching to get done. That left 8 of us to go back in JP's car. I don't know how, but I was :lucky" enough to make the ride all the way back in the trunk- with JP driving (loss of blood replenished with lots of beer). We made it home safely. JP stepped up to the challenge all day long.

Next amazing memory was that the All-Minnesota Tourney in the Cities, Fall of 1984. During the party that Saturday night (at the a roller rink), one of the guys from the Duluth Rugby Club stood up on a table, took a gold necklace from a girl's neck, dropped in down unto his nose ans was able to cough it up and thought his mouth. He held both ends and pulled it back and forth from his nose and mouth. JP was entharalled with that. He talked to the guy the rest of the night. For a few weeks, that's all he would do in his dorm room- practice trying to do the same thing. With persistence, he finally accomplished it and was able to perfect the stunt. He was a determined individual who would do anything to bring life to a party or any other gathering he was at.

Again, those that knew him have many stories- many unfortunately are probably forgotten. Those that we have, we will hold on to for a long time to help keep him in our hearts and minds. He was a friend, a teammate, and one of my groomsmen at my wedding, and a force to be reckoned with. Thanks, JP, for being there for all of us.


Paul "MadDog" DiMarco

MSU RFC 1983-1985

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To say that JP Cahil was the poster boy for being a Back in the game of rugby, as it was played in his day, would be an understatement. JP joined the MSU Rugby Club during my last two years with the team. At the time, I was the Scrum Captain, and Tim Schoenecker was the Back Captain. So I let Tim deal with JP for selection and on-pitch issues.

It is "the same the whole world over" that the Scrum will always think of the Backs as comb in their back pocket pretty boys who let the Forwards do all the work on the pitch. JP was a perfect fit for this group of Backs at the MSU RFC.

It has been said there are hundreds of stories about JP, so I will add my favorite. It was a Friday night sometime in 1985, when the rugby team got together for a party at the apartment of one of our teammates. As always, it was required that all members attend the party. Well into the evening, and many beers, the talk started about who is more important on the rugby pitch, the Forwards or the Backs. As the insults went back and forth, out of this group of Backs comes JP Cahill. He makes the statement to all, "I can push any Forward on the team"! Not thinking he would get any takers, out of the back comes Jim "Big Pete" Petersen. "I'm a Forward on this team, let's see you push me". Now.... Big Pete had over 100 pounds on JP. But JP was not going to back down, he had the honor of all the Backs to up hold. He moved towards Big Pete and made his best attempt to engage him. No sooner that happened, Big Pete had lifted and pushed JP though the entire length of the apartment and deposited him into the front wall. This leaving a perfect outline of JP's body in the smashed drywall. To JP's credit, he picked himself up from the rubble, and said, "OK, who's next"? This was followed by the cheers from every Back at the party.


Jay Ziesmer

Scrum Captain

1981 - 1985

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I owe many of the friendships I have today to Max Graham. If he would not have stopped me in the CSU the first week of Freshman Year and asked me why the fuck I wasn't at rugby practice on Tuesday, I would not be the same person I am today. Max and I first met in middle school and eventually we would end up on the high school rugby team together. We were often bound at the hip together as locks and that continued to be the case when we started playing for the Greasers in college. I'll never his epic pump ups, yelling at the beginning of the match, "Iiiiits RUGBY DAY". If you were a rookie he was going to shake your hand and introduce himself; and if you're lucky you'd immediately get an inappropriate nickname. He was always the one building people up and getting them excited to play though our epic Wayne hangovers. Sometimes I'd find myself suddenly levitating  from the bottom of a ruck, only to realize that it was Max, literally picking me up off of the ground by my jersey to bring me along to the next ruck with him because he wasn't going alone. That is the perfect encapsulation of Max. It is evidenced by the outpouring of stories and admiration for him that even outside of rugby he picked a lot of others up and brought them along. He was everybody's friend from the moment he met them and I'll miss him greatly. Until we meet again on the lush green pitch in heaven, my friend.

Drew Hester 

MSU RFC 2009-2013

When you first saw Max you instantly smiled. He was a ray of sunshine that you couldn't help but be drawn to. Max had a kind demeanor and smile that felt warm and welcoming like you've been friends for years. To Max everyone was his friend so it made sense why he was so approachable and liked. When Max stepped on the pitch he transformed into a wrecking machine. Poised and collected while blowing people off of rucks. His work rate was second to none, and communicated effortlessly with everyone on the field. A great teammate on of off the pitch, he will be greatly missed.

Joanna McElroy

MSU Women's RFC

The first time I played St Johns at St. Johns, Max got his lip sliced through by his own teeth. So after the game I drove to the ER. He had his lip stitched together by dissolvable sutures. By the time we had gotten back to the pitch his lip was split again because of sutures has dissolved. The first time my parents came to a game, it was at Mankato. I met them in the parking lot while some of the guys were warming up on the pitch. After some explaining of the game, my Mom asked, "Oh, they let girls play with the boys?" After I gave her a funny look, she pointed at Max and said, "Isn't that a big lady"? No Mom, Max just has really long hair.

Brian Rieb

MSU RFC

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