silˇverˇback (plural silˇverˇbacks),noun, male gorilla: an older adult male gorilla with grayish-white hair on its back
HISTORY
The Silverbacks of the Hamilton Hornets Rugby Football Club evolved from the traditional "Captains / Presidents" game which typically followed the day after the Annual Awards Banquet.
The Hamilton Hornets RFC would celebrate the end of the rugby season with an Annual Awards Banquet;
this banquet was a formal affair, and a "must attend" on the players social calendar - a night of beer, food, singing, and debauchery.
The tradition was that the current President of the Hamilton Hornets RFC would make a selection of 15 players
from all of the club members (young and old), and the Senior Men's Captain would then select his 15 players.
An 80 minute game of rugby would ensue....a difficult task when suffering from the effects of drinking the night before.
Needless to say the tradition took its toll on attendence, with many players opting for an aspirin and a pillow over a headache, cleats, and a very cold damp pitch.
In order to keep the tradition alive, adjustments had to be made. The "Captains / Presidents" game was moved from the day after the Annual Awards Banquet to a Friday Night in October that preceeded the dinner.
With an interest to bring back players of the past, the Game was renamed the "Alumni Game". The recruiting process was a year-long task, and to qualify as an Alumnist the player must be a past Hornet member no longer playing for the Senior Hornets Team.
From there, the Senior Hornets Captain would pit his current playing team against an older past Hornet team from yester-year. With all the returning "mature" players, the game quickly earned the nickname "The Silvebacks".
With all the returning knowledge and years of experience, it was obvious that the team would be compared to a mature species of stature.
Thus TheSilverbacks were born!
The Silverbacks took thier responsibility seriously, and would school the newer and younger players with "The Ways of the Silverback" which included positional tactics and rugby tricks of treachary that only the most seasoned players could know.
The game became the bridge bewteen new Hornet members and the older gentlemen from the past. At last, our club became a type of society even Dian Fossey would love.
THE SILVERBACKS OF THE HAMILTON HORNETS RFC