When it comes to the American Rugby scene, it’s like the Wild Wild West. There are disparate differences from region to region. This time of year, many clubs in the USA are enjoying their rugby in warmer temperatures while those in the northern parts of the country can still be buried in the snow. 

Some clubs choose to take advantage of the situation and the Ken-Ton Misfits, from Buffalo, New York are one such club. Each year they brave the elements to host a 10s Tournament. The event’s theme is the Island of Misfit 10s, an ode to the classic Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer TV special. One of the highlights of the show being an island filled with toys that no one wanted due to their various odd features. 

Sounds a lot like the bands of misfit characters that can be found in any rugby club around the world. 

On Valentine’s Day 2026, most of Western New York was digging out from another lake effect snowstorm. Instead, the Ken-Ton Misfits were digging in.

At Lincoln Park in the Town of Tonawanda, just outside Buffalo, college programs and men’s clubs lined up in true winter conditions and played rugby the way it is meant to be played. With cold hands, short breath, steam rising off shoulders, snow flying on every tackle, and fire barrels blazing on the sidelines.

The Island of Misfit 10’s isn’t a beach tournament or a spring invitational, but hearty winter rugby built for players who want something different while having a hell of a lot of fun.

How It Started

The Ken-Ton Misfits have called Tonawanda home since 2011. When the Town’s Winterfest event needed an outdoor event tough enough to survive a Buffalo winter, rugby made perfect sense.

Town Council member Bill Conrad, a lifelong rugby man who founded Kenmore Rugby High School, captained Buffalo Rugby Club, and previously ran winter 7’s tournaments got involved. He understood one simple truth:

Rugby players show up no matter the weather.

The club had already hosted a 10’s tournament inspired by their mascot, Charlie-in-the-Box from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. A club called the Misfits hosting a winter tournament during Winterfest? It was a perfect fit.

In January 2020, the official Winterfest Island of Misfit 10’s was born. A handful of Misfits helped launch it, including Andy Pluff, Keith Fazekas, and Jon “Loaf” Korta, but just like everything in rugby, it takes a full team of volunteers to make it work.

Why 10’s?

Because everyone gets to matter.

Rugby 10’s offers space for backs to run but keeps forwards heavily involved. You still have to win collisions and earn the gain line.

Let’s be perfectly honest, plenty of forwards hate 7’s. This format gives the big men a chance to take over a game. As the club motto says: Ken-Ton Misfits Rugby, Where We All Fit In.

Built for the Cold

Early editions operated out of a tarp wrapped pavilion heated by propane heaters. The scene looked more like a polar expedition camp than a sports venue.

 The Misfits have dialed in the setup over the years. They now have a heated building overlooking the pitch, big windows facing the action, and a gas fire pit outside. Players warm their hands inside while watching matches rage through the snow.

That’s winter rugby culture.

What Snow Does to Rugby

Everything.

Speed and footwork mean less when traction disappears. Wide attacks shrink. Territory becomes king.

Forwards who stay square and run hard become devastating. Straight lines beat sidesteps. Gain line dominance wins games.

One veteran offered a tip to a first-timer:

“Breathe out when you get tackled or you’ll inhale a face full of powder.”

In one of their previous years temperatures dropped from 4°F to 2°F — among the coldest rugby conditions ever recorded in the United States.

The Misfits now proudly call it: The coolest rugby tournament in America.

Despite the elements, the rugby standard remains high with surprisingly few knock-ons, real structure, and big collisions. Snow produces moments you simply don’t see elsewhere:

• Diving tries into white-out in-goal areas
• Try lines carved by foot traffic
• A patch of grass slowly revealed at midfield from repeated kickoffs

As the day goes on, the snow compacts, the field speeds up, and the game evolves again.

In Buffalo, winter isn’t an excuse. It’s part of the test.

Standout Moments

This year’s Island of Misfits Toys 10s boasted many highlights. 

“One major highlight was the college programs going toe-to-toe with established men’s sides and hold their own.”

Club President RaShawn “Kracken” Chappell summed it up perfectly:

“Snow doesn’t care about your résumé. It rewards effort.”

Social Chair Michael “Pizza Mike” Passafiume noted the old-school atmosphere filled with laughter on the sidelines, opponents helping each other up, trash talk kept friendly, and competition fierce but respectful.

Misfit and referee Justin Brzyski described the scene vividly: 

“Some players in shorts and short sleeves, others layered to the hilt, one wearing a vintage Buffalo football jersey as part of his kit. Early drop kicks struggled, but by mid-day a strip of green appeared at midfield.”

By the final match, it became a battle of contrasting styles. Hawaii TRY-O pushed width and speed, while the Bumbles Motley Players hammered straight at the gain line.

In the snow, direct rugby wins championships.

True “Misfit” Rugby

Both finalists embodied the spirit of the event. Neither was a traditional club side and used blended squads of players from across the region.

The Bumbles Motley Players included athletes from Genesee Creamers, Rochester Colonials, Ken-Ton Misfits, and Buffalo State Maddogs. Many of them met for the first time that morning.

Hawaii TRY-O, a consistent Winterfest contender, drew from Buffalo Rugby and the Misfits.

After losing in pool play, the Bumbles regrouped and upset the four-time defending champions in the final. A thrown together team playing in brutal conditions. No excuses.

You can’t script it any better. A fairy tale ending just like when all of the Misfit Toys found homes.

Why It Matters

The Ken-Ton Misfits take enormous pride in hosting this event.

Founded in 2011, the Ken-Ton Misfits are a nonprofit focused on access, opportunity, and community. The way a grassroots rugby club should be formed. While winning is great, the club aims to grow the game while attracting new fans and players. 

Western New York is a legitimate rugby stronghold in the USA with one of the highest concentrations of registered players per capita in the country. A strong rugby culture filled with people who love the sport. Something that is rare in the United States. 

Tournament Positives:

• Brings college and men’s clubs together
• Showcases rugby during Winterfest
• Strengthens regional relationships
• Proves the sport belongs here — even in February

For visiting teams, it’s the kind of experience talked about long after the bruises fade.

Thinking About Next Year?

If you want pristine grass and 80 degree sunshine, this isn’t your tournament. Wait for the summer. By the way, the Ken-Ton Misfits also host a great Summer 7s event! 

If you want:

• Real 10’s rugby
• A genuine physical test in winter weather conditions
• A great social with serious food
• A boat race for actual hardware
• Stories you’ll tell for decades

Then Lincoln Park in February is calling.

Bring  your boots, layers, and players who don’t flinch when the weather turns nasty.

Because at the Island of Misfit 10’s, winter doesn’t stop rugby. It proves who truly loves it.

We Want to Hear from Your Club

Grassroots rugby is where the sport actually lives. It is the beating heart of rugby and it doesn’t live in boardrooms or broadcast deals, but on muddy pitches, under patchwork floodlights, and sometimes on a snowy pitch with a fire barrel on the touchline. 

Events like the Island of Misfit 10’s don’t just fill a weekend. They build awareness, community, forge friendships across clubs, and give players a reason to keep showing up year after year. It creates stories that last far longer than any scoreline and reminds us why this game sticks with people for life. 

That’s how rugby grows, not from the top down, but from the ground up, one player, one tournament, one volunteer, one slightly chaotic social at a time. 

If you’d like to see your club featured or if you are hosting something special like a tournament, fundraiser, tour, anniversary match, or community event then Bottom of the Ruck wants to hear about it. Reach out to us via email and let’s get the conversation started. Clubland is full of great stories and yours deserves to be shared.