Show and Match Review & Gallery: Dropkick Murphys and Shaquille “DJ Diesel’ O’Neal at Major League Rugby National Championship. (Bridgeview, IL – 7/8/23)

In my decades-long photojournalism career, I have shot a lot of sports. NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB, the Indy 500 and Nascar, Division I and below college sports of all kinds. Same goes for high school athletics and various other sports on differing levels as well. Most was done in the past during my days as a graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, at several daily newspaper photojournalism internships and various daily newspaper and other companies’ staff photographer positions. 

So, whenever I have a chance to shoot sports I grab it. Most often these days from seat high up in the Chicago Major League Baseball parks, Wrigley Field, home field of the Northsiders Chicago Cubs, and Guaranteed Rate Field, home field to the Southsiders Chicago White Sox.

And when I can combine punk rock and sports I get excited. Whether it was surveying Punk Rock Soccer/Futbol fans for our World Cup exclusive, or actually taking photos of a rugby match with a punk band playing the after-match concert. The latter was the case here. It was absolutely an utter blast. I’m not sure there is quite the connection between punk and rugby yet as there is with punk and soccer/futbol, but there should be and hopefully, more will discover it.

By the time a crowd member threw a rugby ball up to the stage for the players to sign, Casey was sporting a Free Jacks national championship hat. The match was an exciting one. I still do not understand all the rules of professional rugby in the United States, with players from all over the world, but it was evident this match could be described as thrilling. A record crowd for an MLR Championship, the stands were filled with diehard fans who traveled far to support their Rugby Club. 

More kismet is that there is a 5-part docuseries following the New England Free Jacks. You can watch it on Youtube.

And finally on to the Dropkick Murphys set. On a stage set up at one end of the rugby pitch, there was no lack of enthusiasm from the band or from the crowd. The band ran through the major hits, including, “The Boys are Back,” “The State Of Massachusets,” “Rose Tattoo, ” and the aforementioned “Shipping Up To Boston.”

They also played a version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” That song serves as the anthem for the Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League, but even I, as a longtime Arsenal FC supporter, can admit it was a lovely moment.

In addition, there was a message sent from the band as the pipes and tin whistle player sported a t-shirt with Rugby Union Now. It was the same statement printed on the bright pink uniforms of the match referees.

A final note, another Celtic-tinged punk band, Flatfoot 56, has performed at some of the Chicago Hounds matches. I hope the band does this next season. I’d love to document FF6 guys and other bands at rugby matches. Get in the scrum!