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In my years of working as a rugby writer I have had occasion to write a fair few obituaries about players that have passed away – many still in their prime. I have met many of them and covered their careers, and generally it is a sad tome written about a life well lived.
The recent death of Kevin Wirachowski on October 5th, 2023, at age 59 was different. He was a pal and his death shocked me along with his hundreds of rugby friends and family. The online outpouring of shock and grief after his passing was a testament to all the lives he touched.
I had occasion to first meet Kevin while covering a Canada tour to Italy in 2000. Anyone who knew Kevin at the time knew within five minutes talk would drift to his invention – the ScrumMaster scrum machine. This crazy confluence of engineering and a deep understanding of the dark arts, Kevin had created what many practitioners in the forwards regarded as a fantastic simulator for the real thing.
On the playing side Kevin showed why he was an important addition to any squad – coming off the bench to score game-winning tries in three test matches. That included the match in Rovigo, Italy, where Canada won 22-17. His test career spanned from 1992 against England to 2003 vs the New Zealand Māori with Kevin amassing 18 test appearances, also scoring tries against Uruguay and Argentina.
He would often stay with my family and me in Newmarket, Ontario, when his ScrumMaster work brought him east from his Malahat base on Vancouver Island. I still remember my boys running into the living room to meet him the first time – and he stuck his bear paw of a hand out to say hello. My youngest, Matt, a huge wrestling fan at the time, simply looked up and said “whoa”.
Kevin was a hard worker pushing his business and his playing career in equally impressive measures. In 2003 I was writing for Planet Rugby and was covering both the BC Premier League and tracking Canadians playing for UK professional teams. One weekend I got the team stats for a win by Velox over someone in the BC Prems – and saw Kevin on the scoresheet.
A week later I am scanning the Moseley website where lo-and-behold a player named Kevin Wirachowski had also scored. I called Kevin – to find out that he was splitting his time between the BC Premier League and once every ten days climbing on a plane and flying to England to play Moseley in National Division One. He asked that I not report his Moseley action as he wasn’t sure of the contractual complications.
In typical Kevin fashion he would do things the hard way – 11 hour flight to London, a taxi to pick up a small vehicle he had access to, a quick nap and then a nearly three hour drive to Birmingham for a training session on Thursday and Saturday match. Oh – and he had a workshop in Northampton churning out scrum machines for the British market. He also caught on as a scrum coach for Canada on a 2008 tour to Portugal, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
I had a chance to go to Bermuda in 2001 to watch the Canadian Classics, where ‘Lunk’ was practically a hometown hero. That was where I first met the love of his life, Lisa. What a great and fun couple and so tragic to see their time together cut short. She sent me a video from the 2023 Classic where Kevin was honoured prior to Canada’s opening match.
While he was punishing on the field, he was all about friendship and fairness off of it. In 2000 I was walking very late at night in downtown Vancouver with Kevin and another former Canadian team player who shall remain nameless. All of a sudden a car screeched to a halt 20 metres away from us and three guys jumped out of a car and started pummeling a young guy on the sidewalk. Kevin muttered “that doesn’t look fair.” He and ‘nameless’ jumped into action dispatching the three-on-one in swift fashion just ahead of a police car showing up with its lights flashing. Nameless, an off-duty police officer at the time, flashed his badge and gave a quick accounting of what had just happened. That was about when I emerged from behind the dumpster. Then off to the White Spot for a late snack.
That was Kevin in a nutshell. If things were going bad on the pitch, a little encouragement by Lunk on the opposition would usually settle things down. Off the field – he just wanted everyone to get along. I think Kevin’s participation in the Canadian Classics team is probably his most fitting legacy – as he was a classic of the highest nature.
A celebration of Kevin’s life is taking place December 2, 2023, at 9pm in the Chief and Petty Officers’ Mess at CFB Esquimalt.
guest article by Doug Crosse, a long-time rugby journalist, former Editor of Canadian Rugby News, and former Communications Manager for Rugby Canada
Kevin ‘Lunk’ Wirachowski
Born in Port Alberni, BC, on 2 December 1962
18 Canada caps from debut v England at Wembley in 1992 to his last v NZ Māori at York Stadium in 2003.
3 tries, v Uruguay, Argentina and Italy.
Also played for Moseley in England National One in 2002/03 (8 games, 2 tries).
Domestically played for Velox Valhallians, UBCOB Ravens, and Port Alberni Black Sheep.
