Dennis Frisch

Doctor Dennis Frisch embodies everything it means to be a UF Rugger. It was the fall of 1973 and Dennis had a date to play tennis with a pretty co-ed at the Norman Hall tennis courts (now a parking garage). As they were walking back to the dorm, they noticed activity on Norman Field. It looked interesting so they stopped by to take a closer look. His date liked the jerseys on the participants and asked Dennis to get her one. He tried to buy one but was told, “You don’t buy one, you earn one!”. He was invited to practice on Tuesday, showed up, caught the rugby bug, and the rest is history.

Dennis played rugby at the University of Florida from 1973 to 1977. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1977. Dennis went on to earn his Doctorate in Podiatry at the Doctor William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago. In 1983, he started his podiatry career in his hometown of Boca Raton, Florida and is still treating patients to this day. Dennis has achieved leadership positions in his chosen field that few accomplish. He served as President of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association in 1995 and President of the American Podiatric Medical Association in 2018.

He is a proud husband, father and grandfather with two children and four grandchildren. Dennis’s big personality has touched thousands of lives. Dennis has played rugby for over 50 years and his impact on the rugby world has been amazing. He was inducted into the University of Florida Rugby Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural 2019 class by the University of Florida Rugby Alumni Association (UFRAA). He is one of the original founders of UFRAA and has served as a UFRAA board member since its inception. He says that being a member of the UFRAA, “Is an opportunity to ensure the continuation of rugby at UF and to continue to serve the greater rugby family.”

‍Dennis’ playing career cannot be overstated. As a young man he played for the University of Florida and then Boca Raton Rugby. He was a member of the 1976 UF team that won the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship. As he got older, he turned to Old Boys Rugby. His touring career took him to the Bahamas, Argentina and Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. He played in many Golden Oldies tournaments including Dublin, Cayman Islands, Saranac, Savannah, Alaska, and Aspen. As a University of Florida Old Boy, he played in many different locations including Orlando, Aspen (30 times at the annual Aspen Ruggerfest), multiple times in Fort Lauderdale, and did a tour of Australia and New Zealand with his old UF mates.

Dennis has attended multiple international matches. A match to highlight would be his attendance at Ireland v New Zealand in Chicago on November 5, 2016, Ireland’s first-time beating New Zealand in the 111-year history of their competition. He also saw the USA play New Zealand in Chicago in 2014 and in Washington, DC in 2021. In Marseille, France for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he saw two matches– England v Argentina, and Scotland v South Africa.

As far as the impact rugby has had on Dennis’s life, here’s his quote:‍

‍“An opportunity to join a worldwide culture of rugby and to travel and enjoy the rugby camaraderie. Most importantly, I have met lifelong friends, guys that I truly love. Guys and gals across multi-generations and abilities all united in the love of rugby.” ‍‍

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‍Submitted by: Tim McCarthy

‍‍Contributor: Ashley Smith