CHARLIE MACFARLANE
In August of 2000, Lincoln residents were introduced to a real-life Crocodile Dundee by way of former UNL rugby flyhalf, Charlie MacFarlane.
Charlie was studying at University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, and applied for an exchange program to UNL. During the summer months prior to him setting foot on campus, he worked at a youth camp in the Sierra Mountains in California teaching horse riding for three months. This skill was second nature to McFarland as he grew up deep in the Australian Bush working on farmsteads that were nearly 1 million acres in size.
He initially registered to play lacrosse as he “saw it on the movie American Pie and thought like looked like a pretty cool game,” but that season did not start until spring. In the meantime, he was looking at staying fit and stumbled across the rugby team. “After the first training session, there was no going back.” said Charlie. “Niko and the team made me feel like part of the family and I never thought of playing lacrosse again!”
Charlie was most appreciative of Niko’s “passion with how he coached and mentored the team, and especially of the mateship he extended to me and the squad.” Charlie took the various road trips in at a deeper level than most, and used them as a way to see many different states. He has fond memories of Kansas City, Denver, as well as the mountains of Wyoming during Jackalope. “Hit the funny talker” is a phrase he often heard during games and more times than not, was left more bruised and battered than his teammates.
“I was never very good at the actual rugby itself,” says Charlie. “I got more out of the friendships, the games, the training, the adventures and the parties!” He excelled at the latter as he was often seen wearing his leather brimmed hat, drinking beers while doing a headstand, as well as teaching party-goers the fine art of how to effectively use a whip.
He further experienced a good old fashioned Nebraska cattle branding season with his teammates Jess Brandes and Beau Bearnes, who lived in central Nebraska. Needless to say, he was “at home” in such a setting.
“I’ve got lifelong mates from playing for UNL, and it doesn’t matter if we haven’t seen each other for years. It seems like yesterday.”
Charlie and his family took an extended tour of the states back in 2017 and he most recently, saw some old friends in and around Omaha while on a work trip. Charlie is an entrepreneur and began Stock Locker in June 2011, which specializes in placing industrial vending systems throughout rural Australia. Ironically enough, the company that produces his vending machines is located in Des Moines hence his recent visit.
He is husband to an amazing wife Lucy, father to two independent teenagers and stays fit by trail running when he can, including an Omaha race he completed during his last visit.
***As of today, October 13, we have officially sold out seats for the banquet. However, please do feel free to attend the evening festivities as a “walk in” as a cash bar is available as well as live entertainment post-banquet compliments of Shithook. Music should begin around 8:30 and go until 10pm. Do register for the other activities via the link below:
