The Raptors train at Infinity Park over the holidays.

The festive season is a time of year for giving … and receiving! And you don’t have to be a child to have wish-list aspirations. It was fun and heartwarming to find out what the Raptors want for the holidays and we thought we would share their wish lists with you.

Top of the list for just about all the Raptors is a pair of new rugby boots. It appears — from a lot of comments — that most players secure their boots with strong strapping tape.

A bit of a heart-wrenching wish from a lot of the players, considering they are from different parts of the country (and world), is a wish to be with their family and close friends to share in the holiday celebrations. Unfortunately, expensive holiday travel costs don’t allow for many of these players to be with loved ones.

But on more personal notes, it was fun to hear the wishes of the Raptors and what they would really like.

“All I want for Christmas,” beams Ata Malifa, “is a new front tooth.” Ata had his front tooth knocked out in the season-opening rugby event in Aspen and is yet to have it replaced. He hurriedly added that an Xbox Kinect would be very welcome too.

Director of Rugby Mark Bullock would be delighted with an updated heart-rate monitor so that he can keep track of his fitness levels during his rigorous exercise routines. Andre Snyman, technical advisor for the Raptors 15s, having recently relocated to Denver and discovered skiing, is keen to own an Epic Season Pass so that he can ski all the slopes in the region.

Staying with the snow theme, Stan Moaalii would appreciate a new pair of YakTrax boot-traction devices so that he doesn’t keep slipping when he is training in the snow.

Greg Fugier reckons that anyone with children should want a season pass to the zoo so that they can take their children there, as often as possible (without becoming bankrupt) to enjoy the sights and sounds of all that the Denver Zoo has to offer.

You’ve got to love Jillian Potter’s wish-list request — all she wants for Christmas is a full-length spandex suit — a leopard-print one at that! Carol Fabrizio would love a pair of weightlifting shoes to assist with her weight training.

Colby Knepp is keen for a Kindle and Dustin Gordon could do with some more video games.

But the holiday wish of Max Statler and Spencer Wells — which all the fans are wishing for too — is, “another national championship!”

While hibernation is a common winter pastime for many creatures, it has been a great relief to establish that the Raptors don’t subscribe to that form of winter ritual. Instead, the players are partaking in various methods of fitness in order to come out firing in the spring season, as well as enjoying much-needed downtime with family, careers, vacations and other areas of rest and relaxation.

Infinity Park’s High Altitude Training Center

Living in Colorado, it would be expected that the most common off-season source of fitness is related to the snow. So it is no surprise that snowboarding and skiing are the most common method of keeping fit while enjoying some downtime. However, gym sessions at Infinity Park’s High Altitude Training Center, which include weight training and lifting, are very prevalent too. It is also encouraging to note, that the majority of the team is diligently following the intense workout program designed for the off-season by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nico Rithner.

Coach Andre Snyman is conducting skills sessions four times a week and the attendees are getting the chance to develop their skills and enhance their ball handling under the close observation and instruction of the Raptors technical advisor.

But aside from the physical aspect of maintaining their game condition in the off-season, the Raptors have varied and interesting ways to pass the time until they can burn up the pitch again in the spring.

At 40, team stalwart Andre Bachelet took the fall season off to enjoy the arrival of his new son and start up a business venture in market research. Bachelet has maintained his fitness by running on his own and is ready for call up if the team needs him in the spring. “It is the boys and the team that keeps me coming back for more,” says Bachelet.

Aaron Bennett is enjoying the time off to complete his novel – a paranormal romance. Bennett took the initiative to build himself a weight room in his basement so that he could manage his fitness regime in between his duties as an English and writing professor at Metro State and the Community College of Denver. “I also bought an exercise bike so even my TV-watching time isn't wasted,” claims Bennett.

“Slim” Jim Cunningham is, despite all the holiday festivities and the food that goes with it, following a strict diet and doing a lot of cardio in the form of running. His weight training comes in the form of delivering furniture for a moving company. Most importantly, Cunningham finds time for relaxation by playing his guitar.

Juggling career and regular exercise can be exhausting in itself, let alone training for an elite club. Three more who manage to do it are Raptors Jason Bowers (sells used printing presses), Cody Cochran (admissions counselor at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design) and Josh Sutcliffe (works for Target).

Construction Manager Michael Kenyon puts in about ten hours a day. Kenyon’s “in-between” fitness-maintenance program often takes him to Red Rocks. He reckons he is eating six times a day to try and pack on about ten to 20 pounds so that he can help Glendale to win another championship at eighth man/flanker.

Patrick Doyle manages a 60-hour workweek, running every other day, lifting five days a week and spending time with his wife and two children. That in itself makes for exhausting reading, never mind actually trying to follow the routine. In between that, he manages to fly fish and ski as much as possible.

No matter whether they are heading off on a cruise to the Bahamas, ducking off to the mountains for a quick session on the slopes, remodeling their house, finishing off a novel, making a success of their careers, or just spending time with loved ones, the Raptors know what is expected of them come the spring season. They have not forgotten that they have a national title to defend, and they are showing commitment in their preparation to be as formidable in the spring as they were in the fall. These are the men of the Raptors and now we understand why they are the champions.

“Here for a good time, not for a long time,” is how Bradley Jay Winbush, aka “Butters,” describes his take on life. Thus it is no surprise then, that when the messiest ruck clears on a rugby pitch, Butters Winbush is generally found at the bottom of it — putting body and soul on the line in the name of the Raptors.

For his size, one would think that Butters is better suited to the backline. But according to Winbush, chasing the ball comes naturally to him, and if he was playing in the backline, he would get bored. He wants to be where the action is, and from game observations, it also appears that Winbush is not afraid of the shape or size of his opposition. If it’s the ball Butters is after, it’s the ball he’ll get. Nimble and quick would be good adjectives to describe Winbush’s playing abilities, but a certain phrase comes to mind when thinking of Butters, and it goes something like this, “It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”

While rugby gets a large portion of Winbush’s attention, he has a career that emphasizes the pure nature of the kind and giving person he is. Winbush works as a team director at the Glendale Sports Center. It takes someone very special to work with children and assist them on a daily basis with their homework, provide after-school care and offer activities that keep them stimulated and keen to stay in a program which offers them stability. Being an outdoor, physical kind of guy — as Winbush describes himself — one can’t help thinking what a perfect career choice Butters has made. The enthusiasm that Winbush exudes when talking about his “charges” is infectious, and one can’t help thinking what a great role model he must be to these very impressionable young people.

But this barbecue-loving, amiable team player is not all about rugby and career. While sharing his stories of growing up in a large family in Ohio with older brothers who, early in Winbush’s life, indoctrinated him into the world of sports and the rigors that go with it, it soon becomes clear that there is a very sentimental side to Butters — even a hint of romance filters through every so often. “It was my New Year’s resolution for 2011 to get married,” admits Winbush half-coyly. But he quickly emphasizes that resolutions are made to be broken. Nonetheless, the thought was there and while there is no one special in his life right now, Butters is on the lookout. What is important to Winbush — and what he would like women to know — is that he thinks all women are beautiful, and that is because he believes beauty comes from within.

Winbush could be termed a “rugby journeyman.” Through rugby, Butters has traveled to South Africa, France, Guyana, and extensively across the United States. He even enjoyed a stint in England for six months where he played club rugby for a club in Oxfordshire. Perhaps it was his mother’s no-nonsense attitude while he was growing up that has made Winbush the independent individual he is today. He left home at eighteen and has never looked back. At the invitation of Glendale Director of Rugby Mark Bullock, Winbush made the move to Denver to play for the Raptors and has subsequently entrenched himself happily in the Glendale Raptors family.

His likes and dislikes are simple. Soul is his music of choice, but as long as music has a good beat, Butters likes it. Playa del Carmen in Mexico is his top vacation destination and a dog is the pet he would most like to have. Its free spirit makes a dolphin his favorite animal, and Winbush is all about smiling. Why? “Because it’s easier to smile than it is to frown,” chuckles Winbush. But it’s one of the last things that Butters says that leaves a lasting impression and characterizes his personality. “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” For someone who is revered among his teammates for his amiable personality, one can’t help thinking that if this statement is true, the future for Butters is promising — very promising indeed!

USA Rugby/Ian Muir

Every athlete aspires to reach the pinnacle in his or her field of endeavor. In the game of rugby, the ultimate can be achieved by representing your country in the Rugby World Cup or a test match. For Nese Malifa of the Glendale Raptors, it has been a fairy tale story en route to achieving these goals — a story worth telling.

Born in American Samoa on Sept. 10, 1985, Valenese (known as Nese in the rugby world) Malifa was the first born of twins. Sports were an integral part of Nese’s life while growing up. It helped having a twin brother who was as talented as Nese, and living across the road from Samoa College helped to hone the skills of this ambitious athlete. Access to the college fields and tennis courts soon molded the athletic prowess of Nese in the sporting arenas of soccer, tennis and cricket: sports in which he represented Samoa during his adolescence.

It was only when Malifa was 17 years of age that he was introduced to rugby, when his family relocated to New Zealand — a country where rugby is to the population as football is to Americans. Being the natural athlete that Malifa was, he soon took to the fast-paced game. His years of playing soccer assisted him in quickly developing accuracy with his boot that has taken him on a journey of success, talent and skill.

“I will never forget my first rugby game,” smiles Malifa. “It was against one of the toughest high school teams in Auckland (New Zealand) and we won 3-0. I kicked the penalty that gave us the three points and it was a love match for rugby and me from that moment onwards.”

Playing for Auckland Academy, his talents were soon noticed and Nese was offered the opportunity to participate in an exchange program with Belmont Shore Rugby Club in California. The then-chairman of the club, New Zealander Douglas Pye, was instrumental in developing rugby relations between the U.S. and New Zealand. It was 2006 and Nese was 21 years old with the world at his feet.

The 2006 Belmont Shore season ended disappointingly as they lost in the final of the national championship. “I was devastated,” recalls Malifa.

However, his despair soon turned to delight when Peter Thorburn, head coach for the U.S. men’s national team at the time, approached him. Thorburn expressed interest in Nese participating in the 2007 North America 4 series, games played between two American teams and two Canadian teams. It was during his first series game that Malifa made a name for himself by scoring all the points for his team and ensuring victory.

Not surprisingly, Malifa was called up for national duty for the USA Eagles at the end of the series — and so started his career as an international rugby player for the United States.

“Representing the USA at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France is the most memorable moment of my career to date,” says Malifa.

“To walk out of the tunnel onto a pitch with 90,000 people cheering and singing your national anthem is something I will always remember. It brought goose bumps to my skin,” adds Malifa.

Nese went on to represent the U.S. yet again at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Through rugby, Malifa has had the opportunity to travel the world — Japan, Europe, South Africa – representing his country and playing the game he fell in love with when he was a mere young man of 17.

It is this passion that the Raptors rugby community now enjoys. In 2010, Nese was looking for a change and made the move to Denver. He brought his twin brother Ata with him.

Nese’s twin, Ata, left, suggests he cool his hot boot.

“I knew Glendale had a quality rugby program and I wanted to experience the top-class facilities that they have to offer,” says Malifa.

“Nese has been a great attribute to the Raptors program and Ata has deputized well in Nese’s absence when he has had national call-up duty for the Eagles,” says Raptors Director of Rugby Mark Bullock.

Malifa’s position of preference is fly half, from which he is able to control and direct the game from the middle of the field. Perhaps it is more apt to call him a “playmaker,” as he is able to create spaces for others to break the lines of the opposing team’s defense and allow his teammates to score.

Emotional and passionate by nature, Nese Malifa continues his quest to be the best in rugby by being dedicated and remaining competitive. Infinity Park and the Raptors afford him the opportunity, through their first-class facilities, to maintain the high level of skills and expertise that is required of an international rugby player.

Smiling broadly, when asked what his five-year plan is, Malifa replies, “Play rugby, of course — here at Infinity Park with the Raptors. I love it here in Denver. I want to stay and play the game that I love, which brought me here in the first place.”

From American Samoa to Colorado, this has been a journey of talent, passion and dedication for Nese Malifa — a modern-day fairy tale, entwined in the game of rugby.