alumni stoke rugby clubs
Most Loyolans are surprised to learn the University has a rugby team. They’re even more surprised to discover there are two—since 1993, Loyola’s Men’s and Women’s Rugby Clubs have been scrumming with teams across the Midwest, quietly building a loyal alliance of students and alumni.
“Loyola rugby has really grown, and those who are involved have a real commitment to the sport and to the school,” says Pat Berger (BS ’95).
“Rugby players don’t play for scholarships. They play for the love of the game and for the pride of the school,” says Women’s Rugby Coach George Brown (BS ’00, MS ’02), Loyola applications system analyst and staff advisor to the men’s club.
Berger was a sophomore when he started the Men’s Rugby Club with a handful of fellow enthusiasts. The Women’s Rugby Club was formed a semester later. Now the two club teams compete each year against local rivals such as Northwestern, DePaul, and the University of Chicago, and frequently receive berths in a Midwest tournament, where they play powerhouses like Ohio State and Purdue.
ALUMNI-STUDENT GAME DRAWS HUNDREDS
“We play for the love of the game and for the pride of the school.” |
| — Women’s Rugby Coach George Brown (BS ’00, MS ’02) |
Although Berger is the coach of the current men’s team, his allegiance switches when he dons the rugby jersey and plays for the alumni team.
“There are always a couple of my players who want a piece of me,” Berger chuckles, “but maybe I want a piece of them, too.”
The game has become a popular draw, with participation from some 300 students, alumni, and their families.
“The alumni from the rugby clubs have a deep loyalty to the sport, and the Alumni Classic is a chance for them to reconnect with their Loyola classmates,” says Shena McNamara Keith (BS ’99, MBA ’03), a former rugby player and current director of Loyola annual giving and Women’s Rugby Club staff advisor. Her husband, former Loyola rugger Benjamin Keith (BA ’00), is a member of the Chicago Griffins Rugby Club and now serves on the Loyola Rugby Alumni Board, which the Keiths started in 2000.
Alumni loyalty led to the recent establishment of an account in which graduates and friends can earmark their contributions to support Loyola rugby (visit LUC.edu/alumni/giving to make a gift). To get involved with the Rugby Alumni Board or for details on the Alumni Classic, e-mail board President Peter Jahn (SCPS ’07) at jahnpj@hotmail.com.
Loyola’s rugby teams are part of the University’s club program for sports not played on the varsity level. Sponsored by the department of cam-pus recreation, the clubs are run by student athletes and cover sports from baseball and cycling to tennis and ultimate frisbee. Visit www.LUC.edu/depts/campusrec to learn more.
JOHN T. SLANIA (BA ’79)