Virginia Tech Men's Rugby: 2019-2020 Review
Alumni, Friends, Family, and Fans of Virginia Tech Men's Rugby,
I hope that this update finds you well and safe during this difficult time.
I am reaching out to all of you to give you an update on our team and club as a whole and to hopefully put a smile on your face as we look over an extremely unique year for Virginia Tech Men's Rugby.
Our season started this past August, as always, but things were not as they have been in previous years. We started our year without a head coach. When we first began to meet as a team, team leadership and myself made the message clear to everyone on our roster that this year was on us. We knew what had to be done because of the foundation laid down before us. We greatly miss our previous head coaches Mike Cirbee and Paul Caron, but we did not feel as if their impression was absent. Thanks to their hard work of past years, we believed that we had the proper base and formula to make ourselves into a legitimate squad.
We set to work in August with one goal in mind, that being winning the the Chesapeake Conference and bringing home a cup to Virginia Tech. With our hard work and the help of our FANTASTIC assistant coaches Michael Lee, Craig Bucher, and Arthur Boutry, we did just that. Our fall season finished with our A-Side at the top of the table with a 5-1 record, a +136 point differential, and a D1AA Nationals appearance, along with our B-Side placing 2nd in an impressively difficult Future's Competition.
The name of the game for our team as a whole this year was being there for each other, on and off the field. As a competitive side, we boasted a stout defense, only allowing 92 points through 6 matches. We played a total of 32 different players on our A-Side this year, showing that not only were we there to pick each other up when someone went down, but we had established an air of confidence and ability in our younger players. People knew that when their time came to step on to the pitch, that they had a responsibility to their brothers on the field to perform at their highest level possible.
We built off the system instilled by our previous coaches and remained an extremely physical side, with a bit of finesse from our big men and a very crafty back line. Key players such as Captain Lock Kelly Fernandi, Stud Scrummy Wes Pan, and our very own USA Rugby Poster Child Ieuan Israel kept our squad together and pushed us to be excellent. All three of these players were selected as 1st team all conference players and were joined by six other teammates on the all conference list.
After a successful fall season, we traveled to ECU to face top competition in the D1AA National Playoffs. On a cold, rainy day we fell to the ICCC Tritons, who went on to win the national championship, by a score of 12-15. While it was not the result we hoped for when we realized we had a shot at a national championship, I promise you that every single person who stepped on the field that day played as hard as they could. ICCC was an excellent side, and having the opportunity to face them was an excellent experience for the team. We faced Kennesaw State in a 5th place consolation game the following day, and won handily by a score of 36-15 with 6 starters from the day before being out due to injury.
Our spring season was definitely unique for us as a club. After tryouts, we saw our roster expand to 104 players. Our 7's side looked poised to take home a conference championship, and our 15's developmental side boasted more talent than I have seen during my four years on the team. Unfortunately, our season was put to rest prematurely due to COVID-19. Many of us are disappointed, especially for our graduating seniors who saw their last time wearing a VT uniform come and go without any warning. However, those returning are only left hungrier for a shot at defending our 15's title. We look forward to a (hopeful) fall season and to seeing everyone at games soon.
As a whole, our club has grown into a good overall standing. Recruitment emails come in daily and it seems that the rugby community is respecting our club for our history of being not only good players, but good men.
I am confident in saying that this year was a special year for Virginia Tech Men's Rugby. I am proud to call everyone on our roster a friend. Our culture has transformed to not just teammates, but brothers who look out for one another. We pushed each other to our limits, but at the end of the day I rarely saw someone without a smile on their face. We were quick to call each other out, but quicker to build each other back up again. The feeling of camaraderie on this squad is a feeling unlike any other I've felt on a team before. We served the school, the community, and each other and I believe that is something to be proud of.
Thank you to everyone who was/is/will be a part of the Virginia Tech Rugby Family. A successful year like this is impossible without your unwavering support. Every member of our squad is thankful for you.
Best,
Matt Ramirez - President
I hope that this update finds you well and safe during this difficult time.
I am reaching out to all of you to give you an update on our team and club as a whole and to hopefully put a smile on your face as we look over an extremely unique year for Virginia Tech Men's Rugby.
Our season started this past August, as always, but things were not as they have been in previous years. We started our year without a head coach. When we first began to meet as a team, team leadership and myself made the message clear to everyone on our roster that this year was on us. We knew what had to be done because of the foundation laid down before us. We greatly miss our previous head coaches Mike Cirbee and Paul Caron, but we did not feel as if their impression was absent. Thanks to their hard work of past years, we believed that we had the proper base and formula to make ourselves into a legitimate squad.
We set to work in August with one goal in mind, that being winning the the Chesapeake Conference and bringing home a cup to Virginia Tech. With our hard work and the help of our FANTASTIC assistant coaches Michael Lee, Craig Bucher, and Arthur Boutry, we did just that. Our fall season finished with our A-Side at the top of the table with a 5-1 record, a +136 point differential, and a D1AA Nationals appearance, along with our B-Side placing 2nd in an impressively difficult Future's Competition.
The name of the game for our team as a whole this year was being there for each other, on and off the field. As a competitive side, we boasted a stout defense, only allowing 92 points through 6 matches. We played a total of 32 different players on our A-Side this year, showing that not only were we there to pick each other up when someone went down, but we had established an air of confidence and ability in our younger players. People knew that when their time came to step on to the pitch, that they had a responsibility to their brothers on the field to perform at their highest level possible.
We built off the system instilled by our previous coaches and remained an extremely physical side, with a bit of finesse from our big men and a very crafty back line. Key players such as Captain Lock Kelly Fernandi, Stud Scrummy Wes Pan, and our very own USA Rugby Poster Child Ieuan Israel kept our squad together and pushed us to be excellent. All three of these players were selected as 1st team all conference players and were joined by six other teammates on the all conference list.
After a successful fall season, we traveled to ECU to face top competition in the D1AA National Playoffs. On a cold, rainy day we fell to the ICCC Tritons, who went on to win the national championship, by a score of 12-15. While it was not the result we hoped for when we realized we had a shot at a national championship, I promise you that every single person who stepped on the field that day played as hard as they could. ICCC was an excellent side, and having the opportunity to face them was an excellent experience for the team. We faced Kennesaw State in a 5th place consolation game the following day, and won handily by a score of 36-15 with 6 starters from the day before being out due to injury.
Our spring season was definitely unique for us as a club. After tryouts, we saw our roster expand to 104 players. Our 7's side looked poised to take home a conference championship, and our 15's developmental side boasted more talent than I have seen during my four years on the team. Unfortunately, our season was put to rest prematurely due to COVID-19. Many of us are disappointed, especially for our graduating seniors who saw their last time wearing a VT uniform come and go without any warning. However, those returning are only left hungrier for a shot at defending our 15's title. We look forward to a (hopeful) fall season and to seeing everyone at games soon.
As a whole, our club has grown into a good overall standing. Recruitment emails come in daily and it seems that the rugby community is respecting our club for our history of being not only good players, but good men.
I am confident in saying that this year was a special year for Virginia Tech Men's Rugby. I am proud to call everyone on our roster a friend. Our culture has transformed to not just teammates, but brothers who look out for one another. We pushed each other to our limits, but at the end of the day I rarely saw someone without a smile on their face. We were quick to call each other out, but quicker to build each other back up again. The feeling of camaraderie on this squad is a feeling unlike any other I've felt on a team before. We served the school, the community, and each other and I believe that is something to be proud of.
Thank you to everyone who was/is/will be a part of the Virginia Tech Rugby Family. A successful year like this is impossible without your unwavering support. Every member of our squad is thankful for you.
Best,
Matt Ramirez - President
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