Important Announcement about 2019 Reunion Weekend
Penn State Rugby Family,
We are excited to announce that the 2019 Annual PSU Rugby Friends and Family Reunion Weekend (formerly “Alumni Weekend”) will take place on September 28, 2019 with the highlight of the weekend being competitive undergraduate matches. This marks a departure from our tradition of holding Reunion Weekend on the same weekend as Move-in Weekend, the weekend prior to the start of classes in August. After discussing the pros and cons of continuing to hold the event before the start of the fall semester, it was decided that moving the event to a later date would be optimal for the Program at this time.
Our head coaches broached the subject of moving the Reunion Weekend over a year ago. They informed the Board that moving the event would benefit the teams for two main reasons. First, with new players only arriving on campus on move-in weekend, neither team has the opportunity to add incoming freshman, who tryout the two weeks after move-in weekend. Accordingly, the undergraduate teams are now limited to fielding a roster of only returning players for a match against the Alumni. This makes it difficult to field an adequate roster for the match especially during years after a large class graduates. Also, the timing of try-outs makes a week-long training camp prior to the move-in weekend less productive. Second, and more importantly, there is the concern of growing risk to the teams. The fall season has become increasingly competitive and neither team can afford to lose a player in a social match, especially if the rumblings about moving the XVs national championship to the fall come to fruition. On the Alumni side, it has become more and more difficult to field full teams -- though we do very much appreciate the peer pressure, boot lending, and borrowed undergrad subs, which have allowed us to put out Alumni sides on the pitch over the past several years!
The Board and Coaches also believe this is an opportunity to strengthen the connections between the Alumni, current players and the families of players. Our Penn State Rugby Family has grown exponentially over the past decade and this growth includes the families of both current players and Alumni. We believe it is best for the Program to encourage everyone who loves Penn State Rugby to stand together on the sidelines in Happy Valley at a match against a long-time rival, and then get to know each other better at dinner.
We will be keeping certain traditions for the weekend including dinner at the golf course, awards, the golf outing and maybe a touch match between the undergrad matches. We’re also open to hearing what you would like to see during Reunion Weekend! Also, we will still set up hotel blocks during this away football weekend.
While we understand that this change may present challenges for some, we trust you can appreciate that moving the date is what is best for the Program, and supporting the teams is always our primary goal. This is a pilot for 2019 and it is always possible to make adjustments in following years. We hope that providing notice a year in advance allows you to “save the date” for your return to State College next fall. We cannot wait to see all of our Alumni, friends, and families of players - past and present - the weekend of September 28, 2019. More details will be provided at the beginning of 2019. Thank you for your continued support of the Penn State Rugby Program.
Sincerely,
The Penn State Rugby Booster Club Board of Directors
Penn State Rugby could never be the blue and white community that it is without its teams running smoothly both on and off the field. In fact, it is the family off the field — the kind that roots for the players and manages the communication and inter-workings among coaches — that helps run the show. Lauren Daly, who is now living and breathing Penn State Rugby on the daily, is one such family member. She has been working as the PSU Rugby Director of Operations since August of 2018.
