Friends of Dartmouth Rugby,
As I embark on my fourth and final season as a member of the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club along with my fellow members of the Class of 2017, I am filled with conflicting emotions of pride, that I am able to represent a club with such brilliant tradition as the DRFC, and sadness, that my time wearing the green jersey will soon come to an end. I've had the privilege of playing rugby under incredible guidance and leadership for the last three years, and this year is shaping up to be no different.
It's as exciting a time as ever to be affiliated with the DRFC. This year marks the 65th Anniversary of the DRFC, and the Club is looking forward to having yet another successful fall campaign filled with events to celebrate the momentous occasion.
We plan on extending our dominant tradition in the Ivy League by winning our 10th consecutive Ivy League title in 15s this fall, and we open up our title defense this Saturday, September 24th down in Boston against Harvard. This will be the first match played in Harvard's brand new rugby facility, and there's no better occasion to flood their stadium with Dartmouth fans and ruin their event.
We'd then like to welcome everyone up to Hanover on Saturday, October 1st for a rugby-specific homecoming weekend. We'll be playing Brown at noon, and will have a barbecue after the game at the Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of the Club.
Finally, we'll be hosting Cornell in Hanover on Saturday, October 29th over actual Homecoming weekend, and would love to see everyone who is coming up for the weekend at the match.
The Club continues to be in very good hands. This year marks the 5th year that our head coach, Gavin Hickie, has been at the helm. He is joined again by our strength and conditioning coach, James Willocks, and our athletic trainer, Ben Schuler, as well as first-time assistant coaches Anna-Lise Hall, who is interning from the University of Otago, and Quinn Connell '13, who is leading our developmental side. We are also frequently joined by Alex Magleby '00, who is currently the Director of Performance for USA Rugby, but assists with the DRFC whenever his schedule allows.
It has truly been an honor and a privilege to play Dartmouth Rugby during my time in Hanover. The spirit of the DRFC is alive and well in the Club today, and will continue to thrive for years and years to come.
Best,
Max Parker '17
DRFC President
Maxwell.H.Parker.17@Dartmouth.edu