Dartmouth Rugby Demonstrates Academic Prowess and On-Field Talent with Strong Presence in All-Ivy, Academic All-American and All-American Selections

The end to the 2013-2014 rugby season once again exhibited the depth and breadth of the Dartmouth Rugby and its perpetual ability to craft dynamic players and distinguished scholars.  2014 saw a strong showing of DRFC players receiving honors of numerous accounts ranging from extensive Dartmouth presence in All-Ivy Selections and recently named Academic All-Americans to the captaining of the Collegiate All-American side by Madison Hughes ’15. 

All-Ivy Selections:

Selection for the All-Ivy 1st XV was dominated by DRFC presence, with eight of the 15 starters coming from the club. 

ALL IVY 1st XV

3     Rett Young '14

4     Dylan Jones '14

5     Ned Kingsley '14

7     Neil Greene '14

11     Kevin Clark '14

13    Zack Fowler '15

14    Wilson Chockley '15

15    Madison Hughes '15

Another two DRFC players were named to the All Ivy 2nd XV and six more members received honorable mentions.

All-Ivy 2nd XV:

8     Hayden Aldredge '17

10    Will Scheiman '14

All-Ivy Honorable Mention:

12    Rex Littlefield '14

14    James Sharpe '14

3     Jake Blair '14

2     Brian Flint '14

11     Tyler Morange '14

9     John Descalzi '14

Academic All-Americans:

Each year, USA Rugby recognizes intercollegiate scholar rugby-athletes who have demonstrated academic and athletic excellence during the 2013-14 academic year.

Candidates have met or exceeded the program criteria, which includes being a consistent starter on his/her intercollegiate rugby team and posting a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 (on scale of 4.0) or higher.

The DRFC boasted six of this years male Academic All-Americans:

Wilson Chockley                    Junior              Economics

Brendan Cronin                     Junior              Neuroscience

Jake Levine                           Junior              Spanish

Peter Savarese                      Junior              Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Will Scheiman                        Senior              Economics

Colin Walmsley                      Junior              Anthropology/Government

All-Americans:

In addition to academic prowess, DRFC members Madison Hughes ’15 and Zach Fowler ’15 both represented the club on a national level with selection to the Collegiate All-American trial camp.  Fowler, a football convert turned thundering power-center, attended camp with the squad before returning home with a shoulder injury; while Hughes, an international phenom for the USA Eagles on the IRB 7s circuit, was bestowed the distinguished honor of captaining the Collegiate All Americans.  Led by Hughes, the Collegiate All Americans recently laid down a decisive victory over Cambridge University’s Varsity XV on Dartmouth’s very own beautiful Brophy Field in Hanover, NH. 

End of Year Awards:

At the end of each season, the players and coaches of the DRFC vote to select players who they deem most crucial – on the field and off – to the success of the club.  The recipients of this year’s awards are listed below.

WAYNE YOUNG AWARD

This award is bestowed upon the player deemed Most Valuable to the success of the club by members of the first XV.

Maddy Hughes ‘15

DICK LEISCHING AWARD

This award is bestowed upon the senior who was not an officer of the club, but contributed the most to the DRFC on and off the pitch.

Will Scheiman ‘14

COREY FORD AWARD

This award is given to a non-senior whose dedication and enthusiasm on the field best exemplifies the spirit of the DRFC. 

Erik Warnquist ‘16

WALTER LUTKUS AWARD

This award is given to a freshman who has shown outstanding skills and a natural talent for the game of rugby.

Dawit Workie ‘17

Collegiate All-Americans v Cambridge University @ Dartmouth

The US Men's Collegiate All-Americans will host the renowned Cambridge University Varsity XV at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, June 21, at 1pm. A second-side match against a Collegiate Barbarians, made up of University students in the greater Ontario province, will also take place against the Collegiate All-Americans 2nd XV, kick-off at 3pm. 

Current Dartmouth captain and US 7s Eagle, Madison Hughes '15, will be playing for the All-Americans for his third year in a row. Former Dartmouth co-captain and All-American, Nate Brakeley '12, will be presenting his Cambridge Varsity Blue jersey to Dartmouth at halftime. Brakeley is the first Dartmouth Light Blue. Vince Jones '52, on a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, became the College's first Dark Blue, playing in the 1954 edition of the Varsity match. 

As noted by Cambridge, "the light Blues will be facing the All American XV in a bid to boost cross-atlantic relations and promote the sport of rugby within the Colleges of Boston and New Hampshire.

'Previously Cambridge has been blessed with tentacular grip of Nate Brakeley, an alumnus of Dartmouth (Dartmouth / Thayer class of 2012) and also a previous All American XV player. Dartmouth is a very highly regarded college, with excellent academic standards and rich sporting history that would provide a great basis for publicising the game of Rugby Union."

About the Collegiate All-Americans

The AIG Men's Collegiate All-American Team is made up of the nation’s best collegiate rugby players who are picked annually based on their performances in university-level undergraduate play. The All-American team has long been a precursor to international honors, with many All-Americans graduating to the USA National Team.  

The All American tradition of strong collegiate players goes back to the 1920 and 1924 Olympic gold medal winning teams which were full of the best college rugby players in the country at the time. The All-Americans, who wear the same crest as that 1924 Olympic team, are the modern-day version of that team, with student-athletes from our great universities that  represent those classic American ideals of determination, adaptability, creativity, and a will to succeed against the odds. 

About Cambridge University Rugby Football Club

CURUFC is a wholly amateur student rugby club aiming to offer a rugby environment that is as 'professional' as possible. There are three regular teams: the Blues, the LX Club and the U21 XV, together with occasional fixtures for the U21A XV and the Colleges XV. The Blues have a strong midweek fixture list incorporating top professional clubs and universities whilst the LX Club and U21 generally play at weekends. In addition in the Lent term an U20 XV competes in the RFU national constituent body U20 competition. 

Teams are selected on merit and all teams receive coaching, strength and conditioning guidance and medical support from our well-qualified staff. 

The club has a great tradition of touring, with different squads touring Japan, South Africa, Scotland and the USA in recent years. 

On midweek afternoons there are 20 College teams who compete in a structured league system. There are three leagues with each team playing against the other on a home and away basis. The Lent term is used for the knockout Cuppers tournament with the finals being held at Grange Road during the last week of term. In addition the season ends with a Colleges sevens tournament. 

Colleges rugby is very important in Cambridge and unique in that Division One is used to trial experimental laws for the RFU and IRB. The laws laboratory has run for twelve years and created a worldwide interest in its work. This scheme also attracts referees to come and referee in the Cambridge league and contribute to the friendship and fun which flourishes in our sporting environment. 

The ultimate aim of every rugby player at Cambridge should be to play in a 'Varsity' match. Annually there are now five Varsity matches played at Blues, LX Club, U21, U21A and Colleges level, ensuring that over 100 players gain the honour of playing against ‘the other place.' The Varsity series culminates at Twickenham in early December with the curtain raiser of the U21 match and then the world-renowned Varsity Match in front of approximately 40,000 spectators and a worldwide television audience.