Michigan Wolverines men's rugby
| Full name | University of Michigan Rugby Football Club (Men's) |
|---|---|
| Branch | Big Ten Conference D1A |
| Nickname(s) | The Wolverines |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Ground(s) | Mitchell Field[1] |
| President | Lyric Kebler |
| Coach(es) |
Brandon Sparks Jason Anthony |
| Captain(s) | Jamie Demers |
The University of Michigan Rugby Football club (UMRFC) is a rugby union club at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The UMRFC currently plays in the Big Ten conference at the D1A level. This is the highest level of collegiate play under USA Rugby. The team began as the Michigan Rugby Football Club, founded in 1959. The club was composed of U of M undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and alumni as well as Ann Arbor community members, maintaining this composition for 40 years. In January 2000, the University of Michigan Rugby Football Club was formed and restricted to current undergraduate (and in some cases, graduate) students at U of M.
The Wolverines largely rely on talent drawn from within the United States; however, foreign students will often add valuable contributions while studying abroad in Ann Arbor. Many of these players join with little or no previous experience in rugby. Despite this, the UMRFC has won a number of championships (see "Club Honors" below) and produced several athletes that have gone on to play rugby at a professional level.
According to their Player Handbook, UMRFC's mission is "to develop upstanding student athletes and men through the sport of Rugby. To play the game with inspiration, cultivate a close knit family within the club, and promote commitment, discipline, and respect on and off of the field."[2] Reinforcing these values, the Wolverine's work a variety of community service and charity events (See "Philanthropy").
Club honors
- National Third Place: 1980
- Senior Men National Championship: 1995
- Midwest Championship and National Semi-Finalist: 2004-2005
- Midwest championship and National Quarter-Finalist: 2007-2008
Past and current captains and presidents
| Season | President | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–2019 | Lyric Kleber | Jamie Demers |
| 2017–2018 | Nate Fisher | Justin Malin |
| 2016–2017 | Matt Katsen | Jeremy Reid |
| 2015–2016 | Chening Duker | Zach Burns |
| 2014–2015 | Jared Bosma | Joel Conzelmann |
Philanthropy
The University of Michigan Rugby team is actively involved in the local community. In 2018, the team won the Club Sports Community Service Award at U of M. Among their contributions are:
- Raising money and awareness for the Ann Arbor Walk to End Alzheimer's.
- Reading to patients at Mott's Children's Hospital.
- Raising money for the Michigan Special Olympics through the U of M Polar Plunge.