The Koonduck Rugby Football Club
The Men’s Rugby Club (The Koonducks) was established in 1977. The club is open to recruiting players that are new to the sport. Many alumni teammates return in the spring for the annual rugby alumni game. In the fall, the team competes in the New York State Empire East Division II against teams from Colgate, Hamilton, Union and RPI. Schedule and scores are posted at www.nysrugby.org. In the spring, the team competes in tournaments across New York State. On April 13, the team was able to win the annual Blue Balls Rugby Tournament held on Fort Drum near Watertown, New York.
What is the life of a rugby player like today? Newly named Captain Matt Dunn sat down with me to tell us.
The Tattoo
Just one of many Koonduck traditions:
It is to us just another sign of dedication. A physical representation of our commitment to this family. Playing rugby, to many of us, is not merely about showing up to practices and games. It's a lifestyle. A lifestyle full of traditions, nicknames, and nights spent laughing harder than you ever could with your friends Bambi, Shaka, Big Krit, and The Hammer. We need to depend on one another on the field, so we begin to begin to rely on one another off the field. Your fellow Koonducks many times become your classmates, roommates and best friends. And it is in celebration of the closeness of this connection that some of us choose to get the tattoo. We believe so strongly in the relationships that playing rugby at Le Moyne has given us that we commemorate it with ink on our skin. They are relationships that we now literally carry with us for the remainder of our lives.
It is to us just another sign of dedication. A physical representation of our commitment to this family. Playing rugby, to many of us, is not merely about showing up to practices and games. It's a lifestyle. A lifestyle full of traditions, nicknames, and nights spent laughing harder than you ever could with your friends Bambi, Shaka, Big Krit, and The Hammer. We need to depend on one another on the field, so we begin to begin to rely on one another off the field. Your fellow Koonducks many times become your classmates, roommates and best friends. And it is in celebration of the closeness of this connection that some of us choose to get the tattoo. We believe so strongly in the relationships that playing rugby at Le Moyne has given us that we commemorate it with ink on our skin. They are relationships that we now literally carry with us for the remainder of our lives.