Men's Rugby Expansion

UMass Rugby is rapidly growing. Over the past five years, the program has expanded to over 60 men with a full staff of dedicated coaches. UMass Rugby has advanced to the Division IAA within the ECRC and plays teams such as Army and Iona College ranked 15th and 19th in the nation (USARugby.org). UMass Rugby has been awarded numerous times for its success such as becoming DI Beast of the East Cup Champions 3 years in a row since 2013 or more recently, ACRC Bowl Series Champions 2 years in a row. However, we are seriously underfunded. With our increase in members, we have the opportunity to enter our newest members, our C side, into a league of its own to play a structured schedule similar to that of its A and B side counterparts. Registration, apparel, transportation, and game related fees such as referees and insurance will all increase in the coming year. We currently have one salaried coach for 60 men, while the remainder of our staff is comprised of volunteers who are unable to commit to a full schedule. One of our coaches served as our head coach for 2 years while serving his last 4 seasons as an assistant coach and stand-in head coach for the C side yet remains a volunteer due to our lack of funding. We lack proper storage for our equipment and have proposed the installation of an equipment shed near the field, however we must fund the endeavor ourselves. Our practice equipment (particularly our scrum sled) is falling apart and needs to be replaced. Last semester we had to seek emergency funding from the University, and had it not come, we would not have been able to participate in the ACRC Bowl Series. All members are required to pay dues but the funding is not enough to cover the increased fixed costs that accompany a growing organization. We need your help.