Campus & Beyond Big Red Men’s Rugby Has a Winning Record—and an Inclusive Spirit Stories You May Like Math Major Wins Silver in an Unlikely Sport: Chessboxing Lacrosse Wins the NCAA Title—and Big Red Fans Rejoice Mushrooms, Mariachis, and Much, Much More: Campus Clubs in Photos One of Cornell’s oldest student groups, the club sport has been played on the Hill for nearly a century and a half Editor’s note: Stay tuned for a future story showcasing women’s rugby! By Melissa Newcomb “There are ups and downs when it comes to being a club sports team, where there’s not the same kind of recruitment you get at the varsity level,” observes Matthew Lane ’27. “It’s a lot about seeing who wants to show up and be part of the team.” When it comes to Lane’s sport—men’s rugby—the current level of commitment can make you wonder whether members missed the memo about it being played at the club level. “We’ll practice at 9 p.m. in the winter, when it’s cold and snowing,” says Lane, a CALS animal science major who has been on the team since freshman year. “That wouldn’t be possible without the level of dedication that every member puts forward.” Men’s rugby is one of the oldest student groups on the Hill, having fielded teams since 1879. Lane carries the ball. (A women’s team began playing consistently about a century later, as female athletes saw their opportunities broaden dramatically in the 1970s in the wake of the Title IX gender-equity legislation.) Big Red rugby even boasts an Olympic champion. Alan Williams 1915 is the only Ivy League player to win a gold medal in the sport at the Games, earned in Paris in 1924—a result that sparked rioting by French fans when the host nation fell to the U.S. in the final. ivy rugbyWilliams and his fellow members of the 1924 U.S. team. Like many club—and varsity—sports, the Cornell team’s success has varied widely over the past century and a half. “The Red has yet to have an opponent cross its goal line in two years,” the Daily Sun reported in 1965, going on to observe: “The Cornell Rugby Club is composed of an odd assortment of people.” We’ll practice at 9 p.m. in the winter, when it’s cold and snowing. That wouldn’t be possible without the level of dedication that every member puts forward. Matthew Lane ’27 The team saw a spate of losing seasons starting in the late 2010s—but this academic year, it has come roaring back. It won the Liberty League championship, going undefeated against such rivals as Marist, RPI, and RIT. At the National Collegiate Rugby championship for its division, the Big Red beat the returning national champs (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) in a 24-12 upset before falling in the quarterfinals to UVM, the eventual winner. Pitch Perfect: Rugby in Action The team owes its current success to members with varying levels of experience at playing the physically and mentally grueling contact sport. That’s how Lane—who grew up playing competitively at a private high school in NYC—became teammates with Cornellians like Thomas Duver ’27, who had never played before but is now a starter. The team owes its current success to members with varying levels of experience at playing the physically and mentally grueling contact sport. Duver learned the rules on the pitch just after joining the club. He and his fellow players now train nearly every day—if there’s too much snow on the ground, they’ll hit the weight room—with the season spanning both the fall and spring semesters. “The game is self-selecting, because it’s really difficult,” says Duver, an applied economics and management major in Dyson. “It takes passion—but we’re willing to take anybody who wants to dedicate their time and effort.” Stories You May Like Math Major Wins Silver in an Unlikely Sport: Chessboxing Lacrosse Wins the NCAA Title—and Big Red Fans Rejoice A scrum, where teams go head to head to gain possession of the ball. In the most popular type of rugby, 15 players from each team are on the pitch at any given time. (That form was last played at the Olympics in 1924, the year Williams won gold; a seven-on-seven version was introduced in Rio in 2016.) The game is self-selecting, because it’s really difficult. It takes passion—but we’re willing to take anybody who wants to dedicate their time and effort. Thomas Duver ’27 Their objective is to score a “try”—akin to a touchdown in football—by bringing the ball into the end zone. Players can run the ball forward, but can only pass to teammates who are behind them. It’s a fast, physical game—one played without helmets or other heavy-duty protective gear. Duver weaves past an opponent. “It’s not the big memories of winning a trophy that matter most—it’s the combination of all the small moments of knowing that people support you in ways you don’t find in every social or athletic program,” says Lane. “If we’re running at practice and you’re behind, everybody will clap for you to finish. No one’s ever putting you down.” It’s a fast, physical game—one played without helmets or other heavy-duty protective gear. That positive culture is something that Vince Stasolla ’93, who played for three years, hears about from past team members spanning decades. The CALS alum is a team representative to Faded Red, an alumni organization that helps both men’s and women’s rugby financially and with general planning. Rare and Manuscript CollectionsBattling over the ball in 1974 ... .... and the 1992 team atop the Slope. “When you go to a school that’s as difficult as Cornell is, and you’ve been out in the cold and rain playing rugby,” he says, “you form a common connection where you’re all brothers.” The Big Red squad includes international students from a dozen countries, many of which have a rich history in the sport. It even boasts players who’ve been on the national teams of countries like Zimbabwe, Scotland, and Mexico. When you go to a school that’s as difficult as Cornell is, and you’ve been out in the cold and rain playing rugby, you form a common connection where you’re all brothers. Vince Stasolla ’93 But while some members have high-level experience, all are welcome: the team does not cut players, and those who join with less-developed skills are coached to improve. “Rugby is a sport for everybody and ‘every body,’” says Mylo Skolnick ’26, an ILR student who grew up playing in Singapore. “If you’re a big guy who’s trying to get in shape, there’s a position for you. If you’re a little smaller but fast, there’s a spot for you. It’s a super-inclusive environment.” (All images provided, unless otherwise indicated.) Published March 11, 2026 Comments Steve Benjamin, Class of 1980 13 Mar, 2026 Great to see this article. I played for four years on the club and loved it. Almost 50 years later I’m still in contact with team members. In fact a few weeks ago I was with six former teammates in Alta, UT. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond Remember Arriving on Campus? Now, Move-In Is a Major Event Cornelliana ‘Aardvarking’ and More: Fascinating Facts about the Marching Band Ask the Expert In this Love-Oriented Month, Tips on ‘Mindful Communication’