To see photos from the event, please click here.
The 15th annual Siena Rugby Alumni Weekend was made extra special this year with the dedication and blessing of a new pitch located on the east end of campus adjacent to Spring Street Road and Siena Turf Field. Rugby alumni have come together to raise $350,000 toward the project with lead gifts from Ron and Cathy Bjorklund '85 and Doug '77 and Margey '76 Colbeth.
"The tradition of rugby at Siena is more than a club sport, it's a brotherhood that lasts a lifetime,” Ron Bjorklund said. “I'm proud to have played during my years at Siena, and Cathy and I feel fortunate to be members of a respected group of alumni that made the new pitch a reality. Not only will the new field be a flagship facility for rugby in the Northeast, but it will serve as a legacy to those who have grown the rugby program over the past 40 years and will be an asset for the College to attract and retain students."
The Rugby Alumni Weekend event began in 2002 following the terrorist attacks of September 11. An inaugural golf tournament was held to raise money for a scholarship to honor Terrence McShane '86 and Mike Taddonio '84, Siena rugby alumni who perished in the attacks. Each year since, the rugby alumni have gathered for a golf tournament, mass, games (alumni/current club) and a barbecue.
Fr. Kevin Tortorelli O.F.M., former professor of religious studies at Siena and Rugby Club chaplain, always returns for the weekend to celebrate the mass.
The rugby alumni come together to connect with one another in friendship, serve as mentors to the current teams, and help provide financial support to the College in a variety of ways. The Rugby Alumni Scholarship, the Kellie M. Duggan Memorial Scholarship, Athletics, and the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy have all benefitted from this support.
This past year’s project is one of the largest undertakings, and will transform the campus and club for generations to come.
“This pitch is more than a just a place to play - it stands as a tribute to the past, as an asset to the current club, and as the cornerstone for the future of the Siena Rugby program,” George Durney ’85, who heads the rugby scholarship committee, said.
The new pitch is being completed in the coming weeks and will be available for use when Siena students return to campus in the fall.
