Kate Koenig, Editor-in-Chief
The Men’s Rugby Club has recently been reinstated on the SUNY Oneonta Campus, with student Thomas Connors as president.
In years past, the rugby club has been disallowed by the Student Association, due to the disruptive behavior of the club’s previous members. After a series of incidents of misconduct both on campus and in places traveled to for away games, the SA officially disbanded the club in 2008, and placed a restriction that the club would not be allowed to reform until four years had passed, to prevent any of the same students from maintaining membership in the future.
Yet this is in the past, as the new club has the approval of the SA as well as the administration.
Bill Harcleroad, Advisor to the SA, said “I’m looking forward to a fresh start for men’s rugby at Oneonta, and I believe this group will live up to these expectations.”
Dr. Steven Perry, Vice Presdent of Student Development, said “I am happy to work with this new group of students to revitalize the rugby club. We have distanced ourselves from the problems of past club members and are hopeful that this group of students can develop a strong culture of sportsmanship and represent both the SA and the College well in their activities.”
Connors states, “For my past three years of attendance at Oneonta, I have been trying to get a new rugby club started. It took a lot of persistence, but it has finally happened. The club is currently about 20 members strong and continuing to grow, and we hope to quickly excel at playing rugby, while at the same time recreating a positive image for ourselves on campus.”
The SA is proud to reintroduce the club, and wishes them the best on their future campus involvement.
Well I’m glad that the club has been reinstated, I am somewhat disappointed at the tone of the introduction of this article. Having been aware of the status of this club over the past few years, I was hoping that their past wouldn’t be used against them to portray the club in a negative light.
When the club is gonna start, spring 2013?