Fall 2020 update

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our great friend Jake Kennedy after his battle with ALS. Jake healed many of us as our therapist at Kennedy Brothers PT through the 90s and early 2000s, mentored several Maddogs during their co-ops, and is the father of Maddog Zack Kennedy. Many of you will remember him lining up on the wing in our annual alumni matches. His family’s Christmas in the City charity for Boston’s children is his legacy, and we’re here for you, Zack.

Team update

This should have been a late-season match report. Instead, the coaching staff has spent two months running virtual training twice a week: Coach Ed Tubridy, with coaches Alex Miccio, Chris Frazier and Troy Sorrento, breaking down film and working through strategy with an average of 35 students a night, plus sessions for nine freshmen new to rugby.

In mid-October club sports cleared captains to run official fitness sessions in groups of 20 with NU’s sports performance team. It’s a cautious first step from a university that has been at the forefront of operating through the pandemic in a big city. The club has also brought in performance trainer and former Mystic River national champion Jared Collinson of the New England Free Jacks to write position-specific training plans. The NCR, the Liberty Conference and the Maddogs are hoping to restart in March 2021.

Finances

Thanks to the latest jersey sponsorship campaign, the club bought three new sets of jerseys: home and away for fifteens and a set for sevens. The endowment has grown to $160,000, and we’re seeing the benefits of the payouts.

Hall of Fame advisory board

FONUR has rebuilt the Hall of Fame advisory board and welcomed former coaches Jamie Green, Greg Bruce, Adam Zilcoski, Sean O’Leary, Ryan Casey and Ed Tubridy, alongside Hall of Fame chairs Rich Hilton and Mark Phillips. Please send nominations, with a description of the honoree, to the newsletter.

— Dave Wedge ’00, FONUR