The Maddogs turn 40: anniversary weekend and a new alumni board

Dear Maddogs,

I hope this letter finds you well in 2024, our men’s 40th anniversary season. I remember sitting on the Cabot gym steps at our initial club meeting like it was yesterday, ha!

We are planning our 40th anniversary event in Boston on March 16 and 17 to celebrate. More details below.

First, we must recognize the women’s club for their amazing CRAA National Championship season this past fall. It is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations!

A new alumni board

We recently did a bit of a reshuffle. Thank you to Dave Wedge for his service as President over the past decade as he moves to a less time-consuming role.

• President: Rich Hilton
• Vice President: Andy Hermo
• Treasurer: Alex Parciak
• Fundraising: Eric Graham
• Communications: Dave Wedge
• Coaching coordination: Tony Salvatore
• Recruiting: Reuben Houghton (international), Ed Tubridy (domestic)
• At large: Jack Hale, JP Bonin, Dante Pierantozzi, Kevin Haggerty

A coaching endowment

We’ve established a new endowment fund focused on Maddogs rugby coaching, a fundraising initiative aimed at securing a permanent coaching position for our team. The fund will help us keep our long-term (eight years) head coach, Ed Tubridy. Alongside it, we’ll be working with Ed in his new role as head coach of the USA All-Star Collegiate Rugby team to help drive the program. The Coaching Endowment will bring stability and help elevate the Northeastern program by attracting and retaining exceptional coaches who will continue to uphold the Maddogs’ legacy of excellence.

The tie-in with the USA Collegiate All-Star program will also give our players the chance to compete at a higher level, and help our rugby programs cast a wider net in recruiting.

The existing Bruce Wallin endowment fund will continue to support the men’s program by funding general expenses, along with Giving Day donations and any prize money earned. All new pledges will go to the new Coaching Endowment fund, so that future generations of Maddogs have access to top-tier coaching and mentorship.

The 40th anniversary: Boston, March 16 and 17

We’re looking at tying in with the Free Jacks game in Quincy on Saturday afternoon, followed by an evening event at the Alumni Center, where we’ll present our 10-year vision to take the Maddogs to the very top tier of USA rugby. It’s a special opportunity to come together as a community, celebrate what we’ve achieved, and honor the people who have contributed to the success of the Maddogs over the past four decades. On Sunday we’ll host the USA All-Star kick-off, followed by our touch tournament in the dome.

More information will follow about the 40th celebration, the endowment and Giving Day. If you’d like to be more involved or make a pledge, get in touch.

Warmest regards,
Rich Hilton, Maddog rugby alumnus

Pictured: the original 1984 Maddog squad. Rich Hilton (sitting second from left) and Andy Hermo (sitting third from right) are leading the next generation of FONUR.