WVU Rugby, the oldest recognized club sport at West Virginia University, is turning 50 this year — a milestone that will be celebrated with a reunion and fundraising event Friday (April 19) and Saturday (April 20) in Morgantown.
“Rugby’s always been near and dear to my heart,” said Trevor Stiefken, a 2014 WVU graduate and former four-year rugby player, who is organizing the weekend events. “It’s a part of me and it always will be, so I think that’s where my driving force to put together this event originates.”
Men’s rugby at WVU started in 1974. Women’s rugby followed later.
More than 120 rugby alumni and 50 current players from both the men’s and women’s teams are scheduled to be part of the celebration weekend.
The event schedule is as follows:
Friday, April 19
Reception
6 p.m.
Erickson Alumni Center
Saturday, April 20
Alumni Rugby Matches
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Times are approximate.
Rec Center Fields
Stiefken said he hopes the reunion event helps build on existing connections between alumni and current players.
A portion of the proceeds from the reception will benefit the current teams by helping to cover costs for equipment, jerseys and other supplies necessary for what Matt Thorn, a former WVU Rugby coach, calls a “very, very physical sport.”
“It’s full contact — no pads, no helmets. The players are putting their bodies at risk while playing voluntarily for a club sport,” Thorn said. “The camaraderie is strong. The sport is extremely physical and it carries its risks but we all choose to get out there and battle it out — or chose, because I’m an old man now.”
Thorn coached Stiefken during his time at WVU. Both would like to note their teams never lost to Pitt.
Stiefken grew up watching his dad play rugby and took to the pitch for the first time when he made the Mountaineer team as a freshman and played for Thorn.
“It was a sport that I knew I would find success in, mainly from my wrestling background, but also because there is a position for everybody,” said Stiefken, now a glazier in New Jersey.
“After I got out of college, I played for a men’s club for 10 or 11 years before I joined the union where I took a little bit of a hiatus and this will be my first time stepping on a rugby pitch since the fall of 2019. I’m excited to get back into the swing of things.”
For information about the WVU Rugby 50th anniversary event, contact Stiefken via email at trevorstiefken@gmail.com.