Forester Rugby on the Rise

Pictured: (Top) Coach John Walker, Tommy Rowlingson, Giovanni Nicolicchia, Asa Valdivia, Luca Zenati-Parsons, Petre Gotsiridze, Tyler Malone, (Captain) Xavier Hector, Weezy Hading, Asst. Coach Shelton Mudzingwa
(Bottom) Joe Wennerlund, Josh Mwazani, Max Kaufman, Ryan Campos, Sam Krosch, Nate Okwu, Jimmy Chavez

Max Kaufman ‘26

kaufmanmge@lakeforest.edu

The Lake Forest College Men’s Club Rugby team has seen a resurgence in recent years, significantly increasing its membership and allowing for more competitive games this spring semester.

In 2023, the team had only four active players, making it difficult to practice or compete consistently. Today, however, the current roster has grown to 17 active members.

Reflecting the renewed interest in the sport of rugby and stronger organizational efforts by coach John Walker. He said this growth has allowed the team to officially join National Collegiate Rugby, opening the door to regular competition in organized tournaments, possible varsity status, and more opportunities for players to develop their skills and represent the College.

As of publication, their first matches of the year took place at the UIC 7s Invitational tournament. The squad is off to a solid start, finishing with a 2-2 record and earning a podium finish, placing third overall. This result shows the team’s continued progress and their ability to compete against already established programs.

In addition to playing in the tournament, the team hosted two friendly matches on Farwell Field against Northern Illinois University and Benedictine University. Once again, the team split the matches, finishing 1-1 on the day, which provided valuable experience and helped build team chemistry that they will take with them into the latter half of the season.

In the coming weeks, the team will travel to Madison, Wis., to compete in the Great Midwest 7s Qualifier, where they hope to continue building momentum and finish the spring semester on a strong note. They also have another tournament to plan for the following week, in which they plan to get involved.

Player and coach Tommy Rowlingson expressed confidence in the program, saying, “The team has come leaps and bounds since January… and I’m confident that we can show these teams we’re better than just a casual club.”

The team is positioning itself for a successful spring season and aims to bring home hardware while continuing to strengthen the program in the coming years.