- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Some good news for Rugby in New Orleans
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:13 am
Posted on 8/6/25 at 9:13 am
LINK
quote:
Loyola University of New Orleans is announcing that it will field varsity rugby programs for men and women, and have hired former NOLA Gold General Manager Ryan Fitzgerald as a Director of Rugby.
Fitzgerald will be spending the 2025-26 season recruiting and building his team and his coaching staff; the programs will be able to offer scholarships and start competition in the fall of 2026.
"I'm really looking forward to this amazing opportunity with Loyola New Orleans and Rugby," Fitzgerald said in the team's announcement. "Truly a first-class University with great people that give back to their community on and off the field. We will recruit and build this Rugby program the same way."
A meet-and-greet with Fitzgerald in the Hall of Fame Room of the University Sports Complex will be announced at a later date.
"We are excited to welcome rugby to the Loyola Athletics family," said Wolfpack Assistant Vice President of Athletics Brett Simpson. "Rugby is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country at the collegiate level, and we believe these programs will thrive in our vibrant campus culture and competitive athletic environment. This is a major step in continuing to grow Loyola Athletics while providing more student-athletes the opportunity to compete at a high level and earn an athletic scholarship."
4
Posted on 8/6/25 at 4:34 pm to Seldom Seen
Ryan Fitz is the best. Happy for him.
Posted on 8/6/25 at 10:12 pm to Seldom Seen
Need LSU to follow. Make the call Woody.
Could easily field a Top 10 rugby program by building off the current club and allowing access to Athletics amenities such as weight rooms, trainers, personal workout and diet plans, etc. Not to mention the tutors and academic perks that varsity status would allow.
Throw in a few partial scholarships and and LSU would be a powerhouse rugby team in no time.
Also, if LSU does it, you might create a chain reaction among SEC peers. Next thing you know, there is a legitimate SEC Rugby conference (none of this SCRC stuff), and there's a spring contact sport to watch in place of football.
Could easily field a Top 10 rugby program by building off the current club and allowing access to Athletics amenities such as weight rooms, trainers, personal workout and diet plans, etc. Not to mention the tutors and academic perks that varsity status would allow.
Throw in a few partial scholarships and and LSU would be a powerhouse rugby team in no time.
Also, if LSU does it, you might create a chain reaction among SEC peers. Next thing you know, there is a legitimate SEC Rugby conference (none of this SCRC stuff), and there's a spring contact sport to watch in place of football.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 1:49 am to Seldom Seen
How many "varsity" rugby programs are there around the country?
Is this a thing now?
Is this a thing now?
Posted on 8/7/25 at 6:32 am to PowerTool
quote:
How many "varsity" rugby programs are there around the country?
There are a handful. Split between small schools and larger ones.
Cal, Army, Navy, Penn State, and BYU are the larger household name schools that come to mind. Then you have schools Life, Lindenwood, Arkansas State, St. Mary's that all have top tier rugby programs.
This post was edited on 8/7/25 at 6:35 am
Posted on 8/7/25 at 6:37 am to Seldom Seen
Not a bad move for Loyola, especially since they’ll be the only varsity program in the state.
Lots of good high school programs in this area like Brother Martin and Jesuit. Hope some of those kids are able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Lots of good high school programs in this area like Brother Martin and Jesuit. Hope some of those kids are able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 8:41 am to KamaCausey_LSU
quote:LSU or the other SEC schools don't need any brand exposure that the rugby team can offer. Loyola is doing this to follow what Arkansas State and Lindenwood have done, taking an unknown university and trying to find a way to get some buzz on a larger scale if they can field a successful sport.
Need LSU to follow. Make the call Woody.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:24 am to KamaCausey_LSU
quote:
Need LSU to follow. Make the call Woody.
Could easily field a Top 10 rugby program by building off the current club
You would need an overhaul of the program currently. The coaching, structure, local club relationships, etc. are not in great shape right now.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 9:28 am to busbeepbeep
That's completely true. I just want LSU to have a top tier D1 program again, and I'm not sure that happens without university investment in the program.
A student run club with a volunteer coaching staff will only get you so far these days, even at a school with LSU's size.
For Loyola, this is a great move and makes financial sense. With tuition and fees being north of $50k; it just takes a few extra students enrolling to make it worth it.
A student run club with a volunteer coaching staff will only get you so far these days, even at a school with LSU's size.
For Loyola, this is a great move and makes financial sense. With tuition and fees being north of $50k; it just takes a few extra students enrolling to make it worth it.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 1:05 pm to KamaCausey_LSU
Great move by Loyola, and Fitz is a great dude. He is already after a few local kids that can really play. I expect that he will recruit TX and also use his international ties to field a competitive team from the start.
Posted on 8/7/25 at 1:37 pm to KamaCausey_LSU
quote:
There are a handful. Split between small schools and larger ones.
Cal, Army, Navy, Penn State, and BYU are the larger household name schools that come to mind. Then you have schools Life, Lindenwood, Arkansas State, St. Mary's that all have top tier rugby programs.
I believe U of Washington announced this past year that they will be varsity for rugby going forward. This came right after Central Washington announced that they will no longer be varisty for rugby.
Page 1 of 1
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News