UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Rugby is celebrating its 60th anniversary on the weekend of October 14-16 in Happy Valley. The weekend includes honoring Penn State graduates who have represented the United States in International competition.
The ceremonies will happen during halftime of the men's match vs. Army, on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m., and the women's match vs. New York Rugby Football Club, at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played at West Campus fields (across the street from Rec Hall).
Nearly half of Penn State's 38 USA "Eagles" are expected to attend, including Kim Magrini (2004), a former captain of the USA Rugby World Cup team. Seventeen of PSU's "Eagles" will be in attendance.
Eight Penn State graduates are currently representing the USA in New Zealand for the 2022 Rugby World Cup.
The seven players representing the USA team, and making up nearly 25% of the squad, include Catherine Benson (2015), Meya Bizer (2017), Bitsy Cairns (2016), Gabby Cantorna (2018), Tess Feury (2018), Hope Rogers (2016) and Carly Waters (2018). Rachel Ehrecke (2020) is a non-traveling reserve for the USA.
Cantorna, a State College native, and Rogers are currently playing professionally in Exeter, U.K. Rogers is regarded as one of the best players in the world at her Prop position. Cairns helped Penn State to five National Championships and was named an All-American four times.
Penn State women's rugby head coach Kate Daley, a 2009 PSU graduate and former "Eagle" and USA team captain, is serving as an assistant coach for Team USA.
Team USA's first match in New Zealand was against Italy on October 9. Their second pool play match will be on October 15 vs. Japan (12:30 a.m. ET) and they will conclude pool play on October 23 vs. Canada (10:15 p.m. ET)
Other honorees of the weekend include Andy Ryland, a 2004 graduate and former football player for State College Area High School and Penn State. Ryland took up rugby in the spring of his last year at PSU, became an All-American and represented the USA in international matches. He currently teaches proper tackling techniques to college football programs to reduce injuries.
Pete Steinberg, former head coach of the women's team and nine-time National Champion as well as former head coach of the USA Women's Team, is among those expected to be in attendance.
Kayla Canett, Penn State's first rugby Olympian who competed at the Tokyo 2020 games, will be among those entered into the Kabala Family Rugby Hall display in East Area Locker Room building. Canett will not be in attendance after recently returning from South Africa and an International Sevens Tournament.
A banquet will be held Saturday evening at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
One more of the many sidelights to the weekend is a recent PSU Rugby-sponsored, national initiative to raise funds to provide relief to the Ukrainian Rugby Union: https://givebutter.com/SupportURU
Hope Rogers (2016 graduate)