Summary

Aligned on

• We want to compete nationally
• We recognize that admissions help is critical
  • Most likely path to achieve this is varsity status
  • However, we’ll explore all options such as university contacts
• Our dual mission is on-field excellence and participatory club experience
  • We will ensure rugby opportunities for all Michigan students

Other significant notes

• Women’s team needs consideration
• Desire unity across teams, including Ann Arbor men’s club (aka the city club, and comprising the non-student Michigan Rugby players)

Outstanding questions

• How best to maintain unity if varsity + club is the chosen vision?

Further meeting detail

Present

• Matt Trenary
• Greg Rose
• Jeff Hagan
• Karl Seibert
• Mike Lisi
• Aaron Turk
• Bill Haldane
• Kevin Cunningham
• Wes Farrow
• John Moore
• Harvey Schiller
• Jake Bodner
• Tom Warburton
• John Palladino

Detailed notes

• Introductions
  • Haldane re: Michigan Rugby “All I would know is winning”
• Rose
  • Put a stake in the ground that we can work back to
  • The one thing that will establish the club and give it a solid foundation is a field and clubhouse
• Question about women’s team involvement
  • Yes, they’ll be involved and conversations have already occurred
  • They desire varsity status
• Questions about what varsity means
  • Athletics and Club Sports serve different missions, and therefore provide different administration
    • Athletics is focused on excellence
    • Club Sports is focused on participation and student-led model
• Questions about club-varsity
  • It used to exist when club sports was in the Athletics Department
  • Mainly to promote some excellence among higher performing clubs
  • Pretty much gone but some discussions a few years ago. Fell apart partly due to Club Sports and Athletics not taking it on
  • Other schools have this status such as Penn State
  • Depends on which department ultimately houses it but there could be benefits of shared services such as trainers or tutors
• Questions about men’s club
  • This is focused on the collegiate side but if work here can help men’s club that’s a good thing
  • No combined college / men’s clubs out there
• Schiller
  • Connection to Air Force women’s coach Amy Rusert who leads NIRA and is pushing for varsity across the country
  • Club sports was closer to varsity back in 60s
    • Strong relationship with Athletics and Don Canham
    • Treated differently than other club sports
    • Voice of all the club sports at some point
      • Club Sports Council leaders were rugby players
    • Disappointing this relationship doesn’t exist
• Questions about scholarships vs admissions help
  • Different things
    • Scholarships
      • Framework exists for NCAA women’s rugby for maximum scholarships
      • Small schools out there provide help
        • Likely few full rides
      • Cal men don’t offer scholarships
        • Perhaps don’t want to fund it
        • Perhaps school doesn’t
    • Admissions
      • Getting into school, regardless of whether you’re getting scholarship help or not
      • Athletics is currently the only way right now
      • Admissions is the biggest separator of teams
      • Any scenario without admissions help needs to come with lowered expectations
• Questions about 7s vs 15s as a multiple team varsity / club setup
  • We have handled different sides within one team and haven’t seen a separation socially
  • 7s team competing at CRC was a varsity experience
    • Palladino
      • Held ourselves to a higher standard
      • No additional resources or access
        • The whole thing off of grit
        • If we had more resources that would of catapulted us further
    • No real recognition of efforts
      • Trenary
        • Good example of differences of departments
        • And it’s all on us! The U isn’t going to make rugby great unless we do the work here
• Various intermixed comments (mainly Haldane and Rose) about club and varsity
  • Varsity deduced as the way forward, especially considering admissions
  • Could have all the money in the world but would struggle if we can’t get rugby players on campus
  • Want to see excellence through all teams
  • Want to see unity
    • Recognize varsity and club need to be separate given rules and administration
    • But would lose a lot if not one entity
• Question as to what’s next? * Take our vision to the university - They’re supportive but will have critiques - But won’t do anything unless we’re driving it
• Question about U funding
  • Likely not. At least we shouldn’t expect it.
• Schiller knows Ted Spencer the former Admissions director * Would be good to get his opinion on how to move forward toward admissions help
• Working group structures
  • Forwards
    • Haldane
    • Rose
    • Seibert
    • Cunningham
    • Palladino (communicated offline)
  • Schiller
    • Contacts
  • Backs
    • Moore
    • Warburton
    • Lisi
    • Turk
    • Bodner
    • Hagan
  • Bench
    • Remainder
• MRF
  • Here to support and could use additional help on board
• Anyone else who could help with this project?
  • Bill and Greg mention Randy Gress. Will reach out.