Rugby New York
Rugby New York, formerly known as Rugby United New York and now officially nicknamed the Ironworkers, are a professional rugby union team based in New York City that is a member of Major League Rugby (MLR). The team played an exhibition season in spring 2018 and joined MLR for its second full season in 2019.[1][2] The team was founded by James Kennedy.[3]
| Nickname(s) | Ironworkers |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Ground(s) | Mount Vernon Memorial Field, Mount Vernon, New York (Capacity: 3,900) |
| Chairman | Guy Bolton |
| Coach(es) | James Semple |
| Captain(s) | Nate Brakeley |
| Top scorer | Dylan Fawsitt (125) |
| Most tries | Dylan Fawsitt (25) |
| League(s) | Major League Rugby |
| 2022 |
|
| Official website | |
| rugbynewyork | |
In 2022, its first season under the Rugby New York name, the team made its first MLR Final appearance, winning a title in front of 1,979 attendees at Red Bull Arena in nearby Harrison, New Jersey.[4]
History
Rugby United New York was founded on April 2018 by James Kennedy, owner of Murphy Kennedy Group a New York construction management company and active rugby player at the time.In its 2018 exhibition season, RUNY was led by former USA men's national team coach Mike Tolkin, and assistant coaches Bruce McLane (former coach of New York Athletic Club RFC), Andrew Britt, and Vili Vakasisikakala.[1] The team's 2018 spring season consisted of matches against the Ontario Arrows and the Mystic River Rugby Club of Boston.[1] The team played its home matches at Gaelic Park in The Bronx.[5] The team played its first match on March 17, 2018, at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, New York.[6] New York defeated the Ontario Arrows by a score of 36–19.[6] RUNY played its first match in New York City against Mystic River on March 24 before a sold-out crowd at Gaelic Park.[7] New York defeated Mystic River by a score of 50–0.[7]
Ahead of the 2019 season, RUNY announced that they had retained Mike Tolkin as the team's head coach,[8] signed Kees Lensing as the team's forwards coach,[9] and named James English as general manager.[10]
On November 7, 2018, RUNY announced that MCU Park in Brooklyn would be their home field for their first full season.[11]
In January 2023, Rugby New York announced that Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, NY would be their home field.[12]
Broadcasts
2019 and 2020 home games were shown on SportsNet New York (SNY). Matt McCarthy, John Broker and Steve Lewis were the on air talent.
The 2021 season matches was broadcast on MSG Networks, ending their contract with SNY.
Sponsorship
During the inaugural season, RUNY signed a partnership deal with Magners Irish Cider,[13] the official drink partner and Bawnmore Irish Beef Jerky[14] as the official snack partner for the 2019 season. They also partnered up with EVF Performance,[15] the team's official gym and Motion PT Group, named the official physical therapy partner for the team.[16]
For the 2021 season, RUNY partnered with Sword Performance, a sports drink hydration company.[17] They also partnered with Mainfreight as their shirt sponsor for the next two seasons.[18]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Paladin Sports | Murphy Kennedy Group |
| 2019 | XBlades | |
| 2020 | Paladin Sports | None |
| 2021 | Paladin Sports | Mainfreight |
| 2022 | ||
| 2023 | Paladin Sports | Hudson Pro Orthopedics & Sports Medicine |
Roster
The Rugby New York squad for the 2023 Major League Rugby season is:[19]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for the United States on dual nationality or residency grounds.
- MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.
Head coaches
- Mike Tolkin (2018–2019)
- Greg McWilliams (2020)
- Marty Veale (2021–2022)
- James Semple (2022–present)
Captains
- Mike Petri (2019)
- Dylan Fawsitt (2020–2021)
- Nate Brakeley (2022–present)
Records
Season standings
| Season | Conference | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Pld | W | L | F | A | +/− | Result | |||
| 2019 | - | 4th | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 411 | 320 | +91 | 10 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 24 | -2 | Lost Semifinal (San Diego Legion) 22–24 | |
| 2020[a] | Eastern | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 136 | 131 | +5 | 3 | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Cancelled | |
| 2021 | Eastern | 2nd | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 448 | 419 | +29 | 13 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 10 | -1 | Lost East Conference Final (Rugby ATL) 9-10 | |
| 2022 | Eastern | 3rd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 433 | 408 | +25 | 11 | 56 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 80 | 50 | +30 | Won East Conference Eliminator (Rugby ATL) 26–19 Won East Conference Final (New England Free Jacks) 24–16 Won Major League Rugby Final (Seattle Seawolves) 30-15 | |
| Totals | 53 | 35 | 0 | 18 | 1,428 | 1,278 | +150 | 37 | 178 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 111 | 84 | +27 | 3 postseason appearances | |||
Honors
| Playoff Appearances | Conference Championships | Major League Rugby Championships |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 , 2021 , 2022 | 2022 | 2022 |
Head to Head
Details of the performance of Rugby United New York against Major League Rugby opponents, between the 2019 and 2022 seasons. Table includes all regular season and play-off matches.
| Major League Rugby | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Span | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win% | PF | PA | +/- | Home Wins | Away Wins | Notes |
| San Diego Legion | 2019–22 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50% | 148 | 152 | -4 | 1 | 2 | |
| NOLA Gold | 2019–22 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66% | 177 | 179 | -2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Seattle Seawolves | 2019–22 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% | 135 | 129 | +6 | 2 | 1 | |
| Houston SaberCats | 2019–22 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 151 | 57 | +94 | 2 | 3 | |
| Utah Warriors | 2019–21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66% | 99 | 72 | +28 | 1 | 1 | |
| Toronto Arrows | 2019–22 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50% | 138 | 151 | -13 | 1 | 2 | |
| Austin Gilgronis | 2019–20 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% | 104 | 65 | +39 | 2 | 1 | |
| New England Free Jacks | 2020-22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 42.85% | 149 | 172 | -23 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rugby ATL | 2020–22 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 71.42% | 154 | 158 | -4 | 2 | 3 | |
| Old Glory DC | 2021-22 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 178 | 124 | +54 | 2 | 2 | |
| LA Giltinis | 2021-22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% | 18 | 59 | -41 | 1 | 0 | |
| Dallas Jackals | 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 41 | 5 | +36 | 0 | 1 | |
| Glendale Raptors | 2019–20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% | 47 | 39 | +8 | 1 | 0 | |
| Totals | 2019–22 | 58 | 38 | 0 | 20 | 65.52% | 1,539 | 1,362 | +177 | 18 | 20 | |
2018 season
All games in the 2018 season were exhibition games and did not count in the league standings.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Venue | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17 | Ontario Arrows | Home | Mazzella Field | New Rochelle, New York | Won, 36–19[20] |
| March 24 | Mystic River Rugby Club | Home | Gaelic Park | Riverdale, Bronx, New York | Won, 50–0[21] |
| March 31 | Mystic River Rugby Club | Away | Mignone Field | Allston, Massachusetts | Won, 42–24[22] |
| April 14 | Ontario Arrows | Away | York Lions Stadium | Toronto, Ontario | Game cancelled due to weather |
2019 season
Exhibitions
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2018 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Union Point Sports Complex | Won, 38–35 |
| December 15, 2018 | Capital Selects | Home | Mazzella Field | Won, 100–0 |
| January 12, 2019 | Toronto Arrows | Neutral | Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse | Cancelled |
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27 | San Diego Legion | Away | Torero Stadium | Won, 25-23 |
| February 16 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Archbishop Shaw | Won, 27–24 |
| February 24 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Stadium | Lost, 21-33 |
| March 2 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Constellation Field | Won, 35-8 |
| March 9 | Utah Warriors | Away | Zions Bank Stadium | Won, 47-21 |
| March 15 | Toronto Arrows | Home | MCU Park | Won, 24–21 |
| March 24 | Glendale Raptors | Home | MCU Park | Won, 31-19 |
| March 30 | Austin Elite | Away | Toyota Field | Won, 19-11 |
| April 14 | San Diego Legion | Home | MCU Park | Lost, 19–29 |
| April 20 | Utah Warriors | Home | MCU Park | Won, 24–22 |
| April 26 | Glendale Raptors | Away | Infinity Park | Lost, 16–20 |
| May 5 | Houston SaberCats | Home | MCU Park | Won, 21–0 |
| May 12 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | MCU Park | Lost, 31–38 |
| May 19 | Austin Elite | Home | MCU Park | Won, 27-7 |
| May 26 | New Orleans Gold | Home | MCU Park | Won, 24–22 |
| June 2 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Lamport Stadium | Lost, 20-22 |
Post season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 9 | San Diego Legion | Away | Lost, 22-24 |
2020 season
Exhibition
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 25 | Toronto Arrows | Neutral | Orchard Park | scrimmage no score recorded |
| February 1 | New York Barbarians | Home | Wagner College Football Stadium | Won 77-5 |
Regular season
On March 12, 2020, MLR announced the season would go on hiatus immediately for 30 days due to fears surrounding the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.[23] It was cancelled the following week[24]
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 8 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Sam Boyd Stadium | Lost 14-34 |
| February 15 | Austin Gilgronis | Home | Sam Boyd Stadium | Won 49-31 |
| February 23 | Rugby ATL | Away | Lupo Family Field @ Life University | Won 22-19 |
| March 1 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Aveva Stadium | Won 31-23 |
| March 8 | San Diego Legion | Away | Torero Stadium | Lost 20-24 |
| March 14 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| March 22 | Toronto Arrows | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| March 29 | Old Glory DC | Away | Cardinal Stadium @ Catholic University | Cancelled |
| April 10 | Rugby ATL | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| April 18 | NOLA Gold | Away | The Gold Mine | Cancelled |
| April 25 | Colorado Raptors | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| May 1 | New England Free Jacks | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| May 9 | Old Glory DC | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| May 16 | Utah Warriors | Away | Zions Bank Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 22 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Lamport Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 30 | NOLA Gold | Home | MCU Park | Cancelled |
2021 season
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | San Diego Legion | Away | Won, 36–29 |
| March 27 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Lost, 28–51 |
| April 11 | Rugby ATL | Away | Won, 27–17 |
| April 18 | Old Glory DC | Home | Won, 38–34 |
| April 25 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Lost, 12–53 |
| May 2 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Won, 23–21 |
| May 8 | LA Giltinis | Home | Won, 18–16 |
| May 15 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | Lost, 9–16 |
| May 23 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Won, 29–19 |
| May 30 | Old Glory DC | Away | Won, 46–10 |
| June 13 | Rugby ATL | Home | Won, 31–24 |
| June 19 | Utah Warriors | Home | Lost, 28–29 |
| June 27 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Won, 31–24 |
| July 3 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Lost, 6–22 |
| July 10 | Houston SaberCats | Home | Won, 54–19 |
| July 17 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Lost, 32–35 |
Post season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 24 | Rugby ATL | Away | Lost, 9-10 |
2022 season
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 12 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Won, 10-7 |
| February 19 | Rugby ATL | Away | Won, 36-31 |
| February 26 | Dallas Jackals | Away | Won, 41-5 |
| March 6 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Lost, 29-38 |
| March 13 | San Diego Legion | Home | Won, 26-23 |
| March 19 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Won, 30-19 |
| March 27 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Lost, 10-14 |
| April 3 | Old Glory DC | Home | Won, 35-31 |
| April 10 | LA Giltinis | Away | Lost, 43-0 |
| April 24 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Lost, 26-29 |
| May 1 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Won, 36-28 |
| May 8 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Won, 41-17 |
| May 15 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Won, 30-22 |
| May 22 | Rugby ATL | Home | Lost, 3-38 |
| May 29 | Old Glory DC | Away | Won, 59-49 |
| June 3 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Won, 21-14 |
Post season
| Round | Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Eliminator | June 11 | Rugby ATL | Away | Won, 26-19 |
| East Conference Finals | June 19 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Won, 24-19 |
| MLR Championship | June 25 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Won, 30-15 |
Notes
- ^ 2020 regular season shortened and playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
- ^ a b c "MLR announces New York team for 2019". www.usmlr.com. Major League Rugby. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- ^ Pengelly, Martin (March 26, 2018). "Firefighters and cops face off as New York's pro rugby team debuts". The Guardian. New York, NY. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ Melanson, Jack (March 30, 2018). "Packed house welcomes pro rugby to Gaelic Park". Riverdale Press. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ Americas Rugby News. "New York claims first MLR title with win over Seattle". Americas Rugby News. Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ Mitchell, Alex (March 19, 2018). "New York's first professional rugby team is coming to the Bronx". Bronx Times-Reporter. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "New York win historic first match over Ontario". Americas Rugby News. March 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "New York blank Boston on historic night in the Bronx". Americas Rugby News. March 25, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
- ^ "Tolkin confirmed as New York MLR coach". Americas Rugby News. August 7, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
- ^ "Rugby United New York Signs Forwards Coach Kees Lensing". www.rugbyunitedny.com. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
- ^ "Rugby United New York Announces James English as GM". www.rugbyunitedny.com. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
- ^ Rugby United NY (2018-11-07), Rugby United New York's Stadium Announcement, retrieved 2018-11-08
- ^ "2023 Home Stadium Announced". January 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- ^ "Magners Becomes Official Hard Cider of Rugby United New York".
- ^ "Bawnmore Becomes Official Snack Partner of Rugby United New York".
- ^ "Evf Performance Becomes Official Gym Partner of Rugby United New York".
- ^ "MOTION PT Group Partners with Rugby United New York".
- ^ "Sword Performance is a proud sponsor of Rugby United New York".
- ^ "Our Partners".
- ^ "Rugby New York". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Rugby United New York defeat Ontario Arrows 36-19 in first MLR match". djcoilrugby. 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Rugby United New York hosts Boston Mystic River March 24". djcoilrugby. 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Boston Mystic River hosts Rugby United New York in a rematch at Harvard". djcoilrugby. 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ Anonymous, "MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY SUSPENDS 2020 SEASON FOR 30 DAYS," www.majorleague.rugby, March 12, 2020 Retrieved March 14, 2020
- ^ "Major League Rugby cancels remainder of 2020 campaign". Yahoo! Sports. AFP. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
External links
- Official website