Players from across the east coast have committed to joining the men’s and women’s teams for the fall 2023 rugby season. The 16 players, who will enroll in the university’s Class of 2027, represent the strongest recruitment in club history.
Among the incoming players is Sofia Greene (pictured above), the first-ever women’s rugby recruit. Sofia joins the nationally-recognized Lady Ruggers as a fly-half with experience playing for Shoreline Spartans Rugby and the Waveny Rugby Club.
As the women’s first recruit, Sofia’s experience adds to the team’s competitive success and her jovial demeanor reinforces the team’s inclusive culture. Sofia began her rugby career at 16 years old after years of developing her athleticism as a soccer and basketball player. She credits her rugby knowledge and IQ to her father, Jonathan Greene, a former rugger at Fairfield Prep, Castleton University, and with the Fairfield Yankees, who coaches boy’s rugby with Shoreline Spartans.
Head Coach Jane Kim hosted Greene, her parents, and her coaches, for a signing day to make her commitment to Fairfield University and Women’s Rugby official. Coach Kim continues to build on the team’s competitive legacy and developing players into strong, capable leaders of tomorrow.
“Recruiting experienced players like Sofia raises the bar for current players while adding numbers to compete,” said Kim. “With the momentum from these past two seasons, we have the ability to grow the team to support two full sides, which gives us a proper runway to provide many levels of rugby for students at Fairfield, while also aiming for successful match outcomes. Being inclusive and welcoming to anyone who wants to be a part of our team will always be our identity. This is a tremendous group of young women who work hard and play (in all aspects of the word) even harder.”
Austin Ryan, director of the Fairfield University Rugby Club and men’s team head coach, reflected on the caliber of incoming players and how this positions the club for continued success next season.
“This is another historic achievement for Fairfield Women’s Rugby,” said Ryan. “The team consistently competes for conference championships and in the national playoffs. Now, they beat Vassar College regularly and seniors play in the spring semester! Going forward, recruiting experienced players to field two sides as Jane wants to do is the next chapter in the team’s impressive legacy. The alumni should be extremely proud that they are members of such a distinguished club at Fairfield University.”
Class of 2027 By-the-Numbers:
- More than 70 years of rugby experience combined
- More than $100,000 in merit scholarships
- 10 Catholic/Jesuit high schools represented
- 6 public high school represented