Returning CWU rugby players help clubs get off the ground this fall

Rugby may no longer be a varsity sport at Central Washington University, but that doesn’t mean the players have abandoned their passion.

Both the men’s and women’s rugby clubs have been rebooted this fall, and a number of the players and coaches participating are holdovers from the Wildcat varsity programs that were disbanded last spring.

There are quite a few new players on both rosters — some who have never even played the sport — but the core of the clubs is made up of many familiar faces.

“Some of the new guys coming out have played football, and we also have some who have never played rugby in an organized way,” said men’s club president Quaid Hunt, one of eight returning players from last year’s varsity squad. “The guys who played last year are really excited that we get to continue playing at a high level.”

Joining Hunt on this year’s club team are Malakai Tacian (vice president), Brock Kluempers (treasurer), Nicholas Powell (secretary), Imaree Lawson, Taine Jones (captain), Arona Tauiliili, and Kymani Freeman. Head coach Emilio Carranza and assistant coach Jude Mullette were also part of last year’s program.

Many of the players chose to return because the university offered to honor their scholarships for one more year.

“It’s all about finishing my degree so I can go to medical school,” said Hunt, a biology and psychology double major. “Having that scholarship is the main reason I’m still here.”

While Hunt and his peers are disappointed that they didn’t get to finish their varsity playing careers at Central, they take some consolation in the fact that they get to continue playing the sport they love.

Hunt says most of the credit for the rebirth of the rugby clubs goes to Bruce Simpson, an employer outreach liaison with CWU Career Services. Simpson has been active in the local rugby community for years, including during the previous iteration of the CWU rugby club before it became a varsity sport in 2014.

When the university announced last May that the varsity rugby programs had been defunded, Simpson sprang into action.

“Bruce really lit the spark and got it going,” Hunt said. “He talked to University Recreation and outlined all of the steps we needed to take to get the club up and running this fall. Me and the other returners figured out what we needed to do, and we were able to get it done. But we owe a lot to Bruce. He’s the one who really made it happen.”

Bob Ford, the executive director of the Ellensburg Rugby Club, has also played a pivotal role — along with CWU exercise science Professor Robert Pritchett — in helping both clubs regain momentum in a short amount of time.

“We’ve been receiving a lot of support from people at CWU and in the Ellensburg community, which has been really good to see,” Hunt said. “It’s been a lot of work to make this happen, and we owe our supporters a huge debt of gratitude.”

The men’s team is currently practicing every Tuesday and Thursday evening as they prepare for this Saturday’s conference opener against the University of Oregon. The 12 p.m. event will be held at the Alder Street Fields off 18^th Avenue.

The club held a joint practice with the Seattle Rugby Club last weekend to gear up for the U of O match, and they will play a total of six this fall, including another home match November 8.

“Our goal is to have a consistent team of 30 players who come to every practice and every game. That will give the club sustainability,” Hunt said. “Our other goal is to continue playing competitive rugby. We’re just a group of guys working toward a common goal, like we have always done.”

Women’s Club Gaining Traction

The CWU women’s rugby club has benefited from a similar level of support on campus and in the Ellensburg community this fall, building up a solid preseason roster of a few dozen players of different experience levels.

Club president Lauren DiPasquale — a former CWU varsity player like Hunt — doesn’t expect all of them to suit up for every match, but her goal is to build a core of at least 30 women who are willing to show up to every practice and compete in both club matches and developmental matches.

“Because it’s a club, practices aren’t mandatory,” DiPasquale said. “It’s more about having fun and building a family. With such a good turnout early on, we feel like we will get there.”

DiPasquale is one of nine returning players from the 2024-25 women’s varsity team, joining Jessica Postle, Aja Good, Kyllie Matsushima, Winnie Namosimalua, Kerena Tinoisamoa, Sieni Mesake, Every Pedersen, and Trinitee Robertson.

Good is serving as the club vice president, Matsushima is the treasurer and Postle is the secretary. Meanwhile, former varsity assistant coach Mikey O’Malley opted to stay on as the coach.

“Mikey has been a huge help for us, both as a coach and as a recruiter,” DiPasquale said. “We all did our part to recruit new players this summer, and it seems to have worked because there’s been a lot of interest so far.”

The women’s club will host its first home match on Saturday, November 8 — a doubleheader with the men’s program against the University of Washington, beginning at 11 a.m. at Alder Street Field No. 3.

DiPasquale and her teammates look forward to seeing how far the reimagined CWU women’s rugby club can go.

“We’re excited to get back out there, but we don’t want it to be a one-and-done year,” she said. “For us, it’s about keeping the legacy of rugby alive at Central, for both men and women. We were one of the biggest programs on the West Coast, and it’s really important for us to keep that tradition going.”

DiPasquale is currently recovering from a knee injury she suffered last year, and she isn’t able to compete with the club this season. She hopes to return to the field soon, but in the meantime, she is focused on completing her dual degrees in Physical Education and School Health (PESH) and secondary education.

When she returns home to Colorado next year, she has an entirely different goal.

“I’m thinking about going to the police academy when I graduate,” said DiPasquale, who is also working on a law and justice minor. “Some people don’t understand, but it’s always been a dream of mine to become a police officer. I also enjoy teaching, and I’m hoping I can combine the two career paths someday.”