With newly-crowned Miss Westchester, Nadia Manginelli, and Miss Hudson Valley, April Maroshick in attendance, the "Boys from White Plains" opened their USA Rugby Premier Division season against Boston rivals Mystic River Rugby Club at Valhalla High School on Saturday night. A very strong Mystic team stormed into Valhalla and caught host White Plains still brushing off rust from the off season, taking a hard-fought match 23-5.
Neither the score nor the drizzling rain could dampen the spirits of rugby player and ALS-battler Pat Quinn, who turned out to support ALS research and White Plains Rugby. Between the rugby ALS event and ALS events held at Cross Fit gyms across the state, the White Plains Rugby community generated over $6,000 for the fight against ALS.
Much more than a premier division rugby club, White Plains Rugby is a 501c3 charitable organization that has been a force for good in the Westchester community for over 40 years. In addition to molding young athletes into solid citizens through sport and community service, the club has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes, promoted and participated in blood drives and wildlife conservation efforts, and is currently looking to establish a partnership against domestic violence.
Rugby is America’s fastest growing sport, and will be featured in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. White Plains Rugby was formed in 1972, and has continuously represented the City of White Plains the County of Westchester, and the Metro New York Region in USA Rugby’s Premier Division. The club also has a long history of international competition, having carried the White Plains colors to Europe and as far away as Zimbabwe.
White Plains Rugby competes at the National First (Premier) Division level and is excited to announce the inception of a Third Division team that will function as a competitive developmental side for the First Division team, making White Plains Rugby a great place to come and learn to play rugby. White Plains’ D-3 team is already off to a fast start with a 1-0 record with a win against Old Maroon, the Fordham University Alumni side.
The club’s competitiveness is founded on a premier coaching staff. Coach Dan Pazio brings 30 years of rugby leadership from England to White Plains, and his assistant and Division 3 coach, Carlos Blanco is a former Argentine national team player.