The coming 2023-2024 season will entail a significant change in the Colgate Rugby program, as Head Coach David Chapman will take on his next journey in his rugby career. Prior to his time at Colgate, Chapman served as head coach of the rugby program at his alma mater - Ole Miss. Chapman began working with Colgate Rugby as the head coach of the men’s team in 2013, taking over for Tim Burdick. Soon following that, he took over for Anne-Marie Lemal Brown as the head coach of the women’s team as well and served as the Director of Colgate Rugby through June of 2023. During his time here at Colgate, Chapman helped form the Liberty Conference - which he now serves as the commissioner of - and moved the Colgate Rugby program to be part of National Collegiate Rugby (NCR). He has also been heavily involved in starting the CNY select sides within high schools across the state and college select teams. On behalf of both the women’s and men’s teams at Colgate - current players and alumni - we would like to thank Coach David Chapman for all he has given us here at Colgate. He has developed this program to an extent that the current and future men’s and women’s rugby players will forever appreciate and has pushed his athletes to be the best version of themselves both on and off the pitch. We would like to send Coach David Chapman off to his next adventure - as head coach of both the men’s and women’s team at Niagara University - with the utmost luck and with the greatest appreciation for his time here at Colgate and his remarkable impact on the Colgate Rugby program.
In this next chapter, we would like to give a warm welcome to the next Director and Head Coach of Colgate Rugby - Coach Kyle Corbett. Corbett has been involved in various rugby programs across New York State such as serving as the assistant coach for CNY Rugby U19 7’s in Syracuse, NY; coach for CNY Rugby grades 6, 7, and 8, in Syracuse, NY; forwards coach at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY; and more across the state of New York. We look forward to seeing what Coach Corbett will bring to this program and we welcome him as we, as one family, are continuously thankful to keep expanding the community and perspectives of Colgate Rugby so that we can proceed to grow together, as a whole.
It is with open arms and a warm heart that we extend this ‘thank you’ to all members of Colgate Rugby - every coach, assistant coach, player, referee, and fan of Colgate Rugby has been a part of making this program what it is today. We would like to emphasize the reminder that any person - past, present, or future - that is a part of this program will always have Colgate Rugby supporting them in their life’s endeavors. We were a family at the origin of this program in 1966, we are a family now, and we will forever continue to be a family. Colgate Rugby will forever be home to those who choose to partake in this program, and we extend our open arms to anybody willing and wanting to be a part of this special community.
With this, I, as a current senior on the Colgate Women’s Rugby team for the 2023-2024 season, would like to thank Colgate Rugby for all it and its members have provided myself and both my men’s and women’s teammates with, and I encourage any future Colgate student that is looking into this program to try something new - check out a practice session, watch a match, grab lunch with a current player if you are even remotely interested. I can guarantee you that it is worth it - this program has the power to change you as a person if you just give it one chance.
With the warmest of thank-you’s to both Coach David Chapman and Coach Kyle Corbett, we wish you both the best and would like to remind you to have fun in every part of your next adventure. And, of course, wherever you go.... go 'Gate!
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Kindly,
Mariah Loiacono '24
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