DBP Ironman Rugby Starts Off Strong

By Joseph Valenza’24

RAMSEY, NJ – It has been an amazing year for Don Bosco’s newest Varsity sport!

Earlier this year, Don Bosco Prep has seen the creation of its very own rugby team. It has been a developmental year for the team – no official league games were played, but the team got to see action primarily through scrimmages. In matches throughout the Spring, the Ironmen faced various high school teams such as Bergen Catholic, Delbarton, and CBA.

The start of the rugby program arose in early November, when an email was sent to the DBP student body to gauge interest in forming a Varsity Rugby team. A small group of very dedicated students gathered to inquire more about the sport, and thus, the Rugby team was formed. Practices started in mid-February, and the first scrimmage followed shortly after.

Match 1: Bosco v. Bergen

Minutes before the start of the first match against Bergen Catholic

The first scrimmage was an away match against Bergen Catholic, a relatively new team. It was a cold and cloudy day with wet field conditions, but the teams were ready to play regardless. Though Bergen’s team was a year older and had more experience, Bosco put up a valiant fight. Unfortunately, however, the Ironmen took a loss in their first match of the year. The game, however, was not a blowout – the Ironmen had scored 5 tries (touchdowns) from Broden Alston ’23, Patrick Burke ’24, and Joseph Valenza ’24. After the match, both teams gathered together for a meal in a gesture of good sportsmanship, which is a common practice in rugby culture. Though the Ironmen took their first loss of the year, they left with valuable experience that would help them throughout the rest of their season.

Bosco (black) vs. Bergen (white) – lining up for a scrum

Match 2: Bosco v. Delbarton

The next match was an away game against Delbarton. It was a cold and rainy day in Morristown, NJ, but the game would proceed anyway. The Ironmen were instantly put at a disadvantage when they learned they would be playing a 14s match – at this point, there were only ten players on the team. Delbarton had to “loan” players to the Ironmen in order to play the match, which resulted in some dissonance between the players. The Ironmen fought hard against Delbarton, though the opponent’s experience showed in their performance: the Ironmen struggled through the first half of the match, not scoring a single point. In the second half, the Ironmen however, did come back to score a few points. Aidan Toomey ’23 had a noticeable impact in the match by scoring 2 tries and making essential defensive tackles. The team once again left with a loss, but learned what they had to work on for the future.

Bosco vs Delbarton

After the loss at Delbarton, the Ironmen had Easter Break, which brought time to recover from injuries and prepare for their final game.

Promotional Instagram post – courtesy of boscorugby on Instagram

Match 3: Bosco V. Bergen

The final scrimmage took place at Granatell Stadium at DBP in a night match. In the previous two scrimmages, the only spectators seen were perhaps the parents and close relatives of the players – not in the final match against Bergen. Don Bosco’s student section had showed face to the game, which gave the Ironmen an incentive to not disappoint. Following the kickoff, the Ironmen had a slow start to the game, only scoring one try while giving up three. A shift in attitude was seen as the student section gradually filled up throughout the match. After the hearing the support from the student section, the Ironmen started to compete, scoring 4 tries to close the point gap. Notably, Broden Alston ’23 and Aidan Toomey ’23 were seen plowing through the Bergen Catholic defense to put up points for the Ironmen. The DBP defense had fought throughout the game, but ultimately gave up three more tries. With the final score totaling to 6-5, the Ironmen had lost. Though it was disappointing to lose against Bergen on home turf, the Ironmen battled hard and competed with a team that had more experience and manpower. The night concluded with a meal shared between the two teams and a short speech from both the Bosco and Bergen coaches.

What’s Next?

The team has officially concluded its first season, and will look to return even better in the fall. Next year, the Ironmen will seek to fix many of the problems that plagued the team in their 2023 season.

One issue that troubled the team – a shortage of players – is already being addressed. With interest from incoming Freshmen and upper classmen alike, the team expects to gain around twelve new players – almost doubling the current roster. The coaches also plan to coordinate with DBP’s Physical Education Department to organize a mini rugby clinic for all gym classes, which will hopefully bring new recruits to the team.

Another issue is the team’s defensive capabilities, which evidently contributed to the loss of many matches. The team looks to put an emphasis on defensive strategy next year, which will likely improve the team’s overall performance.

Lastly, the team will try to address the unpredictable issue of injury, which was prevalent during the season. From concussions to sprained ankles, the team suffered from injured players and long recovery times, which hindered their performance throughout the season. In one case, a concussion was sustained by a promising player early in the season, which forced him to resign from the team. Looking to avoid another year of widespread injury, the coaches will put an emphasis on safety next year, hopefully permitting all players to be healthy throughout the season.

End of the Year

The 2023 DBP Rugby season officially ended with the team recognition dinner, in which the players gathered together to celebrate the start of the DBP rugby program. During the dinner, the long-awaited team jerseys were handed out, which unfortunately did not come in before the end of the playing season.

Ironmen rugby jersey

Players were also presented with Varsity letters and Paper-Plate Awards, which highlighted players with substantial contribution to the team:

This was a year of construction for the Ironmen Rugby team, in which a strong foundation was set for years to come. Though the Ironmen lost many scrimmages this season, they will come back next year to face official league play head-on. This foundational season was essential for the future success of DBP Rugby and will provide the players with motivation to work hard in the off-season!