Since the October 2024 50th Anniversary of the Men's Rugby Club, we have been building the infrastructure to support the team for the next 50 years. As of today, the JMU Men's Rugby Alumni Association is officially relaunching.

This is the first annual End of Season Report: a full picture of the 2025-2026 season on and off the pitch, along with the goals set for 2026-2027. These reports will be delivered semi-annually, highlighting on-field and off-field accomplishments, alumni events, an annual budget, and an impact report.

Over the next few months, you will see the Alumni Association 5 Year Plan alongside the launch of JMURugby.com, which will stream live games, connect the alumni network, and serve as the homepage for the club. For the first time in over 50 years, every generation of Madison Rugby will have a formal, organized home.

The relaunch also formally opens the James Madison Men's Rugby Alumni Association membership program. Membership is funded by annual dues, and is how we fund events, support capital investments in the program, and grow Madison Rugby's stature. As this report details, the Alumni Association and the John Carr Fund have invested more than $280,000 in this program over the past five years. Sustainable contributions paired with formal governance provide the foundation for the next phase of the club.

On the field, the season tested JMU Men's Rugby in ways no one anticipated, and it revealed exactly what this program is made of. With significant roster adversity across both the Fall 15s and Spring Sevens programs, a young group of Dukes stepped up, competed hard, and left the shirt in a better place than they found it.

Off the pitch, the season delivered meaningful milestones. JMU Giving Day produced a landmark result for the Hank Mozingo Captain's Rugby Scholarship Endowment: 64 donors surpassed the 50-donor threshold and unlocked a $25,000 Mozingo family match, bringing the fund to $59,713 and putting the program 60% of the way to a permanent $100,000 endowment. The program also participated in JMU's Relay For Life, continuing a tradition of community engagement that extends beyond John Carr Field.

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Season Highlights

• 15s Varsity went 5-5, earned a MARC playoff berth, and fell just three points short of advancing against Delaware
• 37 players represented the Varsity across the fall due to injuries and prior commitments, a trial by fire that accelerated development across the roster
• Welcomed 15-20 new players in the fall, reflecting growing campus interest in JMU Rugby
• Expanded the coaching staff with a dedicated player development coach for newer members
• Sevens captain Miles Haynes led a depleted squad through a challenging spring circuit, competing at the Maryland Automatic Qualifier against national runner-up NC State and national qualifier Maryland
• Despite falling short of Nationals for the first time after three consecutive qualifying appearances, just one player departs, and the bounce-back is already in motion
• Season awards: Saxton Garver (MVP), Nick Beasley and Scott Rigual (Clubman of the Year), JJ Tiago (Rookie of the Year)
• Graduated 13 seniors, including co-captains Saxton Garver and Miles Haynes and club president Nick Beasley

Looking Ahead

The 2026-2027 season arrives with strong momentum. The 52nd Alumni Reunion Weekend is set for October 23-25 in Harrisonburg at Hotel Madison, with a joint celebration alongside JMU Women's Rugby's 50th Anniversary on Saturday, October 24th at Pale Fire Brewing Co. The MOB Rally in Baltimore, All Blacks vs. Springboks at M&T Bank Stadium, is on the calendar for September 12. And planning is underway for the 2027 MOB on Tour to Cardiff, Wales.

Be Part of the Foundation

The Alumni Association is also launching its first formal membership program, and the founding class sets the tone for everything that follows. Members get a vote in electing association officers for the first time ever, a name on the website wall and in the reunion program, founding-class swag, and a standing as a stakeholder rather than just a donor. Every membership funds the scholarships, the campaigns, and the financial foundation Madison Rugby needs for the next 50 years. There is a tier for where you are, from Young Duke to the first-year-only Founders tier. Will you be a Founder?