On the rise: Hudson Catholic rugby program sending more players to college ranks

Former Hudson Catholic rugby players, from left, Josh Banaag, Josh Barca, Omar Tall, and Jharid Morrison.

By Nick Alvarez
For The Jersey Journal

The rapid ascent of Hudson Catholic's rugby team bodes well for the future of the program.

Terry Matthews yearned for something to do when he stopped playing collegiate football. So, he decided to join a men's rugby team and fell in love with the game. He later introduced his son to the sport and founded a flag rugby program in Jersey City. Matthews eventually realized that rugby could provide kids a future when some of his players, including his son Eamonn, earned college scholarships.

Looking to provide that opportunity to more local kids, Matthews used his position as dean of students at Hudson Catholic High School to start a rugby club at the Jersey City school, assuming the role of director of rugby.

But getting the program off the ground proved difficult. In 2013 - the rugby club's first season - Matthews had trouble recruiting new players in school and could only field a seven-man unit. Rugby is typically played with 15 players on each side.

Yet, Matthews and George Miller, the team's former coach, persisted and built up the roster numbers, eventually made rugby a varsity sport in 2016. This year, three former student-athletes - Josh Banaag, Omar Tall, and Jharid Morrison - are playing for college programs as freshmen.

Banaag and Tall, who currently play at St. Bonaventure College and New England College, respectively, didn't need much persuasion to try the sport. Banaag's brother played at St. Peter's Prep and after watching a game, Banaag thought he'd give it a shot.

Tall watched rugby videos with his friend Morrison - now a freshman at Queens University of Charlotte - and decided he would quit football and pursue rugby. Like Banaag and Tall, Morrison reached the collegiate ranks and has helped the Monarchs to a 5-0 record in the program's inaugural season.

"We would all go around school a get big kids to come out," said Tall. "But a lot of them left because they didn't like how rough rugby really was. That's the main problem in our school, kids are scared to play. They see essentially football but with no pads."

Meanwhile, Josh Barca, another former Hudson Catholic rugby player, is currently playing at the club level at Montclair State University.

Most students, however, were afraid to leave their current sport and wouldn't consider joining a team that didn't have its own practice space.

But students' initial reservations about the sport gave way to heightened interest. Since becoming a varsity sport in 2016, Hudson Catholic has gone 3-3 and 2-4 in the last two seasons.

According to Miller, who recently moved to Virginia and has been replaced by new coach Jason Cunningham, more colleges are offering rugby and looking to offer more scholarships. Tall remembers seeing a teammate get a scholarship offer after the first game of the season and recalling how much it drove him to succeed.

With rugby season in the spring, football linemen are encouraged to join. The ability to handle the ball entices potential athletes. The natural aggression needed for football lends itself to rugby.

"I had an All-Conference center who came out to play his senior year and he made the All-State team," Matthews said. "His quote to me was, 'Coach, I love this sport, fat guys score,' It's a great opportunity. (Players) embrace it."

The program has come a long way from when it could only field a side of seven players - it now has two teams, one that plays with seven players on each side, and another that plays with 15. Each year, between 20 and 30 students will come out and create two squads that play at the varsity level. Banaag anticipates that more students will try out, as they see past players' success.

Both Matthews and Miller agree, when students see the cost-effectiveness of rugby - only a pair of cleats and a mouth guard are needed - and the opportunities available, more will cflock to the sport.

"I realized we were slowly hitting our stride," Miller said. "Gaining ground within the school and rugby community."

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.