Penn State University's Men's team is still picking up the pieces, somewhat, after two players were arrested on allegations of arson and vandalism.
The incident, which is still playing out as both players have not had their day in court yet, led to the team being temporarily suspended, although they were reinstated in time to play in the CRC 7s invitational, losing in the quarterfinals. Then-Director of Rugby and Men's Team Head Coach Don Ferrell resigned following the handing down of the suspension.
But the team was reinstated, and that was chiefly because, according to reports, the University found no attempt at a cover-up by team members. Only a couple of players knew about the incident involving the burning down of a sports team storage shed, and those players were not allowed to speak about it because of an ongoing police investigation. The two players alledgedly involved in the incident are no longer on the team.
Now the team is looking ahead to a 2014-2015 season that incudes a very challenging Rugby East schedule that includes Army, Kutztown, and Wheeling Jesuit, to name just three.
Chris Amoratis is currently the interim Director of Rugby and Men's Head Coach, but that could change as a search is on to find a permanent person for the job (Amoratis, a close friend of Ferrell's, is one of the candidates). Ultimately the program may have a Director of Rugby overseeing the Head Coaches of the Men's and Women's teams, but it looks as though the DOR position, for the short-term, will be fulled by someone who is also Head Coach of the Men's Team.
Meanwhile, there are changes afoot at the University. Sandy Barbour has taken over as Athletic Director, just a few months after reportedly being forced out as AD at Cal. While at Cal, Barbour clashed with the men's rugby program there as she was in the middle of an almost-successful effort to take the rugby team's varsity status away.
One early move at Penn State is to move the club sports from under the Athletic Department to work under the adminstration of Student Affairs. This creates a more distinct demarkation between club sports and varsity sports, and leaves rugby somewhat in the middle. The rugby teams are not club sports, but "Team Sports," a special designation that recognized certain sports' intercollegiate schedules. Rugby and hockey shared that designation until hockey went varsity. Rugby is the only sport at Penn State under the "Team Sports" designation, and the program remains under the authority of the Athletics Department.
For the players, they hope that this fall is only about the rugby, as they look ahead to a tough schedule that also includes a non-league game against Davenport. But the team has to know it remains under scrutiny this coming season.
Chris Amoratis is currently the interim Director of Rugby and Men's Head Coach, but that could change as a search is on to find a permanent person for the job (Amoratis, a close friend of Ferrell's, is one of the candidates). Ultimately the program may have a Director of Rugby overseeing the Head Coaches of the Men's and Women's teams, but it looks as though the DOR position, for the short-term, will be fulled by someone who is also Head Coach of the Men's Team.
Meanwhile, there are changes afoot at the University. Sandy Barbour has taken over as Athletic Director, just a few months after reportedly being forced out as AD at Cal. While at Cal, Barbour clashed with the men's rugby program there as she was in the middle of an almost-successful effort to take the rugby team's varsity status away.
One early move at Penn State is to move the club sports from under the Athletic Department to work under the adminstration of Student Affairs. This creates a more distinct demarkation between club sports and varsity sports, and leaves rugby somewhat in the middle. The rugby teams are not club sports, but "Team Sports," a special designation that recognized certain sports' intercollegiate schedules. Rugby and hockey shared that designation until hockey went varsity. Rugby is the only sport at Penn State under the "Team Sports" designation, and the program remains under the authority of the Athletics Department.
For the players, they hope that this fall is only about the rugby, as they look ahead to a tough schedule that also includes a non-league game against Davenport. But the team has to know it remains under scrutiny this coming season.
