Why was the Association formed?

For many years Dave 'Pops' Sitton sought the guidance and assistance of a relatively small group of alumni - though he retained much of the responsibility for the funding, relationships, politics, and initiatives of the Club. With his passing, the program lost some of its 'connective tissue' between alumni and the campus administration, its operational capability, its fundraising ability, and mechanisms for communication.  In the immediate wake of his passing, a few guys really stepped-in to triage the situation, at a critical time. (They learned well: “Never stop running support.”) Through this turmoil came some conversations about how we prepare Arizona Rugby for the future it deserves: 

  • Continuing the ethos of our club; 
  • Sustainable structure and finance; 
  • Competitive on the field; 
  • Respected by students, the administration and opponents; 
  • Unique opportunities for student-athletes interested in rugby.     

Why does Arizona Rugby need an Alumni Association?

Not too many years ago the key stakeholders in Wildcat Rugby were:

  • Coach, Dave ‘Pops’ Sitton; 
  • Students playing rugby, and;
  • UA Campus Recreation.

While some alumni and sponsors had particular interests, WDS held unique positions in the club, community and the university, to keep a balance among these few constituencies. Not that the work was easy — but the dynamics were pretty straightforward. Now the dynamics of campus, college athletes and rugby have evolved, and will change further at an extraordinary rate. This will challenge the alumni to work interdependently with other groups.

Today, students are increasingly choosing universities (and specifically, Arizona) with rugby as their very-first priority. Unlike the days when nearly every new college player was also new to rugby, this fall we enrolled 35 new freshmen or transfers – every one of them with prior high school rugby experience. Some of them are international age-grade players.

As the visibility and stature of rugby grows, the program is also welcomed another 20+ “rookies” from the general UA student body. As college rugby has grown in competitiveness, and 7s has begun to occupy the calendar, Arizona now has 80-90+ students making a varsity-level commitment to train & play as Wildcats.

Quite simply, Arizona Rugby is going through a period of rapid transition:

  •  Arizona’s ability to attract and retain committed players and quality coaches, long-term, is function of the steadiness and professionalism of the organization;
  • As key sponsors/donors step-in with significant contributions, they expect and deserve to see more stability and consistency in the organization;
  • With Wildcat Rugby on NBC for the Collegiate Rugby Championship and Pac-12 Network, the University has an interest in making sure rugby represents the qualities of the Arizona brand;   
  • Tuition-paying parents (who have poured years and resources into their sons’ interests and talents) want a rugby program that reflects the interests and abilities of their sons.
  •  As rugby explodes at the high school level, UA Admissions has taken an interest in how rugby helps the school compete for academically gifted students;
  •  The University of Arizona is now an employer of a paid coach, and so takes an interest in the functioning of the Club; 
  •  As we reach further and deeper into the community for financial support, The Arizona Foundation is more involved. Our efforts have implications related to policy, data privacy, fund administration, branding and donor fatigue.

Clearly, there are many more audiences today. And as the stakes grow higher, each constituency’s interest in the program is amplified. In short, we alumni need to work proactively and cooperatively with each of these many constituencies in a positive, productive, coordinated manner.

What is the Alumni Association working on?

The Association is relatively new. and the first wave of efforts were focused on: 

  • Organizing the group’s bylaws, establishing our role and working relationships with the Club, campus administration and Arizona Foundation.
  • Working with the coaches and Club officers to establish a unified vision and aligned roles. 
  • Expanding participation in the Association board, to better reflect the generations of Arizona Rugby players.  
  • Developing a meaningful and accurate list of all past rugby alumni. (With your assistance last spring we were able to identify 300+ “lost” alumni, and are now working with the Foundation to begin securing contact information.)
  • Begun establishing business routines between alumni fundraising, the Foundation and Club, to recognize donations made to the Club. 
  • Continued to solicit funding, while organizing a focused alumni membership campaign.
  • Planning & preparations for a major endowment campaign, coinciding with our 50th Anniversary.

How can alumni be involved?

There are many ways to be involved, including fundraising, organizing, event planning and sponsorship. The Association has adopted a "4Ws" principle. Contact us if you'd like to be more involved: