Old Glory DC and Mount St. Mary’s University announce a partnership for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. This relationship will offer leadership opportunities for Mount St. Mary’s students to ensure graduates are fully prepared for working in their chosen industries.
With this partnership, Mount St. Mary’s University will be Old Glory DC’s official partner in higher education, and Old Glory DC will provide several internship placement opportunities each year to support students with their studies.
“The Mount has long-established reputations for both academic excellence and as a collegiate rugby power,” observed Old Glory Chairman Chris Dunlavey. “A partnership like this, where we can align with the institution to pursue its mission and work together to grow rugby in our region—it’s perfect.”
Located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Mount St. Mary’s University is a private, liberal arts Catholic university dedicated to inspiring students with a passion for learning to become ethical leaders who lead lives of significance in service to their community.
Robert Brennan, Vice President for University Advancement, stated “rugby has been one of our most successful sports at the Mount since 1973. We now have generations of alumni who support our rugby program and our student-athletes on and off the pitch.” Brennan added, “our partnership with Old Glory will allow us to ‘export the goodness’ of our Mount Rugby program to players, families, and rugby fans in the DMV and throughout the country. We could not be more optimistic as we enter into this partnership and we look forward to mutually beneficial results for the Mount and Old Glory.”
John Nauright, dean of the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business and Director of the Global Rugby Leadership Institute, believes that rugby is the ideal sport to lean on when it comes to career development. “Rugby is a game that builds trust, leadership, teamwork, and great decision-making skills,” said Dean John Nauright. “All of those aspects are something that can really translate to career success, and one of those things we are really trying to connect is the values of rugby to leadership skills that can help people in their future careers no matter what that may be.” Looking ahead, Nauright also mentions that this partnership will lay the foundation for excellent development for rugby at the highest levels in the Mid-Atlantic.
“I’m hoping that we will achieve tremendous growth for rugby in the region and awareness that Washington, DC, and the surrounding areas are a real hub for US rugby, particularly as we build up for likely hosts for the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup and 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup,” said Nauright. “With this partnership, we hope to raise awareness of rugby, build performance pathways from youth to college to professional, and embed ourselves effectively within our region through community programs.”
The Mount St. Mary’s men’s rugby team, established in 1973, won the 2016 National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) National Championship. The team, led by Director of Rugby and Head Coach Jay Myles, now play in the Division I Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference. Myles commented, “the professional setting Old Glory provides will enhance our student athletes’ growth and prepare them for success. We are excited for the opportunities the partnership will create.”
About Old Glory DC
Old Glory is the first and only professional rugby team in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Established in 2018, Old Glory DC competes in Major League Rugby (MLR), a North American league that includes teams in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Toronto, Houston, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Austin, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The team was founded by life-long DC area residents, business leaders, and rugby players Chris Dunlavey and Paul Sheehy. In 2019, the Scottish Rugby Union joined the partnership, committing both financial investment and operational support to the organization. The 2022 Major League Rugby season kicks off on February 5th, 2022. For more, visit oldglorydc.com.
About Mount St. Mary’s University
Mount St. Mary’s University is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university in the Catoctin Mountains near historic Emmitsburg, Maryland, with a satellite campus in Frederick, Maryland’s second largest city. The university offers more than 80 majors, minors, concentrations and special programs for traditional undergraduate students, and more than 20 adult undergraduate and graduate level programs as well as 24 NCAA Division I athletic teams and 2 premier sports, men’s rugby and esports. Founded in 1808, Mount St. Mary’s includes Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, the second oldest in the United States, and the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, an idyllic shrine for spiritual reflection located on the hill above the university.
